posted
I have a dustyfoot tripod system. Im on 91w. This was suppose to work in mexico. Here I sit on a 4 month trip unable to get online. Sig is 52 but keep getting ACP error, will keep trying to test. Forced ranging shows 49, not enough to pass ACP. Have written to Scott about what I can do.... alas no response.
My system does not even try cross pol, just getting the error message. Have tried sighting in on satmx, great signal at 88 but again i get ACP error. Forced ranging shows 80 for iso value, but both manual and auto acp goes right to the error message.
the phones here are not the best so calling is out... I need help.... either a fix for the instant acp error message or assistance from someone, via email, to get set up on another sat.
A Last resort.... SLIGHTLY USED DUSTYFOOT TRIPOD SYSTEM FOR SALE!!!!!
-------------------- Holiday Rambler LE/Chevy Tracker 4wd F1/D2/7000s/117w/1070/WRT54G See where I am today Posts: 807 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hi Greg What a drag! I wish I could be more help, but my knowledge pretty much tops out at pointing the dish and turning on my computer. One of these smart helpful tech guys will jump in soon with some handy hints. I'm online from Mazatlan, Mexico right now, two weeks into a five month stay, using my dustyfoot on SM5. Although only getting a signal of 68, the performance is more than adequate. Not that it matters, but we're all Mac, two iBooks and an Airport. I've completed my forty five minute telecommute job this morning and Michele is uploading photos and text to our travel web page. We're tentatively planning to head down the coast through Michoacan, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas, but have no real itinerary and may swerve onto a new course at any time. I hope you get fixed up soon. Sitting here shirtless in the shade of some bamboo trees, listening to the surf roll in while I keep my CA job alive is every bit as fine as I'd hoped. Saludos
John Tomich 94 Isuzu Trek 2430 Dustyfoot Satellite Internet
Posts: 17 | From: 95407 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Greg, one thing that we need to know, is where are you. Mexico is a big place. And there are some fringe areas, as reported on the Motosat page where the maps are.
-------------------- David Douglass Tempe, AZ (Or On The Road).. D4(4.1.3) HNS7000s 117-1070 Windows 7 Ultimate (64) Posts: 592 | From: Tempe, AZ | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Have written to Scott about what I can do.... alas no response.
I spent Thanksgiving weekend in a mountain cabin with no Internet and no cell coverage. I retured to San Diego yesterday and spent half the day with my family and the other half driving to Quartzsite.
If I don't get to a back to someone quickly, it is because I either can't get cell coverage or can't get Internet access or both. I never ignore calls/e-mails from anyone. I generally work about 12 hours a day, seven days a week. But I did take a time off to be with family this Thanksgiving.
I am sitting down tonight, for the first time in several days, and catching up on the forum and on e-mails. I will reply to your e-mail as soon as I post this.
posted
Also, it should be noted that with tripods, using consumer accounts, ($59/mo) the satellite assignments are dictated by Hughes. I don't have the option to commission the best bird for the person's travels. If the current satellite assignment works for the person's intended travels, then they are in luck. If the satellite assignment won't work for them, I recommend holding off on purchase until their desired satellite is being assigned. G11 does cover much of Mexico, but footprint maps are only estimations, at best. If there was a misunderstanding about G11's coverage in Greg's case, I apologize.
Here is the footprint of G11 according the the satellite operator:
posted
Also, in reading the details of Greg's e-mail, I see that he also experienced a TX17 error. I saw one of these myself yesterday on SatMex5 in Arizona. A TX17 error appears to be a totally unrelated issue to sat coverage. Certainly G11 in the Yucatan is not going to be good coverage, but there may be two issues going on here.
posted
Scott, other tripod installers have had good luck with two tactics for sat assignment and some luck with a third.
1. Use an address that has no coverage for the sat currently being assigned. Having a friend in Escapees chapters 5, 28 or 39 can be handy here if you want on 99. You can change your billing address once you are set up and the install address doesn't get anything shipped to it.
2. Set the dish to the sat the user wants to be on prior to commissioning and call the NOC and ask for an exception due to no line of sight to the current default bird. The NOC doesn't seem to like this but if not done too often it seems to be accepted.
3. Set them up on the default bird and request a repoint once they are up and running. This one is a major hassle and can take a couple hours on the phone and some tricky antenna pointing to get them to believe you need changed.
Number 1 is the way to go if at all possible as it is less hassle and doesn't involve your having to try to convince the NOC that there is a problem requiring a repoint.
-------------------- Tripod 7000 Pro on 99 at 1110 Linux and WiFi Posts: 664 | From: RV somewhere | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
Thanks for the suggestions. I decided early on that I was not going to get into the business of taking requests and/or promising certain satellite assignments. Basically, my opinion is that for the $59mo consumer plans, the satellite assignments are what they are. If someone wants to go with a VAR and pay $99/mo for a mobile account with a Datastorm, then they can choose any satellite they want and change every season if they desire.
