The Frustrations Of Rural Internet AND Netflix

[Industrial Toys]

Many Hams just use long wires which work well. You just need real estate. This technology, at those frequencies is not line of sight.

I almost bought a Rig earlier this year, in one of my "Doomsday Panic" moments. If I did, it might still be sitting in the box getting old and out of date.

As for the NETFLIX. It's most annoying when the Netflix connection is lost. You can't get out of Netflix using Apple TV, to let's say, go to Youtube. I found the easiest way was just to power down the Apple TV.

But what drives me practically berserk is when the content stops on Netflix and it says "Trouble Loading Content, Try again later" WHEN? !!!! In five minutes? Next spring? OR, Netflix is Unavailable. Why? For how long?

Nice when it works, but just a big pile of unreliable and sketchy garbage technology!

 

[/pine]

This is interesting IMO...
AT&T Launches Project AirGig Trials to Bring Ultra-Fast Internet Over Power Lines Closer to Reality

 

[rekees4300]

This is interesting IMO...
AT&T Launches Project AirGig Trials to Bring Ultra-Fast Internet Over Power Lines Closer to Reality

This concept has been talked about for years, so far all talk and no action because it's too expensive. In a few years the new 5G wireless will be so fast the Power Line concept will be obsolete before it even starts.

 

[/pine]

This concept has been talked about for years, so far all talk and no action because it's too expensive. In a few years the new 5G wireless will be so fast the Power Line concept will be obsolete before it even starts.

There are still lots of places where there is NO wireless service with no long or short range plans to expand to those areas...because it would be cost prohibitive...
...as far as the power line tech...they would not be developing it if it was not going to be in line price wise with comparable services...right now and in the foreseeable future the only choices for many are hard line (copper) DSL or Satellite...

 

[k0ua]

I've been thinking about getting a HAM setup, but I've been unable to find out how to get an antenna installed, other than DIY. I'm down in a bowl and at my age, climbing towers is not going to happen. I can't find anyone with info on towers - I'm probably looking at 40 to 60'. I see that Solid Signal has towers, but who installs them?

Hams install towers for other hams when they are unable to install a tower themselves due to age or lack of experience. BUT you don't have to have a tower to enjoy HF radio. Masts and trees can easily support dipole wire antennas or full wave loops with excellent results. Just because you are down in a hole does not mean you won't have reception on HF. My installation is down in a valley also. I have worked all States and 119 other countries except North Dakota on 8 different ham bands

For a little bit of information about antennas, There are many different Amateur Radio frequency allocations spread througout the electromagnetic spectrum. The HF bands are 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 15, 17, 12 and 10 meters. Although technically 160 meters is actually a Medium wave band not a HF (High Frequency) band. When we say "band", what we mean is a group of frequency's, starting at a certain frequency and ending at a certain frequency. Lets say what is the 80 meter band. It is a group of frequencys. starting at 3.500Mhz and ending at 4.000 Mhz. So we are talking about .5Mhz of bandwidth here. Within that bandwidth we fit all types of different ways of communicating from the old tried and true Morse Code transmissions which we call CW to modern digital modes like PSK31 and FT8 and many others to SSB (Single Side Band) voice communications to even a few old holdouts still running AM (Amplitude Modulation) like was done for voice communications many decades ago.

So lets say one wanted to put up a wire antenna that is resonant on 80 meters such as a dipole. There is a simple formula for calculating the length our dipole needs to be in feet. That formula is 468/frequency in megahertz. So if we cut this antenna for lets say about 3.8Mhz then we have 468/3.8 or about 123 foot in total or about 61 and .5 feet on each leg. Dipoles are normally fed in the center with 50 or 75 ohm coaxial cable. But not always. Keep in mind I could lecture your every day for a couple of years about antennas alone, but sometimes it is easier to just "do" and get started, than fully understand every thing up front.

As you move up in frequency of course the antennas get shorter and shorter. Lets say you wanted to put up a dipole for 20 meters which is about 14 megahertz, you would have an antenna that is about 33 feet in length in total or 16 1/2 feet on each leg.

When we think of putting up towers they are more necessary for VHF and UHF arrays, and if you want a rotatable antenna array on 20 meters and up. But they sure are not necessary for getting on HF or just Short Wave Listening on HF and MF frequency's.

