Our Personal  Ositech Experiences

2003 we were on the move with no on-board landline from February to April. I used the above computer complete with digital data service and the King of Clubs PC Card for all ‘Net' action. Although I frequently connected using the slower analog service it was so convenient.  Anywhere I had cell voice service I connected to pick up my email and was able to minimal surf. Of course your phone policy should include the more economical  ‘one-rate roaming’ plan.

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The winter of 2003/04 I was in a very strong digital service area and as a result I was able to use Ositech's NEW USB Cable.  I connected my cell directly to my laptop with a special cord. (I see no reason why it should work with a desk-top as well but you would have to ask Ositech tech support for details).

This versatile hook-up kept my phone charged as well as allowed me to connect online.  I do everything using my cell except update my web page.  It was still slow but quite satisfactory performance.

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In March 2004 I downloaded their two week test for ExpressLink. I am amazed at how fast it speeds web surfing and email - up to 5 times faster than normal cell/laptop service. Rates are low for this service and it speeds up downloads even if you are using compression software provided by your Cellular service Provider

Discover the ExpressLink advantage... today. 

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Read About The Wonders Of Ositech

Many RVers rely on email to stay in contact with friends and family. Going ‘on-line’ is second nature for most of us - almost as common as watching television. In a word, when we can connect, the Internet offers a sense of ‘in-touch’ freedom like little else. Long distance business operations; on-line shopping; accessing information for travel planning or just about any topic is simply a mouse click away. Thanks to today’s technology we RVers can now travel the continent and still operate in cyberspace. 

In the past, RVers stayed in touch using message services and calling cards - plus long lines at pay phones. The popular use of cell phone technology has made staying in contact easier but to go ‘on-line’ we still must search for a public access modem (phone jack). Since we can’t move from place to place with a phone line attached like an umbilical cord we usually rely on available phone hook-ups in campgrounds offices, airports, truck stops, and several stationary/office supply stores. In some locations Cyber Cafes and city libraries or other such businesses offer computers for use (usually no hook-ups for laptops) - cost may be minimal or even free, but it is a hassle locating this form of access. As a result we search for campgrounds with on-site phone hook-ups simply because connecting without leaving our rolling home seems like heaven.

 

 

 

 

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VALUABLE CHANGES WHEN USING OSITECH PC CARDS:

Most popular dual or tri-mode cell phones have voice and data capabilities that function in both analog and digital coverage areas but they usually try to connect in digital first. As a result when your PC Card modem wants to work in analog you have a problem. Recently I tested two different PCMCIA Cards called 'Trumpcards' with CellFlex technology by Ositech Communications. With these special PC Cards and my data capable cell phone equipped with data/text messaging I was able to pick up and send email as well as enjoy basic surfing the ‘Net from the comfort of my motorhome.  These amazing ‘CellFlex’ PC Cards by Ositech Communications based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada provide a simple ‘in-touch’ solution for most cell phone users. Ositech has the only PC Card available today that connect in both analog and digital coverage areas.

Until Ositech’s 2-in-1 PC Card modem with CellFlex surfaced, it was only possible to access data in one system or the other, but not both. Ositech’s auto-detection feature queries the phone for the most appropriate type of coverage. It will by default choose digital data connection when it is available, if not it will move to analog without interruption. Since analog service has been around longer, it remains much more widespread than digital service although some metropolitan areas now operate on both systems. Ositech’s CellFlex products can be used with laptops and PDA’s (handheld computers), plus also with any device that contain a PCMCIA slot.  

On one test we used our Toshiba computer.  It was not equipped with an internal modem. Several years ago I added a basic cell/56K landline PC Card to this laptop to connect in analog mode. It was never designed to work with my dual mode cell phone. However after installing the King of Hearts Cellular + 56K modem PC Card with CellFlex, I could connect to any landline using the enclosed modem cable -- using the special CellFlex cable my dual-mode cell phone equipped with digital data/messaging connected just as easily. 

Our usage intertwined between connecting to digital data  using my cell in various locations in Canada, to a landline at two parks and to our cell via analog in the rest areas and several campgrounds en route - all from the comfort of our motorhome.  What a treat!  As long as we had cell service (not in dead air) I easily picked up email and accessed the Internet everywhere from Ontario to Florida.  When we were in analog cell coverage areas, access was slower as is typical with a cell phone, but while retrieving digital data the connection speed was not fast but it definitely increased.  

I subscribed to a 'Canadian International One-Rate’ plan that included long distance, airtime and roaming in each minute of use. So when using our cell phone to connect, it was more economical to dial my local Canadian ISP access number by long distance. However when I connected my PC Card to a landline I used a local dial-up or the 800-access number for my ISP.  

Previously on a different laptop I installed the Ositech PC Card called the King of Clubs for a mini test while in a large metropolitan city.  The laptop I used for that test was equipped with an internal modem for landline use, so I only needed the cell/data capabilities of the King of Clubs PC Card.  At that time my phone was not yet connected to digital data/text messaging service (definitely a requirement for optimum communication) but the versatile CellFlex PC Card still allowed me Internet access in analog mode, even though my phone was operating in a strong digital service area.  

On the first day the King of Clubs PC Card provided a good cellular analog data connection. Everything on the Internet was instantly available---slower than a landline but definitely a pleasant experience.   However day two my connection speed decreased considerably and trying to access anything but email became somewhat erratic with several interruptions in service. After I called Ositech’s informative Technical Support team we concluded the problem was most likely due to heavy network traffic that busy Saturday evening, this would not have happened if I had been working in the more reliable and faster digital data service. I had not yet subscribed to digital data service (although we were in a test area) for my cell phone, so I was only able to connect to the older slower analog mode. (Digital data is a different process than data messaging, contact your cell service provider and Ositech for advice and details).  

Since the launch of Ositech’s Trumpcards with CellFlex, cell phone users can ‘stay connected’ everywhere there is cell service (no dead air). It is so easy to receive and send email and enjoy limited Internet access. Depending on your phone features along with the functions and capabilities of your computer you can also send a Fax using CellFlex.  

Several dual and tri-band cell phone service providers are available in today’s market but Verizon and AT&T are the two most popular with RVers because of their wide coverage for digital/analog voice service and their extensive one-rate plans. AT&T has introduced digital data in several large urban centres and in Canada, but these areas remain limited in number. Verizon on the other hand leads the way in launching digital data in many locations throughout North America. To find out if your phone is compatible; where digital data service is available and which phones support both Analog and Digital, log onto www.ositech.com/CellData/ProductList.asp. (This list is constantly being updated). 

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The auto-detection feature of Ositech’s CellFlex technology use the modem built into dual-tri mode cell phones for digital data transmissions and a modem inside the PC Card for Analog connections. Ositech’s CellFlex technology is most agreeable with the mobile phones of today, plus it will also be compatible with wireless technologies of the future. Because CellFlex works with your cell phone, all data and voice usage fees are part of your cell phone statement.