Ahhh - I have had a faithful friend in my Honda minivan. It's not considered a "man's" car, the minivan, but it has really been my favorite vehicle of all. Fun to drive, comfortable on long trips, incredibly nimble - more so than any car I've owned, great utility - carries people or belongings in a multitude of configurations, and relatively easy on gas at over 20 mpg. Oh, did I mention reliable? Yes - amazingly reliable. That is, until recently. At 9 years old and with 278,000 miles, that reliability is, I'm afraid, coming to an end.
Things are wearing out, and I am entering the struggle that a lot of us go through. When is "enough enough?"
Dropping $1500 or $2000 a year to keep a car rolling is now forcing me to consider picking up a car payment. Trouble is, I don't want to pick up the $500 or $600 a month a new car will cost. So I look at recent used cars, in the $12-$15000 range.
This is how I picked up the Honda. 3 years old, one owner, available on Ebay, close enough to go look a it and drive it. What a great find. Good enough that I will probably do the same thing and head for Ebay motors. [Disclaimer: I do not work for, or have any vested interest in EBay - it is simply a service that I have used with much success]
Now here's the trouble. The van just sucked out another $1500. Do I replace it now, or try to recoup some of my money by driving it longer. What happens if the motor dies? The transmission falls out? The brakes fail? All of these are real worries, and I must weigh them against picking up another monthly payment of $200-$300 for a late model used vehicle. That is $2400-$3600 per year (without interest) for hopefully trouble-free driving for a few years.
BUT - if I'm willing to spend $2400-$3600 per year, why don't I just keep spending $1500 on the OLD van? I mean I like it! It still looks good, inside and out. It has been my favorite car. And I AM on a pretty tight budget.
Still - the attraction of something new and different...
See?
Something that should be simple, is a dilema after all.
What would you do?
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Sad day for me as I leave the Republican Party
The time has arrived for me to make this decision.
I lived through 8 years of George Bush trying to make nice with Democrats receiving the shoddiest treatment over and again by those he "befriended" on the liberal side. I took it on the chin along with Bush, hoping that those evil peoples' better nature might take over. No chance - they don't seem to have a better nature.
I put up with RINOs (Republicans in name only) pulling the rug out from under the President's and the Party's feet, time and again, thinking that in the end it would all work out. From the unconstitutional implementation of campaign finance reform, to the horrendous overspending that resulted in huge deficits in spite of the surge in treasury receipts resulting from tax cuts. From the sinking of judicial nominees and diplomatic appointees, to the outrageous criminal pursuits of Tom Delay and Scooter Libby, and the dangerous failure to support America's anti-terrorist fight.
I watched with disbelief as John McCain became the Republican presidential nominee, and finally, I made a tough decision. I would not mark the ballot for McCain. My presidential vote would go blank, but I would vote straight ticket Republican for the representative races, even if I had to hold my nose while doing so.
Then today I watched two Virginia Republicans endorse the Democratic candidate for Senate.
"According to the The Washington Post, Republicans Vince Callahan and John Chichester will officially endorse Democrat Mark Warner for Senate on Monday."
Gentlemen and ladies in the RNC: enough is enough.
If I go on, I will end up cursing you, and I want this to remain a family-oriented blog!
Therefore, I have decided today to bid the GOP a not-so-fond farewell.
I am mad, sad, frustrated, frightened, and depressed that the great launch of conservative ideas launched under Reagan and the 1994 Republican Revolution have come to naught.
Perhaps I can find a political home where these great ideas, coupled with great minds and with great achievers can once again become ascendant.
One thing I am certain of is that the Republican Party is not that place.
I lived through 8 years of George Bush trying to make nice with Democrats receiving the shoddiest treatment over and again by those he "befriended" on the liberal side. I took it on the chin along with Bush, hoping that those evil peoples' better nature might take over. No chance - they don't seem to have a better nature.
