Directway

[Ontheroad]

I just purchaced and had installed a Directway system. It is supposadly mobile and easy to set up after moving, which is important to a fulltimer. We will be in our current Maryland location until October, when we hit the road again. I watched the guy install it, by hooking it up to his laptop. My question is, does this require special software, and how do I find out the direction and elevation to start pointing? Does anyone out there have experience at this?
BTW, so far we've been happy with it, although the dish is a bit bigger than I had envisioned. We also have Direct TV on the same dish. I do have experience with pointing Direct TV. I figure I have until October to learn. I added a wireless router to the package as well.
Thanks
Steve

[FireTruckerWife]

HamRad has taken his system mobile and will be along with suggestions.

We are taking ours mobile next week, but first we practiced moving it around the property and setting it up in the trailer, and have been successful. It is a bit more difficult than the direct TV or Dish Network. If you have a DW6000 you need no additional software.

My best thought would be to join the yahoo group "RVInternetbySatellite"
; Directway Uncensored(http://www.copperhead.cc/); and Datastormusers.com. Study and ask questions of those groups, because they are the experts in moving your dish around.

The software you need is accessed by your computer from the modem.

[Ontheroad]

Thanks for the info.
Nice truck!

[jrgwdenner]

I think DirectWay is becoming more common with RVers. There are at least three systems set up in the RV park where we are. The dishes are big but not impossible to move around. Two motorhomes have their dishes on the roof. Sounds like a good system for fulltimers.

[Parrothead]

I have had Direcway for about a year. Since we were parked they installed in on a pole at the campground. Now I need a tripod to set it up on when we travel. Dennis (Hamrad) said his came with one. Does anyone know where I can get a heavy tall tripod?
Happy trails................

[HamRad]

SPH77,
We are still learning how to use our DirecWay system but we have set it up several times on the road. To find what parameters to use to setup at a new location I suggest a small download program from the datastorm site. I think it is called point4020. It helps if you know your longitude and latitude. We just get them from our GPS system. There is a place in the pointing utility to plug in this info. Then everything is calculated automatically for you.

We got our system from an outfit called DustyFoot. I'd go to his homepage and download the manual that he sends out with each system. It is very good. In it you will find everything you need to know about how to set things up. Also you will find links to some great utility programs like the 4020 thing mentioned earlier.

The 6000 modem actually has all the necessary info in it to make the system work. You pretty much use the utility programs to get your co-ordinates to use. Plug those into the on board program and start searching for the bird. If you've given good info about where you are located the system will be almost dead on. We've just had to tweak the dish settings a little bit when setting up. The Align-A-Site and the OPI devices make it very easy to get very close to the bird with the proper co-ordinates.

We, too, have the DirecTV on the same dish. Once you get the internet part of it going you're automatically lined up for the TV part! Makes it really nice.

By the way..... I agree... that is a nice truck Bob has. We took that photo when he and Sharon came out to visit us at the Silver City RV park and Resort. That is where the MOC International Rally is being held in October of this year.

jrgwdenner,
The dish is not too difficult to move around. It does take two of us because we both have some physical problems. But each part by itself is not too heavy or awkward. Now that we've done it a few times we generally get setup within 30 to 40 minutes. A little slow but we're generally never in too big a hurry.

Sue,
There are some outfits on the web that sell tripods. I don't remember exactly where right now but I'll find them and post the link.

We did run into a problem in one forest setting. We had to search and search for an opening. We finally found one about 100 feet away from our site. Problem.... we only had 50 feet of cable! A friend had some and we were able to use hers. It worked great. So now we have another 50 foot set of cables. You never know when you might need them.

HamRad

[Parrothead]

Dennis
We have DirecTV also. Are you saying we can use the same dish for both? How do you connect that many cables? We have a double Direct TV dish. I'll download the directions you suggested. I did a search for tripods last week but only came up with camera ones and the short one for DirecTV.

[HamRad]

Hi Folks,
The dealer we got our setup from offered an option of the TV with the internet dish. There is a bracket that fits onto the internet LNB (receiver/transmitter). The folks setting up the dish need to know which satellite you receive your TV on then they just calibrate it for that "bird". The cabling is no problem.... except that you do have 4 cables..... That can look a bit intimidating but it really isn't.

Besides the benefit of getting both systems set up at the same time we get a stronger signal on our TV. I think that is due to the larger dish.
I would guess any installer can get you setup with a dual system. The cost for the option on our system was $150. A bit pricey but we decided it would be easier that way.

I'll go look right now for the tripod links.
OK.... Just to start with go to DustyFoot
and then go to "PRODUCTS". Scroll down the page a ways and you'll see individual items listed. You would need at a minimum the tripod and I'd get the "L Bracket". For lining up the dish I'd get the Align-A-Site and the OPI device. They sure make things easier. If you think you already have a good way to hit the satellite then perhaps you don't need these things..... but we did and we're really happy with how well they work. Good luck.

HamRad

[OntMont]

Hi Dennis and Mary Kay,

Thanks for all this Sat. info. Glad to hear that you, and especally Mary Kay, are both well enough to be handling a dish and tripod. Looking forward to meeting you again sometime. Unfortunatlely we won't make it to the NV rally, but will try to get back to IN in September.

[HamRad]

Hello John and Donna,

Good to hear from you. Sorry to hear you won't be able to make the International MOC in Reno but we hope to see you folks again too. I know the meeting in Indiana will be great and wish we could be there. We may need to have some factory work done on the trailer so we may have to make a trip back that way. It would be nice if we could combine a meeting with such a trip.

Mary Kay is still having some back troubles. She is currently going to a chiropractor. But generally she is much better.

The DirecWay internet setup is very nice. As long as you can "see" the southern sky you can get a connection. Nice for those times when we get no signal with our cell phone setup. It's just a little more trouble due to the size of the dish and the larger and heavier TX/RX arm.

HamRad

[Parrothead]

Dennis
Where do you put your dish during travel? We thought the back seat of the truck would be best since we don't have any pets for back there.

[FireTruckerWife]

We carry ours on the airbed. it stays put and the LNB is protected with pillows.

[Parrothead]

Sharon
Great idea but we chose to keep our longer queen bed mattress so the bed isn't flat when we travel. I'll have to see if the DirecWay will lay up there with the mattress up a little. (It lays on the dresser and the vanity.)
Happy trails.....................

[HamRad]

We carry ours in various places. The dish usually goes on the couch or between the couch... sort of angled and covered with a towel. The tripod is carried in the pickup bed. The TX/RX/LNB we either put on the bed or in the back seat of the truck.

HamRad