Options 2 & 3 are not viable for me. I did it once, for one of the first tripods I sold, and quickly decided that was not going to be feasible as a long term solution. For one, I don't like being dishonest, even to an unknown person at the NOC. I also feel that with the tripods, I am pushing the envelope as it is. I think if DirecWAY starts getting a bunch of NOC calls for repoints all the time, they are going to be less likely to turn a blind eye to tripods moving around. Basically, I want to let sleeping dogs lie and not become a thorn in the side of the NOC.
Option 1 might work if I had a pool of addresses to use in various locations. But I'd need a bunch of unique addresses to implement it as a system. Even that would not give the user full choice of satellites. For example all US addresses are currently assigned to AMC3 except Florida which is assigned to G3C. So no matter what address a person has now, they will not get Satmex5 until the commissioning rules change.
The other option is to set up the account as needing DirecTV service on 119, 110 & 101 (which would require Satmex5. But that creates even more logistical nightmares.
If there are any DirecWAY dealers out there who don't mind taking the above measures to get certain satellite assignements, please contact me. I have Dustyfoot tripod system "dealer kits" that can be mated to DirecWAY dishes (which the dealer can procure directly from a distributor) and commissioned and shipped to the customer. Maybe a dealer could charge a premium and specialize in getting any satellite assignement the customer wants.
posted
Scott My neighbor just added a second story to his RV. I can no longer get to 91w. Can you help? If not then perhaps I need to work it out with another dealer/installer or direcway.
Can anyone help with this problem. I'm currently in Campeche, Mexico, heading for the Cancun area. My problem seems to be ACP error, not signal loss or low signal. Manual and auto xpol both report "ACP error will keep trying to test" they never report a value to even try and adjust skew. That is not only on my assigned 91w but also on satmex with a signal of 80 and a forced range value of 80.
-------------------- Holiday Rambler LE/Chevy Tracker 4wd F1/D2/7000s/117w/1070/WRT54G See where I am today Posts: 807 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
I have replied to your e-mails and I HAVE offered to help. I don't know what I have done to upset you, but if you wish to insinuate that I am ignoring you, then you are more than welcome to find another dealer/installer/DirecWAY etc.
If you are seeing an ACP error and/or TX17s, then there is another issue going on. I have seen this issue myself and I don't know what causes it. In one case, a reboot of the modem, and re-running ACP solved it. In another case, a call to DirecWAY and they did something on their end to fix the issue.
I have done everything possible to make a DirecWAY dish portable, and easily pointable and offer it at a fair price. But ACP issues (and other DirecWAY glitches) are sometimes beyond my control.
So, as I asked in my e-mail to you, which, as of yet, I have not received a reply from you on, "what is your serial number and site ID?" I will do what I can to try to get a satellite reasignment.
posted
Scott, I completely understand your reluctance to swap folks around. I don't know anybody that "wants" to do it even for their own customers.
A question on sat assignment, aren't they still putting folks in the far northwest on 99?
For the northwest based address suggestion the installers that were willing to use it required the customer to obtain the address not the dealer/installer.
It might be a good thing to add a printout of the footprint of the current sat being used for DW new installs to the users packet so they will be aware of the coverage area they can expect.
-------------------- Tripod 7000 Pro on 99 at 1110 Linux and WiFi Posts: 664 | From: RV somewhere | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
Since you're posting in public I assume you won't mind that someone comments on your situation and your posting.
I took about a year to decide on whether to purchase a Datastorm or a tripod. I run a business, and I must be online or I don't make money, so I went with the Datastorm.
Whenever someone asks me about the tripod setup I recommend the Dustyfoot, but then I ask them how badly they need (or want) to be online.
And I tell them this: If you can't say "oh well, the internet isn't working today, pass me another Corona honey. Isn't that sunset spectacular!" then you need to buy a Datastorm.
-------------------- Mac McClellan www.casinocamper.com (Hobby) www.MacAndChris.com (Blog) Sprint and Verizon 4G, Cradlepoint, Deliberant CPE-12 Posts: 286 | From: Fulltiming, see map for location | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Greg, Sorry to hear you are having problems. I personally know Scott, have had him do work on my system, you will not find a better, more sincere and competent person. Scott is one of the best there is. Good Luck
-------------------- Don Hallerberg 77' Offshore Cruiser
The forum continues to grow and any donation to help with the site costs will be greatly appreciated. Posts: 396 | From: Sailing the Ocean Blue | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Stan_qaz, As long as you know what you are doing you will never need a tripod. If you choose to make the decision to park under the trees, that is your choice. If you need an internet connection, you will not make that mistake. We are full-timing and have used our DataStorm every single day for nearly 3 years. Just because you "camp" where you want does not mean you could not have camped where you should have.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15677 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
