TWL: DirecWay Sat Service
Excerpted from some received email.
I thought that you might be interested / at least curious about my mesaured
success with high-speed Internet access afloat (dockside). Regretably,
neither DSN or Broadband Cable access are available to me leaving satellite
Internet as the only reasonably accessible option to improve on the
miserable performance of dockside dial-in only access.
I researched satellite Internet access thoroughly, including limitations /
requirements related to installation, particularly citing of the antenna.
As a liveaboard on a larger boat, located on the outer part of the marina,
the satellite antenna either has to be mounted on the boat or to a near-by
"fixed structure". Note that I am not addressing stabilized antenna
systems which are available ($$$) that would support dockside and underway
usage.
Another day... and another $5K.
Maybe a piling would meet the definition of "fixed structure"; maybe not.
In any case, mounting to a piling would have required custom mounting and
would have required significant care in dealing with cable runs, suspension
(tides), and on-board connections. "Professional installation" and antenna
citing to a "fixed structure" are required by the FCC for bidrectional
satellite Internet service (Direcway). Antenna mounting on a mobile
platform, whether boat or RV (for example) is specifically prohibited.
Do-it-yourself installation is also prohibited for bidirectional installations.
I fell back to a compromise position and ordered a Direcway one-way
(satellite return) system with accessory kit to support DirecTV (dual LNB)
since I already had satellite TV on the boat. The one-way satellite system
uses landline dial-in access for the uplink (limited to dial-in access
speeds) and satellite return on the downlink, significantly improving
system performance for Internet browsing and for e-mail access. Assembly,
installation, and antenna 'pointing' (azimuth, elevation, and polarization)
were straightforward with essentially first-try connection to the satellite
signals (Direcway internet and DirectTV), then 'peaked' by minor
adjustments to azimuth and elevation. Further 'polarization' adjustment
(from the given polarization setting for my location) did not further
improve satellite signal reception. 'Speed testing' of my satellite
downlink resulted speeds achieved "equivalent to 33.3KB times 6" =
200KB. Early usage (< 24hrs) supports significant improvement in on-line
performance and reasonable tolerance of windy conditions and limited
movement of the boat at the dock.
Initial log-in through my non-Direcway ISP (MSN) took an hour of on-hold
time for a 24 / 7 tech support representative (Sunday AM call) who resolved
my problem by adding a "MSN/" to the syntax of my log-in username.
Hardware costs for my one-way satellite system were < $300 with requirement
for one-year service contract and SUBSTANTIAL PENALTY (up to $700) for
non-activation of the service or early withdrawal. I did the assembly
installation myself in less than 1/2 day without difficulty. I have
monthly access at $39.99 oer month with existing ISP (MSN, paid separately)
versus service / ISP with Direcway for $49.99 per month. DirecTV service
is billed separately. Bidrectional satellite Internet hardware / standard
professional installation costs are $699.00 one-time, I believe, plus
$59.99 12 month minimum service contract OR $99.99 per month for 12 months
to include equipment purchase, professional installation, and service. I
made my purchase on-line through Orbitz.com. General information is
available at www.direcway.com. On-line customer support is provided by
no-cost subscription at www.mydirecway.com.
The answer is that a landline or other phone access is required for
commissioning of the system whether satellite return or bidrectional. The
commissioning procedure - via toll-free dial-up - walks the user through,
including with provision of magnetic azimuth, elevation, and polarity. The
antenna and mount are significantly larger and much beefier than the small,
light-weight circular DirecTV antennas. Assuming a true vertical
orientation ('plumb') of the antenna mast / mount, a handheld magnetic
compass suffices for rough azimuth and the antenna incorporates an
elevation scale and wormscrew elevation adjustment as well as a polarity
scale with easy adjustment. 1/2" socket wrenches (#2) are all that are
required for antenna pointing in addition to the magnetic compass. The
commissioning software ("Websetup") provides variable pitch audio alert
(turned up to max volume; readily audible from the pilothouse) used in
'peaking' the satellite signal. The same kind of audio tone is used (in a
different setting) for pointing DirecTV antenna. In the case of the
DirecWay satellite Internet situation, pointing is 'peaked' to the DirecWay
satellite with a 'magic' excellent fix on the DirecTV satellite with the
appropriate installed DirecTV adapter. It is worth noting that different
DirecTV adapter kits are required for Eastern U.S. / Carribean and for
Western U.S. A 'multiswitch' is available to support installation of both
'A' and 'B' adapter kits. It appears that the difference in the two kits
is the degree of angular separation of the DirecWay and DirecTV satellites
accomodated on the single antenna.
