I will be in Elkmont, TN in the Nat. park in June. I've been there before and I know there is no cell service. Now i own a Wilson amplifier system, and in some places in has taken my phone from "no service" to 3 bars. I an wondering if anyone has experience using a Wilson or similar 3 watt amplifier at Elkmont, and if there is any signal to amplify. Input appreciated!!
We had an amplifier a couple years ago (I don't know what kind), but I had Alltel service and could get 1 - 1 1/2 bars. It was enough to get some email, texts, but not really enough to make a phone call.
Having camped at ELKMONT on MANY ocassions I think you will only find one or two special spots at the camp ground where you can get CELL PHONE service. I tried putting an antenna up on a pole once with no luck. We had to always go to the pull-out over looking gatlinburg just down from the popular walking trail back to the waterfall area about a mile towards Gatlinburg from the ELKMONT camp.
HDTV also falls into the same situation. I only picked up a couple of digital stations the last time we camped there. I usually pick up 6-36 digital HDTV station just about everywhere we go.
It is stuck in there around alot of tree cover. When you look up ELKMONT using GOOGLE MAPS you cant see the site roads for the tree cover. Pretty dense. That really makes it a cool place to be. It is also dripping water from the trees two or three days after a heavy rain storm goes thru... Lots of folks like to cover their whole traliers and tents with 30X20 tarps just for this reason. Being no hookups you cant run your air conditioner anyway.
By the way we always went to Townsend (13 miles) for grocery shopping and fast food, ATM, etc... Not hetic like the Gatlinburg scene (8 miles)...
Are you guys going to be there when the synchronous display of fireflies is going on. I forget the dates. June comes to mind... ELKMONT and all the roads around it are completely blocked with Ranger road blocks and all. Almost have to stay put until it is over. Just outside the camp at ELKMONT is where all of this is happening at.
GOOGLE SAYS: Synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus) are one of at least 19 species of fireflies that live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They are the only species in America whose individuals can synchronize their flashing light patterns.
As the season begins, a few insects start flashing, then more join the display as the days pass. They reach a "peak" when the greatest number of insects are displaying. After peak, the numbers gradually decline each day until the mating season is over. Since 1993, this peak date has varied from "June 3 to June 21"..
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - PM me Roy and Carolyn
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