is there such a thing as a cell phone with pre-paid minutes,

• is there such a thing as a cell phone with pre-paid minutes, - sm
  • Verizon has one.... - AllieCat
  • ditto everyone else on Tracfone - fg
  • I use TracFone....sm - El Cheapo
    • it fits the bill for me! i'm frugal too :) - nm
  • anyone tried the refurbished Tracfone? - THANKS TO ALL, nm
    • Ditto below - I've had a refurb phone - for 2 1/2 years, still going strong.nm
      • Thanks a bunch to ALL !! - nm
    • Yes, that is what I did, free phone, like new, works fine. - nm - Laura E.
  • Yes, I use a prepaid Tracfone from Nokia- works well for me since I only use it for urgent stuff -nm - Laura E.
  • Prepaid - nss
    • special thanks for that info, as it applies to my situation! - nm
  • Cell phone - sat
  • Centennial Wireless. - Midwest MT
  • I have a pay as you go cell phone - Sue
  • Cingular and T-Mobile advertise prepaid plans. - nm
  • In our area .. Cingular has that - It's advertised daily

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listen to dictation is not viable.  I have downloaded digital files via cell phone in a pinch, like during storms when I lose land-line.  If you got dictation via cell, you would have to re-record because there is no way to start/stop the dictation to transcribe live.  The quality of the dictation would not be as good as a land line or digital or whatever.   When you have unlimited service, it usually doesn't include unlimited data transfer so would not be feasible for downloading consistently.  

Just not a good idea any way you look at it, especially if this is your primary source of obtaining work. 

I know docs need to remain available but give us a break!  When it rings, please either turn it off or turn off the dictation machine and tend to your call.  I dont need their ------g phone blasting high volume in my ear, often while some inconsiderate jerk is trying to dictate over the loud ringing.  I had one clown the other day who actually left his cell ringing the entire 5 to 6 minutes during his dictation.  I felt almost deaf by the time he finished. 

I am not real computer literate but am wondering if I couldn't get unlimited Internet with a cell phone plan and use that for my on-line job/Internet connection exclusively. I have found plans for around $70/month.

If so, I was thinking too I could possibly give up my land line phone, Callwave, my dial-up ISP (as that is all we have available where live) and actually save a little money by doing so. I don't make/receive a lot of land line calls and I have a TracFone cell phone that I don't use much now. I get excellent reception with that where I live. We have a huge tower within walking distance of where I live but we live out in the "sticks". :D I know my connection would be dependent on the reception where I live and the cell phone service I would use. I am not sure which one truly has the best coverage and/or who may be using the tower by our home but TracFone apparently does. :)

TIA. 

because we were on new software and it was hard (before EDiX). Then we went to 60 char and you have never heard the screeching and griping (LOL. We just didn't know).

I have told this story before, but for five years I was the supervisor in the MT dept. All I did was evaluate MTs, line counts, average lines per hour, just endless figuring. I could tell you off the top of my head what any particular dictation should count out to.

In fact, after I decided to go back to transcribing, I knew the very day that my former employees started cheating - our line counts were posted by ssn on a computer-generated list. I knew that work like the back of my hand.

When EDiX did their spiel, I was eager to start with them because I knew how they supposedly counted their lines and I knew how many lines a day I could type. Man, I was gonna be RICH.

Not one line count EVER matched what it used to. Bad thing about that is, I just got blank silence on the telephone when I asked what was the deal. When I asked my immediate supervisors how they were counting these lines, I got "I don't know. I'll get back to you." Nobody ever answered my question. I gave them a year full time, and then I had to start working other jobs to make ends meet so I quit.

They asked me to come back, and I said I would, part time. They said they really needed me on that account. All told, I was employed there three times in three years. I never made enough money to even cover my basic expenses. I cannot live like that.

My biggest problem with nationals, and the reason I refuse to work for them, is that the money goes to the suits first, the MTs next. People who do what we do simply do not need that much supervision. If they hire newbies who do need extensive supervision (and they do, we all did), we all pay for it in that situation -- I'm not against hiring newbies, by the way, but the $ it takes to hold their hands the way the need their hands held should not come out of the pocket of the veteran MT who sits down and chugs out her work day in, day out.

So no more nationals for me. I make three times what I made at EDiX now, working for a company that could be considered a national because we're scattered out, but it's still run by the owner, and her aim in life is for us to make as much $$$ as possible because then SHE does. That's the way it should be.

National companies treat MT as a cost center and that is not right. That's for the facilities to do. The MTSO should treat us as an income-generating entity instead of a hole to divert money away from their executives. They've got it all wrong!

difference.  Also, have you tried a different headset?  Also someone told me one time that there is a microphone under your volume control on the right corner of the C-phone.  It's a tiny hole.  If you break off a Q-tip and stick that into the hole that will squelch a lot of background noise and that worked as well.  As far as getting your C-phone service, I heard that Dictaphone is "sunsetting" C-phones at the end of this year.  Meaning, they aren't going to service them anymore as they are considered an obsolete technology.  So, I would contact Dictaphone and see what your options are.

I know very little about Lanier equipment.  I've not used it as extensively as Dictaphone.  Is there a local appliance repair place in your area?  You might ask one of those places to take a look at your equipment and see what they think.  Kinda scary, cause they could do more harm than good, but maybe worth a shot.

Not much help, I know.  But I thought I would share what tiny bit of obscure knowledge I do have. 

I know the going rate in our area is 14 cents per line.  As MTs most companies here pay us 8 or 9 cents a line.  Now add in the Editor rate at 4 or 5 per line..you are paying OUT more than you can charge a line.  How would companies stay in biz?

Unless all work is sent by the company overseas at pennies per line, this would not pay for a company.

just curious how this works out

I think you should reconsider that.  I believe you could be sued for transmitting HIPAA protected information over cell phones.  There is no way to encrypt it.  The MDs who dictate on cell phones should all be suspended for a month, as far as I'm concerned.

phone signal, you will not be able to get an Air card signal.  I travel quite frequently and you always have to have a backup plan.  You need to have dial-up as a possibility or limit where you stay based on where you know you can get WiFi or use an air card.   Sprint is supposed to have more service with their air card than Verizon, but I haven't used either so I can't say for sure.  If you go to their website you should be able to find a map of their service area. 

Getting internet access depends on how you will be traveling and where you are staying.  If you are staying in a hotel, most of them have WiFi available, either free or for $$.  You can check the websites and find if they do or not. 

If you are going to be traveling/living in an RV lots of campgrounds now have some form of hook-up.  Many are now getting WiFi, though most of them still charge for it.  If you get a campground directory this info will be in there so you can plan your trip, though it is always good to call to verify.

Everywhere you go know the Panera Bread locations.  They have free WiFi.  I've had to use them on occasion, though I always purchase at least a cup of coffee, it not a meal.   Starbucks has WiFi, but at least in my area you have to pay for it.  

If you are on the road and you see a hotel advertising free WiFi you may be able to pick up a signal in their parking lot. 

If having a signal is an absolute must and you'd like to go to out of the way places look into satellite.  It can be pricey and the signal is not reliable, but as long as you can get a clear view of the southern sky you can get a signal.  If you travel often, instead of staying in one place for a length of time a satellite is a pain, unless you spend upwards of $5,000 and get one that mounts on the top of an RV/truck.