Here's where to buy the kit: www.telcoantennas.com.au/remote-data-setup-for-caravans-campers-trailers-mi and here is the Link to the discount code: overlandexposure.com.au/how-to-get-internet-anywhere-in-australia-remote-internet-guide/
Hi and thanks! I'm building a camper and I'm not sure where I can fit the swivel type antena set up. I did speak with Telco Aerials and they recommend a celfi setup. But after watching your video, I'm unsure. If I went with the M5 Netgear, what other antena options will give me the most powerful system and better chance of internet connection? Thanks in advance!
@@tonyslegg not high jacking, but this is the response I got from telco It really depends how far out you are planning on going, if its really remote places then the directional antenna setup would offer a much better chance of the connection, if its mainly staying around the highways then the omni setup is certainly suitable. Cheers, Brent Pukallus Operations Manager I recently got the M6 Pro, amazing results over the M1 I had, but when I buy an antenna I'll get the Omni, as I don't go off the beaten track or remote all that much
Hi @coco gem, thanks for reaching out. Could the mount go on the A-frame. We've also seen it put on a bullbar on a bus and the mast and antenna removed for travel for these options. As you know we really don't recommend the celfi and have extensively tested it.
Hi, great article, I have been using this type of setup for several years and it is very successful. A minor note though, to save phone battery life and interruptions caused by the phone switching between wifi and the tower in marginal areas we set our phones to airplane mode then enable bluetooth and wifi when at camp and when mobile. The Nighthawk does the trick. Phone is set to WiFi preferred for phone service. SMS comes through as per normal.
Thanks Nickelrick2033 - I'm a solar+battery contractor in regional SA, and I kept getting dropped calls even though I had the Nighthawk on Optus with 2+bars signal but my phone had almost no optus signal. Today I tried the airplane mode + just wifi+bluetooth - the Nighthawk now gives me faultless calls. I'm often talking to solar tech support and installing firmware updates for inverters etc - it's always stressful with unreliable reception. Now a lot less stress - everywhere that I take that nighthawk I find minimum 2 bars of Optus - even though my phone shows almost no bars. The nighthawk;'s internal antenna is sensational - I haven't yet needed an omni external antenna. So thanks for the airplane mode tip
As an IT guy, that is the most technically excellent vlog I've seen from any of the travel caravanner brigade bar none. As I am watching this nearly 2 years later I had a good chuckle whilst you were dealing with the elephant in the room (Starlink). Slowly catching up on all your travels. Looking forward to the Starlink one in the future when I catch up :)
Thanks David! Glad you thought so highly of it 😁 Starlink has definitely changed the game since this video, but this is also still relevant for those that don't need starlink 😆 I hope you continue to enjoy our vids 😁
I'm looking to work remotely and use Citrix which is super sensitive to interrupts. Starlink seems to be defeated by trees so I'd be looking at using both options.
Starlink is always improving as they are always launching more satellites, in saying that trees can still cause some issues. I suggest, maybe buy starlink and the mast kit and do some testing with trees and putting starlink on the mast too, and if it is still dropping out under trees, buy the nighthawk and Sim (which are both generally easily available) and add it on. 😁
Thank you so much for that valuable information, I already had the Nighthawke and nearly changed until i came accross this. Have now purchased the arial for my Nighthawke :)
In your Ausphonetowers app, I noticed that the frequencies were written around the edges of the blue radiation patterns and also that you could click on a tower and it would tell you how far you were - is there a particular setting to switch this info on? I can't seem to find it in my app (iphone/ios).
Thanks for your great video about the internet We never miss seeing your videos on your travels I went to order one about they are on back order so will keek checking
Really interesting. I've been so unimpressed with the Celfi and omni antenna. I was considering purchasing a telescopic mast and directional antenna for it, but after watching this I think I'll reconsider.... Am i understanding your speed test correctly - the Nighthawk with NO antenna is still significantly faster than the Celfi WITH a directional antenna????
Hey guys! Thanks for watching and reaching out! In answer to your question - generally yes, but it depends where you are. We've tested it a couple of times and it has been the case if there's any more than 1 bar of reception on your phone.
@Wild Touring This setup is the way to go. We traded in our hotspot/omni directional antenna for this and we are yet to find somewhere we haven't been able to pull reception. Very handy. @Overland Exposure - thanks for this video. We purchased your kit from Telco Antennas last year and used it extensively across the High Country and the Murray. Has been amazing!
