BajaNomad

BOLA questions

beachbum1A - 6-27-2020 at 07:56 AM

Haven't been to BOLA in quite some time so have a few brief questions.

1: Is there a ATM there?
2: Is there any cell service using Telcel service?
3: Public Internet?
Thanks.

AKgringo - 6-27-2020 at 08:21 AM

I was there in late February, and there is public WIFI available, but it was mediocre performance. I did not realize that my laptop was trying to update windows 10 in the background, so just checking e-mails got frustrating. Your results would probably be better!

I did not need to use my ATT phone, or an ATM, so no info for you from me!

David K - 6-27-2020 at 09:18 AM

No atm, no cell service, but there are Internet 'cafes' and wifi if you get the access codes at various businesses. San Felipe and San Quintin are the southernmost ATMs. Last cell tower is near San Felipe and El Rosario... until Guerrero Negro.

JZ - 6-27-2020 at 04:23 PM

For phone calls you can use WiFi calling on your phone or WhatsApp.

thebajarunner - 6-27-2020 at 07:11 PM

Los PInos and Lizeth mercados both have phone service that is cheap and easy.
Wifi is available from both these stores
If you are a good customer they will probably give you the code
We stay at Archelon and Bety is very gracious to turn on the router and let you sit on her patio and use the wifi.

But, we only use it to make sure nothing is amiss at home
Otherwise, why go?

If you need to be in touch, best you stay home....

mtgoat666 - 6-27-2020 at 07:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Last cell tower is near San Felipe and El Rosario... until Guerrero Negro.


Correction: Jesus Maria has cell coverage.

Here is a map to give a you the general idea:

AKgringo - 6-27-2020 at 07:39 PM

When I was there last time, the grocery at the north end (Lizeth?) was closed for some reason. The restaurant that is pretty much next door to the market had WIFI, and a pretty good breakfast to boot!

David K - 6-28-2020 at 10:44 AM

Goat, Villa Jesus Maria gets coverage from the Guerrero Negro cell, it is only 20-flat-land-miles north. You also can get coverage south of San Felipe for a distance, even Internet can be reached from Shell Island if you have the correct service.

PaulW - 6-29-2020 at 07:18 AM

South of San Felipe
The last Telcel cell tower and nearby the last power pole is close to KM10. The tower is on a tall hill so coverage south will reach a distance.
There are at least two "fixed wireless" providers for internet that have a nearby towers that will reach much further than the Telcel tower. These providers are solar powered. Cost for subscription for these fixed wireless providers runs 70-80 dollars per month.
Fixed wireless won't work for a phone, but makes the south campo residents happy.

honda tom - 6-29-2020 at 01:05 PM

costa del sol has good wifi. rooms at 65 bucks

vacaenbaja - 6-29-2020 at 01:54 PM

How long before Elan Musk changes it all?

PaulW - 6-29-2020 at 02:42 PM

Very good point. I read that Musk has beta operational now.
Drastic evolution is coming for us al that live in teh boondocks.
But -- Once again it will be fixed wireless via satellite. I doubt if it will work on mobile devices.


[Edited on 6-29-2020 by PaulW]

advrider - 6-30-2020 at 09:48 AM

Love Costa Del Sol, but the wifi almost never works or is very slow. The store does have a land line at a good price as others have said. Daggetts camp had good wifi last year when we stayed there...

KasloKid - 6-30-2020 at 09:43 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by PaulW  
I doubt if it will work on mobile devices.
Why would it not? Sat phones and GPS work mobile...


GPS satellites are 12,550 miles above the earths surface. Mobile phones internal antennae are designed to receive a gps signal, but you're sure as heck aren't going to send a signal at that distance. Sat phones are designed with a high wattage output and are designed to communicate at a great unobstructed distance. They also have a decent sized antennae.



[Edited on 7-1-2020 by KasloKid]

PaulW - 7-1-2020 at 05:14 AM

Really
Please read up

SpaceX Starlink: how to connect to the internet service Based on previously released information, Starlink will not interface directly with devices. In other words, your laptop won’t connect directly to the sky satellites. Starlink will provide access through a ground terminal.
Do you know what "fixed wireless" is? It is not wifi. Fixed wireless is what I have in San Felipe. I get a signal from a tower to my receiver/modem via my roof antenna then the receiver sends a wifi signal to my computer and my phone. So as long as my phone is in range of my receiver/modem then my phone works.
This is true.
The starlink is low earth orbit not geostationary. This is the reason there has to be so many satellites to allow them to communicate to each other so one is always visible to your receiver/modem.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=will+starlink+internet+work+wi...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-s-intern...


[Edited on 7-1-2020 by PaulW]

David K - 7-1-2020 at 01:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by KasloKid  
Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by PaulW  
I doubt if it will work on mobile devices.
Why would it not? Sat phones and GPS work mobile...


GPS satellites are 12,550 miles above the earths surface. Mobile phones internal antennae are designed to receive a gps signal, but you're sure as heck aren't going to send a signal at that distance. Sat phones are designed with a high wattage output and are designed to communicate at a great unobstructed distance. They also have a decent sized antennae.



