Don't let Twitter pass you by

It is somewhat amusing that the microblogging phenomena should have by passed Rodeo and the San Simon Valley, but it is true.  Microblogging relies on cell phone service and much of the bootheel of New Mexico is  bereft of service.  Unlike most of the planet cell phone coverage does not extend to southwestern New Mexico.  People have been writing the governor and their representatives about the lack of cell phone service and have made the argument that border security would increase with cell phone coverage, but with no results.  During the Horseshoe fire earlier this year a portable COW was brought in and it provided coverage for the valley and Chiricahua Mountains to support the fire fighters.  But the fire was contained and the COW left with the Forrest Service taking the short lived cell service with it.  But there is a remedy to the problem, your own personal cell repeater.  Wilson Electronics makes personal cell phone repeaters for both mobile and home use.  There is one onsite at the Painted Pony Resort and cell phone calls from PPR are a reality.  The only drawback is the limited number of services that are close enough to be received by the repeater.  Verizon and Alltel are the 2 services that have been successfully accessed from PPR.  AT&T does not have a tower close enough for the repeater to reach and other services have not been tested. Below is a map of cell towers from Cell Reception, notice that Rodeo and the PPR are about 30 miles from the nearest tower.  Even so with the mobile repeater from Wilson, strong signal is found throughout the valley and into Cave Creek Canyon.