Very informative. We have Telstra via a Woolworths SIM and didn’t know that there was any difference to normal Telstra (incl Boost). I now know why we didn’t have mobile reception in a lot of outback areas. Keep up the good work! Really enjoying your videos.
Thankyou so much for your information. I am a communications technician myself and am always interested in good information people are sharing. With planing to travelling around Australia in a caravan and with lots of stuff out there to use. I will be for sure using your products
Thanks for the info, after seeing your vid a year ago I got a mimo panel antenna with a 7m mast and secondhand nighthawk and it worked great for our recently completed lap of Aussie(20000klms). We used our existing 2x Optus plans with shared data with extra sim for the NH along with a 12 month 280gig sim ($300) for when there’s no Optus.
Sad to hear from your last blog. The caravanning has ended, but your instagram with your new direction travelling Europe lools exciting i can't to see your new blogs my question is our carvan has a Winegard on the roof is this a RV wifi or a different system
Thanks so much! Europe and the UK are wonderful adventures, we are really looking forward to sharing them on RUclips soon and really look forward to taking you along with us! In relation to your Winegard, it depends on the model - some are just TV and some have 4G too, so unfortunately can't answer specifically for your one.
@OverlandExposure Sorry, it's a Winggard Connect 2.0 4G, and it sits on top of our van under a black dome. It has a small slot to fit a sim card, are dose units any good as it comes with the van
Hi mate, it will be better than nothing! Give it a try and see how it goes for you, worst case it doesn't do much and you don't use it. Best case it works well :)
Hi Thanks for a grate vid, lots of useful info . I am retiring this April and starting to get the bits and pieces i need to be on the road . Do you still do the netgear package for price and delivery. Cheers for now Steve.
Hi Steve, glad you found the vid helpful. I believe telco antennas still has the package available. The link should be in this article. overlandexposure.com.au/how-to-get-internet-anywhere-in-australia-remote-internet-guide/ Enjoy your preparations & time on the road.
Hi will this solution also help to watch streaming service like Stan etc ? We have small TP thing our son suggested but buffering drives wife mad and me a little.
Hi there, I found this video very interesting and we were considering buying the kit you mentioned. However, with Starlink now on scene, and with your knowledge as a RAAF techo, I was wondering if I could ask you a question on this subject please, which may also be of interest to other watchers of your channel. We are thinking that Starlink might be best for us as an older couple wanting to travel maybe 4 months in a year. We see Starlink has a special ending 26 Sept where one can buy refurb hardware at half price. However, when I try and buy RV option online it does not offer refurb hware, but does when I click residential. From what we can tell the hardware is all the same whether rv or residential? As such, tempted to buy the residential refurb kit and activate rv account when we travel, but not sure why Starlink is not offering refurb kit on rv option. Want to buy before special ends on 26 Sept, but don't want to make a mistake in getting wrong thing - would appreciate your advice - thanks for your entertaining videos!
A very informative video. We have the Nighthawk M5 and use it both at home in our apartment for our internet and in the caravan when we travel. Would a 'stick' antenna help with reception in both settings, even if just a little bit? Would plugging 2 small antennas directly into the unit make a difference? We are retired so don't need great capacity but sometimes reception on the unit is poor, both in our unit and in the caravan. We are not permitted to fix an external antenna to the outside of our apartment hence why I'm asking about a portable set up. TIA.
Thank you so much for this info.Its greatly appreciated.I have a friend who has a celfi and I was not impressed with the performance.Very poor and they are so expensive.
Hi. I have watched your video on the best internet set-up for travelling...very good. Are the items you recommended back when making the video still your current recommendation? I am sitting in our van now. Outside we have 4G. Inside the van - zero, until I hold the phone to the window. We recently did 13,338km with the van QLD/NT and so often had nothing so I have to do something and your recommendation appears good to me. Starlink seems good too. Do you have recommendation on TV reception for travelling? Kind regards, Dan
Hi Dan, no changes in the equipment, although if you check out website we have an updated article on Starlink. Don't worry about TV reception just get awesome internet and stream :)
@@OverlandExposure Hi Dan, I was going to ask the exact same question as Daniel Kemp here. I would just like to add..... what are your thoughts on the Nighthawk M6, its what Telstra has available now that the M5 has been superseded? I was actually going to originally go with the RV-Wifi setup but also felt it didn't cover all our needs having two young boys, after looking into the nighthawks M6 and how to adapt them with long range antennas I stumbled across this vid. Great video I must add 👍 I'm a sparky so do appreciate and enjoy the in-depth technical side of it.
