In-Motion High-Speed Satellite Internet is Here

[Jason McKittrick]

Seems to me, IMO, that after you have reached the, in or near storm environment, the need for internet data at that point has dramatically decreased, you are there.

 

[Jay McCoy]

Seems to me, IMO, that after you have reached the, in or near storm environment, the need for internet data at that point has dramatically decreased, you are there.

Not always the case. may times you have low clouds or reduced visibilty due to haze so being able to download a sat pic or a radar can make or break the chase. If you have a cluster of storms it is sometimes hard to detect which one has clear air or is gaining strenght while the others are weakening. Seen this many times and have been 30 miles from a tornado and not known it until it was too late. Even to pick up a warning from the NWS can help out in areas where NOAA radio coverage lacks.

WxWorks helps alot but being able to access the web and grab hi-res sat shots or last minute surface obs or an MD from the SPC can be invaluable.

 

[Andrew Khan]

Wow, I knew it only had to be a matter of time. It would be a ncie thing to have, butl ike people said, rain scatter could be a problem. I wonder just how much damage it would put in my wallet as well?

 

[J West]

Andrew:

Well maybe not quite that bad .
http://www.cnet.com/4520-10602_1-5619060.html
RaySat
TalkBack: Add your opinion
The product: RaySat announced at CES that later in 2005, it will begin shipping a two-way satellite link that will let a moving vehicle connect to the Net. Like the TracVision and Winegard products, the RaySat antenna is a 5-inch-high, pancake-shaped, hybrid phased-array unit that's small enough to fit on top of a van or SUV but not on a car.
The company expects that service agreements will offer download speeds up to 4MB per second, with a maximum of 128Kbps upstream. There is a half-second of latency (round-trip time) with satellite communication. That's not a blocker for Web browsing or media streaming, but it would affect online gaming or VoIP use.
Audiovox will resell this product. Future satellite units will be smaller and may even be built into car roofs.
The price: $3,495 for the hardware; installation and service fees extra.
That might be doable considering what I am paying for my wireless data service. Depends on the monthly service charge?
[/b]

 

[Eric Graham]

I dont know if any one has mentioned this, but the RaySat also acts as a DirectTV Dish too. I'm impressed in what it offers, but with the $3,000 to $4,000 its a little steep and out of the question for now. I've also heard, but not confermed for those like me who drive sedans this could actually be mounted under the trunk lid.

 

[beaudodson]

WOW for emergency management this is great!

Will be looking for updates on this topic...

 

[beaudodson]

I emailed them about the monthly subscription price. They said they will try and announce that in April.

 

[Jason McKittrick]

We'll I was checking the RaySat website to see if there were any updates on price and availability and I found a news story on there website about an award they won at the Las Vegas "Best of show innovations award". The article can be found here....

RaySat 3000


Here is the highlight of the article with respect to price and availability.....


Personal users also represent a sizable, and growing, potential market, since no wireless carrier can yet provide the combination of national coverage and the high speed of satellite communication. With the automotive video market now exceeding 10 million vehicles, some customers primarily interested in satellite TV reception will acquire the SpeedRay 3000 for its additional, incrementally affordable Internet capability.

Robnett said the SpeedRay 3000 is scheduled to start delivering in the fall of 2006 and will retail for around $6,995.00. Installation and subscriptions to TV and Internet service are additional.


I am not sure how affordable that is. I was considering it at $3000 but $7000 plus installation and service iis a little out of my price range.

 

[Dan Robinson]

$7k is definately a potential deal-breaker for me. I wonder why the $4k price was advertised initially. And if the thing is self-tracking and uses a WIFI interface, why would you need to pay someone for installation? Even so, the monthly fee is going to be the main concern. The initial equipment cost ($4k, not $7k) I could probably handle. Considering with this unit I could eliminate my home cable internet and WxWorx monthly fees and just keep the satellite internet for both home and mobile use. If it is around $100/month, that is doable for internet access, plus maybe another $30-$50 for TV although that isn't entirely neccessary. Any more than that and it will simply be a luxury then that I couldn't justify. $7k hardware certainly puts it in the luxury category though.

I'll be watching this closely. I'm sure in a couple of years either the price will come down or there will be other solutions/competitors appearing.

As for hail, if the day comes that I ever install this thing, I'm going to Home Depot and building a super heavy-duty hail sheild for it. Maybe something with a Mythbusters-style motor-driven actuator to quickly flip up and cover it. That's like buying a HD video camera and strapping it to your roof, it's got to have some protection.

 

[beaudodson]

Hmm on that price update. I am going to email them and ask them what is up with that.

 

[Eric Friedebach]

And if the thing is self-tracking and uses a WIFI interface, why would you need to pay someone for installation? [/b]

That may be because there is a transmitter involved.

Or better yet, it's a nice profit center! From the RaySat Installer page:

Benefits

Typically 2 hours of work, $300-$500 revenue opportunity per unit
Referral business from RaySat dealers and RaySat website. High growth business
Simple installation, with training and dedicated installation helpline from RaySat
Upsell Opportunity, high end customers[/b]