Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Lakeside Photos
Here are some photos that were taken in Ajijic and San Antonio at the Cafe Adelita and Johnny's. You can see photos in a larger size by double clicking on them.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Friday, January 04, 2008
Some Mexican Photos
Here are some photos taken with my new Casio digital camera that my son Marc gave me on Christmas. Some are taken at Marc & Denise's house in Armeria, Norma's house in Armeria, Colima, Cuyatlan, Paradiso, Ajijic and bars and restaurants. The subjects are friends and family. I have decided not to add captions to each photo because some of these people may not like to be found.
Life is good. Viva Mexico!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
What’s happening
This is a Huichol Indian beaded mask that I bought to cover up a fuse box in my Ajijic home.
It’s been some time since I posted anything to this blog. Since I’ve heard from some of my readers that are wondering what’s going on, I feel I should fill you in on some of what’s happening.
The main reason that I haven’t been updating the blog is because I have rented a house in Ajijic and I now feel more part of the community. And as a member of this community, I don’t wish to contribute to the gossip. Sure there are some things I could write about that are not gossip but I am not sure that I even want to act like an anthropologist and analyze Mexico, Mexicans and the ex-pat community. I started this blog when I was getting ready to start traveling in my Lazy Daze motor home. The idea was to chronicle some of my adventures while traveling. Well, I am no longer living in the motor home and I am living in essentially a small town. So the initial reason for the blog no longer exists. Unlike some blog authors, I have no plans of turning my writings into money by adding advertising or writing a book. I have no aspirations of even being a writer. Another reason for not updating the blog is that I don’t feel very comfortable talking about my private life with strangers. I may shut down this blog and start another about my life here lakeside on Lake Chapala and future explorations to other areas in Mexico and beyond. I am not sure whether or not I would make the blog public or private for my friends and family.
If you have read this blog from the beginning you know that I have been trying to sell my house in Truckee in the Sierras near Lake Tahoe. It’s beautiful up there but I am not a skier so the winters there are a hardship for me. I didn’t tire that much when running a snow blower or shoveling snow; the main problem was that I couldn’t afford to pay for firewood and natural gas to keep warm in the winter. Before I left for Mexico, I signed a lease/option contract for the sale of the house. That contract has caused me a lot of stress which has resulted in me not being able to fully enjoy life here in Mexico. The contract is still pending and the renter/buyers still occupy my house. Until the house is sold, I feel like I am limbo. I feel I must be here to deal with the huge problem that the sale of the house has become.
On a positive note, I am really starting to feel comfortable with Mexico and the people. My Spanish is still limited but I am now confident that I could go anywhere I want in Mexico and survive. Each day I learn a few more words of Spanish and little bit more about how to form sentences. I like Mexico, the culture, music and people. The only things I miss about the US are friends, family and some foods. I am glad to be away from the politics, so-called leaders and PC thugs. I feel much freer in Mexico than in the US. The myth about the US being the land of the free is so much bullshit.
Also, I really like my new house. It is centrally located in Ajijic, the current center of the ex-pat community living lakeside by Lake Chapala. I don’t think that any other gringos live on my block, just Mexicans. There is a good restaurant two doors away that has a happy hour with 2 for 1 drinks and good margaritas. Across the street from the restaurant is a good tienda (convenience store) with some groceries, beer and snacks. From my home, I can walk all over town. There is the Guadalajara Farmacia with an ATM machine a block and a half away. A good bar, El Barco, is two blocks away. The best Chinese restaurant, Min Wah is only a block away. The main plaza, the center of the community is about 6 blocks away. Eventually, I plan to sell my motor home and get some kind or car, maybe an old VW bug, Thing or a small SUV to travel further away.
Since I was not going out much in the last two years of living in Truckee, I don’t think that I made any new friends. In the little over a year that I have been in Mexico I probably have made about 100 new friends that I know on a first name basis. Probably about 30 percent of those friends are Mexicans and the rest are mainly ex-pats from the US and Canada. Most are people that I have met at the plaza and in bars and restaurants. Now that I am enjoying my new house and tending the garden, I think that I will not be hanging out so much. I plan to get into serious studying of Spanish and maybe get back into some former creative pursuits like photography, art and painting. I may continue to update this blog with photographs without much comment.