Did I help the situation or hurt?

 

[rekees4300]

they would not be developing it if it was not going to be in line price wise with comparable services

That's a good point assuming AT&T has competent management. My experience with AT&T would indicate otherwise.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

We currently have Frontier DSL internet as cable is not available at our house - we pay for 10mbps down, get 8 down, and only 1mg up (that is way too slow). Up the road they have cable and get 50mbps down. Was up in Pittsburgh this week working and they are advertising 1GB down on some system. We wouldn't know what to do if we could have "good" internet!!

You can relax. Now that the FCC has killed net neutrality, the only people who will have good internet are the ones who pay $400/month for clear channel to all their services. A dozen states have filed a lawsuit against the FCC over it, so it may take some time to shake out.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Hams have always been known for installing their antennas and towers in the worst weather possible. Curious about the noobies. When I read (here) that someone would never buy another "Truck" without a heated steering wheel. lol A heated tower with a plush imitation fur covering sure would be nice!

Some years ago there was a TV ad for Internet and communications. IT has Sean Connery doing the voice. There was a picture of a high voltage power corridor and something about the signals traveling on "these" wires.

It annoyed me to the extent that I called the company to question this (Signals traveling on High Tension Wires) and never saw the Ad again!

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Hams install towers for other hams when they are unable to install a tower themselves due to age or lack of experience. BUT you don't have to have a tower to enjoy HF radio. Masts and trees can easily support dipole wire antennas or full wave loops with excellent results. Just because you are down in a hole does not mean you won't have reception on HF. My installation is down in a valley also. I have worked all States and 119 other countries except North Dakota on 8 different ham bands

For a little bit of information about antennas, There are many different Amateur Radio frequency allocations spread througout the electromagnetic spectrum. The HF bands are 160, 80, 40, 30, 20, 15, 17, 12 and 10 meters. Although technically 160 meters is actually a Medium wave band not a HF (High Frequency) band. When we say "band", what we mean is a group of frequency's, starting at a certain frequency and ending at a certain frequency. Lets say what is the 80 meter band. It is a group of frequencys. starting at 3.500Mhz and ending at 4.000 Mhz. So we are talking about .5Mhz of bandwidth here. Within that bandwidth we fit all types of different ways of communicating from the old tried and true Morse Code transmissions which we call CW to modern digital modes like PSK31 and FT8 and many others to SSB (Single Side Band) voice communications to even a few old holdouts still running AM (Amplitude Modulation) like was done for voice communications many decades ago.

So lets say one wanted to put up a wire antenna that is resonant on 80 meters such as a dipole. There is a simple formula for calculating the length our dipole needs to be in feet. That formula is 468/frequency in megahertz. So if we cut this antenna for lets say about 3.8Mhz then we have 468/3.8 or about 123 foot in total or about 61 and .5 feet on each leg. Dipoles are normally fed in the center with 50 or 75 ohm coaxial cable. But not always. Keep in mind I could lecture your every day for a couple of years about antennas alone, but sometimes it is easier to just "do" and get started, than fully understand every thing up front.

As you move up in frequency of course the antennas get shorter and shorter. Lets say you wanted to put up a dipole for 20 meters which is about 14 megahertz, you would have an antenna that is about 33 feet in length in total or 16 1/2 feet on each leg.

When we think of putting up towers they are more necessary for VHF and UHF arrays, and if you want a rotatable antenna array on 20 meters and up. But they sure are not necessary for getting on HF or just Short Wave Listening on HF and MF frequency's.

Did I help the situation or hurt?

I'm still not confident that ham radio would be worth the expense. I have 1500' ridges on the north and south of the house. We get one AM radio station until it cuts power at sunset, and two FM stations with very weak signals. There is a TV station 20 miles away and the signal does not exist even with a very good antenna with mast amplifier. I could get antennae up the ridges with 3000' of coax, but it just never seemed worth it. Communication is satellite dish and land line.

 

[GaryM]

Hams know that the antennas that work best are installed in the middle of winter in a snow storm. Antennas installed in the Spring or Fall in good weather just don't work right!

WØGOM