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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2745
Registered: 5-10-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
It seems to me I have two choices: a dish with a Starband account or similar or a sat phone and pay for the air time.
The dish gives me internet access and I assume TV unless they have internet only programs. The phone would only give me email but would then be
mobile; very handy. I prefer the dish but that seems crazy to have an account that would be used 4 weeks a year; |
Yes, dish or sat phone. A sat phone not with a plan, but with a prepaid card - since you only need it for 4 weeks a year. The handset still costs $500
or more.
The choice #3 would be a repeater linked to the neighbor's home network, as somebody suggested. With the neighbor's consent and for appropriate fee.
You will slow their speed down, but they might agree if money is good and it's only 4 weeks. Or just run a $30 network cable from your cabin to his,
there is no need in repeater for distances under 200ft, if I'm correct.
Edit:
I forgot to mention the Choice #4, my favorite - no emails during vacation.
[Edited on 3-3-2014 by Alm]
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
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Mood: Carpe Manana
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| Quote: | OK, help me pencil in some numbers:
1. what are the hardware expenses for a dish, box, software?
2. What are the set-up costs and monthly fees for basic internet?
3. Why is everyone talking Starband; what about Dish or other satellite providers.
4. Does anyone use a sat phone for this? Looks like air time in Baja is in the $2/min range - way costly.
Thnx |
The current satellite Internet systems offered for US customers by Dish Network (dishNET) and HughesNet (Gen4) use spot beams and will not work
anywhere further than about 80 miles south of the US border. HughesNet still supports an older technology that does work throughout Mexico on a 0.74
meter dish.
Hardware cost for a new 0.74 meter HughesNet dish, radio and modem is about $400. Monthly fees range between $90 to $200/mo, depending on plan level.
I don't think Starband will last much longer. They haven't kept pace with current technology, and they operate on just a couple of satellites with
limited coverage in Mexico.
The other alternative is commercial V-Sat but this is more money for the gear up front, and higher monthly service cost.
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
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Mood: Carpe Manana
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
It seems to me I have two choices: a dish with a Starband account or similar or a sat phone and pay for the air time.
The dish gives me internet access and I assume TV unless they have internet only programs. The phone would only give me email but would then be
mobile; very handy. I prefer the dish but that seems crazy to have an account that would be used 4 weeks a year; |
Most satellite Internet systems in Baja are not a good choice for TV/streaming video. You'll burn up your data allowance before you
can finish watching a show. Better to get a dedicated TV system; Dish or Shaw Direct. Or, if you're further north, DirecTV will work.
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Jack Swords
Super Nomad
Posts: 1095
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
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http://www.sailmail.com/
We use the ham radio version of this (Winlink) in our boat and when driving/camping in remote areas. The ham radio version is free, after you get a
SSB radio and the Pactor modem, otherwise no limitations EXCEPT cannot be used for business purposes. For business use, Sailmail is the one. No
problem connecting to a gateway station to access the Internet via HF radio. May not be what you are looking for with limited use. It is an
excellent system.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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I had no idea such a thing existed! how cool is that!
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2745
Registered: 5-10-2011
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Sailmail via SSB is interesting, I didn't know it existed.
For emails only, Sailnet via SSB is cheaper than sat dish or sat phone - I understand that you still pay $250 annual membership. Plus, one-time cost
~$900 of transceiver and antenna. Installation and setup looks more technical than with sat equipment though nothing that can't be learned if one has
to. Never liked paying to those corporate monopolists like Hughes. Too bad you can't have internet via SSB, only email.
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Doug/Vamonos
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-19-2006
Location: Bahia de los Angeles
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hey Santiago. I compose all my emails on my laptop in camp, then grab a couple cervezas, fire up the quad and ride over to Doc's, turn on his wifi,
drink a couple cervezas, and eventually it connects, sends/receives emails, I turn it off, and go back home and read the emails, and drink some more
cervezas. I know you're a wine snob so maybe the cervezas won't work for you! What is working faster for me than emails is to use iMessage (I'm a mac
guy). If your friends/family all use iPhones/Macs, they can register with Apple's iMessage for texts and you can use a computer and wifi to
send/receive text messages as if you had a cellphone. They go much faster than email on Doc's connection.
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2745
Registered: 5-10-2011
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Doug/Vamonos - is Gecko camp so big that you have to fire up the quad to go to the camp owner's casa?  I recall the camp is some miles from the town though.
Btw, do they have any electricity yet on the camps, other than Diaz?
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Doug/Vamonos
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 6-19-2006
Location: Bahia de los Angeles
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Alm - electricity goes about 1/4 mile south of town now and stops there. And yes, it's nice to ride the quad to Doc's. Especially in the heat of
summer. It's tough to carry a laptop and a couple cervezas in your hands and they'll warm up before I even get there!
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