@@OverlandExposure is there a difference in Australia with the 2 versions of Nighthawks M5’s MR5100 and MR5200? Also I have liked and subscribed to the channel mate so looking forward to seeing more 👌🏻
Thanks Matt! You should be able to get the mast and bar connector from Telco Antenna's. Maybe send them an email and tell them we sent you but you're just after those two bits! www.telcoantennas.com.au/remote-data-setup-for-caravans-campers-trailers-mi
Great channel and contents mate. What are your thoughts on the Nighthawk M6 Pro. Can't get the M5 anymore, Telstra saying its been replaced with the new M6. Would we have the same or even better internet paired with your antenna kit? Thanks in advance
Hey guys, very informative vid cheers. We have the nighthawk m5, with a, what I now know from your video is a omni directional antenna. We have been looking at the outhereinternet solution, however this comes with a modem. Is this system similar to the package you guys have put together? Cheers
Hi mate, I have nothing against OutThere Internet, I haven't tried it personally though. Our package is essentially a directional antenna to replace your omni antenna, a mast to get it up high (the higher the better) and a way to mount the mast to a caravan or trailer. Since you already have a Nighthawk M5 you are halfway there, the antenna in our kit simply plugs into it. I believe OutThereInternet includes the modem, as you mentioned, so you would be doubling up on that component if you went with it. I believe the performance is comparable to our kit, but I haven't tested it personally so can't comment. The concepts are similar.
Hi Daniel, re nighthawk tip for anyone, we both use boost mobiles and when range is needed, I forward my phone to the bride and my sim, goes into nighthawk (Just need the extra sim spacer). One advantage of the nighthawk is my sms messages will now appear on the Nighthawk router display of all things so you do not miss anything. Saves us having third account. Boost switches phone to router and back without issue.
I am getting a RV bus and was searching for this information, Great info. With your set up can you also use the 360 antenna on the move and when you stop put up your directional antenna.
G'day, love your show especially about the Netgear Nighthawk WiFi. I have purchased the netgear 5100 and an Rfi CDQ 8195 5g antenna so what do I need now to hook the antenna to the Netgear and make it all work in the car? Cheers Keep up the good work, maybe we'll meet on the road.
Hi Guys. Great video and great information. Just what I was looking for. Just wondering if the aerial can be fixed to the bottom of the Winegard tv aerial? I know it won’t be as high as your solution, but easy up easy down and it has the directional ability from inside the van. Will it affect the TV signal being so close to the tv aerial.
Excellent video with great information. as i am deaf, the captioning was really clear so much appreciated. What would be the setup (in lieu of jockey wheel type thingy at back of caravan to mount antenna) for a canopy with roof rack? Thanks in advance
Hi Michael, glad you enjoyed it. You could look at the Telco Antennas towball mount instead? Or possibly you may have to drill and bolt a mount to the canopy? If you do buy the antenna and mast together mention Overland Exposure in the comments section of the order :)
@@OverlandExposure Hello, I went to Telstra and put an order in for the Nighthawk M5. Telstra texted me this last night "Hi Michael, unfortunately we're unable to provide you with the Nighthawk M5 you recently ordered as it is no longer available from the manufacturer." I wonder what options I have to purchase the M5 or even M6 (which Telstra says they dont have). Not keen on the M1 or M2. Thanks
Also another question say for 5g towers. I’d say I’m camping in a area on the fringe of a 5g reception area based off the “aus phone tower” app but the tower is 32km away does the antenna need to connect to the tower or have access to the reception coming off the tower. Also does the phone need to be on Telstra full network along side the modem.. like can you get say wholesale Telstra on phone and boost on modem? Also do you need a 5g phone to work with the 5g modem
@@OverlandExposure Thanks so much mate,I was also wondering when you outback in the never never how high would your aerial have to be to reach say 200 KLM if that is possible.I remember back in my young days I had a cb base station with a 5\8 ground plane aerial and I could talk all over Australia my aerial stood about 5 metres beside my parents house wouldn't it be good if we could design something like that we could reach any tower anywhere in australia
For months I've been looking at this subject and trying to find something like this video, well done!👍 I however before finding this video I made my purchase 2weeks ago and chose the Nighthawk M2 based on price over the CelFi. My first weekend away I meet up with a friend who had a CelFi with him. We ran some speed test in the remote location and I found the Nighthawk on it's own had way faster data than the CelFi on it's own. I am wrapped with the Nighthawk. I'm using it on the move as WIFI calling with a small roof mounted 7dBi antenna ($49 magnetic base) and drove through an area where I'd definitely experience dropouts. The Nighthawk only went digital twice with no dropouts. The only problem with the Nighthawk, the TS9 connectors. Way too fragile. I wish it had SMA connections.
