It's not extremely critical but you're still aiming a small flat panel antenna at a geostationary satellite... Thankfully all of the most popular BGAN terminals have very user friendly aiming options. Your aim doesn't need to be as center accurate for a working signal compared to aiming a 1.2 to 1.8 meter Ku-band compact cassegrain or elliptical offset dish with subreflector.
Reading the other posts he'll be at the latitude of Edmonton, which is not *north*... Maybe your you americans it is. The lowest cost option is probably the Canadian consumer grade version of a ViaSat Exede / Hughesnet Ka-band terminal if he doesn't mind aiming it each time. People use them with their RVs. There's also self aiming versions which are more money. On Mon, Jul 18, 2016 at 5:15 PM, Chuck McCown <[email protected]> wrote: > I wonder how critical the antenna aiming is for BGAN. > > *From:* Brandon Yuchasz <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Monday, July 18, 2016 6:11 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Satelite connectivity while traveling. > > > Option B is certainly something I would consider. Phone is good but > without data I am still pretty blind. > > > > Option C sound promising. 5$ a MB is fine if I spend 100$ + to deal with > an issue that needs to be dealt with fine. > > > > I should point out a vehicle installed / mounted option would probably be > a good way to go. Its my truck that goes on these trips. > > > > Best regards, > > Brandon Yuchasz > > GogebicRange.net > > www.gogebicrange.net > > > > *From:* Af [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Eric Kuhnke > *Sent:* Monday, July 18, 2016 6:45 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Satelite connectivity while traveling. > > > > I've worked in satellite for many years... You have a few options and > none are cheap for high latitudes: > > a) Portable VSAT terminal 0.9 to 1.2 meter size range, Ku or Ka-band. > Expensive hardware and service *starts* from $450/mo in a highly > contended TDMA network. You'd need to verify spot beam coverage and signal > strength in particular locations if you're going to the north. Most > consumer grade VSAT stuff is not appropriate. There are Ka-band services on > Telesat satellites which are resold by XPlornet and others in Canada for > high latitude fixed-site Ka-band VSAT services. Not very portable stuff - > it's designed to be installed and aimed once on the side of a house. > > b) Iridium handheld phone - works literally anywhere on the planet but > you're NOT going to web browse on it. It's 2400 baud with v42bis > compression. Works for SMS, voice and email. > > c) Inmarsat BGAN terminal - how do you feel about $5/MB? Also, uses > geostationary satellites so if you're going to high latitudes connectivity > might be a problem. Can't use the very small laptop sized BGAN terminals in > northern Canada. > > For a "shit hits the fan" solution there's nothing more portable and > better than an Iridium phone and a portable 20W solar charger. The $40/mo > service accounts come with no minutes, you set up your credit card for > usage billing. If SHTF then you don't care that it's $1.19/minute to make a > call. > > > > > > On Mon, Jul 18, 2016 at 4:35 PM, Brandon Yuchasz <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with and products that > would provide me a data connection through satellite? Not a dish system > something more portable. > > The scenario is I have a few trips coming up. The first later this year is > the same I take every year far north Canada and no cell signal where we > stay. I can get texts sometimes and have to go to town to find wifi 45 > minutes one way one truck for the group so going to town affects everyone. > I don’t every plan to work on this trip but if SHTF then I might need to > get online diagnose and instruct what to replace. So this leads me to the > idea of satellite remote access. I would need to connect via VPN to the > network speed is not terribly important. > > > > Anyone got any experience? Upfront cost is a little of a concern. Minutes > / data cost is not if its expensive fine. > > > > > > Best regards, > > Brandon Yuchasz > > GogebicRange.net > > www.gogebicrange.net > > > > >