I put up with RINOs (Republicans in name only) pulling the rug out from under the President's and the Party's feet, time and again, thinking that in the end it would all work out. From the unconstitutional implementation of campaign finance reform, to the horrendous overspending that resulted in huge deficits in spite of the surge in treasury receipts resulting from tax cuts. From the sinking of judicial nominees and diplomatic appointees, to the outrageous criminal pursuits of Tom Delay and Scooter Libby, and the dangerous failure to support America's anti-terrorist fight.
I watched with disbelief as John McCain became the Republican presidential nominee, and finally, I made a tough decision. I would not mark the ballot for McCain. My presidential vote would go blank, but I would vote straight ticket Republican for the representative races, even if I had to hold my nose while doing so.
Then today I watched two Virginia Republicans endorse the Democratic candidate for Senate.
"According to the The Washington Post, Republicans Vince Callahan and John Chichester will officially endorse Democrat Mark Warner for Senate on Monday."
Gentlemen and ladies in the RNC: enough is enough.
If I go on, I will end up cursing you, and I want this to remain a family-oriented blog!
Therefore, I have decided today to bid the GOP a not-so-fond farewell.
I am mad, sad, frustrated, frightened, and depressed that the great launch of conservative ideas launched under Reagan and the 1994 Republican Revolution have come to naught.
Perhaps I can find a political home where these great ideas, coupled with great minds and with great achievers can once again become ascendant.
One thing I am certain of is that the Republican Party is not that place.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Charleton Heston - 2008 - My Hero
Well, one of my heroes has passed, and as with most icons, the last days have been anticlimactic. Mr. Heston, of course a monumental figure in movies and politics is perhaps better remembered by me as one who held strong beliefs and worked publicly and privately to promote his solid ideals: of liberty, morality, civil rights, and overall equality.
I loved Heston's quip to then Pesident Clinton in 1998: "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns." Heston was tireless in his work with the NRA to protect our 2nd-amendment rights, and of course I was heartily satisfied with his political and social conservatism. Heston's daughter shares my wife's name: "Holly Ann", which endears him to me even more.
It makes one proud to see individuals stand up to wrong ideas and actions even at great personal and professional cost. Hollywood became Heston's target, and he scored bullseye after bullseye on radical leftists ensconced at their mecca. Ed Asner certainly took a few well-aimed hits, and in my view never mounted a credible defense, and all of Hollywood's attacks on Heston fall on deaf ears here, as I know that Heston was active in the civil rights movement, working toward fair and equal treatment for everyone in this country. He was regarded as a great family man, and as of his passing leaves his one and only wife of 64 years. 64 years. 64 years. What love. I am inspired.
Good bye for now, Mr. Heston. Thanks for enriching my life, and for living a life that inspires and motivates others in the best way.
I loved Heston's quip to then Pesident Clinton in 1998: "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns." Heston was tireless in his work with the NRA to protect our 2nd-amendment rights, and of course I was heartily satisfied with his political and social conservatism. Heston's daughter shares my wife's name: "Holly Ann", which endears him to me even more.
It makes one proud to see individuals stand up to wrong ideas and actions even at great personal and professional cost. Hollywood became Heston's target, and he scored bullseye after bullseye on radical leftists ensconced at their mecca. Ed Asner certainly took a few well-aimed hits, and in my view never mounted a credible defense, and all of Hollywood's attacks on Heston fall on deaf ears here, as I know that Heston was active in the civil rights movement, working toward fair and equal treatment for everyone in this country. He was regarded as a great family man, and as of his passing leaves his one and only wife of 64 years. 64 years. 64 years. What love. I am inspired.
Good bye for now, Mr. Heston. Thanks for enriching my life, and for living a life that inspires and motivates others in the best way.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Wii Wii
Oh what a great blog title, and an exact expression of my sentiments on the topic!