This is a photo of the central plaza taken from the deck of the new Exotica bar.
It’s been some time since I posted anything to this blog. Since I’ve heard from some of my readers that are wondering what’s going on, I feel I should fill you in on some of what’s happening.
The main reason that I haven’t been updating the blog is because I have rented a house in Ajijic and I now feel more part of the community. And as a member of this community, I don’t wish to contribute to the gossip. Sure there are some things I could write about that are not gossip but I am not sure that I even want to act like an anthropologist and analyze Mexico, Mexicans and the ex-pat community. I started this blog when I was getting ready to start traveling in my Lazy Daze motor home. The idea was to chronicle some of my adventures while traveling. Well, I am no longer living in the motor home and I am living in essentially a small town. So the initial reason for the blog no longer exists. Unlike some blog authors, I have no plans of turning my writings into money by adding advertising or writing a book. I have no aspirations of even being a writer. Another reason for not updating the blog is that I don’t feel very comfortable talking about my private life with strangers. I may shut down this blog and start another about my life here lakeside on Lake Chapala and future explorations to other areas in Mexico and beyond. I am not sure whether or not I would make the blog public or private for my friends and family.
If you have read this blog from the beginning you know that I have been trying to sell my house in Truckee in the Sierras near Lake Tahoe. It’s beautiful up there but I am not a skier so the winters there are a hardship for me. I didn’t tire that much when running a snow blower or shoveling snow; the main problem was that I couldn’t afford to pay for firewood and natural gas to keep warm in the winter. Before I left for Mexico, I signed a lease/option contract for the sale of the house. That contract has caused me a lot of stress which has resulted in me not being able to fully enjoy life here in Mexico. The contract is still pending and the renter/buyers still occupy my house. Until the house is sold, I feel like I am limbo. I feel I must be here to deal with the huge problem that the sale of the house has become.
On a positive note, I am really starting to feel comfortable with Mexico and the people. My Spanish is still limited but I am now confident that I could go anywhere I want in Mexico and survive. Each day I learn a few more words of Spanish and little bit more about how to form sentences. I like Mexico, the culture, music and people. The only things I miss about the US are friends, family and some foods. I am glad to be away from the politics, so-called leaders and PC thugs. I feel much freer in Mexico than in the US. The myth about the US being the land of the free is so much bullshit.
Also, I really like my new house. It is centrally located in Ajijic, the current center of the ex-pat community living lakeside by Lake Chapala. I don’t think that any other gringos live on my block, just Mexicans. There is a good restaurant two doors away that has a happy hour with 2 for 1 drinks and good margaritas. Across the street from the restaurant is a good tienda (convenience store) with some groceries, beer and snacks. From my home, I can walk all over town. There is the Guadalajara Farmacia with an ATM machine a block and a half away. A good bar, El Barco, is two blocks away. The best Chinese restaurant, Min Wah is only a block away. The main plaza, the center of the community is about 6 blocks away. Eventually, I plan to sell my motor home and get some kind or car, maybe an old VW bug, Thing or a small SUV to travel further away.
Since I was not going out much in the last two years of living in Truckee, I don’t think that I made any new friends. In the little over a year that I have been in Mexico I probably have made about 100 new friends that I know on a first name basis. Probably about 30 percent of those friends are Mexicans and the rest are mainly ex-pats from the US and Canada. Most are people that I have met at the plaza and in bars and restaurants. Now that I am enjoying my new house and tending the garden, I think that I will not be hanging out so much. I plan to get into serious studying of Spanish and maybe get back into some former creative pursuits like photography, art and painting. I may continue to update this blog with photographs without much comment.
This is a photo of the central plaza taken from the deck of the new Exotica bar.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The San Juan Cosala flood
Yesterday morning I awoke and noticed that there was no traffic on the carretera (highway) which runs by my San Juan Cosala camp on the lake side. There was an auto bus, a taxi and several cars stopped and a river of water and mud running down the carretera east towards the balneario (hot spring bath facility). It had been raining all night but it was not when I got up. I went down to the front of the property and took some pictures of the flooded carretera.
