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We had a similar problem with the address. the problem was that one Comcast has the address in Arnold. PGE has the address in Camp Connell. Att had us listed in Dorrington! So when you give your address they might not have it listed in the city you tell them.
I’m still undecided about whether or not to keep the landline- though I understand the value and security of having contact if the power goes out. Our place is right off Sierra Parkway hear Hwy4, so we’re one of the first places to get plowed. We’re doing the devo program at Bear this year, so we’ll go up every other weekend at least, so with luck from the weather gods, there will be ample opportunity to get caught in a blizzard. I think that we’ll keep it through the winter and then pull the plug or not when the snow melts.
Right now, Comcast has to do a “service check” because our address isn’t showing up in their dbase. I’m sure it is available- about $40/month if we add it. They’re supposed to call back in a few days.
We’ve had our ATT land-line since we built in ’93, and it’s come in handy several times. Yeah, I hate that 30-something bill when it comes in every month considering we’re rarely there, but wouldn’t think of getting rid of it, just for those situations mentioned…
Cabin asked what full timers do when a big storm hits and we’re stuck without power for several days….
Wood stove, canned food, Snow on the deck acts as our fridge / freezer as best it can. Snowshoes ready if we need to hike out to the highway.
We do have a ghetto style generator but we don’t use it often or for very long at any one time. We have considered getting a propane powered generator that could run for much longer but have not been willing to spend that much yet.
I’ve also considered picking up an old fashioned phone modem.caleach points out something important. . . if your power is out be sure to call PG&E. They don’t necessarily know your power is out. I’ve called several times and my house was the only one to not have power (I’m the last house on the last pole of a series of poles). PG&E responded quickly as noted above, as long as there isn’t a storm soaking up all their resources.
carlshome
We have had an AT&T landline for as long as we’ve had the house, about 12 years now. As an example of why I keep it, lust this week I went up to check on a few things sine our security camera hd not been transmitting for over a week while we were out of the country. I arrived Thursday night to no power and broke out the old fashioned princess phone and called PG&E and they were out there within the hour. Seems that our power had been out for a week and a half so we lost everything in the fridge. Probably a good thing in the long run since there were probably some things we should have dumped a long time ago.
We dropped cable TV but kept the Internet. We have a TV with some Apps on it, a Roku and a slingbox hooked up to our home TV so we’re not wanting for anything in that department unless there are tech naïf us.Comcast says their battery back up last for a while but I’ve never felt inclined to try it.
We also have a microcell so don’t have to worry about usage charges when calling anyone.Hope this helps.
SteveI should have mentioned in my comments above, I’m a part timer.
When the power is out, I start my small 2000 watt Honda generator every other hour or so to keep the fridge cold. Generator off at night to save gas. The generator regulates rpm depending on demand to save fuel. With this strategy I can keep the fridge cold for many days.
I use the phone to call family and let them know I’m ok. I call PG&E for power updates to plan out what I need to do. In one case I used the phone to call a group of guys coming up to visit, to tell them to stay home. And I have even used my land line to send brief email messages with dial up. Sure it is SLOW, but dial up still does work on the land line.
Wood stove for heat. Propane stove can be lit with a match to cook. Propane water heater.
The first time your street isn’t plowed for several days and you have no way out, it puts a new perspective on things.
And yes, I do not live in Snow Shoe Springs. I’m in Big Trees Unit 9, just four lots away from SSS. Maybe I’m just lucky, but the phone has been incredibly reliable.
carlshome
I think there is a disconnect going on here between full time residents and part time residents. What do full timers do when the power is out for days? no hot water, no reefer, no stove? You all have wood burning stoves? Backcup generators? Assuming your phone works who do you call and what do you call for. Obviously emergencies arise but they are rare and if the roads are closed what help can you expect? I don’t know what I would need a phone for but it has not happened to me.
Obviously you do not live in Snowshoe Springs if your phones never go out. My phone was out all the time. More than once it was for squirrel nests in the connection at the pole. More than once it was corroded connectors in the phone box on the side of the house. (ATT box) and more than once it was downed wires from snow. ATT says CALL to report problems but the phone is dead!
There is not cell tower here for ATT without a microcell. I have a land line at my main residence but only need a phone up here for restaurant hours and the like. Internet can give me that info or I can just go and take my chances. But if the power is out I have no internet, but also no lights, heat, hot water. If we lived next to each other you would have a phone and I would not. What do you use your phone for? Call the snowplow? The roads are not plowed.At my location in Big Trees I have no cell coverage. And as much as I would love to not pay $42/mo for my land line, I just can not drop it. Why? Because I’ve been caught in several big storms with the power lines down and no snow plow for 3-5 days. Yes, that long being totally snowed in. And much to my amazement, even with ATT lines on the ground in the snow, my land line has always worked. And boy, was I so thankful it did. Do I hate that monthly bill for $42? Yes. Would I give it up? Never. You only need to be stuck once to realize its value.
So, I’m curious… you who depend on internet phone (comcast, magicjack, etc) what do you do when there’s a big storm, the streets aren’t plowed and the power is out for a few days and you want to get in touch with someone or maybe even dial 911 for an emergency?
We have had Magic Jack for about 3 years. The down side to that is when your internet is out, so is your phone. However, for $29 a year, I can deal with that.
Also, my iPhone using Verizon works there as well.
Anyone using Direct TV?Thanks for the input- I tried to look at Comcast options online, though our address wasn’t in their system. I’ll have to call and see what they can tell me. I may just cancel our landline- though I know I’d lose connectivity in power failures. Including taxes and fees, the bill is $42 a month for what on average is just a few calls a month. I’ll see what the bundled comcast fees are, including VOIP, and figure it out.
We have the ATT landwire at our Arnold cabin and added Comcast internet last Spring. We get a steady 25mbps download speed. If you switch to the Comcast phone, it needs electricity to run, so you’ll be down on both during a power outage. For television we run a $50 Roku with an Amazon subscription and have plenty of entertainment options for a long weekend up there.
Dave in Arnold
We were in the same position. We were too far from the DSL hub. Comcast internet is $30/mo for 12 months. Rarely used the phone and the price kept increasing. It went from under $10/mo in 2005 to $29/mo in 2014 for 1-2 calls a month. We got a microcell and replaced the land line as it was not worth the price. Full timers might want a land line but we didn’t need it. Full timers might like generators and the like but less important to part timers who can go home if worse comes to worst. Dial up internet is available but is pretty slow!!
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