In an earlier blog I presented the difficulty of obtaining the much-desired video game system
Well I landed one. Through the son of my sister who "has connections" in the gaming world. This fine young man got a friend employed at WalMart in another state to grab a box. Then he put me at the top of a list of 6 immediate prospective buyers, and sold me the system at NO MARKUP. (Hey E-bayers - how about doing the Christian thing and selling YOUR extra games at NO MARKUP?????? If you had tickets insted of Wii's, you would be called "scalpers").
Now I am a hero to my 13 year old, and I am happy. To all you unwashed waiting out there to secure your Wii, I cannot resist:
"I got mine!!!"
I hate socialism, and I loathe everything that Karl Marx's thoughts foisted on the world. But if Cuba guaranteed each of its citizens a free Wii I might consider transplanting. In the case of this game, capitalism has failed...
(JK)
In an earlier blog I presented the difficulty of obtaining the much-desired video game system
Well I landed one. Through the son of my sister who "has connections" in the gaming world. This fine young man got a friend employed at WalMart in another state to grab a box. Then he put me at the top of a list of 6 immediate prospective buyers, and sold me the system at NO MARKUP. (Hey E-bayers - how about doing the Christian thing and selling YOUR extra games at NO MARKUP?????? If you had tickets insted of Wii's, you would be called "scalpers").
Now I am a hero to my 13 year old, and I am happy. To all you unwashed waiting out there to secure your Wii, I cannot resist:
"I got mine!!!"
I hate socialism, and I loathe everything that Karl Marx's thoughts foisted on the world. But if Cuba guaranteed each of its citizens a free Wii I might consider transplanting. In the case of this game, capitalism has failed...
(JK)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Oui, Oui, We want Wii
I tried to buy a Wii, evidently still a very difficult proposition even though the game system has been out for over a year. For the grand occasion of my daughter's 13th birthday I made the mistake of picking the Wii off her wish list as the target present. She was thrilled.
We took a night off our regular schedule and trundled to Best Buy. There, in the video game section, were Wii boxes towering high amidst colorful ad posters and stacks of Wii games and peripheral controllers. Ahh, a smiling sales-boy approached. "Can I help you?"
A hundred questions ensued, along with earnest considerations of various games, controllers, and configurations. As time went on we slowly "built" the exact system we wanted, with enough controllers for the family, a satisfying inventory of games, and some extra equipment to make playing and maintenance easier. A half hour had passed. I was happy. My daughter was ecstatic.
"OK, I'll take it!", I beamed.
"Oh, we don't actually have the game sir, nobody does".
Stunned and uncomfirtable silence followed. Weakly I managed to emerge from my daze to murmur: "What? You don't have it?" I vaguely pointed at the stacks of boxes, which I now learned were actually empty displays.
I found out the hard way what everyone else in the world seems to already know: that Nintendo is not producing enough games to meet demand. Each truckload of a precious 10 or 20 games to a store is met by potential customers camping out as we did in the 70's for rock concerts, each hoping to get a precious ticket "allowing" them to take a game (1 per family!) home with them. Hopes for the remaining wishful buyers are gone with the last ticket, until the next truck comes in.
"When will that be?", I ask.
"Oh, we don't know until a day or so before just when the truck will come", is the dismal answer.
Well folks, I am 50. I am a bit jaded, and I don't want to wait outside a store for hours before it opens to get a video game system. They are upgraded and go obsolete as fast as computers. In a few months or so the Wii will begin to lose some of it's luster, I guess. Then I may spring for one. I consoled the daughter with a trip to the clothing stores and emerged several hundred dollars lighter - about the same as I would have spent for the Wii.
Nintendo's loss, I'm afraid.
I find it difficult to comprehend in the days of the global market, flexible manufacturing, advanced technology, and rapid-response, high-performance corporations that Nintendo's situation is anything but a marketing strategy. Kudos and raspberries to them, at the same time.
While the situation may be making Nintendo lots of money and generating lots of interest in the product in the short run, I predict that there will be a groundswell of resentment and ill will over time as more people are disappointed in the same manner as I.
