Moving to central Baja. Does anyone know if Satellite TV-Internet-Phone is available? Does Mexico's satellite "Sky" TV have programing available in
English? Thanks for your help!
from Mulege....yep it's all here
CasaManzana - 9-5-2005 at 06:23 PM
We are fulltime here at La Playa Posada Concepcion, a small beach 15 minutes south of Mulege. We have DirecWay internet with Crystal Voice
phone...works fine but you have to train your friends how to deal with a 3 second delay. We just use the old radio trick "over". It's a real deal
at 2.9 cents/minute to the US anytime. However if I call here locally it's 35 cents/minute. DirectTV is here fine but you can't get the local
channels you are used to....we can't anyway from the SF area. Bigtime tips- you need a one meter dish here. Anything you get in the US will not work
right for the TV. Internet....you gotta bring the stuff down. It's EZ to install but you have to be assigned satellite 117 (Mx3). You can get the
equipment at the border.....$60/month internet and the CrystalVoice phone is $12.95/year plus usage. E me if you need more info. Jimbajablue - 9-5-2005 at 06:29 PM
I have Direct Tv as well, works great and I get the local channels. I signed up in the states, so I get the local Ch. as well. I use Skype and it's
free, but it's the same as Apples, you have about a 3 second delay...
Directv
Al G - 9-5-2005 at 08:44 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by bajablue
I have Direct Tv as well, works great and I get the local channels. I signed up in the states, so I get the local Ch. as well. I use Skype and it's
free, but it's the same as Apples, you have about a 3 second delay...
I have it on my motothome. ( on my roof) do you know if I can change the dish or do I have to change the LBNs?
Maybe the whole mount too???
Do I need a different dish for internet?
AlbertBedman - 9-5-2005 at 11:13 PM
Albert,
I have a motorhome with the LS2 Inmotion system. Satellite reception is good until I pass Maneadero (about 100 miles South of the border) then it
starts to fade. I have managed to connect in San Quintin (about 250 miles South of the border) while not moving, but, it too fades after a while. If
your dish is the standard size (about 18") used on most motorhomes you'll experience the same problems. The solution is to get a larger dish, 1 meter
is the reccomended size, I have had success with the 24" dish. You can buy outside portable ground mounts and then run coax cable to your receiver.
You can also buy a receiver to use just in your motorhome with no phone connection. Cost is pretty minimal, about $5 a month. You'll still receive
your local channels. Dishnetworks in no way guarntees that you will have reception any where South of the border.
BedmanPrice - 9-6-2005 at 12:02 AM
Any info on whats available in San Felipe ? We are moving there Sept 25 (much sooner than we thought) Any info on phone/internet/tv - will be of much
value Anonymous - 9-6-2005 at 05:08 AM
Chispa, Price, and others interested in: Satellite - TV, Internet, Phone, etc. - please be informed that it is all available. Do a search on the
subject here, other Baja forums, or Google and find tons of information on various companies offering service.
In Baja (We are Baja Sur) you can receive these:
C-band satellite tv
digital satellite tv
satellite Internet
Internet phone
cell phone
land line phone
fax
satellite phone
XM satellite radio
Sirus satellite radio
InMotion satellite system on our RV lost it's reception at Catavina/Sta Inez with a standard 18" roof dish. Previous years our DirecWay systems
performed the same. Portable 1 meter dish restored signal. Buy largest dish appropriate for your use. Our house C-band, digital sat tv/Internet,
phones, sat. radio, etc. etc. have excellent reception. There are many provider choices.
Good luck.meme - 9-6-2005 at 09:17 AM
Price,
I have Direcway Satellite Internet in San Felipe. It is now available From CSI (Shane Brown) and I hear there is a new service coming up soon that
will likly be cheaper. I do not have a phone because I could no longer stand the service with Telnor phone Co. especially for Internet connection but
some get along ok now with it. ONLY some tho! You can also get Direct TV thru CSI in San Felipe. I will be going home to SF late this month so I will
be checking on the new service then as I now pay $58.99 a month for the one I have.vandenberg - 9-6-2005 at 12:15 PM
If anybody is interested, I have a 1.1 meter dish available. Comes with the LNB for direct TV. Also have 2 boxes. I finally went to Star choice. Too
much trouble with Direct TV. I'm in Loreto, Nopolo, Loreto Bay, take your pick.
LNBs
MrBillM - 9-6-2005 at 12:25 PM
The LNBs for both DirecTv and Dish Network Receive on the same frequency. Antennas for one can be used for the other.
