Cheapest Hobby Phone

Anyone have a recommendation for the cheapest to refill, hobby phone sold in Austin area. Page Plus phones have $10, 100 minutes plans which last for 120 days. As a hobbyist, that should be just fine for me. However, ever place I've looked doesn't sell this. Obviously I'm not buying from an online store, so anyone have another solution or a source this cheap of phone service (which will be rarely used) in the Austin area?

I use page plus. They have the 10 dollar 120 day plan. They also have a 12 dollar monthly plan with 250 min 250 texts. You can use pretty much any verizon phone with it. If you have an att phone you can use red pocket for 20 bucks a month. You can buy a verizon or att pre paid phone at walmart, best buy etc.. fairly cheap. They will come with a one month plan and when that expires you can switch to page plus. You can also go to a store that supports either to pick up a cheap used phone. ( I know theres a little store in San Marcos that sells page plus phones)

Google Voice is free, and works great. You get free phone number, can text to/from, have them forwarded to your phone or not, call out via Google Voice and their Caller ID shows your Google Voice number. You can have calls to the GV number forwarded to your cell (all this is blind to the provider) Done with the appointment? Just turn enable Do Not Disturb and nothing gets forwarded to your phone. If you have a smartphone, use GV from the browser, do not install the GV app. You can then logout out after enabling DND, and except for browser history, you're clean. It prevents the hobby phone from being found and raising questions.

If you just feel safer having a physical hobby phone, you probably have one already. Most any non-Sprint phone that you have discarded can be used. Just get a pay as you go phone that works on the same network as your old phone. You want the SIM from it. Once the new phone is up and running, drop the SIM in your old phone. Bury the Pay as you Go hardware under the dog house and use your old hardware. At least that way, if it is discovered, it is a phone that everybody in the house knows has been around. Wow, it still has a charge? No way! Gee, I wonder what the old password for the phone was??? Oh, well... just throw it away, its no use to us anymore... Crisis averted.

Been using GV since it went public, and never had an issue. It also serves as my little black book. Keeps all my contact info for the lil' darlin's. I even sit next to my S.O. and check for texts or transcribed voicemails via the browser, and she thinks I'm dicking around on facebook. One more note, it must be initially setup via a real PC, not a mobile device, via a Google (Gmail) Account. I chose to create my account name as my cell number so that if it ever was noticed on my Android, I simply explain that it is the Google account required by all Androids. Just remember not to use this email account for hobby mail. I dedicate its use strictly to GV.

I use smoke signals. And sometimes telepathy. Google voice is my choice. Hey it rhymes.

Google Voice is free, and works great. You get free phone number, can text to/from, have them forwarded to your phone or not, call out via Google Voice and their Caller ID shows your Google Voice number. You can have calls to the GV number forwarded to your cell (all this is blind to the provider) Done with the appointment? Just turn enable Do Not Disturb and nothing gets forwarded to your phone. If you have a smartphone, use GV from the browser, do not install the GV app. You can then logout out after enabling DND, and except for browser history, you're clean. It prevents the hobby phone from being found and raising questions.

If you just feel safer having a physical hobby phone, you probably have one already. Most any non-Sprint phone that you have discarded can be used. Just get a pay as you go phone that works on the same network as your old phone. You want the SIM from it. Once the new phone is up and running, drop the SIM in your old phone. Bury the Pay as you Go hardware under the dog house and use your old hardware. At least that way, if it is discovered, it is a phone that everybody in the house knows has been around. Wow, it still has a charge? No way! Gee, I wonder what the old password for the phone was??? Oh, well... just throw it away, its no use to us anymore... Crisis averted.

Been using GV since it went public, and never had an issue. It also serves as my little black book. Keeps all my contact info for the lil' darlin's. I even sit next to my S.O. and check for texts or transcribed voicemails via the browser, and she thinks I'm dicking around on facebook. One more note, it must be initially setup via a real PC, not a mobile device, via a Google (Gmail) Account. I chose to create my account name as my cell number so that if it ever was noticed on my Android, I simply explain that it is the Google account required by all Androids. Just remember not to use this email account for hobby mail. I dedicate its use strictly to GV. Originally Posted by ThatHarleyGuy

I got a gv # and was using it as my hobby # and my contact # on p411. The problem I had was when I called out or texted it showed my regular #. That's why I switched, what was I doing wrong that it showed my regular # and not my google #?

I use page plus. They have the 10 dollar 120 day plan. They also have a 12 dollar monthly plan with 250 min 250 texts. You can use pretty much any verizon phone with it. If you have an att phone you can use red pocket for 20 bucks a month. You can buy a verizon or att pre paid phone at walmart, best buy etc.. fairly cheap. They will come with a one month plan and when that expires you can switch to page plus. You can also go to a store that supports either to pick up a cheap used phone. ( I know theres a little store in San Marcos that sells page plus phones) Originally Posted by homer13

I appreciate the tip on the Verizon phone. Any suggestion on where to buy page plus refill cards in Austin?

what was I doing wrong that it showed my regular # and not my google #? Originally Posted by homer13

What kind of phone were you using (android or iphone)?

