best mobile network for the dales

[paull]

at the moment i have a virgin mobile contract but never seem to get a signal in the dales  . was wondering which network gets best signal in the following areas , Horton in riibblesdale , but pot farm area , kingsdale etcetc 

 

[Stu]

Vodafone does Horton.
Just about get signal at the bottom of Kingsdale valley.
Assume you mean Bull Pot - no signal.

 

[Brendan]

Orange is pretty good for most places, but I don't think there is sihgnal in Ribblehead.
3 is rubbish everywhere, not just in the Dales

 

[IanWalker]

I'm on Orange and generally get good signal.

• Settle/Helwith/Horton good signal.
• Nothing on Alum Pot Lane, but excellent signal 100 yds South of Selside village (!).
• Nothing at Ribblehead (but payphone in pub).
• Good in Clapham/Ingleton/Masongill.
• Nothing in or on Kingsdale.
• Nothing on Bull Pot Lane (emergency phone at Bull Pot Farm, and payphone inside).

A couple of friends get signal in Kingsdale (even at Valley Entrance).  I think they're both on 'Three' / '3'.

I understand phone make/model makes a big difference.  Mines an old-style Nokia (again I think they're pretty good).

Hope this helps...
Ian.

 

[paull]

but pot farm area  oooops sorry rrcpc , must read before i post  :chair:

 

[Speleodroid]

Orange gets my vote too...

 

[dunc]

I'd say Vodafone or Orange.. Going on personal and others experience.

I do recall some years back getting a very slight signal (good enough for sending a text) on Voda at Bull Pot - stood on the track somewhere, can't recall exact location, and it did have to be fairly exact!

 

[menacer]

Another vote for Orange.....at the Craven Pothole club everyone else gets a good reception especially standing on the bridge towards the railway station......I however on my O2 contract I have to drive almost all the way to Settle or Ingleton to get a signal

 

[j4nny]

though i seldom get that far north, but i have not had a problem on my travels with vodafone. i tend to get a signal when Friends with other networks fail. UK and abroad.

if you are getting a contact phone your local phone shop may lend you a "pay'as'you'go" sim to test in your area prior to signing up.

 

[Rachel]

Another vote for orange - I live in Ingleton and for work I shuttle up and down the A65 from Kendal to Skipton and have always got a signal. It works in Horton too.

 

[jarvist]

O2 tested in 2009 --> 5 bar reception wandering around Allotment in fog, from near farm where you park for allotment, from just above Bar Pot, Kingsdale valley (though iffy near road further than Keld Head) etc. Ok reception in window of NPC (Mmm, thick walls). Managed to get a single text message in upstairs window of BPF (Dec 2008), usually have to walk a little way up the hill.
Massively improved reception in the last few years - perhaps they put another mast in that blasts up the valleys?
Mobile is mostly Line of Sight, so if you lack reception -  head uphill!

 

[Max S]

Three fall back to Orange if there's no 3G signal available.  However, if there's a tiny bit of 3G signal available the phones can switch between the two networks quite a bit, which gets irritating - especially if the Orange 2G signal is 5 bars and the 3G signal is 1 bar.  All that said, I'd expect you'd be fine with a Three phone in the Dales.  It's a gamble I've taken recently.

 

[Colin the Caver]

I'd go with Orange. Not done much testing but I can get a signal at the gate to the house just downhill frpm Alum Pot Laneand just uphill of Churns middle entrance about half way to the wall.
I also get a signal at The Dump (BPC HQ) in Brakenbottom, O2 fails here.
Chaple a Dale from the Hill Inn to Ribblehead is dead as is Kingsdale.

Phone's a Motorola V235.

Perhaps we should make a point of checking phone signals around the Dales and post the results on here.

 

[sittingnev]

No signal from orange, or o2 on the road up to Old Ing.
Patchy between Horton and Helwith.
And sweet FA till White scar on the road between there and Ribblehead.

 

[SteveR]

Vodafone gets a signal just as you leave Kingsdale, and from around 50m uphill of Alum Pot Lane.

 

[Taoist]

I have T-Mobile (hey, I got it free from work)
No signal in the Dales, or the Peak district for that matter

Not a good network for cavers!

 

[HardenClimber3]

T mobile is not good (apart from a surprisingly good signal at Gaping Gill).
Orange is not bad...

 

[martinb]

Orange again - had a decent signal in Horton and up to top of Pen-y-ghent!

Can't quite remember about Ribblehead, but deffo by White Scar.

Martin

 

[kay]

Orange again - had a decent signal in Horton and up to top of Pen-y-ghent!

Can't quite remember about Ribblehead, but deffo by White Scar.

Martin

No signal at Ribblehead -  after Gunnerfleet my phone came live with a 3hr old text from my son on the way into Horton.