I picked up a used Direcway DW 6000

[MikeCoke]

I just picked up a Full Direcway DW 6000 system for a guy in my area that was not using it any more.
I called Direcway to see if the account was free & clear & it was. They asked form all my info & then gave me a SAN # & PIN #.
Then a few days later I get a call form the local installer & he wants to set up a time for him to come & install the system for $200.
I told him I was not ready to have the system installed he said? OK call when I was.
What I want to do is use it here at home & take it on the road when we travel. I figured I could set up the Dish & aim it to use here & when ready get the tripod stuff later.
What I need to know is how do I get the Modem turned on & get? assigned a Satellite?
I have downloaded quite a few different sets of instruction for aiming the dish & how to do all that, but I need to have my account activated with Direcway & be assigned a Satellite. I have called local dealers & installer in my area & they all want $150-$200 to come out & install the system. I know from looking at a lot of Tripod web sites that if you buy a full set up they ship you a modem that has been turned on & has a Satellite assigned to your account. Can my account & modem be set up by a dealer without them having the modem or can I call Direcway to have the account activated & Satellite assigned.
I have been told by Direcway that once I have an active account I can then upgrade to the DW 7000 for $50 if I sign up for the Professional Plan $69/mo. for 15 months. I was hoping I could get everything done to setup a Direcway account so I could practice here at home setting up the system & getting online so I would not be trying it on the road for the first time. I did have one guy tell me I could set up the account on my own but I could not get how to do it from him.
I hope someone can help me.
Thanks for reading my ramblings
Mike

 

[Tom]

What I need to know is how do I get the Modem turned on & get  assigned a Satellite?

That requires a Hughes-certified installer. I'm sure Ron will respond to your questions more fully.

 

[Ron]

You will need an installer to get the modem commissioned.  The going rate for an install is $200.  Yes there are a couple dealers that commission the modem and send the whole thing out with an instructions for set up. IMHO that is just not a good idea and I think it can easily become frustrating to the customer.  I am sending you a PM.

 

[MikeCoke]

Well I was able to get the used DW 6000 system commissioned & fully registered with Direcway.
I am online through the Dish right now.
I have moved the dish 2 times so far & each time I got online in less than a total of 30 minutes.
I checkedwith Direcway & I can now upgrade to the DW 7000 modem.
Here are the ways I can upgrade.
Home plan with no commitment $199.99  $59.99 a month
Home plan with a 15 month commitment $99.99    $59.99 a month
Pro plan no commitment $199.99  $69.99
Pro plan with a 15 month commitment $49.99    $69.99.
Is it worth upgrading to the DW7000 & the Pro plan?

Thanks
Mike

 

[Smoky]

Hi Mike!  I am interested in the answer to your question also.

Ron here who is a certified installer has convinced me to wait upgrading to the DW7000 until it is available on the sat I am currently on.  The DW7000 is only available on certain sats.  My sat is ideal for coverage in the US border to border and i do not want to lose that, but my sat is also not yet DW7000 ready.

However the part of your question that interests me most is the upgrade to the Professional at just $10 a month more.

Maybe you or Ron can tell us what additional features you get for Professional.  If it is more speed, then that is a steal at just $10 a month more.

 

[MikeCoke]

Hi Smokey,
What satellite are you on?
89W seems to cover all the US
Here is the footprint
http://www.datastormusers.com/GlossaryTerm.cfm?id=92
Here are the 2 plans.

DIRECWAY HOME service plan?

Key Features
Max. Download Speed 700 Kbps
Max. Upload Speed 128 Kbps
IP Address? Dynamic
Email Accounts? (with 10 MB of storage per account)? 5
Spam and Anti-Virus Protection Included
24/7 Live Technical Support? Included

DIRECWAY PROFESSIONAL service plan
Key Features
Max. Download Speed 1.0 Mbps
Max. Upload Speed 200 Kbps
IP Address? Dynamic
Email Accounts? (with 10 MB of storage per account)? 5
Spam and Anti-Virus Protection Included
24/7 Live Technical Support Included

Mike

 

[Tom]

Well I was able to get the used DW 6000 system commissioned & fully registered with Direcway.

Mike, does that mean you didn't need to use an installer's services? If not, I wonder if that's because it was a previously-commissioned modem.

 

[blueblood]

Mike, does that mean you didn't need to use an installer's services? If not, I wonder if that's because it was a previously-commissioned modem.