If iPhone, you can just have everything go through the Google Voice app - it stays self contained but is kinda clumsy. I have mine jailbroken and have an app that routes google voice phone calls through the regular dialer... it will prompt every time whether you want to use google voice or regular cell, and you can set some contacts to always be google voice. Texts can slip you up though because your phone will try to send an "iMessage" (free iPhone to iPhone text) first and those avoid google voice entirely, so I always just use the google voice app or email for texts. (email is easier anyway)

If Android, yeah, it's possible to have the google voice # be your "main" number and get things confused on that, you'd have to get an Android user to detail how they use it.

I appreciate the tip on the Verizon phone. Any suggestion on where to buy page plus refill cards in Austin? Originally Posted by JerryRCDriver

You buy them online at page plus, it just takes a few minutes to do. If you don't want to use your credit card just go get a pre-paid credit card they are 5 bucks to buy at walmart or heb.

What kind of phone were you using (android or iphone)?

If iPhone, you can just have everything go through the Google Voice app - it stays self contained but is kinda clumsy. I have mine jailbroken and have an app that routes google voice phone calls through the regular dialer... it will prompt every time whether you want to use google voice or regular cell, and you can set some contacts to always be google voice. Texts can slip you up though because your phone will try to send an "iMessage" (free iPhone to iPhone text) first and those avoid google voice entirely, so I always just use the google voice app or email for texts. (email is easier anyway)

If Android, yeah, it's possible to have the google voice # be your "main" number and get things confused on that, you'd have to get an Android user to detail how they use it. Originally Posted by Qziz

when I did it I was using an android phone but now I have an iphone so I'll try again using the google voice app. It would be much easier doing that and not having two phones.

Reposting this from the SD forum - hopefully it will help you and others (and it saves me from typing it all again!)

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I actually argue against a hobby phone while married because how do you explain having a second phone just lying around? Easier to exercise safe data practices with your current one. If you have an iPhone, jailbreak it, then a lot of privacy-supporting apps become open to you (it's a lot easier to use a Google Voice phone number with a jailbroken iPhone for example). If you have an Android, no jailbreaking necessary.

My philosophy is that if my SO is asking me questions like "who was that, what is that email, let me see your phone" it's already a lost cause, so my efforts (which for years now have been successful) hinge on keeping the level of suspicion low enough that you don't have to deal with a spouse wanting to see your PC/phone. With a phone, key to this is notifications - ensure (using Notification settings in iOS) that you don't have texts/phone calls/emails showing up on lock screens (yes even google voice will do this by default) and put a keylock on your phone that isn't one you use elsewhere (if you do your SO may know it). If your SO asks why you have a keylock on your machine, tell her work required it. (This is not a stretch, many corporate policies DO enforce keylocks on phones that check corporate email.) Make a practice of keeping your phone's ringer on vibrate, and having your phone NEVER leave your side, ever. (This helps if your SO doesn't sleep with you. Then again, your SO not sleeping with you is prooooobably why you are here in the first place.)

Jailbreak apps for iPhone:

MCleaner http://www.mcleaner.com/iphone_mcleaner.jsp - lets you maintain whitelists, blacklists, control when certain numbers ring vs go to voicemail, etc. $12 but worth it.

Phone GV Extension http://gvexts.appspot.com/phone/phone.html - pulls GV out of the app and essentially gives you two "real" numbers, you choose when you call a number if it goes out through your cell line or through GV. Can set contacts to always go through GV. $3. Another app by the same developer will route all your texts through GV as well but there's nowhere near as much control, iMessage overrides it, and it's just easier to handle GV texts as email anyway.

I got a gv # and was using it as my hobby # and my contact # on p411. The problem I had was when I called out or texted it showed my regular #. That's why I switched, what was I doing wrong that it showed my regular # and not my google #? Originally Posted by homer13

I use an Android, but this is exactly why I suggested to NOT install a GV app on your phone. Access GV through your phone's browser, and place your call through the GV mobile web page. It then plays as switchboard, dialing you from a remote switch (not even 512 area code) and when you answer, it completes the call to the recipient of your call. They only see the GV id, never your phone number. Installing a GV app on your phone just gets messy, and leaves an app for her to say "What's this for?" when she grabs your phone to play Angry Birds.

The GV and iPhone is way to complicated. I was using a T-Mobile phone but it reqired a minimum $30/ month to keep it active. I'm going to find a new phone with lower cost monthly coverage. I didnt know about Page Plus so I may give it a try.