I for one, am eagerly waiting for the next game technology release that garners interest away from Nintendo. It is a sad, sour way to be, but I feel righteous indignation as I take in the massive marketing for this vapor-ware, and then see the games popping up by scalpers on Ebay and other sites at serious premiums. They will not see my money either.
Today I got a flyer in the mail from Best Buy. The front page is nothing but Wii. Huge. Colorful. Promising great family fun and entertainment. The system, the controllers, the games, and the accessories are all there on the page. Prices are highlighted. A new store is open in my area! "Get everyone in on the action!!!! screams the headline. "We'll help you pick the right games and gear for your family!!!"
I open the Best Buy online website and search for "Wii".
Shipping: "Sold Out"
Store pickup: "Not Available"
Our price: "Sold Out Online"
Sigh.
We took a night off our regular schedule and trundled to Best Buy. There, in the video game section, were Wii boxes towering high amidst colorful ad posters and stacks of Wii games and peripheral controllers. Ahh, a smiling sales-boy approached. "Can I help you?"
A hundred questions ensued, along with earnest considerations of various games, controllers, and configurations. As time went on we slowly "built" the exact system we wanted, with enough controllers for the family, a satisfying inventory of games, and some extra equipment to make playing and maintenance easier. A half hour had passed. I was happy. My daughter was ecstatic.
"OK, I'll take it!", I beamed.
"Oh, we don't actually have the game sir, nobody does".
Stunned and uncomfirtable silence followed. Weakly I managed to emerge from my daze to murmur: "What? You don't have it?" I vaguely pointed at the stacks of boxes, which I now learned were actually empty displays.
I found out the hard way what everyone else in the world seems to already know: that Nintendo is not producing enough games to meet demand. Each truckload of a precious 10 or 20 games to a store is met by potential customers camping out as we did in the 70's for rock concerts, each hoping to get a precious ticket "allowing" them to take a game (1 per family!) home with them. Hopes for the remaining wishful buyers are gone with the last ticket, until the next truck comes in.
"When will that be?", I ask.
"Oh, we don't know until a day or so before just when the truck will come", is the dismal answer.
Well folks, I am 50. I am a bit jaded, and I don't want to wait outside a store for hours before it opens to get a video game system. They are upgraded and go obsolete as fast as computers. In a few months or so the Wii will begin to lose some of it's luster, I guess. Then I may spring for one. I consoled the daughter with a trip to the clothing stores and emerged several hundred dollars lighter - about the same as I would have spent for the Wii.
Nintendo's loss, I'm afraid.
I find it difficult to comprehend in the days of the global market, flexible manufacturing, advanced technology, and rapid-response, high-performance corporations that Nintendo's situation is anything but a marketing strategy. Kudos and raspberries to them, at the same time.
While the situation may be making Nintendo lots of money and generating lots of interest in the product in the short run, I predict that there will be a groundswell of resentment and ill will over time as more people are disappointed in the same manner as I.
I for one, am eagerly waiting for the next game technology release that garners interest away from Nintendo. It is a sad, sour way to be, but I feel righteous indignation as I take in the massive marketing for this vapor-ware, and then see the games popping up by scalpers on Ebay and other sites at serious premiums. They will not see my money either.
Today I got a flyer in the mail from Best Buy. The front page is nothing but Wii. Huge. Colorful. Promising great family fun and entertainment. The system, the controllers, the games, and the accessories are all there on the page. Prices are highlighted. A new store is open in my area! "Get everyone in on the action!!!! screams the headline. "We'll help you pick the right games and gear for your family!!!"
I open the Best Buy online website and search for "Wii".
Shipping: "Sold Out"
Store pickup: "Not Available"
Our price: "Sold Out Online"
Sigh.
Monday, February 25, 2008
The train is a mixed bag
Hey there,
I'm one of those patsies that moved away from the city so I could buy a nicer house on some land. of COURSE the good job is now 55 miles away, and consists of one of the very worst commutes in these United States: the I95/395 North corridor from Virginia into Washington DC.