As far as service available in the San Felipe area, if you register DishNet service in San Diego and buy the local channel package, at times the
service may drop out because those channels are on a spotbeam transponder and San Felipe is on the fringe of the SD target area.
[Edited on 9-6-2005 by MrBillM]meme - 9-6-2005 at 01:02 PM
Dish TV is available in San Felipe also.bufeo - 9-6-2005 at 01:25 PM
We have Motosat Datastorm and DirecTV. I like it because it's mobile. It went all the way to the Arctic Circle with us on this current trip,
although I lost my satellite connection (too low on the horizon above about latitude 55) and I just wi-fi'ed to a couple of fixed satellites in the
Yukon. We rarely use the TV BOW, so I'll probably toss that "bird" after this current contract is over.
The current satellite I'm using (AMC-9) works well in the U.S. and up into Canada as well as Punta Bufeo, but if I go further south another satellite
will be necessary.
[Edited on 9-6-2005 by bufeo]vandenberg - 9-6-2005 at 02:02 PM
POMPANO
There are 2 Canadian satellite systems that I'm aware of. Star Choice and Bell Vue, ( not sure if that's the correct name ) Quite a few people here
in Loreto have gone with Star Choice and are very pleased with it. Subscriptions run about the same as Direct or Dish.Chispa - 9-6-2005 at 09:33 PM
Pompano, could you please give us some names of satellite tv, satellite internet and internet phone service providers that work well in Baja (I'm
personally most interested in Central Baja). Also, for those of us who are new to being "unplugged" what's the main difference between C-band and
digital satellite tv? And what does LNB stand for? From the previous posts, we do have a couple providers to check out, Star Choice, Motosat
Datastorm, LS2 Inmotion and Crystal Voice V.O.I. Any more that you are familiar with will be much appreciated.
vadenberg, do you know how a non Canadian would go about subscribing to Star Choice?
Jim (CasaManzana) I sent you an email, are you home?
Thank you all very much, this information seems to be impossible to get without people like you! chispaBob and Susan - 9-7-2005 at 06:10 AM
We just got SAT INTERNET this weekend...it works GREAT!!!
DirectWay 6000...Wayne Davey from near Santa Rosalia assisted us. Cost is $400 for equipment and $200 instal (required) Monthly fee is ~$60.00
Wayne and his son are very professional. He reassigned our modem to SATMEX5
Wayne says crystal voice is the cheapest telephone system.
We are leaning toward Vontage because of the virtual phone number provided for $5 a month. The fee is $15 a month.Neal Johns - 9-7-2005 at 06:28 AM
Chispa, LNB is:
LNB (Low Noise Block down-converter)
The LNB is the component located at the end of the arm projecting from the satellite dish. It converts the Ku-band signal beamed from the satellite to
a 3.7 - 4.2GHz signal, then filters out low-end frequencies and amplifies the high-frequency signal before sending it to the LNB's coaxial output(s).
Satellite service providers (such as DIRECTV) have satellites in multiple orbital positions, and a separate LNB is needed to access each satellite
position. Essentially it just 'tunes' the feed from the satellite.
I initially attempted to use a Vonage-type service on DirecWay without success. After a week of troubleshooting and queries to both the Telco Tech
Support and DirecWay Tech Support, the problem was found to be the UPLOAD speed on DirecWay which is usually in the mid-dialup range (tested between
19K and 34K). After isolating that problem, the actions of the Telephone made sense i.e. I could receive fine, but my transmission would be broken
and garbled.
Contacting my DirecWay provider, he confirmed that Vonage would not work consistently on DirecWay and that they had found only Crystal Voice would
work properly.
Interestingly, the restricted upload speed on DirecWay is an artificial imposition. Their response to my questions was that I could upgrade to the
Professional level service $129.00 monthly and be guaranteed higher upload speed. Not a reasonable choice given the frequency that I use the phone
and the availability of Cell service. I use Crystal-Voice to check my ATT voicemails and Telcel prepaid to make calls. At the required purchase of
100 peso cards every sixty days, my Telcel account is now up to 700 pesos. Others probably use the phone more than I do.
