[Tfug] Verizon Cellmodem FS with serious goodies - Linux compatible :)

Sun May 18 15:30:23 MST 2008

If each of us would pick an issue and do something about it we would be so much further ahead!

Thank you for your efforts Jim!

Jeffry Johnston <tfug at kidsquid.com> wrote: Thanks for the article link.  Always good to see successes in the
fight for our liberty.

Jeff

On Sat, May 17, 2008 at 11:12 PM, Jim March <1.jim.march at gmail.com> wrote:
> Thought I'd post this here before Craigslist.  This is a real deal for
> anybody out in the boonies with poor Internet options, or who wants cellular
> Internet while camping in the desert :).
>
> FS: Verizon cell-modem with inline power booster and dual external antennas!
>
> This is a private-party sale for a complete "kit" that gets you
> respectable-speed Verizon cellular network Internet "way the hell out in the
> boonies".  The cellular-signal inline power booster included can also be
> adapted for most cellphones and the kit is worth it for that alone!
>
> Total for everything: $175.
>
> The kit consists of:
>
> * Kyocera KPC-650 PCMCIA ("PC Card"/cardbus) cellular modem, just over 2.5
> years old, Verizon-branded, clean and ready to activate.  Last used four
> days ago with zero problems.  WORKS IN LINUX, WINDOWS OR MAC – I can
> download the Mac/Windows software for you and put it on CD, or show you how
> to make it work in Ubuntu for certain, probably other distros.
>
> See also:
>
> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1813693,00.asp
>
> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,1814124,00.asp
>
> * Dual 5db "window stickum" antennas with enough cable to separate them
> about 15 feet (which boosts signal strength).
>
> * Inline cellular-level signal booster with power cables for both automotive
> 12v and 110v home – model CYFRE CA-819 as seen here, with all the proper
> cables needed for the KPC650 card:
>
> https://www.maximumsignal.net/xcart/product.php?productid=16135&cat=1&page=1
>
> OK, SO WHY DO YOU WANT THIS?
>
> If you sign up for a new Verizon account, they'll give you a free USB-based
> cellmodem such as the Novatel USB720 for as little as $30.  The newer device
> is slightly faster, especially on the upload speeds – up to 300 to 400kb/s
> upload with the newer series devices 125/150kb/s upload on the older series
> like the KPC650.
>
> But!
>
> The KPC650 had an unusual feature: the ability to run separate incoming and
> outgoing data antennas.  When used with external antennas and signal booster
> gear way the hell out in the boonies, this has serious advantages.  To this
> day, a properly set up KPC650 is THE top choice for rural cellmodem-based
> Internet access.
>
> The KPC650 is now discontinued.
>
> I originally set this up in the mountains outside of Seattle, where I had NO
> functional cellular Internet.  The CA-819 plus antennas not only got me
> online, it got me connected to the higher-speed urban network (basically
> mid-range DSL speeds) versus the rural network running only slightly faster
> than a good dialup (what Verizon calls "National Access" available wherever
> a Verizon cellular signal is at all).
>
> Here in Arizona, my motorhome once broke down 40 miles west of Kingman and I
> was able to get online, hit "google maps" and look for a tow.
>
> YOUR COST: $175 for EVERYTHING – card, booster and cables.
>
> Why am I selling: I'm now based in Tucson and haven't needed the signal
> boost gear for over a year.  I need to be able to upload video from remote
> locations so I upgraded cards to the Novatel USB650.  (The KPC650 will work
> fine without the external antennas and booster when you're in town and don't
> need it.)
>
> Extra uses:
>
> The KPC650 is compatible with cellmodem WiFi routers such as the Kyocera KR1
> and KR2 (the latter costs $250), and the signal boost gear can still be used
> with the KPC650 card inserted into the router.  These give you a "WiFi
> hotspot" anywhere, including remote campgrounds or the like :).  This also
> allows you to use your Verizon data signal with computers that don't have
> PCMCIA cards, or even WiFi as the routers also have standard Ethernet
> ports.  See also:
>
> http://www.evdoinfo.com/content/view/2297/63
>
> http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2006/05/kyocera_kr1_evd.html
>
> http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35&products_id=777
>
> As a bonus, you can get adapter cables to use the CA-819 cellular signal
> booster with most CELLPHONES.  Contact Maxsignal with the name of your
> phone, tell them you have a CA-819, see if there's a cable for yours:
>
> http://www.maximumsignal.net
>
> Monthly fees and Verizon paperwork:
>
> Verizon charges $60/month for flat-rate, no-minutes Internet and will
> activate this card with no fee.  You do need to do a contract at a minimum
> of one year, after that it's month-by-month.
>
> What if I don't like the KPC650?
>
> Because you've got a Verizon contract, they'll give you a new USB-based
> cellmodem for free or cheap.  You'll gain some speed in urban areas (esp. on
> upload).  But even if it has an antenna port (and you should DEFINITELY get
> one that does!), it will only have one – not two.  You'll still be able to
> use the CA-819 signal booster, with a $10 adapter cable to tie the booster
> to your new cellmodem.  But with just one antenna rather than two, "boonies
> access" won't be quite as good as you'd have with the KPC650.
>
> Can I upgrade antennas later?
>
> Absolutely.  The CA-819 has a standard antenna jack and can use any
> omni-directional or uni-directional ("Yagi type") antenna.  Directional-type
> are stronger but you have to point them correctly – good for that "cabin in
> the woods", not so good for portable use (for that you want omnidirection
> like the "trucker" types).
>
> The inbound and outbound antennas don't need to be "matched" - speed on
> upload is much less, which is why this kit I'm selling doesn't have a signal
> booster for the upload antenna (black port on KPC650).
>
> $175 complete – card, cables, adapters, antennas, booster, power cables for
> booster.  I'll also download and burn a CD with the latest Verizon software
> for the KPC-650, specify Mac or PC, or I'll help with getting it running in
> Ubuntu Linux or other distros.
>
> About me: I'm a local political activist:
>
> http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=104509
>
> LOCAL DEAL ONLY THANKS!
>
> Jim
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tucson Free Unix Group - tfug at tfug.org
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>
>

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