Soon several back hoes and large dump trucks arrived and began to clean up the mud. About a half a block west of my camp is an arroyo that goes under a small bridge on the carretera. The passage under the bridge must have been blocked and the water diverted on to the carretera. A police pick up arrived and two big trucks of Mexican soldiers. I decided to walk up to the arroyo bridge to see what was happening and take some more pictures. One of the workers told me that a car had been swept into the arroyo.
The police and soldiers did not stop me as I waded through the mud and water that was a foot and a half deep in some places. At the arroyo bridge a large machine was scooping mud, rocks, trees and debris out of the arroyo to clear it and allow the water to take its usual course under the bridge and down into Lake Chapala. A huge mound of rocks and debris about 30 feet high blocked the carretera on the east side of the arroyo bridge and a couple smaller piles of debris blocked the west side. There were also parts of the car that had been blocking the arroyo but the parts were now about 3 feet in size. The largest part was a tire and an aluminum wheel so the destroyed car must have been a new car.
I took some pictures of the work and stayed and watched for awhile. On the mountain you could see water running down the gulches and arroyos. Behind my camp you can see a waterfall with a drop of about 75 feet. Then I returned to my camp thinking I would write about the flood for this blog. After I got cleaned up, I tried to transfer the pictures from my camera to my Vaio laptop. Much to my dismay, all the pictures were lost as the smart media in the camera had some how lost its formatting. I re-formatted the media and took some test pictures and the camera seemed well again and functioning correctly.
For a couple weeks I had been looking forward to a party in the afternoon at 5 PM. It was a birthday party for several different friends that share September birthdays. By 3 PM work was still going on for the flood clean up and the carretera was still closed to traffic. I decided to walk down to the balneario and hitch a ride or call a taxi at the hotel. I got a ride right away by hitching and went to the El Barco bar near the Pemex station in Ajijic for a cold Corona before going to the party near there at 5 PM.
The party was held in a beautiful Mexican house with a large garden. Several friends were already there when I arrived. The food for the party was catered by Vicki’s Hideaway and was very good. You didn’t even need to go get drinks as some of Vicki’s help came around with platters of finger food and took drink orders. Later on live music was provided by the local band, Noe and the Classics who played mainly old rock and roll songs by Santana, Elvis, Beatles and the Eagles. The party guests had a good time dancing to the music.
I took several more pictures at the party. I left about 9 PM to go to the Ajijic plaza to get a taxi back to San Juan Cosala. I asked an auto bus driver if he was going to San Juan but the road was still not open for buses. I took a taxi and got off near the balneario and walked on the muddy carretera back to my camp.
When I got back to the rig, I tried once again to transfer my pictures but again the formatting and all the party pictures were lost. Maybe the media card is bad and needs to be replaced.
This morning it looks like the carretera has one lane open over the arroyo bridge. It is still very muddy but traffic is going by slowly. I haven’t seen the TV news but I have heard that one house in the exclusive Raquet Club lost its foundation and slid into another house. I have been told that several people in San Juan Cosala died and some are still missing.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Mexico, Pros and Cons on life south of the border
This subject has been covered many times by others. I will attempt to give my thoughts on the subject. What is a pro for one person could easily be a con for someone else so you must decide for yourself if you are considering moving to Mexico what your priorities are and what you expect and hope life to be south of the border. This post will mostly be about life lakeside near Lake Chapala.
The north shore of Lake Chapala is home to one of the largest concentrations of ex-pats from the United States and Canada. Some have estimated some 20,000 gringos live here. Other names for this area are “Gringlandia” and “God’s waiting room”. Gringlandia of course refers to all the gringos that live here. God’s waiting room means that most of the ex-pats are retirees over the age of sixty and are waiting for Saint Peter to call their name.
