Dispersed camping near westside NFS TH (south of Edison) with strong cell signal?

[erutan]

This summer my partner will be doing tele-health work on a biweekly basis (4 days on, 10 off) and we're going to be backpacking for most of the days off. I did a campervan conversion in 2015/2016 and it's been upgraded due to covid to include solar and an external antenna + multicarrier cellular router. We have ATT/VZN/TMO data plans available, but no band71 on TMO so that limit's rural coverage on that network. We can bond multple carriers together, but the connection needs to solid enough to do professional video calls on, so fairly solid LTE.

It's a ~high clearance vehicle, RWD, 144" wheelbase taking it on dirt roads isn't an issue as long as they aren't 4WD or SW HC heh.

The vast majority of my backpacking has been off of 395 / Yosemite / 108. I've done a couple loops from the west of SEKI and went over Isberg/Triple Divide into SW Yosemite once but that's about it. In many areas I've gotten to the good stuff from the east and back, but there definitely pockets that are easier to manage from the westside. I'm comfortable with figuring out logistics along 395.

SEKI itself is a no go, and the NFS land west of it is too low in elevation to be a comfortable temperature. So I'm looking for higher elevation areas with NFS roads open to dispersed camping where you can get a quiet pullout. Doesn't have to be interesting or scenic.

Looking at carrier coverage map overlays:

Edison & Florence looks like just 3G on ATT.

Courtright looks like a deadzone, Wishon nearly so.

Some of the roads around Lake Huntington look like the best option.

A bit to the south, the west facing slopes of the foothill ranges like Mt Dinkley, Patterson, etc also look solid.

[SSSdave]

The western Sierra Nevada has endless places to disperse camp both along paved roads and off dirt roads. Just look for dirt roads on caltopo in order to see where one may get more dirt road privacy. To stage backpacking trips in Sierra NF a few times we've set up at Whitebark Point overlook near Kaiser Pass.

[erutan]

I'm well aware of how dispersed camping works, I'm looking for higher elevation areas that'd have strong multicarrier LTE.

[Snowtrout]

Huntington and Shaver areas will be your most constant areas. Even then, signal can very in some areas by the minute.

Beyond those places, good luck.

[c9h13no3]

Yeah, if you're looking at coverage maps, that's as good as you'll get. I don't get coverage until Shaver or Huntington when I'm on my way out.

As someone who is constantly on call for work, the coverage maps are usually accurate to within a few hundred feet.

[erutan]

Shaver is going to be in the 90s, which is too hot - I figured huntington would be our best bet just looking at coverage maps, but those don't really give an idea of actual signal strength, though it looks like there's towers around the actual lake judging by cellmapper.net (which isn't 100% accurate, but is better than nothing).

Intermittent signal isn't going to cut it - my partner would need a stable enough connection to do professional video calls. Throughput isn't massive, 2-3mbps up and down would be enough, but that's the bare minimum so having overhead is critical. We'd be running multiple carriers via an external antenna so we'd have more gain (even omnidirectional we can get 13mbps down, 3up in spots where phones are dead for miles), but it doesn't sound optimal. I guess it'd be a go up and see kind of deal.

[Snowtrout]

Specific to Huntington, the north side of the lake has better signal than the south, east and west areas. China peak is horrible in parking areas and ok on the mountain. Closer to the water, the better with the best coverage right on the lake.

Might get some decent signals going up Kaiser pass road in any turnout, near Potter pass trailheads, that views the lake.

[SSSdave]

I'm well aware of how dispersed camping works, I'm looking for higher elevation areas that'd have strong multicarrier LTE.

I suggested Whitebark Point that is at the top of an open ridge line, though don't know if one can actually receive a signal there.

[erutan]

Thanks for the suggestions - that makes me feel better if we do head out there!

I'm currently hanging out in Black Velvet while my partner makes some work calls - we spent yesterday afternoon/evening scouting workable spots around lee vining, june lake, and mammoth lakes.