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Tommy, you have been registered here for more than two years. Why on earth haven't you taken advantage of the support available here? Assuming you still are paying for service, why aren't you taking advantage of it now?
I've had minor periods of bad service over the course of my 8+ years with a Datastorm, but I never, ever, let them drag on. All problems, including bad Hughes satellite/transponder/gateway combos, are fixable for the persistent Datastorm owner.
Pursuing just one support option (Motosat Tech Support) if it isn't working for you does not make sense even if it is only one month, let alone 3 years!
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We are full timers whose DataStorm was installed in April 2005 by an installer who only installed a few and then decided to do something else. We are still using our original D2 controller, DW6000 modem, and just last month finally had to get a new router. We have BOW. This system has worked so well for us that I have barely learned the name of the components! Push the button and it goes up. Problems? Call the MotoSat guys. Would NOT do anything different. LOVE OUR DATASTORM MOTOSAT!!! We are moderate --> heavy internet users. We have had a few problems requiring local MotoSat installer/repair people's help and they have all been highly professional and helpful.
-------------------- B & T Wood and Foxy Cat 2001 Safari Cheetah D2/D6000 Posts: 21 | From: full time USA | Registered: Aug 2009
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Thanks for the positive report. You are the norm although it may seem otherwise by some people reading this forum. The MotoSat equipment is well made and performs well.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3387 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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I am looking for feedback from users of MotoSat's newer equipment. Would you do it again if you had it to do over again?
My wife and I had a G75 antenna with a J1 controller unit installed in our RV in January of this year (2011). We made this major investment because we wanted the security of being able to have internet and telephone service available regardless of where we were staying on any given trip. We viewed this as an investment in our personal safety should something happen to either one of us while on the road.
However, in the less than seven months that we have had the system, we have experienced nothing but trouble. First, the system would fail when it rained. After multiple trips and and continuede outages after rain, the wave guide, feed horn and the transmitter were all replaced. At this point, the system seemed to be working again. (Although the final repair coincided with the beginning of the dry season here in Southern Cal. We are still hoping that the "rain" issue is truly resolved.
Recently, the J1 controller went out. MotoSat thought it was a failure of the power relay in the J1. They sent me a replacement with the assurance that it would be relatively simple for me to install and work with MotoSat tech team and the internet provider to set up the new J1. After spending half a day of my personal time working with the two tech teams, the system still cannot find the satellite.
I am now being asked to climb up on the roof of the RV and attempt to adjust the motor sensor to see if that will solve the problem. However, privately, the tech teams at both MotoSat and our internet provider are saying that an adjustment of the motor sensor is unlikely to fix the problem and that this new problem is likely to result in the need to replace the motor.
I won't even get into how much personal time that I have spent with the two tech teams to set up the system and the router so that the internet phone could function properly. In all, I have spent literally days of personal time working with tech teams rather than enjoying my retirement time with my wife. And all of this occured when we haven't even moved the RV at all this winter!!!!
The dealer who sold us the system (yes, he is listed in the list on this site) sold it as a system that is very reliable and that we could just drive to our next vacation location and the system would easily find the satellite and we would have the safety of both internet and internet phone access.
However, we have probably not gone more than about six weeks without some sort of problem with the system. I am feeling lucky that I have a bit of computer technical knowledge or I don't know how we would have worked with the two tech teams to keep the system up as much as it has been.
I would also caution owners to read the warranty carefully. MotoSat distinguishes between equipment in the system that they manufactured themselves and components purchased from others. That issue also caused some difficult discussions between MotoSat and myself as to which components were covered and which were not covered by MotoSat's warranty. Of course, it is impossible for anyone but MotoSat to know which components that they manufactured and which that they purchased. So, even the warranty doesn't seem to be all that it is cracked up to be unless one reads it extremely carefully.