On the best day the commute from my house to work by car is 1.5 hours to, and another 1.5 hours home. An average day is 2.5 hours one-way. The worst day I have ever had it took 8.5 hours to get home. Granted, that was during a snow storm in which 105 people managed to tangle their cars together, killing 2, because they thought it was OK to drive 65mph on an icy highway.
Guess what it was like on 9/11? OK - don't.
Still, I am a typical American, who loves the freedom that driving my own car brings. But even the most individualistic among us has limits. When gasoline reached $3 per gallon, I realized that even driving a Honda (well, a minivan, but still a Honda) was costing me $120 per week just for gas, never mind the miles and maintenance. Even a Honda breaks if you drive it almost 800 miles per week.
So I tried car pooling. In a word...ugh. Unreliable. Unfriendly after the first week's "honeymoon". Inconvenient. There are days when I or other poolers simply have to go home early for some urgency or other. It is a major pain in the patootie to have to call and say either: "I have to catch a bus" or "Can everybody leave early today?". It's the same frustration to get a call from the others: "Carl has to go home - can you be ready to go at noon?"
Then I checked out van pools and the bus. Very expensive. Very clique-ish. Try taking a seat that someone else thinks belongs to them. Whew-boy.
So I finally decided to try the train. $76 for ten one-way trips. That's cool. $76 per week instead of $120. Oops. The train goes to Union Station. I need to go to 16th and M. Add $16.50 for 10 metrorail rides. Oh. The closest metro station to my work is 4 blocks away. DC blocks can be pretty large. So on bad weather days, it is a pain. The train one-way is...1.5 hours. Well, at least I am not driving.
Next: what in the Sam Hill is WRONG with train designers? Did they go to school with Al-Qaeda? These cars are a disaster. I am 5'6", and not "large". The seats are too small for me. I pity the average 5'10" guy with a few extra pounds, and I think those over 6' qualify for federal disaster aid if they try to ride the train. There are no arm rests. Try a 1.5 hour ride where you have no place to put your arms. Try it. You will call Amnesty International. 6 cars. 1 bathroom. Guess which car fills first?
Next: The trains have the worst on-time rate of any system I have ever seen. Whether the cause is mechanical breakdown, "switching problems", or right-of-way delays (commuter trains have to give way to every other rail transport, including hand-cars, it seems), the Virginia Rail Express seems to arrive at my destination on time about 50 percent of the time. I know, airlines aren't much better, but how often do I fly?
There are benefits:
1) I can use my laptop. Sort of. I have an air card from Verizon. I just have to "reconnect" about 1,000 times along the way. Seems there are a lot of dead spots.
2) I can sleep...if you call dozing for 1 minute 60 times sleeping. Remember how comfortable the seats are?
3) I don't have to pay parking. Oh, wait. Yes I do. I pay my work for an underground space at my building. It took me 12 years to get that space as I waitied for people to retire. I am not giving it up just because I ride a train. What if I want to drive in? It happens.
4) My car is lasting longer. Good thing. I put 190K miles on it in 5 years. It's a Honda so it should go at least 300K before I have to get rid of it, not because it doesn't run, but just because I am so sick of driving it (hey - topic for another blog!).
5) There is scenery - the train travels North along the Potomac River - many beautiful sights.
I long for the day when someone learns how to make a comfortable train car. I long for the day when mass transit in the United states is as reliable as, say, the Soviet Union in 1935. I long for the day when I can ride an enclosed, elevated, moving walk-way all the way from the train station to the front door of my job. In other words, I am dreaming.
It's a long way from perfect. Heck, it's a long way from better-than-acceptable. But it's what we have, and it's what I will put up with since the environmental whack jobs refuse to let us: a) find new oil, b) burn coal, c) drill for oil, d) build nuclear power plants, e) build refineries, or f) basically become energy independent. As long as these loonies drive our politicians, we are at the mercy of the OPECS and the Chavezes of the world. So:
Happy training to me,
happy training to me.
happy #$!!$#**#%& training to me,
happy training to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I'm one of those patsies that moved away from the city so I could buy a nicer house on some land. of COURSE the good job is now 55 miles away, and consists of one of the very worst commutes in these United States: the I95/395 North corridor from Virginia into Washington DC.
