Sending from the road

[slappy4428]

Laugh all you want, but I've sent many times by using the wifi signal from outside -- a Piggly Wiggly

 

[sportshack06]

Another thought, most sit-down restaurant establishments have a WiFi network in them.

Ruby Tuesdays, O'Charleys and Outback have been pretty reliable in the past.

 

[Tom Petty]

Laugh all you want, but I've sent many times by using the wifi signal from outside -- a Piggly Wiggly

one of my guys at my last shop made mcdonalds his internet *****.

 

[Football_Bat]

I've had to file before by rolling through a neighborhood looking for a WiFi signal without a password. (This works pretty good.)

My company won't buy a wireless card. And I'm not paying for one.

 

[hankschu]

I just take the acoustic couplers and my Tandy into the gas station and hook them up to the pay phone. Works like a charm.

Right old timers.

LOL. When we all used the Trash-80s, we had an old-timer on the beat who refused to get one of these newfangled machines. He had a bubble computer the size of a microwave oven that he brought to the press box. It had couplers on top and he stuck the phone on the couplers.

Now, there are some press boxes that have no phones for sending.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

You could use a Blackberry and either
1) Tether it to the laptop.
2) Put the files on a SDMini card and then send from the Blackberry.

Doing this could get your shot to buy you a phone in the process.

I use the Bluetooth with my Blackberry if I have to. No cords needed.

More often, though, I'll just find a McDonald's or Krystal or somewhere with WiFi.

Krystal's and Mickey D's has wifi?
Here it's Subway or Panera's for the free wifi. Bleeping Starbucks charges.

McDonald's charges $2.95, I think. I'll do Panera if I'm filing during the day, but that's not an option at night.

And not only does Starbucks charge, but isn't the only option $10 for the day? Granted I'm always able to expense it, so it's not really a big deal.

You can pay $6 if you're pretty sure you'll be done in one hour; if you go longer, you'll get hit with another $6 hour.

I haven't seen that. At the Starbucks I've been to it's T-Mobile for $10. There weren't any other options.

I live at Starbucks (my poor acid-scarred esophagus thanks me for that, btw) -- off the top of my head: $6 an hour, $10 for a 24-hour period, $30 per month (year contract), $40 per month (no contract) and a $10/month discount if you're a T-Mobile customer (I've been paying $20/month, no contract, but I'm about to drop it now that I've set up the wireless where I am now.

 

[Walter Burns]

We use Verizon, and send stories and photos with little problem (except for one guy who, if left to his own devices, would probably write it on notebook paper and give it to a carrier pigeon).

 

[deadliner]

I just take the acoustic couplers and my Tandy into the gas station and hook them up to the pay phone. Works like a charm.

Right old timers.

Been there. Done that.

 

[dargan]

Whataburger is the most reliable, widespread wifi location we use. Either that or a Best Western/LaQuinta/other random motel lobby.

 

[FileNotFound]

Whataburger is the most reliable, widespread wifi location we use. Either that or a Best Western/LaQuinta/other random motel lobby.

In some cases, a random hotel parking lot works fine, too.

 

[Stone Cane]

I can't emphasize enough what a ripoff T-Mobile is.

You can either pay $20 a month or whatever to use wireless in starbucks or you can pay $40 per month for an air card that you can use anywhere - waiting for a flight at the gate, in a deserted high scohol press box with no phones, at home, at starbucks, in your car (nothing like pulling over to the side of the road when you're lost and firing up maps.google.com)

very highly recommended

 

[accguy]

On a more serious note, I have ditched the Tandy 200.

I have also filed from the parking lot outside a closed coffee shop that has free wi-fi. Also once pirated wi-fi from the parking lot outside a county administration building/library.

Here is a site that's at least worth checking out before you head out to a game: http://www.wififreespot.com/

It's probably not complete and probably not completely accurate, but it will give you a starting point for the quest for wireless. My advice: get to the town a little early, roll by the place that is on the listing and check out to make sure the wireless works.

While Panera is a popular spot, another place that almost always has wi-fi is Buffalo Wild Wings.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

Will this legislation kill free and open Wi-fi?

I thought this piece of crap passed by the house with only two dissenting votes is probably one of the most devastating pieces of legislation ever lobbed at the Internet. I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion about it here.

Anyway..I send my work through my mobile phone. If I can't do that...cruising for Wi-fi it is.

 

[Appgrad05]

A few months ago I was sent to cover a high school football game in B.F.E. Ended up finding wireless access in those little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which had already closed for the day. And it's only a mile or so away from the school, so I think I am good.
I finish my gamer in the parking lot at the school, then drive down to the place. Pull up, and there is definitely a drug deal going on in the parking lot. After taking 30 seconds to realize my mistake in pulling up, and watching as both guys (in seperate cars) took a long gander at me, I pulled around and headed down the road. Ended up finding a Sleep Inn about 10 miles later that let me in.

 

[MCbamr]

Sprint card. Works great. Had Cingular in Louisiana, which went to crap after Hurricane Katrina.

 

[loveyabye]

I have home high-speed for the laptop, if I bought a wireless card could I just run off that puppy full-time and ditch the home connection? I'm pretty clueless about this stuff.

I tried that for a couple weeks when I moved once and it did not work well. It doesn't seem to work if you're on the computer pretty much all day. It would freeze a lot and I'd have to restart. It's better if you're using it for a few hours at a time. (I have Verizon.)

 

[Batman]

Whataburger is the most reliable, widespread wifi location we use. Either that or a Best Western/LaQuinta/other random motel lobby.

In some cases, a random hotel parking lot works fine, too.

Last time I was on the road in BFE, that's what I did. Stopped in a church parking lot about two blocks from the school, wrote my story, then drove into town and pulled up at a Holiday Inn Express. Got a nice, strong signal in the parking lot, God bless 'em.

 

[Stone Cane]

I have home high-speed for the laptop, if I bought a wireless card could I just run off that puppy full-time and ditch the home connection? I'm pretty clueless about this stuff.

I tried that for a couple weeks when I moved once and it did not work well. It doesn't seem to work if you're on the computer pretty much all day. It would freeze a lot and I'd have to restart. It's better if you're using it for a few hours at a time. (I have Verizon.)

untrue

i've had mine on for days at a time without any problem

i got rid of my home internet after i got my aircard

 

[Precious Roy]

A few months ago I was sent to cover a high school football game in B.F.E. Ended up finding wireless access in those little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which had already closed for the day. And it's only a mile or so away from the school, so I think I am good.
I finish my gamer in the parking lot at the school, then drive down to the place. Pull up, and there is definitely a drug deal going on in the parking lot. After taking 30 seconds to realize my mistake in pulling up, and watching as both guys (in seperate cars) took a long gander at me, I pulled around and headed down the road. Ended up finding a Sleep Inn about 10 miles later that let me in.

Why didn't get the hook-up man?

 

[RedSmithClone]

I have home high-speed for the laptop, if I bought a wireless card could I just run off that puppy full-time and ditch the home connection? I'm pretty clueless about this stuff.

I tried that for a couple weeks when I moved once and it did not work well. It doesn't seem to work if you're on the computer pretty much all day. It would freeze a lot and I'd have to restart. It's better if you're using it for a few hours at a time. (I have Verizon.)

untrue

i've had mine on for days at a time without any problem

i got rid of my home internet after i got my aircard

Which aircard do you have?