I appreciate anyone who has read this far in my post as I know it is lengthy. I would like to hear from other users what type of experience they have had with this equipment. My wife and I feel like we have purchased a very expensive lemon of a system. We still do not have a functioning system due to this latest problem.
Posts: 2 | From: Southern California | Registered: Aug 2011
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There are probably very few here with identical equipment, so feedback that covers precisely the same equipment/service could be hard to get.
Since you have a G75 that means that you probably have iDirect. Since iDirect is not the same from one provider to the next or one satellite to the next it throws in a variable that would be very difficult to make comparisons with (you didn't identify the provider).
There are some harsh realities that few dealers understood when the G75 (and converted F1s or G74s) were first offered, and probably some don't understand now. Basically, iDirect is VERY power-hungry system. Power is a function of transmitter wattage and dish size, but you can't keep boosting the wattage into a small antenna because it just causes distortion.
My own tale in regards to that: I opportunities to get an F3 (1.2 meter) dish for several years but always turned it down in favor of the smaller F2 (.98 meter) dish because I didn't want to deal with the wind-loading issues. That was until I moved to iDirect, at which point the XF3 was a no-brainer.
Back to the G74 or G75 (both nominally .74 meter dishes). Most iDirect providers will not allow them on their systems, and among those that will the experience is variable, to say the least.
As for the J1, well I can only say that the firmware has never been finished. I use one with my XF-3, but prefer the D3 that is on my G74. John Watson is working on the J1 firmware, but it is a steep learning curve to catch up to where prior programmers left things. I always get online with my J1, but my willingness to always take over the process manually at the end has a lot to do with that.
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Don, Thank you for the prompt and obviously knowledgeable response. Although I am not a truly technical person, I think that I understand the gist of your response.
You correctly guessed that our system has an iDirect modem for internet connection. I should have mentioned that. What I am not clear on from your response is whether you think that the use of the iDirect modem could be causing the problems that we have experienced with the MotoSat components. What are your thoughts?
In addition, what would your recommendation be for us from here on now that we appear to be facing the need to replace the motor on the MotoSat antenna. Should we just keep pushing forward and continue to replace components, or do you think that we are facing a more fundamental problem with our system?
Any thoughts that you or other members would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again.
PRC
Posts: 2 | From: Southern California | Registered: Aug 2011
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Ideally you would have an installer who would be your primary line of defense/support. If that is not the case you might want to consider using paid support from one of the knowledgeable installers here - it would probably be money well-spent. Note that I am not an installer, so that recommendation does not include any self-interest.
iDirect does not directly cause problems, but the difficult nature of the iDirect system coupled with a small dish makes it hard to say where the problems arise from.
You might well have been happier with the much more common and less expensive Hughes service. I suspect that the contacts you made were blinded by the desire for VoIP and thus immediately jumped to iDirect as the solution without recognizing that, on a G75, the experience could be poorer than Hughes on the same-sized dish.
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Don't depend on parks WiFi. Seldom can you connect. Thank God for the dish, as I need to have the ability to connect at all times. However, lately , I've had my problems with connectivity. Bouncing quality. Motosat is now gone,but, at the end, lack of return phone calls,etc. We are probably better off now, with the new help. Learning anything electronic, for me is like trying to learn Mandarin Chinese, so I need professional help, when i get in trouble. Good luck with your new adventure.
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In 2001 I had a DirecWay system installed at home just to be able to take the system with my in my RV. Even at $70 per month, it was a bargain! Over the past 11 years & 120,000 miles I have traveled from the Pacific Northwest to Maine and have set up my homebrew system everywhere; no tripod, OPI, didn't even know about the fine Datastorm forum with all of it's great utilities! Since I'm now a 'little' older & lazier, I purchased a used F1/D3 system from another Datastorm user last spring and installed it on my Windsor. Even with "all" of the RV parks that claim to have WiFi, I love the reliability & security available ONLY with my Datastorm/Hughes system! My only regret is not having purchased a Datastorm years ago!
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