The north shore of Lake Chapala has four main towns and a couple small communities. Chapala is the largest town. It was the first place that gringos started to come to here lakeside about 50 or 60 years ago. It is the nearest to Guadalajara. The main town for the gringos now is Ajijic. It is the artistic and cultural center and has many restaurants and businesses that cater to gringos. Some of the gringos that live here don’t even bother to try to learn Spanish because they don’t need to. San Juan Cosala has a few gringos that live there but I know of only one business, a coffee shop, that seems to cater to gringos. Jocotepec, the most western of the lakeside towns is also very Mexican with a few resident gringos. Jocotepec has the lowest prices on the north shore for fruits, vegetables and most groceries. There are plans for a Walmart in Jocotepec. This may make the area more attractive to some gringos so it might be a good investment to buy land near there now.
The main reason that most gringos move here is because of the climate and the lower cost of living that Mexico offers. The climate is excellent with not even a jacket needed the whole year long. Now it is summer, the rainy season. The rainy season is actually a little cooler than the winter season due to the cooling rains. It rains mostly at night sometimes with thunder and lightning that provides a spectacular light show. Some prefer the rainy season because it cleans the air, everything turns green and the dust becomes mud.
To live here happily, you must enjoy Mexicans and adjust to their culture. Please don’t come here and try to change things. If you can not adjust then please stay home. First, the Mexican government does not want you interfering in its affairs. You can be deported for being politically active here. That said, it is my opinion that Mexico has much more freedom than the USA. The police here are not out looking for people to bust and harass. They are much more laid back and seem to want to help the citizens. There are some bad cops but it seems that the best thing to do is be friendly and get to know your local police.
You can smoke in most places. You can ride your horse downtown. You can drive your 4 wheeler without a license plate in the towns. You can have livestock on your land. Of course you may not like it if your neighbor raises fighting roosters or goats or pigs. Your neighbors may play loud music late at night or early in the morning. The religious holidays are punctuated with fireworks explosions and sometimes bands marching through the colonias.
In the smaller towns, the streets may be cobblestone and narrow. You may loose your side rear view mirrors if you forget to move them in. The sidewalks are also narrow and hazardous with pot holes and obstructions. My advice is to try to walk only during the day and sober. The curbs may be high so you cannot exit the car on the curb side. The ideal car in these towns is sturdy, small with good road clearance. The topes (speed bumps) can tear your car apart if you hit one at 40 miles an hour.
For the most part the Mexicans here lakeside are friendly and tolerant of the gringos. They know that the gringo money helps to provide jobs and opportunity for their town. A smile with a friendly attitude and an attempt at Spanish is appreciated.
This area gets quite a few tourists on the weekends from Guadalajara who come to enjoy the mineral baths in San Juan Cosala and eat some little fish (Charales) from the lake. Most gringos don’t eat fish from the lake because it is contaminated. They also don’t go swimming in the lake for the same reason. This area is a great spot to live and to visit other parts of Mexico. Many go to the Pacific coast for a month or so during the winter. There are not a lot of activities here for gingos to enjoy. Chula Vista has a nice golf course but it is only nine holes. Chapala and Guadalajara have bigger golf courses. There are some different clubs you can join if you care to. The Lake Chapala Society helps gringos and has events and opportunities for service. It has beautiful grounds and gardens, a lending library of books, video tapes and DVDs. It offers a service to have your mail mailed in the United States.
There is not much night life lakeside. Most Mexicans can't afford to go out and the older gringos stay home. Guadalajara has a lot to do at night if you care to make the about 35 mile trip. Many gringos go to Guadalajara about once a week to go shopping. You can find about anything you need there. Many go to Costco or Walmart. Many find driving in Guadalajara intimidating but during the day you can take a bus for about $3.50.
Medical and dental care is usually very good and cheaper than in the USA. You can buy things like antibiotics over the counter in pharmacies. A minor infection in the States might cost you around $100 USD to get treated with a doctor’s visit where here you just go buy some antibiotics for $4 USD. I got a broken tooth rebuilt, a cavity filled and a cleaning for under $100 USD. Plus you can join the Mexican health care system, IMSS, for around $300 a year.
