| Author |
Message |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior) (64.229.215.59)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 06, 2002 - 3:31 pm: | |
Hello all.
Something for the internet access folks to chew on!
Here is a link to a CBC story about a San Diego bus with internet access. There is a further link to pictures and the university site in the upper right of the page.
http://cbc.ca/stories/2002/04/03/internet_bus020403
happy coaching!
buswarrior |
Don Peter (152.163.205.72)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 07, 2002 - 1:16 pm: | |
Looks like there is getting to be some competition in the mobile internet access business. Check out:
http://www.kvh.com/products/product.asp?id=60 |
Scott Whitney (24.205.238.126)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 07, 2002 - 2:17 pm: | |
Hi Don,
Granted my opinion is totally biased as I am in favor of the Datastorm, I have been following the KVH product too. Here are the problems I see with it: To start, the equipment costs a couple thousand more and it assumes you already have their TV system. But the biggest problem is that it uses a heirachical method of choosing the upstream (send) connection - land line, cell phone, satellite phone. So first it checks to see if you have a landline, if no, it checks for a cell phone signal, if no, then it will go to the satellite phone. But here is the kicker - when using the cell or satellite phone for upstream, even on their largest Platinum service plan ($790/mo.), it will cost $1.19/minute after using up your monthly allotment - which is 1000 minutes (16.6 hours).
I did the calcs and for me to use the Internet working eight hour days, five days a week, it would cost me $11,071 dollars per month just in connection fees. One could save some money by having a landline for upstream, (only $.19/min. after allotment) but that defeats the whole purpose of a satellite system, in my opinion.
Here is the PDF rate card I am basing my calcs on:
http://www.kvh.com/pdf/TracNetRateCard_2.02.pdf
I think KVH has a market for the marine industry because their system works in-motion while Datastorm does not. Private yachts etc. Also, might be good for rock stars who have a professional coach driver and money to burn. But I don't see it as a competative alternative to the average RVer at this time. The KVH system makes my $89/mo. flat rate look like pocket change.
Scott |
Don Peter (152.163.207.61)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 07, 2002 - 3:06 pm: | |
Scott,
Thanks for the report. Actually, I posted this hoping you would respond and save me the trouble of checking into it in detail. :-)
At this time, I can't even justify the cost of Datastorm. But I am working on management to allocate the funds. She still thinks she needs a second dress. -- Don |
Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 1:26 pm: | |
Hey Scott,
There are probably quite a few of us that are in the "pre-foam" stages of our roofs... it would be REALLY easy (and inexpensive) to weld in a framework structure to support your internet satellite dish at this stage, even if we didn't have the bucks to buy one right away...
Could you publish the dimensions for the inside structure and necessary mounting pads, wire holes, etc? It would be really neat someday to simply drill a few holes in the roof in just the right spot and bolt it on without having to go inside the bus for new structure...
Regards
Gary |
Scott Whitney (24.205.238.126)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 09, 2002 - 10:21 pm: | |
Hi Gary,
No special welding is needed. The dish actually sits on a fairly stout aluminum mounting plate which is secured to the roof with zip screws. It could be thru-bolted if preferred. I would just recommend reserving some roof space for the mounting plate. You don't want to crowd it in too close from the sides either. On mine, it is centered on the roof and I have walk space on either side. You could probably put a solar panel or sky lights on either side of it, to maximize roof space, but it would be hard to walk past in that case. The dish needs space to move in a circle which wider than the mounting plate. Here are dimensions:
Mounting Plate Dimentions:
48" long, 21 3/4" wide
Dish Stowed Dimensions:
54" long, 39.5" wide, 10.5" height
Dish Face Diameter - 39.5"
Weight - 105 lbs.
The other consideration is the electrical. Planning in advance, one could run conduit for coax and the control & power wire. It takes at lease three runs of coax (send, receive, TV) to work for Internet and TV. If one wanted a second TV receiver, they would want conduit space for 4 coax runs. The control and power wire has about 8-10 conductors and is pretty thin.
When mine was installed, I requested that the zip screws hit a rib where possible. We got quite a few to purchase into a rib. If someone wanted to make a really beefy installation, a frame could be built the same size as the mounting plate, so that every screw hit steel member. The mounting plate has the holes all around the perimeter - maybe a half inch in from the edge.
Here is a picture that describes what I mean. The white spots are zip screws that have a glob of sealer over the heads:
http://www.dustyfoot.com/pics/DishInstall03.jpg
Scott |
Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 1:18 am: | |
Perfect Scott! I'm going to weld a framework under the center of my roof skin to those dimensions. How does the flat plate go on a curved roofline? Spacers I guess...??? and I'm surprised that the cables appear to come up thru the roof to the side of the mounting plate...I'd think they'd come up in the middle of it somewhere to keep it sexy... But all in all you've answered my question and when the day comes, I'll have a lot of steel in the right places under the skin...
Thanks!!
Gary |
Scott Whitney (24.205.238.126)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 1:03 pm: | |
Hi Gary,
Glad to help. The aluminum mounting plate is about 1/8" or 3/32" thick, I'd guess. I could measure it to be sure. It actually has enough flex to mate with the slight curve of the bus. And the slight curving of the plate does not warp enough to affect how it attaches to the actual dish mount. It is hard to see in the pic, but the dish bolts to two pieces of alum. angle stock that are attached to the mounting plate. The result is the mounting plate is flush against the roofline all the way around, and the dish is not affected by the curve.
I think the wires coming up around the side is just for simplicty. One less step than trying to feed them thru the mounting plate and seal the hole. From the ground, no one can see that area anyway. And when the dish is stowed, the dish covers the wires. A clamshell type device is used to feed the wires thru the hole.
Scott |
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