The DigitalRV Blog

Trying to figure out some organizational stuff regarding the Digital RV’s blog, so I thought I’d see what folks thought.

Since I’ve started into full timing I’m going to keep a daily journal of what’s happening.  Now the intent of the Digital RV blog was to do tech reviews, and update folks on the latest useful gadgets I come across that would be helpful to other RV’ers.

I’ve got another blog site as well.  Basically, I’m trying to decide if the daily stuff should go here as well, or the other blog location at HikenBike.net.  From the standpoint of simplicity, popping everything here would be best.  Tech posts will still go up here as well, and they’ll be marked under tech categories.

So now I wonder what readers think.  Post comments, please. 

I’m sitting here recovering from some medical stuff this week, and I’m bored. Whenver I’m bored I find myself reading a lot, and thinking about my next road trip. I’ve done plenty of both!

Recently I received an e-mail from Vonage. If you don’t know what Vonage is I’ll tell you. They’re a Voice Over IP company. For $25 per month you can get unlimited calling in the U.S. You need a high speed internet connection to use their service. Personally, I’ve been using the service for a year when at home, and it has saved me plenty of money!

The e-mail I received from Vonage this week advertised a new product offering. Vonage is now selling a VOIP phone that works on WiFi networks. If you have a WiFi hotspot, or visit an open WiFi hotspot, you can use this phone to place an receive calls. Not bad for $25 per month.

WiFi Phones for travel?

The Vonage ad got me thinking. “Would this be useful for RV owners?” My short answer is probably not.

WiFi VOIP phones might be good for RV owners who plan on staying at parks with WiFi all the time. But if you’re not staying at hotspots often, it doesn’t seem like that valuable of a service. It is however, interesting and unique. If you do plan on being near hotspots it might be something you want to look into.

General VOIP usage for RVs

After pondering the new WiFi VOIP phones, most people might get to the next question. “Would VOIP be useful at all on the road?” The answer to this question is mixed. It really depends on the types of internet connections you have while traveling, how much calling you’re planning on doing, and whether or not you can do without phone service sometimes.

Vonage is not the only VOIP provider. There are many software packages that allow for VOIP from your computer as well. Some only allow computer to computer calls, some allow for computer to phone calls, and some allow for phone to computer calls. Whatever you’re looking for in VOIP, you can find.

So, types of calling scenarios are not an issue. The issue is your internet connectivity.

If you have “permanent” internet connectivity while roaming in your RV, VOIP might be for you! Basically I’m talking to the satellite internet crowd. Using VOIP with your satellite hook up might make financial sense, and you’ll be able to use it regularly.

For the rest of us cobbling together our mobile internet package, VOIP is up in the air. For me, I will use VOIP when I can. In addition to Vonage, I also am testing out Skype, a computer based VOIP program. For $10 I received something near 1000 minutes of call time. Not bad. When I have a high speed connection available while traveling I’ll be testing it out. But keep in mind, I’m a gadget junkie who wants to test this stuff out.

Intial conclusions on VOIP for RV travel

Right now I’m very mixed about VOIP for RVers.  It’s not a perfect solution unless you’re at a fixed location with high speed internet.  I wouldn’t suggest tossing your cell phone out the window yet, and I’ll be keeping mine.  I will start testing the well known services while on the road, and I’ll pass along the results to you.

Don’t race out and get the latest VOIP yet for your RV.  But if you want to test and tinker too, have at it and let me know about your experience.  Better yet, if you’d like to post an article on this subject let me know too!

Looks like our outage the other night was an isolated event.  The ticket response I received explained that these outages do happen.  While I understand that, it was concerning as system “hiccups” seemed to be occurring more since the latest upgrade.

Frankly, I’d rather keep the site where it is.  Less work!  :D  Usually I’ve been very happy with IXWebhosting, so we’ll see over the next few weeks.  Guess I’m more aware of network issues as this site is growing.  Plus I used to manage a large network as well, and know how we responded to trouble tickets. 

Well, the entire site, DigitalRV.net, our forums, and the blog went down this evening.  We’d experienced a smaller outage yesterday, but today was a doosie.

I contacted the hosting provider we used yesterday, and again today.  IXWebhosting acknowledged an outage yesterday after I filed a trouble ticket.  They did not advise me directly that the site was down, only after I submitted a ticket.