Some of the drawbacks to life here is the Mexican custom of “manana, manana” which means that when someone says they will do something it most likely will not be done then. It may take two or three days, a week or a month to get done. It is hard to get some items that you are used to getting easily. Many of your favorite foods can be found lakeside but they may cost more than they do in the States since they are imported. It would be more difficult to buy and sell things on eBay. Your favorite sport teams may not be on TV. Parts or some items must be ordered from the USA and then you will need to deal with Mexican Customs. Scorpions and spiders can be a problem and the roaches are big.
Real estate lakeside can be purchased by foreigners without getting a bank trust. But the prices here are much higher than in some smaller town that does not cater to gringos. Life in those small towns may be cheaper but then you must love Mexican food, speak Spanish and live like a Mexican. Here if you have the money you can buy a mansion with walls all around and think you are living in Beverly Hills. Many people living here in retirement can afford a maid and a gardener. Behind the walls there are many beautiful homes here. Construction is mainly brick and concrete because wood is scarce and expensive. If you are interested in real estate prices, use Google to search for sites. Of course if you live here, you can sometimes hear of incredible deals. I just missed out on a three bedroom house in Ajijic for rent for $1,500 pesos a month, less than $150 USD.
Well, I think this is enough on this subject for right now. Use an internet search engine to find more information if you are interested.
The north shore of Lake Chapala is home to one of the largest concentrations of ex-pats from the United States and Canada. Some have estimated some 20,000 gringos live here. Other names for this area are “Gringlandia” and “God’s waiting room”. Gringlandia of course refers to all the gringos that live here. God’s waiting room means that most of the ex-pats are retirees over the age of sixty and are waiting for Saint Peter to call their name.
The north shore of Lake Chapala has four main towns and a couple small communities. Chapala is the largest town. It was the first place that gringos started to come to here lakeside about 50 or 60 years ago. It is the nearest to Guadalajara. The main town for the gringos now is Ajijic. It is the artistic and cultural center and has many restaurants and businesses that cater to gringos. Some of the gringos that live here don’t even bother to try to learn Spanish because they don’t need to. San Juan Cosala has a few gringos that live there but I know of only one business, a coffee shop, that seems to cater to gringos. Jocotepec, the most western of the lakeside towns is also very Mexican with a few resident gringos. Jocotepec has the lowest prices on the north shore for fruits, vegetables and most groceries. There are plans for a Walmart in Jocotepec. This may make the area more attractive to some gringos so it might be a good investment to buy land near there now.
The main reason that most gringos move here is because of the climate and the lower cost of living that Mexico offers. The climate is excellent with not even a jacket needed the whole year long. Now it is summer, the rainy season. The rainy season is actually a little cooler than the winter season due to the cooling rains. It rains mostly at night sometimes with thunder and lightning that provides a spectacular light show. Some prefer the rainy season because it cleans the air, everything turns green and the dust becomes mud.
To live here happily, you must enjoy Mexicans and adjust to their culture. Please don’t come here and try to change things. If you can not adjust then please stay home. First, the Mexican government does not want you interfering in its affairs. You can be deported for being politically active here. That said, it is my opinion that Mexico has much more freedom than the USA. The police here are not out looking for people to bust and harass. They are much more laid back and seem to want to help the citizens. There are some bad cops but it seems that the best thing to do is be friendly and get to know your local police.
You can smoke in most places. You can ride your horse downtown. You can drive your 4 wheeler without a license plate in the towns. You can have livestock on your land. Of course you may not like it if your neighbor raises fighting roosters or goats or pigs. Your neighbors may play loud music late at night or early in the morning. The religious holidays are punctuated with fireworks explosions and sometimes bands marching through the colonias.
In the smaller towns, the streets may be cobblestone and narrow. You may loose your side rear view mirrors if you forget to move them in. The sidewalks are also narrow and hazardous with pot holes and obstructions. My advice is to try to walk only during the day and sober. The curbs may be high so you cannot exit the car on the curb side. The ideal car in these towns is sturdy, small with good road clearance. The topes (speed bumps) can tear your car apart if you hit one at 40 miles an hour.
