I hate HughesNet!

C

Captains Cat

New member
Purchased the Garmin App for the Ipad and proceeded to try to download it. Didn't notice it was 1.3GB in size! My HughesNet allows only 450MB downloading in any 24 hour period except between 2 and 7AM. And it's slow too! So, I'm up at our local library using their wireless connection, and even with it's speed (which is much higher than HughesNet) it's been chugging away for over an hour. Looks like it's almost done with the "Loading" part and I'm hoping that the "Installing" part goes quickly.

I pay $90 a month for HughesNet and have no other option where I live... :x

Charlie
 
Charlie,

Look at Exede or Gen4 HughesNet which is just being installed. Exede offers 3 Mbs upstream and 12 Mbs down. 7.5GB per month is $60 and you can buy packages up to 25GB ($139 I think when you include the equipment lease). You can buy addtional GB for $9.99 each. It is structure pretty much like cell phone data plans. Gen4 is similar. In Gen4 Hughes is also going to monthly downloads.

Tom
 
Thanks Tom. If I can get through their phone tree and find someone that speaks a language I can understand I'll look into the Gen4. It's the same price as what I have now.

Charlie
 
Brent, it's called Garmin U.S.A. and it cost $49.95. Finally got it done at the library after about an hour. There's a free 3D and building add on which I'm downloading now. I tried the app on the way home from the library and it looks great on the Ipad using the Bad Elf Pro for a GPS and bluetooth connection.

Tom, just found an english speaker at HughesNet. Gen 4 is not available yet, they just launched their sattelite on 5 July. She said it would be available at the "end of the summer" and I'm on a list to be notified when it is.

Charlie
 
Yes I use it on a 3G connection traveling around the Midwest and back and forth to Florida and use AroundMe to locate restaurants, ATM, mobvies, hotels. I stop at Pilot for gas and use their app to locate stations and TuneIn radio to listen to radio, sports, news when not listening to audiobooks
 
oops my mistake

mapping apps I use as far as I know just needs GPS like the Navionics apps butr more other features an internet connection is required
 
Google maps updates the maps from the net in real time and generally won't work without an internet connection. However (at least on the Android phone), the released a software update this spring that would let you pre-fetch a number of map regions. I think I was allowed to pre-fetch 10 regions that were about 20miles x 20miles per each. Those pre-fetched regions are allow you to use it without an internet connection.
 
So, Charlie, can you hate Hughesnet AND tell us about the Garmin marine app at the same time? What I've read about it says it works "in conjunction with your Garmin chartplotter"... can it be used as a stand-alone chartplotter (assuming you have a 3G/4G iPad OR an external GPS plugged in :twisted: )?

I've always like the Garmin interface on GPS units we've had in the past. Of course, after 6 years, I'm used to my "dated" Raymarine E-80. :wink:

Looking forward to hearing your take on this.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
rogerbum":xtz8vu14 said:
Google maps updates the maps from the net in real time and generally won't work without an internet connection. However (at least on the Android phone), the released a software update this spring that would let you pre-fetch a number of map regions. I think I was allowed to pre-fetch 10 regions that were about 20miles x 20miles per each. Those pre-fetched regions are allow you to use it without an internet connection.
Click to expand...

Roger, that's how Navionics works. With the Garmin App, I don't need Google Maps.

Charlie
 
JamesTXSD":f93c7hyd said:
So, Charlie, can you hate Hughesnet AND tell us about the Garmin marine app at the same time? What I've read about it says it works "in conjunction with your Garmin chartplotter"... can it be used as a stand-alone chartplotter (assuming you have a 3G/4G iPad OR an external GPS plugged in :twisted: )?

Jim
Click to expand...

It's not a marine app Jim, just got it to use in the car to have a BIG screen. I'll use the Navionics app in the boat. I will use both with the BadElf Pro which works with Bluetooth seamlessly.

Charlie
 
Captains Cat":cflv7wxq said:
JamesTXSD":cflv7wxq said:
So, Charlie, can you hate Hughesnet AND tell us about the Garmin marine app at the same time? What I've read about it says it works "in conjunction with your Garmin chartplotter"... can it be used as a stand-alone chartplotter (assuming you have a 3G/4G iPad OR an external GPS plugged in :twisted: )?

Jim
Click to expand...

It's not a marine app Jim, just got it to use in the car to have a BIG screen. I'll use the Navionics app in the boat. I will use both with the BadElf Pro which works with Bluetooth seamlessly.

Charlie
Click to expand...

Thanks, Charlie. I see that Garmin has moved into the aviation app market, as well. Their info on their "Blue Chart" app (confusing, because that is what the old chips for the Garmin chartplotter were called) is somewhat vague. If it does utilize the onboard GPS chip, it would be a nice addition to the marine apps, since it is also supposed to interface with Active Captain.

I'm plenty happy with our Navionics app, but will keep an open mind when someone has a decent review of the Garmin app.

Incidentally, I bought GPSx when we first got the iPad (it's a car usage GPS), but we found the iPad to be more than we needed for navigating with the truck... the size got a bit much. Our small Garmin Nuvi or the Droid Bionic does better for us in the truck.

No doubt with all the smart phones having GPS, the auto GPS market has felt the impact.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Just had HughesNet Gen4 installed today. New dish, new modem, only uses one of the two feed lines that I had before. The jury is still out but appears to be 2x to 3x the speed of the old system and has a monthly download allowance instead of the daily one.

We'll see, but so far it's a great improvement for us folks out here in the boonies!

Charlie
 
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