Tonight’s outage was much longer (close to an hour).  I contacted their support through a chat client, and they let me know that they were having a gateway issue (networking issues).  At the time I contacted them the site had already been down 20 minutes.  Fix time was another 20-40 minutes!

If this type of service continues we’ll be looking for a new hosting provider soon.  Any favorites would be welcome.  Feel free to post a comment on your favorite hosting provider, I’m shopping!  By the way, at this moment I would not recomend IX Webhosting.  We’ll see what their final response is to my latest trouble ticket.

The Digital RV’s Blog might remain quiet for a few more days.  I’ll be going in today to see about scheduling to deal with my year long medical issue.  I’m happy to say though that this long drawn trouble will soon be in my rear view mirror!

Look forward to new updates, video pod casts, more tech reviews, and some new & exciting features at the Digital RV in the coming weeks.  We’ve got several new ideas that should appeal to all people interested in mobile technology.

In the meantime, be sure to check by the Digital RV’s Forums.  There’s a growing group of members interested in RV’ing and mobile technology.  So what might be missing from the blog for a few days certainly won’t be missing from the forum!

I thought I’d better pop up a post regarding my rapidly approaching departure date.  It looks like it’s getting pushed out.

Since Dec. 04′ I’d been pretty sick.  An abscessed tooth started me on a journey with the medical community I’ll not soon forget.  My direct experiences with physicians really started in Feb of 05′, and the experience hasn’t ended.  The journey has included mis-diagnosis, mis-direction, questioning my own mental stability, and becoming depressed with the whole situation.  That’s a mouthfull.

Failing to find medical solutions to my symptoms, high white count, and extreme abdomial pain I decided to believe my prior physicians.  Maybe I had a severe problem with anxiety.  I sought counselling & used a great series called, “Attacking Anxiety & Depression.”  While the counselling and program helped, I still didn’t feel right.  After feeling sick for more than 6 months anyone might get anxious.  I’ve learned to convince myself that my physical pain was just my anxiety.  Bascially, I now know how to ignore actual pain! With the counselor and my new coping skills I decided to try again with the medical community though, as I thought there was still something there.
I questioned myself for quite some time I finally decided to find a new physician.  It was not just anxiety as my initial team of inept doctors thought, I was sure of it.  Almost immediately I found help.  Turned out I’d developed a pretty bad ulcer.  I was given a great medication called Protonix.  Within 3 days I felt better than I had all year.

Since that “turning point” in November I’ve continued follow ups with my new physician.  We got me off medication I didn’t need, ruled out things, and started investigating my initial complaint.  Severe abdominal pain and an elevated white count that has existed from Feb of 04′ through to today.  That’ll get ya anxious, believe me!
This week, 1 year after my first visit with a physician about my pain, I had a CAT scan of my abdomen.  Something my prior physicians never felt was necessary, but that I wanted and kept questioning.  I got the call last night.  I’ve got a large mass in my colon.  We don’t know what it is yet, but I’m scheduled for my first consult next Thursday to plan out what we’re going to do.  Wish the consult was sooner. 

Bottom line, I was left with some type of tumor in me for the past year, and it took leaving 1 medical group and switching to another.  3rd world medicine is practiced in our country.  If you question your physician, find a new one.  Go with your gut!  I wish I hadn’t let the first group get me down and convince me that my pain was in my head.
My initial plan to hit the road was to hook up and head out on February 20th, the 5th anniversary of our 2001 Appalachian Trail Hike.  I’m sorry to say that’s not looking realistic now.   However, I promise, I will be hitting the road this year come hell or high water (or high gas prices too).  I’ve literally lost a year to bad medical services, self doubt, and a dash of depression.  While I’m feeling much better, I know once this issue is addressed the old Rich (a.k.a. Gadget) will be back in full force.  Shame it took so long to find a doctor who actually listened to my complaint.  But so glad I found him!

So, you’ll find me here blogging and working on the forum more.  And working on selling more copies of the Digital RV.  If I can’t be out yet, at least I can help other RV owners use technology.  Who knows, maybe you’ll write a blog from the road to keep me entertained! If you do, please let me know where it is so I can link to you and follow along. 
I’m looking forward to meeting you all on the road this year.  Oh, and I’ll post a new page later with the whole saga for interested readers.  I know it’s not Digital RV type stuff, but it might be interesting.

