pcard
join:2005-09-22
| Finally Made It
After 6 months of planning and 1.5 years of installing and support of 18 APs.....I am finally reaching 175 customers. It has been a long road, but well worth it. It has given me a chance to meet a lot of people. I now have a steady supply of L'Oreal and bath products (for my wife), fudge, beer and rye (for myself). Also I am looking forward to another summer of not cooking a single meal, but BBQ and beer at every install that is done.
Today I am celebrating this by buying my first service truck. The old Dodge Intrepid is getting a little beat up. I still need to get the signage on it and a few performance parts. I have to say to anybody getting into this business a truck is a must. I can't believe that I have survived as long as I have without one.
I like to thank everybody on the forum for your information to help with this network. I am still amazed at the way perfect strangers can help you but people that you know, discredit you and claim that you will fail. I have been threaten with court cases, theft, assault and divorce over the last year, but I can honestly say that I have made it. The network is paid for in full, even though I have been told that would never happen. What started out as a $30K project has blossomed into costing what would have paid for my house. But having your house paid for...where is the fun in that.
I am looking forward to another good year and I also look forward to seeing more success stories and information from fellow WISPers on this forum. Good luck and fortune to everybody here. |
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Keithb
join:2003-09-16
US | I thought you said you bought a truck? I don't see a GM in that picture? lol j/k.
Congrats, and congrats. Nothing better than seeing a WISP succeed in their venture. Best of luck to ya in the future. |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| reply to pcard
Congratulations!!!.
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polk5
join:2001-12-29
New Orleans, LA | reply to pcard
Man, You really need to run that thing through some woods a few times. Then you can call it a truck.LOL Congratulations! The first 100 clients are really tough to get through. After that it starts to get easier. Mentally and financially IMO. |
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Semaphore
Premium
join:2003-11-18
Arnprior On. | reply to pcard
Hey Man - when that Ford gets stuck gimme a ring and I'll pull yer butt out with a real tuck  |
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mschwerin
join:2004-06-21
Columbiaville, MI | Congrats.
All I see in that picture is the ONLY REAL truck you can buy. :P
Mike |
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VariableARK
join:2003-03-17
USA | reply to pcard
congratulations! Its good to hear some good news after all the terrible news I have been getting from county zoning, no towers for me  |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| said by VariableARK  :after all the terrible news I have been getting from county zoning, no towers for me That is impossible. The FCC states the towns, cities and boroughs are NOT allowed to stop towers from being constructed. The ONLY thing they are allowed to do is regulate zoning. That way you do not have some idiot that tries to install a tower in a city park or some other unsafe place. They can make it difficult, like requiring chain fences, tall pine trees and other site improvements to try and hide the tower, but thats it. I have seen large cell CO's like Cingular and AT&T erect silos for farmers just so they could get a tall structure to hang antennas on. A local township denied a permit for a tower, and they were told that they can not stop it. They said they could, so when the plans were not approved, Cingular sued and 48 hrs later they had approval, as the township supervisiors just went thru the motions for political reasons, and their lawyer even told them to approve it. Well, since they denied it, they had to pay the lawyers fees for Cingular AND approve the tower. It would have cost them a LOT less to listen to logic and reason, but thats just how it is.  
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PersComp
Premium
join:2005-08-17
Cayce, SC
2 edits | Would the same hard nose tactics work in a residential area? Or only in commercial zones?
BTW....That IS a real truck! If only the SVT Lightnings came with an extended cab!!! 
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Are these instructions or corrections??? |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| said by PersComp :Would the same hard nose tactics work in a residential area? Or only in commercial zones If an area is residential, then you can forget it. Commercial is a whole different ball game.
While that truck is very nice, I think my 06 Silverado is nicer, LOL!