Before making a telco decision, spend some time testing your upload/download speeds. An excellent site to do so is: www.testmy.net
[Edited on 9-7-2005 by MrBillM]Bob and Susan - 9-7-2005 at 09:32 AM
That makes a lot of $cents
THANK YOU...it's way better not to make mistakes that others have already madevandenberg - 9-7-2005 at 11:51 AM
Sparky
Look in your U2U boxAnonymous - 9-7-2005 at 01:55 PM
We live in Coyote Bay south of Mulege and have a direcway internet system installed by Wayne Davis and his son. After two years here trying without
much success to use the pay phones, this system-- and through it Crystalvoice--is heaven. Wayne is very knowledgable, quick, friendly, and above
all honest. We are totally powered by a solar system and have had not one problem in the year we've had the system. If you are thinking about
putting in a system such as this you would do well to contact Wayne.capt. mike - 9-8-2005 at 06:24 AM
Vandenburg - i just switched to Direct TV from DishRag here in Snotts Dale AZ. i got 4 receivers, one to take to my little tar paper shack in mulege,
so i could use a 1.1 metre saucer.
how much? it won't fit in my plane, meet you half way?
if i bring down my activated receiver, does it just start to work?
Bob F - could Wayne get this done for me - does HE have the dishes for sale?vandenberg - 9-8-2005 at 07:29 AM
Mike,
See your U2U boxChispa - 9-8-2005 at 08:50 AM
Does anyone use DishTV? How is the reception? What V.O.I. phone provider works best with it? Would I still need a 1 meter dish in Vizcaino? I
noticed that they use the smaller dishes (18"-20"?) in L.A.Bay. How do you know what satellite your supposed to be on and how do you program your
receiver for it?
I recommend everyone save this string of posts, your not likely to run accross this amount of great info anywhere else!
Thank you all. chispaBob and Susan - 9-8-2005 at 10:13 AM
I've watched DirectTV in Mulege at the neighbors....works fine...
You do need a 1 meter dish
Dish
MrBillM - 9-8-2005 at 10:34 AM
The standard smaller DishNetwork "antenna" works fine as far South as Gonzaga. I don't know anyone south of there. If you already have the dish,
it's worth a try. As long as you can get a signal strength in the high 60s you should be fine, even in the usual rainstorm. The Dish 500 satellites
are located at 110 and 119 deg west. To find a rough azimuth, punch in a zipcode in the U.S. at the same longitude. Elevation can be roughed in
figuring a couple of degrees for each 100 miles south of the zipcode used. For Percebu, I used Calexico and peaked my signal about two degrees
above that. Once you've got a signal, it's just a matter of fine tuning.Chispa - 9-8-2005 at 04:47 PM
Thanks MrBillM, How's the reception with your DishTV system? Do you use a V.O.I. phone, if so, what provider do you use, and how well does it work?
I just found out about a friend of a very good friend here in AZ that sells satellite systems and parts for way below (supposedly) what the dealers
do. I will find out exactly what he sells and what some of the prices are and post it, if it's o.k. with him.losfrailes - 9-8-2005 at 05:10 PM
There is some confusion here about VOIP.
Voice Over Internet Protocol is only available with internet connection just as the name implies. Television systems like Dish Network, DirecTV etc
have absolutely nothing to do with VOIP.
To have VOIP you must be connected to the internet.
Chispa, you have u2u!
[Edited on 9-9-2005 by losfrailes]
[Edited on 9-9-2005 by losfrailes]Chispa - 9-8-2005 at 10:19 PM
losfrailes, you are absolutely correct. That should teach me not to post with one leg out the door! chispa
Misinformation at the Source
MrBillM - 9-9-2005 at 10:59 AM
I've got one Dish Network receiver (model 1000) in Baja that loses it program authorization when left unconnected to power for over a week at a time.
None of my other receivers have this problem, which only started since they changed out all of the Smartcards for the New Yellow ones. Obviously a
glitch with that receiver's programming.
Anyway, to avoid the hassle of talking to tech support over Crystal Voice, I simply threw it in a box and brought it back this trip. After hooking it
up ayer, I called tech support to get a signal beamed down. The "misinformation" part arose when the tech support gal said "oh, yes. This is caused
by our not being able to see that receiver online when we communicate". DUH ! There is NO two-way communication with Dish Net TV. It is receive
only. I was tempted to discuss it to find out if that story line originated from DishNet sources or she simply made it up herself, but I decided it
wasn't worth the time.bajalou - 9-9-2005 at 11:16 AM
Skype which has millions of users worldwide, is said to be the target of a buy-out by Ebay (the Ebay Corp> Skype is free and sometimes has a slight delay over slower connections like DirecWay. My best connections are often
calls from my computer to a landline in the US. In Mexico I have Telnor Prodigy Aire.
