How and why I set up my communications in our van

[pelbo]

Following on from the previous thread I started re problems with 3G /4G modems, I thought I would start this thread to answer some of the questions being asked.

I must re-iterate here I am not an expert. Only what I have learned from both good and hard way, after 8 years travelling full time in our caravans.

Obviously being full time, we need mobile communications. To this end, we have two mobile phones with different free hours. Plus, of course, the Internet. We do 99% of our bill paying and communications through the Internet using email and Skype.

My wife and I each have a computer. We both use them almost daily. We also use a Galaxy pad - mainly for Wikicamps - this has over 11,500 camp sites compared to Camps Australia wide 3,600 camp sites. We bush camp 99% of the time. Usually at least 10k from the nearest town. We also print out our travels, with photos, for people like my Mum, who is 93 and cannot use a computer.

We also each have a KOBO Glo eReader which also needs access to the Internet. We now have over 3,000 books that weigh a few grams. Having the 'Glo' scfreen means I can read in bed at any time during the night without disturbing my wife!

So we needed a mobile modem that allows all our devices access to the Internet and to be able to 'talk' to each other via wifi.

There was only one such device available that could do all this. The Sierra 3G/4G modem. Now, hopefully, the "Advanced 4G Modem" which will allow up to 10 devices to use the service via wifi.

The next vital attribute we needed was the ability to add an external aerial. We have two external aerials - the basic 'broomstick' aerial attached to the top of our wind up winegard TV aerial and an additional yagi type for extended distance. These have more than trebled the normal range.

Because we have wifi, we can place the modem inside a cupboard, charged by a 12v cig lighter fitting charging via a USB cord. Both aerials are fed into the cupboard. This saves having wires and cables running all over the van for us to trip over! All out of sight and nice and tidy.

Is this the best set up? I don't know! But it suits us and works well - or at least until Telstra started installing DC into their regional towers! Hopefully the new modem will overcome this.

I hope this answers some questions as to how and why we have gone down this path.

I might add that another plus for Telstra coverage, particularly in WA, is the large number of unlisted mining sites who have installed small mobile towers for their workers. These often fill in the gaps when travelling in remote areas. Even if we have no phone coverage, we leave at least one mobile phone switched on. You would be surprised how often it will give a ring tone (missed call or incoming SMS) when getting close to a large mine. We now make nearby various mining sites our morning tea, lunch, or afternoon tea stop to check out our email and bill paying stops.

I have deleted your double post M8....Norman

[generdawg]

I must re-iterate here I am not an expert.

There was only one such device available that could do all this. The Sierra 3G/4G modem. Now, hopefully, the "Advanced 4G Modem" which will allow up to 10 devices to use the service via wifi.

Is this the best set up? I don't know

...we leave at least one mobile phone switched on. ...We now make nearby various mining sites our morning tea, lunch, or afternoon tea stop...

1) maybe not, but having been there, done that makes you the guru shepherd.
2a) may not be technically correct. We have one of those Huawei modems from iiNet that supports multi connects.
b) even though Teltales state the (old) Sierra supports up to five devices, I believe it along with the Huawei have always supported ten.
3) I read the nay sayers on the other forum. Have to laugh at those who rely on theory to refute what you know to be true from practice!
4) a phone searching for a signal rooly chews through a battery.
5) kool tip.

[Boblebago]

We have a Telstra dongle that has a patch lead that can connect to the aerial in the Saturn TV aerial and that can be used in the laptop or when we wifi the laptop, iPad or TiVo we have a netcomm travel router that has a battery in it that has never worked.
Like Pelbo we leave everything on now as we have special battery power.

Regards Geoff

[Wilbor]

Pelbo
Another option is an Ericson W35 router. This unit has a sim card and can be used for data and voice and has wireless LAN and 4 Ethernet ports. You can attach a standard cordless phone into it or a normal household fixed phone. Probably a lot more expensive than the Telstra modem, but these work!!!

Have you considered a aerial signal amplifier? I know there are hundreds out there now but one I used some years ago while at sea was a ripper. This one was in between an Ericson W35 router and the aerial. At the time they could not be bought in Australia and we got one through some mob in NZ. There are now sold here. The last one we got was through TRYMAX Marine in Brisbane. It fits in between the external aerial cable and the modem. It is powered, 12vfrom memory, but I do know it dramatically increased the signal strength. Never had any issues with close by phone use by others or using a mobile on the ship

Also I am a bit interested in Wikicamps 11500 camp sites. I had a look on their website and they state 4962 campsites. I have no idea how Wikicamps works yet, how do you get access to their 11500 campsites?

Edit: On reflection I think it was Powertec I bought the aerial booster from not Trymax Marine. Powertec supplied the Ericson W35 router as well

[Mrcoolabah1au]

Think if you have a look a preferance you can turn on or turn off things ( like if you dont want caravan pk ) i have mine set to free camps only which the number down

[pelbo]

Pelbo
Another option is an Ericson W35 router. This unit has a sim card and can be used for data and voice and has wireless LAN and 4 Ethernet ports. You can attach a standard cordless phone into it or a normal household fixed phone. Probably a lot more expensive than the Telstra modem, but these work!!!

Have you considered a aerial signal amplifier? I know there are hundreds out there now but one I used some years ago while at sea was a ripper. This one was in between an Ericson W35 router and the aerial. At the time they could not be bought in Australia and we got one through some mob in NZ. There are now sold here. The last one we got was through TRYMAX Marine in Brisbane. It fits in between the external aerial cable and the modem. It is powered, 12vfrom memory, but I do know it dramatically increased the signal strength. Never had any issues with close by phone use by others or using a mobile on the ship

Also I am a bit interested in Wikicamps 11500 camp sites. I had a look on their website and they state 4962 campsites. I have no idea how Wikicamps works yet, how do you get access to their 11500 campsites?

Edit: On reflection I think it was Powertec I bought the aerial booster from not Trymax Marine. Powertec supplied the Ericson W35 router as well

When I downloaded the program and set it up on my Galaxy, that figure came up in the installation. Logging onto their website just now gives the figure as over 10,000. Yes - it does include caravan parks and dump points - the same as camps Oz wide. How many of each, I have no idea. However, I have been able to find and use some great camps not in my copy of camps oz.

I did consider an amplifier for my modem. However an expert asked me how does the amplifier pick up and amplify a signal, if it can't receive the signal in the first place??? That advise sort of rang true with me! So I worked on improving the signal pick up. Seems to work well with me. This expert also advised me on that yagi type angtennae I referred to. This expert is a retired Telstra senior technical person who also often travels around Oz in his van.

[Greynomad]

Just checked the site.
Lists 10,000~50,000 downloads.
Campsites: 4600-0dd, -- as well as CPs etc.

Also found the site does not support direct downloads to Kindle Fire - only the Touch model.
Have to fish out the Mac-to-Kindle cable tomorrow to download from another site.

[pelbo]

Don't know what site you are looking at. The site I looked up has the following, clearly stating over 10,000 LISTINGS



It also breaks down the listings to the following:





Also, depending on your device, if you have built in GPS, once you find your site, touch the "navigate' button and it will take you to the front door.

It also has a handy satellite finder for the VAST satellite. Plus a built in compass.