[Edited on 7-1-2020 by KasloKid]


GPS satellites are not that high up... they are not in geosynchronous orbits. Elon and Space X want cell phones to work everywhere and not only where cell towers can reach. They have been filling low earth orbit with dozens and dozens of satellites for this goal.

[Edited on 7-1-2020 by David K]

JZ - 7-1-2020 at 01:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider  
Love Costa Del Sol, but the wifi almost never works or is very slow. The store does have a land line at a good price as others have said. Daggetts camp had good wifi last year when we stayed there...


Wi-Fi at Costa del Sol is good in the middle of the night when no one is on it. It's actually fairly fast.

PaulW - 7-1-2020 at 02:04 PM

Don’t be the person that says Starlink replaces cellular or mobile technology. Starlink says no cell coverage, Just fixed wireless. Starlink has never said they use cellular technology.
I hope the change to some new technology for cellular to utilize the high speed and low latency of Starlink. For sure there must be people working on this feature.
As of now:
Starlink does not work with phones. You need a pizza box sized dish and I assume it will not go through buildings, so the dish will need to be mounted outside with a cable running to your router. I believe it will work on cars that have the antenna built in as Tesla wants to use them for the self driving vehicles.
and
Starlink is not a mobile network. The spectrum it uses barely penetrates buildings and it requires phased array antenna to support high bandwidth throughput. Such antenna cannot be implemented in a smartphone. Even Iridium that uses lower frequency spectrum does not penetrate tall buildings.
Read about sat phones. A much different technology.

Having said the above -- There are two companies that are developing satellite system involving land based towers that allow smartphones to receive 5G signal. Pretty far fetched IMO.

What is a phased array antenna?
Inside a pizza sized box contains numerous antennas that each look at a slightly different place in the sky. The choice of which antenna is selected by signal strength is done two ways. Electronic switching and motorized switching. Both designs are operational and widely used in industry. Mostly military at this point, but several systems are used at the consumer level.

Starlink

PaulW - 7-1-2020 at 05:14 PM


His comments are off topic. GPS has nothing to do with Starlink.
Starlink satellites orbit at ~340 miles. This is the reason the 40000 are required to get worldwide coverage.

miles
Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by David  
Quote: Originally posted by KasloKid  
GPS satellites are 12,550 miles above the earths surface.
GPS satellites are not that high up... they are not in geosynchronous orbits.

"Not that high up"... are you saying that the figure KasloKid gives is incorrect?

Alm - 7-1-2020 at 06:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by beachbum1A  
Haven't been to BOLA in quite some time so have a few brief questions.

1: Is there a ATM there?
2: Is there any cell service using Telcel service?
3: Public Internet?
Thanks.

1. No. Bring pesos.
2. No Telcel or any other cell.
3. Yes, WiFi in 2 stores and on some camps. WiFi only works inside the store and a few feet outside.

By the time the country officially opens for tourism and overcomes Covid-19 (apparently, not related events) - things could change but I don't think it will change much.

bajaguy - 7-1-2020 at 06:31 PM

Motel Costa del Sol had decent wireless, cold Pacificos and some pretty good food last time we visited

KasloKid - 7-1-2020 at 11:33 PM

David, my sourced info is this:

GPS satellites fly in medium Earth orbit (MEO) at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles). Each satellite circles the Earth twice a day.

https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/space/

If cell phones will be able to communicate via satellites in the near future, that'll shake the entire industry up!!

PaulW - 7-2-2020 at 07:00 AM

I made a summary of commonly uses satellites
We use two kinds of GPS signals
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=94724
Login with the password if you have not already done so.

David K - 7-2-2020 at 07:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by KasloKid  
David, my sourced info is this:

GPS satellites fly in medium Earth orbit (MEO) at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles). Each satellite circles the Earth twice a day.

https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/space/

If cell phones will be able to communicate via satellites in the near future, that'll shake the entire industry up!!


Thank you! I thought the distance you posted was the geosynchronous one (satellites that stay fixed to the orbit of the earth)... my bad!

Alm - 7-3-2020 at 11:00 AM

Just to note: Starlink has nothing to do with cell phones or GPS. This is just another satellite internet provider, though different from the existing ones in that they use low-orbit non-geostationary satellites with (potentially) better coverage than those existing, due to high number of satellites. I understand it requires a motorized self-adjusting antenna on the consumer's terminal - dish or dome smaller than Exede but the modem is bigger. In coastal Baja I wonder how well self-adjusting antenna would fight heavy winds.

Consumers will pay roughly the same for stationary equipment with antenna as they do for Exede/Viasat and estimated monthly rent is comparable to Exede - higher than Bronze and lower than Silver. They are probably aiming to take over Exede and Hughes by offering better speeds at comparable prices but it is not clear yet whether both claims will hold to test of time. The latency - delay in signal going back and forth - will be lower than existing providers, this will make difference in VOIP applications, but again, on the consumer's end this is stationary or (at best) portable with a car or boat.

[Edited on 7-3-2020 by Alm]

PaulW - 7-4-2020 at 08:00 AM

The newest equipment both in the air and on the ground will definitely improve service. Cost of use has to be competitive so the best service will be best. One has to assume that modern equipment prices will decrease as time goes on with more users.
Time will tell.