Lazy Daze Owners' Group

If you're not mechanically proficient and computer savvy, it's better to employ a professional to set up your satellite gear.  The web forum at http://www.datastormusers.com is a great source of information and advice

Hi Jackie,

In addition to Oryoki's excellent summation of sat internet vs cell phone or wireless, I want to add that a mobile sat internet setup is most effective when you will stay in one place for more than a couple of days.  It involves some significant assembling of dish, feedhorn, bracket, tripod and cabling every time you set it up and take it

Depending on where you store the various parts for travel (for instance our dish is up on the ladder) getting it all out and put together can be tiring.
 Personally, if I traveled alone and moved frequently I would consider shelling out the big bucks for an automatic motosat unit.

If you go with a roof-mounted automatic aiming system

have it installed--you don't want to be hoisting 100 pounds up to

If you choose a tripod-mounted DirecWay system as many of us have,

yourself, but I'll tell you that putting the dish on top of the

fairly heavy, a very awkward thing to lift and position on top of

standing on a stepladder. You might find this to be more than you

regular basis. If you can find somebody near you with a tripod-

trying it out before you make a buying decision.

It may help to compare Jonna's decription of setup with with a tripod mount (Direcway) with my setup with a roof mount (Datastorm).

When I park to signin to an RV Park I power up the modems and positioner.  By the time I come out of the office the positioner has found out where it is via its GPS.  I then drive and park at our camp site.  I then push on the "Search" button on the positioner and go outside to hook up electric and water.  By the time I come back in it's not uncommon to be on the Internet.  Other times when satellites or the network operations center are acting up it takes longer

minutes and we leave the modems and positioner working and go shopping or whatever and we're on the Internet when we get back.

I've been surprised to hear that many folks don't object to the high initial cost of Datastorm ($5,000) as much as the high cost of monthly service (formerly a minimum of $99/month).  The new lower minimum cost of $80 for even faster service than the slower old $99/month service might give pause to some.

best,  paul

It takes me lees than half an hour altogether, now that I have the

you have an Align-A-Site aiming device; without it, it may take

able to scout for suitable sites very effectively.) The Dustyfoot

Align-A-Site included;

However, there is one other tradeoff involved: with a roof-mounted

of where to park is very tightly constrained, because the dish has

the satellite--meaning your rig has to be where the *dish* wants

this may be impossible to achieve.

In short, with a tripod-mount dish you have the nuisance of

flexibility of placement that will let you get online in many

owners cannot. Of course, if all your camping is in desert areas,

But if you like to be where the trees are...

Andy Baird

In a former life, I installed data networking equipment for a living.  I can't let Andy's remarks pass without comment.

"Andy Baird" wrote:

Of course this violates the "dish must be five feet off the ground so that nobody can stand in front of it for half an hour and cook their brains" rule, but I figure if anyone's dumb enough to do that--on MY campsite!--they deserve what they get.

and

[I avoided trees by] placing my tripod in just the right spot...usually near the extreme corner of the site next to the road