Dish Network and DirecTV coverage
MrBillM - 9-9-2005 at 12:06 PM
I downloaded coverage maps for Direc and Dish with dish Size recommendations from KVH.com, but I am unable to reduce them to 50K for posting. Anyone
who is interested can either download them or send me an e-mail addr via U2U and I will be happy to send them.comitan - 9-9-2005 at 12:10 PM
Dish & Dtv both in La Paz with 1 meter dish, Dish not as strong. Some people have gone to 2 meter dish then get everything.El Jefe - 9-9-2005 at 12:31 PM
Ok, this is all great information! We are about 16 miles NE of San Jose del and just out of all cell phone range etc. We need it all; VOIP, internet
and TV. So the dumb question is...Can I get it all on one dish, internet and TV from the same provider?comitan - 9-9-2005 at 12:40 PM
Jefe
You will have to have seperate dish for each, the TV takes a larger dish different sattelite. Read Casa Manzana post for Directway.
[Edited on 9-9-2005 by comitan]
direct everything
mulege marv - 9-9-2005 at 01:19 PM
i have direcway which works very well in Mulege. i also use crystalvoice to call the states (its ok, once you get use to the delay) direct tv is poor
at best, you cant get most of the movie channels, encore is all i can get (no HBO, showtime etc.)and about 50% of the network stuff. and to get what
little i do i had to install a 1 meter dish. canadian dish seems to be the way to go, everyone i know that has it is very pleased with it and its
cheaper that direct tv.losfrailes - 9-9-2005 at 05:15 PM
El Jefe,
You must have two separate antennas and systems.
A Satellite Internet System like DirecWay will allow you to hook up to a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) of your choice. You then have phone
service altho there is a delay due to latency lag, a phenomem when transmitting signal so far out into the universe.
A Separate system would be needed, and recommended, for Television. DirecTV with at least a 1 meter dish with get you lots, but not all. Before
investing in a 2 meter dish, check out the price on them. It is significant.
Make sure if you buy a DirecWay system that you get someone who knows what they are doing to install it. It will save lots of headaches and
explanations to the National Operations Center about where it is being installed.
Also you have available a Certified DirecWay Installer a lot closer than the CasaManzana suggestion of a guy in TJ. Check out the newer thread on
this forum about Satellite Internet Service.
[Edited on 9-10-2005 by losfrailes]
[Edited on 9-10-2005 by losfrailes]El Jefe - 9-9-2005 at 05:28 PM
Thanks Comitan and los. I had a feeling that one dish would be too good to be true. We have used VOIP Skype at WyFy spots in San Jose without a delay,
but we are not sending the message 24,000 miles out to space and back with the land line connection. Guess we will have to get used to saying "over".
Over and out, Tom
BajaDishNet
Anonymous - 9-10-2005 at 10:10 AM
Over the last few months I have been losing channels a few at a time on my "Mexicano" Receiver. The last time I talked to the man in San Felipe there
were not yet any new codes. Yesterday I hooked up the receiver and nothing was available no matter how many times I reset. Figured that it was all
finally gone after three years, but I left it powered up overnight to be sure. This morning it was still the same so I unhooked it and was putting it
in the box when I looked and realized that I still had the Blue card in it. I had not put back the clone. Dumb and Dumber. I put in the clone and
still have HBO-Showtime and the other misc stuff. Boy, would I have felt stupid if I had gone into San Felipe with it and it was pointed out that it
was the wrong card, especially if the place was full of people.meme - 9-10-2005 at 12:47 PM
Please let us know the end results here with your clone ok? We will be returning to San Felipe pretty soon.Hope we still have TV?Chispa - 9-11-2005 at 11:56 AM
Quick Fix, maybe I'm the only one that did not know this, but, in case you don't this could save you allot of hassle. Last night I turned the tv on
(Satellite DishTV500) to catch the news......and I only get about 1/3 of the channels, all say "information not available" and the date and time is
Jan 4th! I spend over an hour trouble shooting with no results so I break down and call the provider, hang on the phone forever then finally a human
voice. The instructions are to have the reciever and tv ON, then push the power button on the reciever in for 10 seconds and release it, and presto!
It's fixed! Apparently local lightening storms or even a build up of static electricity can cause this signal distortion. If this helps one person
It was worth posting. chispaBob and Susan - 9-11-2005 at 12:17 PM
interesting
Going, Going ............. ?
Anonymous - 9-12-2005 at 05:21 PM
Ayer I lost some more stations on my "Mexicano" Dishnet, mostly odds and ends. Thankfully, I still have HBO and Showtime. Getting hooked on "Rome".
