Yahoo Message Number: 3971 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/3971)
Some good info at:
http://www.rvnetwork.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=17 (http://www.rvnetwork.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=17) subject Datastorm, many discussions over the past year.
anyone
Yahoo Message Number: 3985 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/3985)
I am about to add a Datastorm satellite to my Magna.
At this moment there are no other mobile systems available.
Some of the things I have found out about this system are: - It only works when you stop the MH (with clear view of southern skies).
- It takes about 5 minutes to point the satellite and get it functioning.
- Subscriber cost (ISP) is around $100/month.
- Download speed is around 400Kbps, upload much less (maybe 30-80Kbps).
- The system appears to be susceptible to radar interference (this includes car radar detectors). If one of your co-campers leaves his system on, you'll have to hunt him down and ask him to turn it off.
Haven't figured out why a MH owner needs a radar detector :-) - Hughes Network Systems (HSN) is the provider of the satellite service to the internet. They have some optimized scheme when you do normal browsing.
- If you are a professional roving worker and need a VPN, it wil work but at much lower performance (the browser optimized scheme doesn't work for your VPN traffic). Hughes hasn't come to grips that the internet isn't just about browsing only...
- You'll have a lot more latency, as the request/response has to travel the 22,500 miles 4 times.
- You can do internet telephone over this system, but the round trip latency is likely in the order of multiple seconds. Difficult for a very interactive conversation. Compare it with CNN/FoxNews when they do satellite stories from Afghanistan, you need to wait multiple seconds before the remote person's voice starts.
- There are a few ISP options, Optistream and Ground Control. The latter seems to be the only one offering 24/7 support. Both charge the same monthly service fee.
- The way Datastorm has begun, it looks like they accepted installers that were willing to pre-purchase a number of systems. Be careful to get a good installer. I am probably going with one referenced by Ground Control (San Luis Obispo, CA), thus I'll have good initial support.
- Computer needs are a relatively fast/new Windows system. It needs a serial port for the Datastorm controller, and a USB port to connect to the Hughes transceiver (modem).
Yahoo Message Number: 4001 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/4001)
Phil & Bev,
Check out www.tvtogo.com and look at the Moto-sat system. That website is for Cal Thorn, owner of Advanced Sat. He lives in Junction City and can have that installed before you pick it up.
From what he has told me, Moto-Sat has the deal locked up for a year plus. What separates this system from others is how fast it is and it is much cheaper per month.
Damon
May.
anyone