For the most part the Mexicans here lakeside are friendly and tolerant of the gringos. They know that the gringo money helps to provide jobs and opportunity for their town. A smile with a friendly attitude and an attempt at Spanish is appreciated.
This area gets quite a few tourists on the weekends from Guadalajara who come to enjoy the mineral baths in San Juan Cosala and eat some little fish (Charales) from the lake. Most gringos don’t eat fish from the lake because it is contaminated. They also don’t go swimming in the lake for the same reason. This area is a great spot to live and to visit other parts of Mexico. Many go to the Pacific coast for a month or so during the winter. There are not a lot of activities here for gingos to enjoy. Chula Vista has a nice golf course but it is only nine holes. Chapala and Guadalajara have bigger golf courses. There are some different clubs you can join if you care to. The Lake Chapala Society helps gringos and has events and opportunities for service. It has beautiful grounds and gardens, a lending library of books, video tapes and DVDs. It offers a service to have your mail mailed in the United States.
There is not much night life lakeside. Most Mexicans can't afford to go out and the older gringos stay home. Guadalajara has a lot to do at night if you care to make the about 35 mile trip. Many gringos go to Guadalajara about once a week to go shopping. You can find about anything you need there. Many go to Costco or Walmart. Many find driving in Guadalajara intimidating but during the day you can take a bus for about $3.50.
Medical and dental care is usually very good and cheaper than in the USA. You can buy things like antibiotics over the counter in pharmacies. A minor infection in the States might cost you around $100 USD to get treated with a doctor’s visit where here you just go buy some antibiotics for $4 USD. I got a broken tooth rebuilt, a cavity filled and a cleaning for under $100 USD. Plus you can join the Mexican health care system, IMSS, for around $300 a year.
Some of the drawbacks to life here is the Mexican custom of “manana, manana” which means that when someone says they will do something it most likely will not be done then. It may take two or three days, a week or a month to get done. It is hard to get some items that you are used to getting easily. Many of your favorite foods can be found lakeside but they may cost more than they do in the States since they are imported. It would be more difficult to buy and sell things on eBay. Your favorite sport teams may not be on TV. Parts or some items must be ordered from the USA and then you will need to deal with Mexican Customs. Scorpions and spiders can be a problem and the roaches are big.
Real estate lakeside can be purchased by foreigners without getting a bank trust. But the prices here are much higher than in some smaller town that does not cater to gringos. Life in those small towns may be cheaper but then you must love Mexican food, speak Spanish and live like a Mexican. Here if you have the money you can buy a mansion with walls all around and think you are living in Beverly Hills. Many people living here in retirement can afford a maid and a gardener. Behind the walls there are many beautiful homes here. Construction is mainly brick and concrete because wood is scarce and expensive. If you are interested in real estate prices, use Google to search for sites. Of course if you live here, you can sometimes hear of incredible deals. I just missed out on a three bedroom house in Ajijic for rent for $1,500 pesos a month, less than $150 USD.
Well, I think this is enough on this subject for right now. Use an internet search engine to find more information if you are interested.
No Internet
A little over a month ago I started having problems with my Hughes Net satellite internet system. I contacted Hughes technical support and they told me that the equipment is still under warranty.
I was having a TX10 problem with the Hughes equipment. At first when I turned on the system from a cold boot, I could connect to the internet for one or two minutes and then the TX10 message would appear and the DW7000 would no longer connect with the NOC. Reboots via software did not help. The system had been working fine in the same location for about 3 months.
Later when the DW7000 modem was turned on from a cold boot the Transmit codes were TX3 “Transmitter locking to receive carrier”, TX8 “Transmitter Ready”, and then TX10 “Can’t communicate with the Network Operations Center”. The receiver code was RX5 “Receiver Operational”. The software download status reported “Received first heartbeat message”. TCP acceleration status was “Not Operational”.
I am assigned to 990 on SatMex5.
I tried forcing ranging and it would attempt to range (TX9) for about 10 minutes and then give a TX13 error code.
I had an extra cable for the dish and used it to test if there might have been a problem with the original cable. The problem continued so the problem was not the cable. I tried to go through the procedure of re-aiming the dish with the OPI meter but since there was a transmit problem, the procedure did not complete.