On the best day the commute from my house to work by car is 1.5 hours to, and another 1.5 hours home. An average day is 2.5 hours one-way. The worst day I have ever had it took 8.5 hours to get home. Granted, that was during a snow storm in which 105 people managed to tangle their cars together, killing 2, because they thought it was OK to drive 65mph on an icy highway.
Guess what it was like on 9/11? OK - don't.
Still, I am a typical American, who loves the freedom that driving my own car brings. But even the most individualistic among us has limits. When gasoline reached $3 per gallon, I realized that even driving a Honda (well, a minivan, but still a Honda) was costing me $120 per week just for gas, never mind the miles and maintenance. Even a Honda breaks if you drive it almost 800 miles per week.
So I tried car pooling. In a word...ugh. Unreliable. Unfriendly after the first week's "honeymoon". Inconvenient. There are days when I or other poolers simply have to go home early for some urgency or other. It is a major pain in the patootie to have to call and say either: "I have to catch a bus" or "Can everybody leave early today?". It's the same frustration to get a call from the others: "Carl has to go home - can you be ready to go at noon?"
Then I checked out van pools and the bus. Very expensive. Very clique-ish. Try taking a seat that someone else thinks belongs to them. Whew-boy.
So I finally decided to try the train. $76 for ten one-way trips. That's cool. $76 per week instead of $120. Oops. The train goes to Union Station. I need to go to 16th and M. Add $16.50 for 10 metrorail rides. Oh. The closest metro station to my work is 4 blocks away. DC blocks can be pretty large. So on bad weather days, it is a pain. The train one-way is...1.5 hours. Well, at least I am not driving.
Next: what in the Sam Hill is WRONG with train designers? Did they go to school with Al-Qaeda? These cars are a disaster. I am 5'6", and not "large". The seats are too small for me. I pity the average 5'10" guy with a few extra pounds, and I think those over 6' qualify for federal disaster aid if they try to ride the train. There are no arm rests. Try a 1.5 hour ride where you have no place to put your arms. Try it. You will call Amnesty International. 6 cars. 1 bathroom. Guess which car fills first?
Next: The trains have the worst on-time rate of any system I have ever seen. Whether the cause is mechanical breakdown, "switching problems", or right-of-way delays (commuter trains have to give way to every other rail transport, including hand-cars, it seems), the Virginia Rail Express seems to arrive at my destination on time about 50 percent of the time. I know, airlines aren't much better, but how often do I fly?
There are benefits:
1) I can use my laptop. Sort of. I have an air card from Verizon. I just have to "reconnect" about 1,000 times along the way. Seems there are a lot of dead spots.
2) I can sleep...if you call dozing for 1 minute 60 times sleeping. Remember how comfortable the seats are?
3) I don't have to pay parking. Oh, wait. Yes I do. I pay my work for an underground space at my building. It took me 12 years to get that space as I waitied for people to retire. I am not giving it up just because I ride a train. What if I want to drive in? It happens.
4) My car is lasting longer. Good thing. I put 190K miles on it in 5 years. It's a Honda so it should go at least 300K before I have to get rid of it, not because it doesn't run, but just because I am so sick of driving it (hey - topic for another blog!).
5) There is scenery - the train travels North along the Potomac River - many beautiful sights.
I long for the day when someone learns how to make a comfortable train car. I long for the day when mass transit in the United states is as reliable as, say, the Soviet Union in 1935. I long for the day when I can ride an enclosed, elevated, moving walk-way all the way from the train station to the front door of my job. In other words, I am dreaming.