Very early very short term experience with on-boat installation of a
one-way DirecWay system yields better results that that suggested below. I
have 100 of 100 satellite lock on the DirecTV satellite and 60s of 100 lock
on the DirecWay satellite with infrequent, very brief loss of signal
(signal strength less than 31 of 100) and automatic recapture. Internet
performance is DEFINITELY better than the 28.8K I've had to live with via
landline (56K modem). On-line diagnostics at the www.myDirecWay.com
website include a "satellite speed test" utility that consistently reported
downlink around 200K - not at DSL or Broadband Cable speeds but a lot
better than dial-in.
I have serious doubts (but no experience) about moving a bidirectional
system onto the boat with the stability and precision required in antenna
mounting and pointing. My 'at the dock' usual stability includes minimal
pitch, roll 1 < 2 degrees, and yaw up to 2 degrees or so on my 72', 90 ton
trawler, fully exposed.
Feel free to post... as long as you change my usage of "citing" to
"siting" re antenna installation. :-) I see that there is other
current discussion of DirecWay. So far I am satisfied but not thrilled
with the improved performance. I am fully aware that I am compromising
on same in accepting the one-way system.
Capt. Mike Maurice
Wilsonville, Near Portland Oregon
You guys might want to be careful, the last I heard DirecTV's internet
service has gone under and is going to either close its doors or is in big
trouble. Now I am assuming DirecWay is the sister internet service for
DirecTV. This is just what I have been hearing through the grapevine and I
have no hard sources to quote off of. Maybe one of you on the list can shed
some light on this rumor.
Jeremy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Maurice" mikem@yachtsdelivered.com
To: trawler-world-list@samurai.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:40 PM
Subject: TWL: DirecWay Sat Service
Excerpted from some received email.
I thought that you might be interested / at least curious about my
mesaured
success with high-speed Internet access afloat (dockside). Regretably,
neither DSN or Broadband Cable access are available to me leaving
satellite
Internet as the only reasonably accessible option to improve on the
miserable performance of dockside dial-in only access.
I researched satellite Internet access thoroughly, including limitations /
requirements related to installation, particularly citing of the antenna.
As a liveaboard on a larger boat, located on the outer part of the marina,
the satellite antenna either has to be mounted on the boat or to a near-by
"fixed structure". Note that I am not addressing stabilized antenna
systems which are available ($$$) that would support dockside and underway
usage.
Another day... and another $5K.
Maybe a piling would meet the definition of "fixed structure"; maybe not.
In any case, mounting to a piling would have required custom mounting and
would have required significant care in dealing with cable runs,
suspension
(tides), and on-board connections. "Professional installation" and
antenna
citing to a "fixed structure" are required by the FCC for bidrectional
satellite Internet service (Direcway). Antenna mounting on a mobile
platform, whether boat or RV (for example) is specifically prohibited.
Do-it-yourself installation is also prohibited for bidirectional
installations.
I fell back to a compromise position and ordered a Direcway one-way
(satellite return) system with accessory kit to support DirecTV (dual LNB)
since I already had satellite TV on the boat. The one-way satellite
system
uses landline dial-in access for the uplink (limited to dial-in access
speeds) and satellite return on the downlink, significantly improving
system performance for Internet browsing and for e-mail access. Assembly,
installation, and antenna 'pointing' (azimuth, elevation, and
polarization)
were straightforward with essentially first-try connection to the
satellite
signals (Direcway internet and DirectTV), then 'peaked' by minor
adjustments to azimuth and elevation. Further 'polarization' adjustment
(from the given polarization setting for my location) did not further
improve satellite signal reception. 'Speed testing' of my satellite
downlink resulted speeds achieved "equivalent to 33.3KB times 6" =
200KB. Early usage (< 24hrs) supports significant improvement in on-line
performance and reasonable tolerance of windy conditions and limited
movement of the boat at the dock.