The horn on the end of the LNB got a crack in it some time ago and the equipment continued to function okay until the rainy season started. So I thought that the transmitter had gotten damp and was no longer functioning correctly.
I am not happy with Hughes Net technical support. The technicians offered no tips or resolution to my problem. Their only response was to say I needed a visit from a technician at my installation. When they finally understood that I was in Mexico, they said they could do nothing.
On the Datastormer’s forum, I was able to get some tips from others of what to check to resolve my transmission problem. After trying all the suggestions, I decided that the transmission unit must be bad. A fellow, Dexter, suggested I contact Jaba Networks in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I called Jaba Networks and they said had the right parts for me. Samuel with Jaba Networks, who speaks English, helped me and told me he had a used transmitter that he could sell me. Since it would be simpler for me (not having to deal with Mexican Customs), I bought the transmitter with LNB and wave guide for $250 USD. The parts arrived in about four days and I am now back online with the Hughes equipment for the first time in over a month. Jaba Networks has a web page (in Spanish) in case you are interested:
http://www.jabanetworks.us/HughesNet.html
Since I first tried to get help from Hughes Net while my equipment was under warranty and the problem was a faulty transmitter, I expected a credit on my account of $250 USD and credit for the one month’s service that I could not use Hughes Net. I did not ask for a credit of about $100 USD that I spent on Verizon roaming charges talking with Hughes Net Support.
Hughes Net says that they will credit me for a one month service fee but will not credit me for the parts I bought.
I was having a TX10 problem with the Hughes equipment. At first when I turned on the system from a cold boot, I could connect to the internet for one or two minutes and then the TX10 message would appear and the DW7000 would no longer connect with the NOC. Reboots via software did not help. The system had been working fine in the same location for about 3 months.
Later when the DW7000 modem was turned on from a cold boot the Transmit codes were TX3 “Transmitter locking to receive carrier”, TX8 “Transmitter Ready”, and then TX10 “Can’t communicate with the Network Operations Center”. The receiver code was RX5 “Receiver Operational”. The software download status reported “Received first heartbeat message”. TCP acceleration status was “Not Operational”.
I am assigned to 990 on SatMex5.
I tried forcing ranging and it would attempt to range (TX9) for about 10 minutes and then give a TX13 error code.
I had an extra cable for the dish and used it to test if there might have been a problem with the original cable. The problem continued so the problem was not the cable. I tried to go through the procedure of re-aiming the dish with the OPI meter but since there was a transmit problem, the procedure did not complete.
The horn on the end of the LNB got a crack in it some time ago and the equipment continued to function okay until the rainy season started. So I thought that the transmitter had gotten damp and was no longer functioning correctly.
I am not happy with Hughes Net technical support. The technicians offered no tips or resolution to my problem. Their only response was to say I needed a visit from a technician at my installation. When they finally understood that I was in Mexico, they said they could do nothing.
On the Datastormer’s forum, I was able to get some tips from others of what to check to resolve my transmission problem. After trying all the suggestions, I decided that the transmission unit must be bad. A fellow, Dexter, suggested I contact Jaba Networks in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I called Jaba Networks and they said had the right parts for me. Samuel with Jaba Networks, who speaks English, helped me and told me he had a used transmitter that he could sell me. Since it would be simpler for me (not having to deal with Mexican Customs), I bought the transmitter with LNB and wave guide for $250 USD. The parts arrived in about four days and I am now back online with the Hughes equipment for the first time in over a month. Jaba Networks has a web page (in Spanish) in case you are interested:
http://www.jabanetworks.us/HughesNet.html
Since I first tried to get help from Hughes Net while my equipment was under warranty and the problem was a faulty transmitter, I expected a credit on my account of $250 USD and credit for the one month’s service that I could not use Hughes Net. I did not ask for a credit of about $100 USD that I spent on Verizon roaming charges talking with Hughes Net Support.
Hughes Net says that they will credit me for a one month service fee but will not credit me for the parts I bought.
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