It's a long way from perfect. Heck, it's a long way from better-than-acceptable. But it's what we have, and it's what I will put up with since the environmental whack jobs refuse to let us: a) find new oil, b) burn coal, c) drill for oil, d) build nuclear power plants, e) build refineries, or f) basically become energy independent. As long as these loonies drive our politicians, we are at the mercy of the OPECS and the Chavezes of the world. So:
Happy training to me,
happy training to me.
happy #$!!$#**#%& training to me,
happy training to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Satellite Broadband (Not)
Live in a rural area with bad phone lines and no cable or DSL? Desparate for high-speed internet? Considering satellite?
I wouldn't take the plunge if I were you. Speaking from experience, I have both satellite and wireless (cell phone) internet access because I fall into the category listed above. My services are Verizon National Access (non-broadband) and Hughes Satellite Service (Broadband, or so they say).
The Verizon service costs me $60/month for unlimited access, and Hughes costs me $70/month for the medium plan of projected 1MB download and 200KB upload speeds.
So I pay $130/month for internet access. What do I get for this money?
Verizon gives me an "air card" that works on one computer at a time, or that can be plugged into a Kyocera router to create a wireless network. The speeds are good, but not broadband - typically around 100KB, which is better than the 18K my miserable phone lines allow with dialup. The router is at home, so I can use it there for all my PC's to access the wireless network, but when I take the card with me, my house is without internet. Verizon has no plans to change this.
So I fell for the Hughesnet ads, which are very attractive, with happily grinning people using their "broadband" from the high desert or a mountaintop, or an ocean island. This would be my home high-speed connection, and I would use my Verizon on the road.
The reality? I use my Verizon card at home almost as much as my Hughesnet.
Let's talk about Hughesnet Satellite:
1 - The speed at the practical end - my computer browser - is comparable to good dialup. Browser refreshes are moderate, and downloads are occasionally fast, but generally marginal. Visitors that check their email or other web sites at my house ask me "Don't you have broadband?"
2 - Storms, whether local or remote, can cause satellite failure. So the weather often causes loss of connection
3 - Multiple use in the house over the wireless connection causes the speed to vary dramatically. When my daughter is downloading songs and videos, I often have to ask her to stop so I can get my work done.
4 - Frequent browser refresh slowdowns are met with only one response from Hughesnet technical support: "run a satellite speed test". If the speed indicated by the test falls within the acceptable range (about 800K for 1MB service), they say "we can't do anything for you".
** note that I am semi-literate about PC's, and know how to clear cache, remove temporary files, and set cache sizes for optimal performance. I can also ensure that no wireless devices are interfering with the router. So why would 800K satellite speed appear as 24K dialup speed on my browser, and if there is an explanation, why can't Hughenet clue me in?
5 - There is a nasty little piece of Hughesnet policy called "fair use". This limits your downloads within short periods of time, say with network delivered movies like those provided by NetFlix. The first time we tried this service we made it 3/4 way through a good movie when we lost service. Nothing I tried worked, so the next day I called Hughesnet. It seems when I access movies I am "hogging" the shared bandwidth, so after 350MB Hughesnet "limits" my account for 24 hours. They will not reset it for any reason.
So there in a nutshell I have listed 5 reasons that I would not sign up for Hughesnet again if given the chance, knowing what I now do. Since I am on a 2-year contract with 1 year to go, I have no option but to pay my $70/month for another year.
Talking with other satellite users I have deteremined that my experience is not uncommon for satellite, regardless of the provider.
Therefore, I recommend that if you really need internet access because you have no cable or DSL and your dialup is useless, that you consider Verizon or another wireless provider, and skip the satellite for now.
My prediction is that you will hate satellite as I do. Not dislike it. Hate it.
If you experience what I have, you will get:
1 - dial up-like browser refreshes for the most part, regardless of indicated satellite "speed"
2 - interruption from storms or even cloudy skies
3 - slow response when others in your house access the internet at the same time as you
4 - low or no satisfaction from your technical "support" team
5 - hard limits on the amount of data you can download, jeopardizing attempts to watch videos or use "movies from your PC" services such as those offered by NetFlix.