It will be interesting to see his answer now. I have withdrawn from this stuff for a while but I know that a year or so and back one could activate without using a certified installer. ( I am one but I would advise folks that they could do it there self if they didn't want to pay me)  It all depended who you got on phone and if wrong person, hang up and call back to get a different one.

 

[Tom]

Hi Leo. Didn't realize you were a certified installer. Personally, I've read enough about the perils of contacting them and getting the "wrong" person, so I wouldn't attempt it.

 

[Ron]

Smoky,

If you go to mydirecway.com and click on the 7000 window on the left all your questions will be answered.  You have to enter your site id nbr and it will come up saying self install not available, click on continue, accept the items on the next screen, then the options and costs are displayed. you can quit at this point after you see the options available.  Like I said I am waiting till the upgrade becomes available on our Sat.

 

[Ned]

The DW7000 is a definite improvement over the DW6000.  It has much higher upload speeds, but may take a bit more careful pointing to achieve the higher rate codes available with it.  I'm getting upload speed of ~100kbps vs. <50kbps I saw with the DW6000.

 

[Karl]

Ron,

Went to mydirecway.com entered site i.d. and upgraded to DW7000. Said self-install IS available, and the modem will be shipped w/in 2 weeks.

 

[Ron]

Ron,

Went to mydirecway.com entered site i.d. and upgraded to DW7000. Said self-install IS available, and the modem will be shipped w/in 2 weeks.

Depends which Satellite you are on. AMC9 is not yet ready for the 7000.  When it is opened up for the 7000 then I will upgrade.  If your on 117, 99, or 97 then the self install upgrade is available.  I am sure you will appreciate the 7000.

 

[Smoky]

Mike:

Like Ron I am on AMC9.

 

[Karl]

I'm on G3C.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

>> It has much higher upload speeds, but may take a bit more careful pointing to achieve the higher rate codes available with it.
====
What does that mean, Ned -- you have to be more careful when you push the button???  ???

 

[MikeCoke]

Here is what I did.
I bought the used DW 6000 system ^ was told it was a clear account.
I called  a Direcway dealer & asked about getting the modem registered or commissioned & he told me that he was not sure a he could commission a used 6000 modem. He told me to call Direcway & ask them if it could be commissioned & if the account was indeed clear.  When I called Direcway I told them I had acquired a used 6000 system & wanted to know if the account was clear. The Direcway person checked & said it was &  then asked for my Name, address, phone #& a Credit card to be used with the account. I asked why he wanted all the info & he said  he would start an account for me that would be used when I had the installer set the system up. I told him I was not ready to have the system installed & he said that was OK. After I gave him the info he gave me a SAN & PIN number.  Two days later I received a cal for a Direcway installer wanting to come out to install my system. I told him I did not want to install it yep & had just called Direcway to find out if the Account was clear & if the modem could be commissioned forr me to use.
I then posted questions on a few Direcway Satellite forums here.  A couple fo the replies I got said since I now had a SAN & PIN # I could commission the system myself & there would be no need to call Direcway.  I pointed the dish to 117 the Sat that the previous owner had used. After I got a good signal & was locked on I ran the Auto CrossPol & it passed. I just followed the online prompts & before long I was all set up & was told to click restart. After I did that I went to http://192.168.0.1/ & clicked System Info & it showed I was now assigned to 89 West Receive Frequency: 1350 MHz. Now I needed to repoint the dish to 89W. I had to move to a new location to get a clear shot of 89W & after getting a good signal & passing the Auto CrossPol & was online. I then when to mydirecway.com & registered & setup an e-mail account at [email protected]. I am not getting the best upload & download speeds.
I think I need to tweak my point but I am waiting for the DIRECWAY FINE ELEVATION POINTING TOOL I bough on ebay before I try to adjust the Elevation since I just set it according to the setting I got from putting in my ZipCode.
I will most likely upgrade to the 7000 & the Pro plan. I think I have rambled on enough I hope I did answer some of what was asked.
Mike

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the info Mike.

 

[Ned]

What does that mean, Ned -- you have to be more careful when you push the button??? ???

The Motosat controller will point the antenna accurately enough to pass ACP but not necessarily to achieve the higher rate code.  I can manually move the antenna from the computer with either the Motosat program or Don Bradner's D2Admin program which also shows the current rate code.  I use the program to maximize the signal quality and signal strength and then force range, sometimes several times, until I pass the test for the higher rate code.  With a .98m or 1.2m dish, this is much easier than with the .74m dishes most of us use.

This is only relevant to the DW7x00 modems and doesn't apply to the DW4000 or DW6000 modems.  The difference being that the DW7000 can change the transmitter power.