| Does Hughesnet work on a moored boat? I'm thinking about installing sat internet on my 64' houseboat. While I have no illusions about it working while underway, I'm wondering if there's anyone with experience that could tell me that it may work while moored at the pier? IAW, could the connection stand some gentle rocking of the antenna? |
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| To clarify... I know I can get a special install like Motosat. My question is will the standard installation work on a moored boat? |
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Wyngs
join:2010-02-20
Coos Bay, OR | I don't know how sensitive the antenna is to the direction it is pointing, but it doesn't seem too likely to me. The boat is going to shift position with every wind and/or current change. |
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 Raminto
join:2006-02-28
Whitehorse, YT | reply to map2mark
No, it won't work. But you can install it on a solid (not floating) dock with a tripod and run the coax to the boat. |
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 grohgregDunno. Ask The Chief
join:2001-07-05
Dawson Springs, KY
1 edit | reply to map2mark
said by map2mark :I'm thinking about installing sat internet on my 64' houseboat...could the connection stand some gentle rocking of the antenna?
Since you've posted to the HughesNet forum, I'll assume it's HughesNet satellite internet that you're thinking of installing. So the answer is, don't waste your time. You only have to install one once - on terra firma - to quickly realize how extremely critical the pointing is. Move the dish a quarter inch in the wrong direction, lose half the signal. Another quarter inch, it's gone
The MotoSat won't work either, they are automated only to the point where they find the satellite. After that, they essentially become a fixed rig too. True marine satellite systems require expensive auto-tracking systems that correct dish alignment relative to the ship/boat motion. And if your houseboat doesn't have gyros, auto-tracking won't work either. Economically, a tripod on a stable surface is the best solution.
//greg//
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HN7000S - 98cm Prodelin/2w "pure" Osiris - ProPlus - G16/1010H - NOC:GTN - NAT 67.142.115.130 - Gateway 66.82.25.10 - DNS 66.82.4.12 and 66.82.4.8 - Firefox 8/MSIE9 - AV/Firewalled by NIS2012 |
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 dbirdmanPremium,MVM
join:2003-07-07
Eureka, CA
kudos:5 | reply to map2mark
I attended the offshore communications conference in Houston in 2010, and there were a lot of neat solutions involving gimbal mounts and gyros. Starting price was high 5 figures.
As you might expect, none of them were bothering with consumer satellite. Most used iDirect providers.
Motosat units are common on oil platforms, but those tend to be very stable.
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Motosat self-pointing dishes: 1.2-meter XF-3 on 127W, .74 meter G74 on 127W, SL-5 HD DirecTV|idirect 3100|Hughes HN7000S|Verizon UMW190 Air Card|1990 Blue Bird Wanderlodge Bus "Blue Thunder"|Author of hnFAP-Alert, PC-OPI and DSSatTool |
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| reply to map2mark
Thanks a load for the replys! Though I'm disappointed by the answers, you've saved me a ton of headaches. |
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Reviews:
 ·HughesNet Satell..
2 edits | reply to map2mark
Wait a minute... I just had a thought. What about wireless routers and those signal repeaters? I can't imagine they wouldn't make really powerful repeaters for covering long distances, like the length of a shopping center or such... Would something like that be possible to use with a boat?
Edit: In fact, my idea seems like it would work perfectly fine with things like the O2Storm Long Range Wifi Router, which has a base range of up to a quarter-mile. And apparently, that range can be increased with external antennas! That is one heck of a wireless router!
Edit 2: I'm an idiot. The question was about a moored boat, not a boat in the middle of the lake. Still, my idea could easily work and be a little safer than a tethered coaxial cable. A little more pricy, though. |
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dbirdmanPremium,MVM
join:2003-07-07
Eureka, CA
kudos:5 | said by Doc Lithius: my idea could easily work and be a little safer than a tethered coaxial cable. A little more pricy, though.
Yes, if you don't mind having your modem and router sitting on the dock/shore with the dish! People who use tripod-mounted mobiles will tell you that the risk of having the dish stolen is about zilch, but I'm not so sure about the electronics!
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Motosat self-pointing dishes: 1.2-meter XF-3 on 127W, .74 meter G74 on 127W, SL-5 HD DirecTV|idirect 3100|Hughes HN7000S|Verizon UMW190 Air Card|1990 Blue Bird Wanderlodge Bus "Blue Thunder"|Author of hnFAP-Alert, PC-OPI and DSSatTool |
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A Tech
join:2008-11-10
Hot Springs National Park, AR | reply to Raminto
I have several on floating docks and have had to re-point one. Bear in mind these docks hold fifty to sixty full size double wide houseboats, float over 50 to 60 foot deep water and have numerous winches which are continuously monitored so that no more than 18" of movement is allowed. Moral of the story is size does matter. |
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| can't believe i have to mention this, but does the body of water your boat floats on experience tidal changes?
because i am aware of an installer that recently installed a system on a floating dock which moves significantly throughout the day.
the user is able to get hilariously (in my opinion) consistent service for a few hours per day. for about 3 hours when the system is at the same location as when the installer first aimed it, it will work, for the rest of the day it wont.
some times, line-of-sight is a bitch. |
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A Tech
join:2008-11-10
Hot Springs National Park, AR | No, all of them are on a very large lake and are watched very closely as the lake rises and falls. I didn't do the first one and would not have done my first one except it was a high school buddy to the owner of p10. I dont particularly like the idea but it is working and the history graph on the ovt does not look out of line. |
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