If you choose to take the risk and sign up for satellite service, please feel free to commiserate with me by email or blog response after you have had a few weeks to experience internet access HELL
I wouldn't take the plunge if I were you. Speaking from experience, I have both satellite and wireless (cell phone) internet access because I fall into the category listed above. My services are Verizon National Access (non-broadband) and Hughes Satellite Service (Broadband, or so they say).
The Verizon service costs me $60/month for unlimited access, and Hughes costs me $70/month for the medium plan of projected 1MB download and 200KB upload speeds.
So I pay $130/month for internet access. What do I get for this money?
Verizon gives me an "air card" that works on one computer at a time, or that can be plugged into a Kyocera router to create a wireless network. The speeds are good, but not broadband - typically around 100KB, which is better than the 18K my miserable phone lines allow with dialup. The router is at home, so I can use it there for all my PC's to access the wireless network, but when I take the card with me, my house is without internet. Verizon has no plans to change this.
So I fell for the Hughesnet ads, which are very attractive, with happily grinning people using their "broadband" from the high desert or a mountaintop, or an ocean island. This would be my home high-speed connection, and I would use my Verizon on the road.
The reality? I use my Verizon card at home almost as much as my Hughesnet.
Let's talk about Hughesnet Satellite:
1 - The speed at the practical end - my computer browser - is comparable to good dialup. Browser refreshes are moderate, and downloads are occasionally fast, but generally marginal. Visitors that check their email or other web sites at my house ask me "Don't you have broadband?"
2 - Storms, whether local or remote, can cause satellite failure. So the weather often causes loss of connection
3 - Multiple use in the house over the wireless connection causes the speed to vary dramatically. When my daughter is downloading songs and videos, I often have to ask her to stop so I can get my work done.
4 - Frequent browser refresh slowdowns are met with only one response from Hughesnet technical support: "run a satellite speed test". If the speed indicated by the test falls within the acceptable range (about 800K for 1MB service), they say "we can't do anything for you".
** note that I am semi-literate about PC's, and know how to clear cache, remove temporary files, and set cache sizes for optimal performance. I can also ensure that no wireless devices are interfering with the router. So why would 800K satellite speed appear as 24K dialup speed on my browser, and if there is an explanation, why can't Hughenet clue me in?
5 - There is a nasty little piece of Hughesnet policy called "fair use". This limits your downloads within short periods of time, say with network delivered movies like those provided by NetFlix. The first time we tried this service we made it 3/4 way through a good movie when we lost service. Nothing I tried worked, so the next day I called Hughesnet. It seems when I access movies I am "hogging" the shared bandwidth, so after 350MB Hughesnet "limits" my account for 24 hours. They will not reset it for any reason.
So there in a nutshell I have listed 5 reasons that I would not sign up for Hughesnet again if given the chance, knowing what I now do. Since I am on a 2-year contract with 1 year to go, I have no option but to pay my $70/month for another year.
Talking with other satellite users I have deteremined that my experience is not uncommon for satellite, regardless of the provider.
Therefore, I recommend that if you really need internet access because you have no cable or DSL and your dialup is useless, that you consider Verizon or another wireless provider, and skip the satellite for now.
My prediction is that you will hate satellite as I do. Not dislike it. Hate it.
If you experience what I have, you will get:
1 - dial up-like browser refreshes for the most part, regardless of indicated satellite "speed"
2 - interruption from storms or even cloudy skies
3 - slow response when others in your house access the internet at the same time as you
4 - low or no satisfaction from your technical "support" team
5 - hard limits on the amount of data you can download, jeopardizing attempts to watch videos or use "movies from your PC" services such as those offered by NetFlix.
If you choose to take the risk and sign up for satellite service, please feel free to commiserate with me by email or blog response after you have had a few weeks to experience internet access HELL
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