Initial log-in through my non-Direcway ISP (MSN) took an hour of on-hold
time for a 24 / 7 tech support representative (Sunday AM call) who
resolved
my problem by adding a "MSN/" to the syntax of my log-in username.
Hardware costs for my one-way satellite system were < $300 with
requirement
for one-year service contract and SUBSTANTIAL PENALTY (up to $700) for
non-activation of the service or early withdrawal. I did the assembly
installation myself in less than 1/2 day without difficulty. I have
monthly access at $39.99 oer month with existing ISP (MSN, paid
separately)
versus service / ISP with Direcway for $49.99 per month. DirecTV service
is billed separately. Bidrectional satellite Internet hardware / standard
professional installation costs are $699.00 one-time, I believe, plus
$59.99 12 month minimum service contract OR $99.99 per month for 12 months
to include equipment purchase, professional installation, and service. I
made my purchase on-line through Orbitz.com. General information is
available at www.direcway.com. On-line customer support is provided by
no-cost subscription at www.mydirecway.com.
The answer is that a landline or other phone access is required for
commissioning of the system whether satellite return or bidrectional. The
commissioning procedure - via toll-free dial-up - walks the user through,
including with provision of magnetic azimuth, elevation, and polarity.
The
antenna and mount are significantly larger and much beefier than the
small,
light-weight circular DirecTV antennas. Assuming a true vertical
orientation ('plumb') of the antenna mast / mount, a handheld magnetic
compass suffices for rough azimuth and the antenna incorporates an
elevation scale and wormscrew elevation adjustment as well as a polarity
scale with easy adjustment. 1/2" socket wrenches (#2) are all that are
required for antenna pointing in addition to the magnetic compass. The
commissioning software ("Websetup") provides variable pitch audio alert
(turned up to max volume; readily audible from the pilothouse) used in
'peaking' the satellite signal. The same kind of audio tone is used (in a
different setting) for pointing DirecTV antenna. In the case of the
DirecWay satellite Internet situation, pointing is 'peaked' to the
DirecWay
satellite with a 'magic' excellent fix on the DirecTV satellite with the
appropriate installed DirecTV adapter. It is worth noting that different
DirecTV adapter kits are required for Eastern U.S. / Carribean and for
Western U.S. A 'multiswitch' is available to support installation of both
'A' and 'B' adapter kits. It appears that the difference in the two kits
is the degree of angular separation of the DirecWay and DirecTV satellites
accomodated on the single antenna.
Very early very short term experience with on-boat installation of a
one-way DirecWay system yields better results that that suggested below.
I
have 100 of 100 satellite lock on the DirecTV satellite and 60s of 100
lock
on the DirecWay satellite with infrequent, very brief loss of signal
(signal strength less than 31 of 100) and automatic recapture. Internet
performance is DEFINITELY better than the 28.8K I've had to live with via
landline (56K modem). On-line diagnostics at the www.myDirecWay.com
website include a "satellite speed test" utility that consistently
reported
downlink around 200K - not at DSL or Broadband Cable speeds but a lot
better than dial-in.
I have serious doubts (but no experience) about moving a bidirectional
system onto the boat with the stability and precision required in antenna
mounting and pointing. My 'at the dock' usual stability includes minimal
pitch, roll 1 < 2 degrees, and yaw up to 2 degrees or so on my 72', 90 ton
trawler, fully exposed.
Feel free to post... as long as you change my usage of "citing" to
"siting" re antenna installation. :-) I see that there is other
current discussion of DirecWay. So far I am satisfied but not thrilled
with the improved performance. I am fully aware that I am compromising
on same in accepting the one-way system.
Capt. Mike Maurice
Wilsonville, Near Portland Oregon
http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/trawler-world-list