Satellite dish for trailer?

[FL Bound]

Hi,

I'm hoping I can get some suggestions for a good satellite dish for internet connection. My husband works remotely, and we would like one that we could use as we travel and it would be ideal if we could use it at home too. He needs a really dependable system.

Some systems we looked at are very pricey. Others seem to be reasonable, but are not recommend for using on a trailer. We were told many people use them on trailers with no problem, but it voids the warrenty. So we decided to pass.

Has anyone used a dish that you can reccomend for our situation?

Thanks,
FL Bound (Hopefully)

[juel]

We have Direct TV at our home. They told us we could get a dish on a tripod and just take one of the home receivers with us in the trailer. We were told we could use it anywhere. I ordered a Direct TV tripod and satillite dish off Ebay for a very reasonable price. It came with a satillite finder. I wasn't very successful my first try; however, I called an installer in the town where my husband is working and living in the Argosy, he came out and set the dish in the right place and "WE HAVE SATILLITE TELEVISION". The installer gave me some instructions and I should be able to do this on my own from now on with the satillite finder. It is costing me nothing per month extra since I am using one of the receivers from my house and the reception is great. We are very happy with this set up.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by FL Bound

Hi,

I'm hoping I can get some suggestions for a good satellite dish for internet connection. My husband works remotely, and we would like one that we could use as we travel and it would be ideal if we could use it at home too. He needs a really dependable system.

Some systems we looked at are very pricey. Others seem to be reasonable, but are not recommend for using on a trailer. We were told many people use them on trailers with no problem, but it voids the warrenty. So we decided to pass.

Has anyone used a dish that you can reccomend for our situation?

Thanks,
FL Bound (Hopefully)

FL bound,
Welcome to the forums!

I travel... A LOT! I have yet to find a viable satellite system for internet. You basically have two options, one is finding and using WiFi hotspots the other is to get and Aircard service from somebody like Verizon. Currently they and Sprint seem to have the best value for the money. If you are in the right area you can actually get aircard speeds in the range of T1 lines or better, those are known as EVDO. I currently use a cell phone with a patch cable for my on the road internet needs, or WiFi hotspots. The cellphone rig I am using is currently getting 116kbps downloads and 30kbps uploads (it does do better than that...) WiFi can be good but has it's own set of issues. Use the board search function and you will get a good cross section of what has been tried in various parts of the country

[Nuvite-F]

FL Bound,

I am thinking about portable satellite internet myself as we do not have high speed internet access at our home. I will tell you what I have found about it.

I'm not sure, but I believe DirecPC formerly a division of DirecTV has reverted back to Hughes ownership and is now being marketed as Hughesnet.

HughesNet for HOME

Satellite is expensive compared to DSL and cable. Detailed price/services are available at the above web site but start at $60 a month for 128 kbps upload (only about 3 times as fast as average dial-up) and 700 kbps download. (It also doesn't work well with Virtual Private Network (VPN) which may or may not be a factor in your business use of it.)

The best deal I have seen on a tripod dish system is Automatic and Tripod Mobile Satellite Internet Systems

I haven't bought one but they were given a good recommendation on another Airstream list a while back.

See you down the road,
Nuvi

[rickandsandi]

We have opted for the easy way out, if WiFi is available then we connect. We thought of going with Verizon aircard, EVDO, but at $60 per month and a two year contract I can do without that. So many truck stops, coffee shops etc. have free WiFi.

[Pecos Pete]

We travel a lot and work on the road. Internet is important to us and our business. Have done some research into this subject. Here is what I know:

Satellite internet is expensive and not very reliable for speed. The initial investment for a mobile system is high and the monthly rate is well over $100. The systems you see on Hughes website are for a home or business fixed location and can't be moved to the trailer for a trip. I was not able to find someone interested in putting a heavy Motosat unit on an AS. Also, satellite internet service wil slow your speed down a lot if you send or get a lot of large files.

We use Cingular for areas that do not have WIFI. The unlimited service is available as an add on to our cell service and does not have a contract period, so it can be added and deleted as needed. So far, I have not been anywhere where this type of service doesn't work - although sometimes it can be slow, but a life saver. I have a WIFI booster in the trailer and have pretty good luck getting a signal in most parks.

Internet in Motion is another option. It works pretty much on the same technology as Verizon wireless internet. High upfront cost and a monthy charge with a two year contract, and you can't use it at home.

The internet thing is an ongoing problem, it seems, with anyone who spends a lot of time on the road.

[pmclemore]

I have a Verizon broadband card for my laptop and found I was able to use it for internet connection from Virginia all the way up to Alaska - including some places in Canada. I'd suggest you look into that rather than satellite.

Pat