In the coming weeks I’ll be getting ready to hit the road for a while. What “a while” is, I’m not sure. I’m going to travel with the idea that the trip will be done when I feel like it’s done, and I’ll go where I feel like going. Already getting some plans with friends, but after those plans, who knows.

Since putting the book together I’ve revised some of the mobile technology that will be coming along. I’ve added some items to my list. Still, in the end I won’t even fill one cabinet up, but I guess I’m doing overkill. Why bring extra? So I can demonstrate any item that I really like to other RV’ers on the road. I’ve found people really like seeing how simple something can come together, and I’d rather be able to show something directly rather than just describing concepts.

So, here’s the revised and updated list….

• Macintosh 12 Inch G4 IBook - Primary work computer.
• HP Lance Armstrong Special Edition, 14 inch - Updating my GPS, and I like SageTV.
• Canon SD550 - Still Pictures and video clips.
• LaCie FireWire / USB 2.0 100GB portable drive - Media drive and full Mac backup.
• Kyocera KR1 and Verizon Wireless Data Card - My personal mobile hotspot setup.
• Video IPod - Music for the road, and video for idle moments (laundrymat entertainment).
• IGo Power Supply - Powers the Mac, Windows, IPod, Cell Phone, and more.
• Motorola E815 Cell Phone - Calling from the road and a backup connection if the wireless card has issues (shouldn’t).
• EyeTV EZ - Watching TV on the Mac. USB powered. If I was planning on using it for recording I’d pick something else since the EZ doesn’t do the encoding, but just as a TV setup it’s great, plus the remote control is super.
• PodFreq - FM Transmitter for my Ipod. Easy listening while towing.
• 1 Thin FireWire and 2 Thin USB 2.0 Cables - For connecting whatever I need.
• Mobile Mate Card reader - Offloading my camera.
• 1 Cat 5 Cable - Ya never know, might come in handy.
• CanoScan LiDE 500F - Scanner for papers, receipts, etc. Thanks for the idea Rich Luhr!
• 25 pack of DVD-R’s - Backups.
• 25 pack of CD-R’s - Backups.
• XM Radio - Can’t forget my favorite entertainment source for the road!
• Garmin 2610 GPS - Put a 1GB card in it. Loaded the whole east cost, and well into the interior of the country too! Nice what a big card will do for you!

That’s everything I can think of for now. Probably forgot something. I’ll pop up additional updates of things I’ve forgotten.

And of course, I’ll be blogging from the road, and reviewing new gadgets that come my way.

Since today the New England weather scene is a little wet (downpours) I figured I’d get some of the boring stuff done.  Right now I’m sitting at the truck service place getting an oil change and checkup.

Sitting inside the truck is the Kyocera KR1 router.  It’s plugged into my DC power connector, and is happily transmitting to me all the way in the waiting lounge.  Not bad.  I’ve got full signal!

Before setting out today I made sure to turn WEP on.  Don’t want anyone else jumping on my mobile hot spot.  If you ever look at your WiFi and see a network labeled DigitalRV, you know I’m near by.

Ok all, Kyocera really is selling the KR1 Wireless router.  I received a shipping confirmation and Fedex Tracking number.  The router is currently somewhere in New Hampshire.

So, I’ll be updating with an actual review of the product REALLY soon.  Don’t run out and buy one yet, give me a few days to play with it first.  Let my impatience work for you, and keep yours in check for a few more days. 

Few days since the last blog post here.  Apologies.  Too many things to do, and never enough time.

Today I rechecked the Kyocera site to see what the status on the KR1 is.  Well, on this visit I did not find a “Coming Soon.”  I found purchase options.  Very exciting.

A few weeks ago I dashed off a line to Kyocera to see when the device would be available, and how a person could go about “testing a model.”  No results.  Sometimes companies are interested in demo opportunities, sometimes they’re not.  Always worth a shot though.

Given the fact that I do have an EVDO wireless card, and I was planning on getting a device like the KR1, I went ahead and ordered one.  Yup, it set me back a few bucks, but I’m trying to get the last items together before a much longer road trip.  And I intend to document the trip, and be a Digital RV’er to the extreme.

As soon as the KR1 arrives I’ll give a run down on it.  Also, there will be photos, and details regarding the ease of use (or lack of ease).