This is one of those things I didn't think about before hitting the road. Good job on providing much needed info, Robert. Until I got out here, I had thought I would connect in the city like you said, Starbucks etc, until I realized I don't like going to cities and it's very expensive gas wise! And you are correct ... Most of my tools are online - for camping and for my TBI management. Connectivity is a must. And that's without having a YT channel or something like that to maintain. Good info on the different carriers and signal strengths based on coverage, towers and site location too. Thank you! I have been amazed at the difference a speed test makes. I'll have 3-4 bars but have service so slow I can't even upload a video to my channel. Now I try to not set up camp until I've done a speed test. Blew me away to learn this. Thank you for turning me on to the app. Now to get my booster fixed! Hopefully the crimp on my next antennae will hold. Thanks for trying to fix it for me - again. Maybe 3rd time will be the charm. You rock - as always!

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Debra! I planned to mostly use cell data on the road, but also figured I would just hit a library or coffee shop if necessary. Like you, I realized that I do not like going into town and definitely do not want to hang out there for any length of time. Finding campsites with a decent signal was a real challenge. I still strike out on occasion, but at least I have a better idea now how to tip the odds in my favor.

Geez, Robert, I don't think you "ramble"! You are a great instructor. Very detailed information, however it is delivered by you!

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Sally. These are pretty much all things that I have learned since being on the road and needing a decent signal for work. I hoped it would be helpful to others who are new to the nomadic life.

The app you need is called American Tower. It is my understanding that American Tower is the company that builds, owns and maintains the towers that all the cell companies lease from, but I am not an expert. It is in the app store for Iphone. I downloaded it recently because I am going full time on the 15th. It has worked locally, and shows towers in every region of the country. I haven't traveled with it yet. I have also used Open Signal but don't recommend it since it only shows coverage and points only to the tower you are using.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Tim! I will check out that app. I have searched the app store several times using different keywords, but could never find anything similar.

I have a tip for you regarding car black out curtains. I use Black Felt. Let's little to no light in, easy cut to shape and won't fray.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I had wondered about felt. I may have to give that a try. The ones that I have now were passed down and they were nearly threadbare to start with. After forgetting to close the windows a few times while I was driving, they are really tattered. LOL

@traceandtulu6130

6 жыл бұрын

Rambling Burkeen what a brilliant idea

Thank you for breaking this down into "real people" speak. So many folks do videos and use all the tech/geek terminology which totally loses us newbies. Appreciate that you took the time to do this for those of us who don't even know how to set up or use a "hot spot" but have to learn somehow!

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I am glad you found it helpful. It gets pretty technical really fast, so I tried to just stick to the basics for this video. The basic tips in this video will help most of the time anyway. Thanks for watching!

Robert, your generosity in sharing your knowledge gained through research as well as experience is much appreciated and helpful to many people. I continue to be impressed by the clear and concise way you present information. Have been watching from the beginning and you just continue to get better.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I appreciate that. I have a background in journalism and writing so I bring that to KZread. I also spend time each week learning new things to continue improving what I do with the videos. I am glad that you are enjoying the channel.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience regarding this troublesome situation. Even static sticks and bricks dwellers would find this information useful.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

My hope was to provide some useful info based on what I have learned over the past two years as a digital nomad. You are correct though that these same principles will help anyone who is trying to find a better signal. Thanks for watching!

Wow! Thank you for taking the time to put this information together in a video. 👍🏼

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I am glad that you found it useful.

Thank you for another interesting and informative video. Your presentations are always organized and thoughtful!

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Roger! These are all things that I have learned over two years as a digital nomad - and did not really understand clearly when I started. I was hoping that my experiences would be helpful to others.

Thank you!

Thanks for the info Robert...............Enjoy your there and stay safe

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Kodey. Hopefully this info is useful to people when they are trying to scout campsites.

Good job Robert learn something every time I watch you I bought my battery today for my solar setup I'm totally out of here probably right after the 13th woohoo

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Juli! I was hoping to make it easier for others by sharing what I have learned in two years as a digital nomad. A lot of it is probably "common sense," but if you are not used to thinking about such things it may not be so obvious. LOL Meanwhile, I have still occasionally found a usable signal in crazy places where it would not be expected, but these techniques do help me narrow down my search and seem to tip the odds considerably at least.

On Android, I suggest either open signal or network cell info. The latter app has a lite version to try. Good info and I enjoy your videos. Thx for sharing.

Very well explained. Thank you Robert.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! I was hoping to help others with the things that I have learned over the past couple of years.

Good information as always, Robert. :-)

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Joan. These tips are all things that I actually use routinely. Hopefully they are helpful to others as well.

Thanks, Robert. You have some good tips!

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Dannie, thank you and thanks for watching!

I'm going to plan on the van build I believe so I should be hopefully heading out of here right after the 13th

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

You must be getting excited to get on the road! I hope the rest of your preparations go smoothly :)

Good info Robert! Thanks for the ideas!

