Hi, I am an E-mail. I just left the computer of a place called Amazon.com.....
I'm holding an important message confirming a purchase made by a customer. In almost no time I arrived at the Google Gmail server.
I'm just going to sit here now until the customer calls for me from his computer. Sometimes I wait here for a long time but this guy had his computer on so I left the Gmail server right away and headed to the customer's computer........ but wait....... apparently he is in a motorhome driving down the road right now so HOW am I going to get into his computer?!?!
I made it to a cell tower OK and then flew off towards the motorhome as it was going 60 MPH down Interstate Route 40 in North Carolina.
As I was approaching the motorhome I noticed I was being drawn to the rear of the RV near the top of the attached ladder.
HEY! LOOK AT THAT! There's an antenna! Looks like a 21" Omni RV Antenna w/ Spring Base.
I can go into this antenna very easily but that cell tower was far away and I'm getting very tired.... not... much.... signal.... strength.... left.......
WHOA!! WHAT'S THAT BOOST OF POWER ?Hey, I'm entering a Wilson AG SOHO 60db Wireless Amplifier.
Wow, I needed that! Now I'm as strong as when I left Amazon. Now I can go anywhere in the RV. But wait... What if the customer is using his smartphone or iPad instead of his laptop? How do I know which device to go to?
The Amplifier is sending me through a cable and......AHHH! A very nice Wilson 50ohm Interior Panel Antenna.
This antenna is sending me wirelessly to any device that may be on and ready to receive. That Amp's strong signal is going to the whole front half of the RV now. It doesn't send much signal at all backwards, it's all forward. Sure glad the panel antenna was mounted pointing forward.
So here I am flying forward........ Hmmm... seems there is only one device ready to recieve me....It's a Verizon Wireless Pantech 4G LTE USB Modem Aircard UML290. This USB modem must be plugged into a laptop. Too bad his laptop will be the only device getting my signal...
HEY, WHAT'S THIS?? The Verizon USB modem isn't plugged into a laptop...it's plugged into a Pepwave Surf On-The-Go 3G/4G Router.
I went into the USB modem and then into this Pepwave router and it's sending me out on a wireless WIFI signal. HOLY COW! Any device in the RV can get me now... even outside the RV probably!
Finally I'm here in the customers In-Box and I'll just sit here until he clicks me open. WHEW! WHAT A RIDE!!
**LATER THAT DAY**
Now I think he just parked the RV at a Walmart next to a Lowes. I think he's going to reply to my message. OOOPS! He unplugged the USB Modem. Now how am I going to get out of here to Amazon!??!
Now this is NEAT! He switched his router from "Cell" to "WIFI" and he's getting a really fast connection from the Lowes store. Really smart. Now he's not using up the bandwidth that Verizon gives him so he can go online and not worry about the size of his downloads and uploads. He'll probably update his Dropbox and look! The OTHER laptop in the RV is uploading the photos she took to her Blog! Cool!
I wonder how he got that Lowes signal so strong from way over there at the store....?
So I see that with this setup he can get an internet connection for emails, paying bills, shopping, getting tourist info and the all important Google Maps from anywhere he has a cell signal or a campground Hot Spot WIFI. There are only a few places where he can't get a cell signal or WIFI and those are in remote areas like the Adirondack Mountains or the Desert South West in Arizona, Utah, Nevada etc. I guess he better be careful when he goes to those places because if he needs emergency help he wouldn't be able to contact anyone.... or would he???
This RVer is pretty resourceful. He went and bought a gizmo for just that circumstance. He got a SPOT Connect device. From what I can tell from his emails (us E-mails can chat with each other in the In-Box) it seems this device has a yearly fee and it allows him to send very short emails to people on his contact list using a Satellite!! NO CELL OR WIFI NEEDED!!! Predefined messages of up to 120 characters, sort of like twitter. and custom "type and send" messages of up to 41 characters. Just enough to call out for help or to let loved ones know they are OK so they don't worry if they don't hear from them for a while like when they boondock in the desert for a couple weeks. They cannot receive messages back, only send them but if something happens it's good to know they can send for help. That device also has a smart phone app to use when sending messages, very handy. They can call for help when out 4 wheeling with that orange Jeep of theirs if they get stuck. You know what they say..... "4 wheel drive is good for getting you farther from help before you get stuck" 8-)
I'm going to have to go now... he just sent me to the trash bin. That's the thanks I get for confirming his purchase of ....... Ears??
Trekkies.....**sigh**
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Links:
Different RV Solutions for getting internet into your rig.
The solution we chose (may be better ones now, this was a year ago or more).
The Wilson spring base antenna mounted outside on our rear ladder.
The Wilson amplifier mounted inside a cabinet base in the bedroom.
The Wilson panel antenna mounted on the wall in the bathroom.
The Verizon USB modem plugged into the router ner the front of the RV (newer ones may be available).
The Pepwave "Surf-On-The-Go" Router with WIFI as LAN mounted near the front of the RV.
The Alfa Network Yagi antenna mounted on the roof on the batwing TV antenna.
The Spot Connect satellite device, portable, handheld.
This post has a "text only" version on IRV2.com. This is a great RV forum.
This is hysterical! - Anne
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