If I lose it and the magic man in San Felipe can't fix it, I guess I'll have to signup. Oh well.turtleandtoad - 9-13-2005 at 06:49 AM
For you Dish Network users in BCS, one reason that you can't get a lot of the stations (like "local" stations from your home city, some pay stations,
etc) may not be your dish. These stations are on the 110 satellite, while all the others are on the main 119 satellite. That far south, the two are
probably not close enough together to get both of them at the same time, as you can with a dual LNB dish in the US.
Also, anyone in the Mulege area that has a Dish/Direct 1 meter dish for sale, I'd be interested. If you also have portable tripod, more the better.
I'll be there in early Feb.
Well, Now
MrBillM - 9-13-2005 at 09:54 AM
I haven't spent any research time on this with the trig tables, etc., But since the satellites are 25K miles out in space in an
Equatorial orbit, it doesn't seem like a difference of less than 1K could have have a significant effect on the apparent spacing.
and if it would, the differences in Longitude, rather than Latitude would be more pronounced. Even that is unlikely given that the
standard Dish 500 is used to focus on the 110/119 across the width of the continental U.S.
I could be wrong, but I don't think so.
BTW, the majority of the newer Local Channel packages are placed on "Spotbeam" transponders that focus the satellite beam on a 150 mile radius circle
centered on a point in that market. One of the reasons why San Diego locals come and go below San Felipe. Tuning to a channel outside that area will
result in a dialog box that says "you are outside your designated viewing area".
[Edited on 9-13-2005 by MrBillM]turtleandtoad - 9-13-2005 at 11:10 AM
I haven't done the math either, just passing on what Dish Network told me.
Datastorm told me the same thing when I asked if I could get internet and TV at the same time with their system. They said yes, as long as I was in
the US and Northern Baja (apparently they also use two different satellites, one for the internet and another for the TV) but the alignment of the two
satellites was too far apart from Southern Baja.
Maybe someone with DataStorm or the Dish 500 system in BCS can give us some real life info on these systems.
Test
MrBillM - 9-13-2005 at 11:30 AM
Actually, it would be simple for anyone who is on location in BCS using DISH to prove the question one way or the other. With a single LNB Dish, peak
the signal on one satellite, note the azimuth and then peak it on the second satellite and note the azimuth. Subtract one from the other. Using the
satellite setup menu, pick a zip at the same relative Longitude and note the azimuth degrees of separation for that location. You'll then know the
answer.
Should there be a wider separation, one solution other than two separate dishes, is the Three-LNB setup utilizing the outer two positions. Those are
available aftermarket from: www.mcmelectronics.com.
The solution I use with my Motorhome with a single LNB dish on a tube is to peak the satellite on 119, place a piece of tape on the tube adjustment
and know that 110 is 1/4" to the East. If I want to access a program on the other satellite, I simply rotate the tube.turtleandtoad - 9-13-2005 at 02:28 PM
Yeah, that would work for a test, but I was actually thinking about someone that has the Dish 500 with the dual LNB installed on a 1 meter dish that
has traversed the length of Baja? Same for the Datastorm, maybe a fellow RVer?
Ive got the Dish 500 system but when I was there last winter I didn't have the 1 meter dish so I lost the signal around San Quintin.
I like your idea about marking the tube. If I end up with a single LNB one meter dish, I'll keep that in mind.
No Question
MrBillM - 9-13-2005 at 02:40 PM
A larger than standard dish is required the farther you are South (or North) of the Satellite's aim point, which in the case of 110-119 I'm told is
Denver, Co.
We are talking about two different factors here and I hope I am not misunderstanding or being misunderstood. The reason for a larger dish when you
move South or North is not a difference in separation of the two satellites, but the distance away from the prime focus of the satellites. You need a
larger dish to collect more of the weaker signal. Even on the larger multiple-LNB dishes that I have seen, the relative positions of the two or three
LNBs are the same as on the smaller dish.
[Edited on 9-13-2005 by MrBillM]Chispa - 9-21-2005 at 11:45 AM
before this subject slides slowly into the back pages and oblivion, I recommend (again) that everyone living or planning to live in Baja save it or
print it. With 50 replies and over 1150 views it is obviously information that people need. Thank you to all who posted/U2U'd/or emailed this very
helpful information. I want to especially thank my new satellite systems installer Wayne Davy (losfrailes) that I met on this forum for answering
countless questions. This is definetly the man to talk to if you are considering an upgrade or new system. And without this forum....... I would
still be wandering aimlessly around Baja looking for these answers. chispa
Skype is free and sometimes has a slight delay over slower connections like DirecWay. My best connections are often
calls from my computer to a landline in the US. In Mexico I have Telnor Prodigy Aire.