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I am glad that you found it helpful, Linda. These are all things that I actually use regularly to find campsites with a decent signal. Of course, it doesn't always work, but it at least provides a better chance.

Thanks for the valuable info, Robert. It sure will help when I get out on the road. Safe travels . . .

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I was hoping to help others with the things that I have learned over the past couple of years. Glad you found it useful :)

Not relevant to me simply as I live in Indonesia but I still found it very interesting. Thank you for putting this info out there for folks

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you - even though it wasn't helpful to you. LOL This was definitely a pretty "US" topic I suppose. Thanks for watching though!

@traceandtulu6130

6 жыл бұрын

I total enjoy your vids, and Debra's too...... I'm working my way thru all your vids 😃

Great informative video. It is amazing where a person can camp and still get the coverage that is needed. Thank you for sharing the info. Stay safe and happy trails. Love Joyce

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I have been surprised by some of the out-of-the-way places where I was able to find a signal. Still, I am finding myself being a little more intentional about research these days because it creates so much aggravation with work when I try a place that does not have a signal.

Great info Robert!

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you. These are all things that I have learned since being on the road. Hoping to make it easier for others :)

Thanks Robert! Very informative:)

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

These ideas are all somewhat basic, but they are things that I had to learn on the road. I hoped to save others some trouble :)

Great information! Thank you Robert.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I am glad that you found this helpful. I have found all of these tips to be useful enough that I use them regularly myself. My hope was to help others out with the tips that I have learned over the past two years as a digital nomad.

Thank you Robert for this great information!!!!.I have a lot of research to do.Love your videos.Be safe.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! The tips that I mention in this video are all things that I actually use routinely.

Very Informative!! Thank You and for the links to follow up.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Chris and Cherie at Technomadia are a wealth of information on all sorts of tech-related topics of interest to RVers (and vandwellers). They actually run both of those sites in the description. I actually do follow both of their sites, but I wanted to keep this video somewhat basic and focus on the things that I actually use routinely. I thought some people might like to explore it more though. The other couple of links to the videos on Bob Wells' channel offer some additional interesting info (like multiple pre-paid devices).

Great info

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Lauri!

Great info...

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Valerie! These are all things that I have found to be "tried and true" as a digital nomad.

Does anyone out there in the wilderness use CB radios for communication anymore?

@MsRegina333

6 жыл бұрын

I used to love using my uncle's CB radio when I was little... :)

@nurscathwill

6 жыл бұрын

Me too...it was really fun!

@RicardoRoams

6 жыл бұрын

Off roaders do with each other.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I do not at this point, though I used to have one back in the days before cell phones. I have thought several times about that recently though - usually when I am driving off the beaten path with no phone service. LOL

Realy good video and excellent links. You may have seen I have been setting up a (Bob Wells inspired) booster for my little trailer. WeBoost, same as yours, but also a directional antenna on a sturdy 9' painter pole (retracts to 44"). I use this with my AT&T Mobley hotspot and a tablet. Unfortunately, with a wifi only tablet, none of the signal and tower finding apps work. However I have found that I can view the db of my cell signal on my hotspot admin web page. This I can use this to point the antenna in the optimal direction. My testing so far shows this antenna to be a big improvement over the little stick. The db power is more accurate than the bars which are actually pretty meaningless. 3g and LTE power is rated differently though, so bear that in mind. Anyway, the engineer in me loved this video, good work. 😊 --Mark db chart goo.gl/images/ChhrQc

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

I have talked to several people recently who have said that directional antenna makes a real difference. I have toyed with the idea of trying one, but it seems like a hassle to secure it to the minivan because it is so rounded. LOL It is on my idea list for a future vehicle though. I had heard that measuring db was more reliable that the "signal strength" indicator on the phone. That signal strength indicator can be pretty quirky and doesn't seem to always have much connection to performance... LOL These tips in this video are all things that I use myself routinely and mostly have learned on the road. None are really earth-shattering, but I thought it might make the process easier for some others if I shared my experiences.

Thanks for the information. I appreciate your efforts. Looking at the Verizon map you mentioned, the West actually seems to have less coverage than the Midwest and the East coast. There are huge swaths of Nevada and Idaho that don't have coverage. I'm guessing those are the more mountainous regions, or simply less populated. www.verizonwireless.com/featured/better-matters/?map=4glte#maps

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, the mountains and remote areas are pretty much a lost cause for cell coverage in my experience. There is a fair chance of coverage along major highways and near towns/cities of any size, but other than that it is a real challenge in some of those areas!

Just get to the point, you ramble too much in ALL your videos.

@RobertWitham

6 жыл бұрын

Sam, most people find my videos to be adequately succinct while still being informative and entertaining. You are always free to not watch these videos if you don't appreciate the content.

@HappyGodGirl

6 жыл бұрын

Yup! Move on Sam. Nobody is making you watch the videos.

@traceandtulu6130

6 жыл бұрын

*Shakes head*... manners have gone downhill these days