posted
For the best performance with a .98 meter it is best to go to a 4 watt transmitter. EtherSat charges $20 month more for a 3 watt. The reason they say is that a 3 watt will use up more bandwidth and reduce the number of system thet can put on the particular card you are on such 100:1, 80:1, 60:1 or less. Now if you have a 1.2 meter dish with a 3 watt transmitter,it will be ok. When you go to a 4 watt it is also suggested you use a PLL LNB ($260.00) which is much higher in cost. This is debatable and some have stayed with the cheaper LNB which is $60.00. We have customers that are very happy with the cheaper LNB and some that are not. Maybe some on this site have more opinions then we. I JUST TALKED TO EtherSAT in the middle of writing this response and was told they will let 3 watt transmitters be used on Unasat mobile only upgrades. This will only be for the 128X1032 service. The caution is it may at time not work as well as a 4 watt. This is good new for those that do not need any higher bandwidth.
Jim
-------------------- Jim Pendleton jim@rfmogul.com 801-895-3390 Posts: 135 | From: Salt Lake City, Utah | Registered: May 2003
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posted
It would be best to call me personally if you want to upgrade to iDirect and we can discuss you particular needs. If I am not at my desk leave me a message and I will call you back. 800-247-7468 ex 322 I can authorize the best pricing and we want to make this as painless as possible.
JIm
-------------------- Jim Pendleton jim@rfmogul.com 801-895-3390 Posts: 135 | From: Salt Lake City, Utah | Registered: May 2003
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Thanks for stepping up to the plate on the UnaSat to iDirect issue. From an installers stand point the complex pricing and options for iDirect is overwhelming. It must be doubly so for the end user. Your personal help is greatly appreciated.
My customer has decided to wait awhile before making a decision on changing to iDirect. Partly because of the confusion and partly the high cost. His service with UnaSat has been working well at this point in time.
-------------------- 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: 3374 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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Don, going to iDirect is really pretty simple except for the cost. Also we have seen some good improvement in Hughes lately especially if you go to a higher bandwidth package, at least the Access 200. Voip is still not a good option though until Access 300 or 400 Jim
-------------------- Jim Pendleton jim@rfmogul.com 801-895-3390 Posts: 135 | From: Salt Lake City, Utah | Registered: May 2003
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Good evening. Thanks John for the info about the filter situation. Spoke with Franco yesterday and I was up and surfing with no filtering issues today.
One hiccup today. On-line from 9:30am till 3:00pm through a tremendous storm front for several hours and had no problem. Tried going on at 3:01pm and no net light on the 3100 and then noticed that I lost the gps on the D3. I stowed the dish and redeployed and I was back on-line. I can only hope the next D3 upgrade will fix this issue?
This is the best forum on the net. Were do I send the donation?
-------------------- F3/D3 3.9.4/iDirect3100/123W/40'EuroTrans 2003 Enterprise Server/10 Workstations/Blackberry 8830 Tethered to MBR1000 Where In The World Am I (click here) Posts: 272 | From: Boca Raton | Registered: Mar 2005
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I do hope you are serious, and if so just go to the top of the page an in the Datastorm logo you will see a Donate button. The direct link is http://www.datastormusers.com/donate.cfm
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15697 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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posted
That's amazing! the storm knocked out your GPS before the iDirect/EterSat signal came down.
Just a note on the "J" rev for the D3, if you are using manual GPS for some reason. The values need to be set before you deploy. If the iDirect net light blinks yellow, while others are green, you may have the wrong GPS values set. My mount is a prototype and the GPS is defective, so I use manual settings.
posted
As for "waiting ahwile before making a decision on changing to iDirect"... I too have decided to take a "time-out" on making the change from UNASAT to iDirect. I understand however, that I had better get online with another provider before the plug possibly gets pulled in a couple months.
I am told that MotoSat may offer a LinkStar service in a few weeks. I haven't been able to find any information about this yet - I can only find info on a ViaSat LinkStar device (not a service).
I do appreciate MotoSat's postings in this thread. It's just that my confidence in MotoSat as an ISP VAR will have to be rebuilt.
I am not looking for the lowest bidder in service plans, I'm just trying to evaluate who will give me what I pay for.
I also don't mind spending a few more dollars on my dish hardware (e.g., BUC, LNB) if it will minimize the finger pointing when I have a network support issue.
How can I tell if the ratio they promise is what is really implemented?
What VAR really has access to network problem resolution at their command?
I am awaiting a written quote from MobilSat. My initial contact with SkyCasters was not promising... I was told they couldn't provide ISP service to a DataStorm dish (I assume that the sales manager was incorrect and I am awaiting their final answer on this).
quote:What VAR really has access to network problem resolution at their command?
There is a gentleman at MotoSat, who has access to the ISP's (EtherSat) internal workings. He can set up accounts, change features, enable and disable accounts, and view the complete array of information about signal quality and data rates as well as error rates.
Being able to see your signal comming into the NOC and your received signal is a great tool. Being able to change the configuration on your modem remotely and reboot it is good too.
So the next time you call MotoSat with an EtherSat question, you might be supprised how few times you are escalated to a higher level tech, about ZERO!
Go ahead and compare the usual high-end services with MotoSat-EtherSat and I think you will end up with EtherSat.
posted
Today I had an iDirect upgrade in the middle of me teaching internet, great timing (meaning no connectivity). For some of us who are business users, can we get some advanced warning that an upgrade to the system is going to take place? I lost an hour of class time for my paying students.
Now what can I do with the iDirect software that is now installed on my pc, ie. iView or iMonitor etc.? Any links to white papers?
-------------------- F3/D3 3.9.4/iDirect3100/123W/40'EuroTrans 2003 Enterprise Server/10 Workstations/Blackberry 8830 Tethered to MBR1000 Where In The World Am I (click here) Posts: 272 | From: Boca Raton | Registered: Mar 2005
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Gary, I love my iDirect and Mobilsat is my VAR as well...
Bud Burton's folks did a great job with the install and as a new member of the "full-time" classs I am enjoying life on the road!
-------------------- Member #3007 2007 Newmar London Aire 4541 iRV2.com Administrator F2/Idirect on 93W See my location today Posts: 167 | From: Virginia Beach, VA | Registered: Jan 2006
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quote:Originally posted by DonB: As you may know, I spend a lot of time in satellite forums, in a lot of places. It is simply a fact that you just don't see iDirect problems. That makes the tech support side not overly critical.
iDirect has always had only one drawback, and that's cost. Once you've decided to bite the bullet on the cost (equipment and service), your choice of VARs primarily becomes finding one with a service plan you like. We only have a few members here with iDirect, and most are with Motosat, Mobilsat, or Skycasters.
I am brand new to the forum (no rapport eh?) but I couldnt agree more with the gentleman above. I presently manage a very large iDirect network on the Federal side, and I can honestly say that this product is near bullet proof. I see more blown VSAT SSPA's than I do iDirect modems (I have experience with everything from the NMII+'s up to the 7350's). Rarely does one take a dive. Spendy but well worth the money!
I am very excited about their 8.0 iDS which offers comms on the move (without achieving spectral density). That and Group QOS.
Have a good one.
Mike
-------------------- Mike Posts: 567 | From: North Carolina | Registered: May 2007
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