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VariableARK
join:2003-03-17
USA
| reply to superdog
Well they are making me get a special use permit. $2500 dollars of non-refundable money upfront and then wait 6 months minimum and it is up for a public hearing and 2 county board meetings any of which can deny my tower. This was on industrial and agricultural land. Sounds impossible to me. In 6 months who knows what AT&T will be up to in my area. And I have never said a bad word or raised my voice to any of those county sleeze bags. |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| said by VariableARK :Well they are making me get a special use permit. $2500 dollars of non-refundable money upfront and then wait 6 months minimum and it is up for a public hearing and 2 county board meetings any of which can deny my tower. Get a lawyer. 
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pcard
join:2005-09-22
| reply to PersComp
I have the Cold Air Intake the Dual exhaust is on order. I should be putting out 375 HP by the time it is done.
The only complaint right now it the fuel tank.....she is awfully thirsty when getting on the throttle.
Thanks for all the compliments. I hope that I can pass along what I have learned from everybody here.
VariableARK I hope that you can get around your tower issue. It is not fair that only the Big Boys get what they want. Let us all stick it to the man. |
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VariableARK
join:2003-03-17
USA | thanks pcard, I hope you dont have the same problems in your area! |
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Airplane777
join:2004-06-20 | reply to pcard
Are most of your customers in areas not served by DSL or cable? Urban or rural? |
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pcard
join:2005-09-22
| reply to VariableARK
I am primarily servicing a rural area. I have equipment installed on 2 water towers (4 x 5.8Ghz sectors per tower) and the town council was very easy to deal with. They are expanding the highway system from Ottawa and the towns were more than happy to help me out. I guess more options to offer the community. Cable and DSL has sporadic coverage with in town and I do have a couple of APs to serve, but I am not pursuing. The other towers that I am using are farm silos and existing customer towers in the 40-50 ft range.
My main concentration on Lake (where I live) about 10 kms outside of town. I am projecting about 350-450 clients (of approx 1700 residents) on the lake alone and approx 100 client in other areas.
This summer will be the determining factor as to whether I give up my full time job with Alcatel-Lucent and stay with the network.
My advertising is only by word of mouth and I am installing on average 3 clients a week. Now that daylight saving is coming in maybe I can bump that up to 4-5. Need to keep time to enjoy the truck and my wife, but she is leaving for Japan and Korea for 1.5 months. |
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Airplane777
join:2004-06-20 | Hi pcard:
Congratulations on building your WISP business so well.
I only hope I can do 1/10 as good as you.
Keep up the great work there. |
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pcard
join:2005-09-22
| I am sure you will. I have been following some of your postings over the last while. How are you progressing now? A couple of months ago you celebrated your first customer.
There are also a number of new networks started in the last year on this forum. How is everybody doing? What issues have you come across? What would you do differently?
The one mistake that I made was trying to grow too big too fast. I hired a sales rep that was getting potential customers all over the place. Had to put the harness on him to slow him down and concentrate on teh ares that I want. |
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mrbueno
join:2002-08-03
US | reply to Airplane777
"I only hope I can do 1/10 as good as you."
You only want 17 customers? Don't push yourself too hard. |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| reply to Airplane777
said by Airplane777 :I only hope I can do 1/10 as good as you. Bob, you will get there too. I have a serious issue right now, as I have customers waiting and I never even spent a nickel on advertising. At first I wondered how I was ever going to make it?, but know, I have no idea how I am going to keep up?. Couple that with a radio shortage!. While I didn't order yet, I heard it thru the grapevine that radio stock was low?. If that is true?, both DLB and Rich's supply are looking grim and I am not sure were to go next for radios. I would never "cheat" on either vendor, so maybe I will just flash a few WRTG54's until I can verify the supposed "shortage"?. I had a lull in activity for the last 2 months and now it is crazy. I am sure both Rich and Caleb thought I closed up shop as I didn't order anything for weeks from either one( I added a few Raylink users, but no DSSS ones). Now all of the calls are coming from all of my DSSS PoP's, so I need to do something, as I am even out of spares and I had to use a 2400Maxx AP as a client radio!.
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