[Hidden-tech] Satellite Phone

[Ken Russell]

Hidden-Tech Friends!

Thanks so much for your incredibly helpful feedback.

Yah, @MaxHarshorne : I was being naïvely optimistic!

wildblue and homebrew antenna both interesting suggestions.

HugesNET could be a possibility 700ms delay notwithstanding.

Really gives us some food for thought.

Many thanks!

Ken




On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 6:14 PM, Spike McLarty <spike.mclarty at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Similar to cell or wireless phone, if you can get line-of-sight to
> somebody with wifi, you can buy or homebrew an antenna that will allow you
> to tap into a wifi signal from several miles away.  Maybe a neighbor who'd
> like to share their broadband bill?
> Here's where I first read about this, probably totally dated now:
> http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2001/pulpit_20010628_000421.html
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 12, 2014 at 8:47 PM, Craig D. Miller <cmiller at hampshire.edu>
> wrote:
>
>>    ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's
>> area.
>>    ** If you did, we all thank you.
>>
>>
>>
>>  Hi Ken,
>>
>> I use a HughesNet Gen4 satellite internet and phone service on a hilltop
>> in Shelburne.
>>
>> Internet: $50/month internet for 10/gb/month max (& hook my wifi router
>> to it) -- fast burst rate (10mb/sec download) for email and web surfing,
>> FORGETABBOUTIT if you want streaming internet or skype calls, because of
>> the satellite delay (~700ms ping, if you know what that means).
>>
>> Phone: $30/month for unlimited US and Canada calling.  I plug my land
>> line phone into the satellite phone box.  NO direct international calling,
>> so I just use a phone card with 800 number.
>>
>> It is only better and cheaper if you have a more expensive or very poor
>> land line phone, and no clear cell signal and no cable or DSL.  That's my
>> house -- its all relative folks, so "better and cheaper" that what?  For me
>> it is a life saver.  I use it as a backup, and use cell phone and office
>> internet for my heavy surfing and calling.
>>
>> Also, all outdoor wireless signals get blocked by weather -- thick storm
>> clouds with snow or heavy rain will block a satellite signal.  My cell
>> phone actually gets better in snow, because the snow bounces the cell
>> signals over the hill that blocks the cell tower.
>>
>> Craig
>> craigdmiller.com
>>
>>
>> Ken Russell wrote, On 8/12/14, 9:45 AM:
>>
>>  Friends,
>>
>>  We have a small retreat center on a mountain-top in Shutesbury -- phone
>> and net access are iffy at best.
>>
>>  Does anyone know about satellite phones or other (ideally inexpensive!)
>> methods of getting better service in such places?
>>
>>  Cheers,
>>
>>
>>  Ken
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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