Hey mate, glad to hear! You can always upgrade the antenna too :) Ts9 connectors, yeah they aren't amazing, but we have found they are generally ok and last pretty well! You can also use small pliers to squeeze the connectors back together slightly to make it tighter again
Hi, we have bought the Nighthawk and your setup, thanks for the video, straightened out our thinking. Testing it in a couple of weeks. In the video you mentioned showing how to setup to use Optus as well. I have Optus with lots of data on my phone and wanted to swap between the two as needed. Thanks
Hi Steve, thanks for watching and purchasing, we appreciate it! On our website we have a blog article with instructions on how to alter the settings to open up all the Optus bands (it is in the gear section). Your Optus Sim may just work fine once in the nighthawk, but if it doesn't you'll need to follow the steps. 😁 www.overlandexposure.com.au
Hi Marco, If you look at when this video was made, Starlink wasn't an option. I have since done an in depth Starlink review :) ruclips.net/video/KDqp8b8eGMo/видео.html
Thanks guys, just catching up. I bought a Cel-Fi Go in 2019 and it worked 'well' on a 15, 000 Km trip from Canberra, up the WA centre to Broome via Carnarvon, Gibb and back down via Wiluna. This VLOG has got me thinking about making the Cel-Fi Go 'portable' and 'boosting' my phone near the van, and pulling my MiMo NightHawk out of the cupboard. Telstra gives me 375Gb of 4G LTE on my phone ($96 pm) with fallback to HSPCA, 2G (might be turned off now) and 3G but I know that the NH has better antennas while driving. So, I think that what I'll do is 'boost' the phone at the van with the CFG, NH while driving and use my Starlink sparingly (understanding how the on/off plan works). Wifey has VodaNoPhone (which does, surprisingly, work in some of the most remote areas that we've been to) and put an Optus SIM into the NH. We live on the road and I work on the road. Interestingly, our adult son and I did a two week SA Peninsula fishing trip about 6 weeks ago - he got T 5G mostly and I got mostly T 4G nothing! And we left the Starlink behind on his porch while we were packing :( What do you think of my plan using what I already have? Thanks, Stu
We have just ordered a new build a Caravan. Would you suggest getting a fixed point installed for the aerial cord to enter into the van? If so is it and aerial in / aerial out points needed? When traveling where do you put the mast? How do you get the nighthawk 6 to use other non Telstra sims? Is is just a case of plug and play?
Hi Karen, we wouldn't actually, it's something else to go wrong, and every connection reduces the performance of the antenna. If you really want to, it's 2x female SMA in and 2 X male SMA out. Our mast stays on the back of our van permanently, other people unbolt it and store it inside or in a tunnel boot, as it isn't always needed. The bolts are the same size as your stabizers. Nighthawk M6 - we are testing it at the moment and not 100% sure it works with other carriers yet, We will release some info on this soon.
@@OverlandExposure Yes I know but we use our phone hotspots quite successfully up and down the Qld coast. I just want a single unit for both to use (computers and phones) plus Google TV.
Hi Richard, yep this will work for you then. I'd go with a large omni antenna though, maintaining a directional antenna would be difficult I would think.
Hi, I wanting to have the antenna coaxial cable into a mount on the wall / side of my van. I think you showed a fitting, that some one else made. What connectors do I need to allow a connection? There are 2 cables and connectors on the antenna, does that mean I'll need 2 coaxial cables. Thanks!!
Alot of intersting information and food for thought. We have been looking into a product called "out there internet", do you have any thoughts on it and how it compares to the nighthawk?
Hi Scott, I haven't seen or used one in person. I believe it doesn't have 5G and might be more expensive than our solution? It sounds like it's an effective product from their website though.
Great explanation. I am a mobile tech and agree with what you have presented. I usually suggest the Nighthawk as well. On the topic on directional antennas, I give a torch as how a directional antenna works. Omni works like a candle.. I also tell people to use a Telstra TV box for free to air and Netflix on mobile network instead of an expensive Satellite setup.. TV box does the same thing
Hi, many thanks for this useful video! One question please: Does the Telco Antennas package include the pivot base of the antennae which allows you to change the position from horizontal to vertical?
Hi Dan we have everything now setup but the Aus Tower App that I’ve downloaded doesn’t show what ur vid shows? What are the settings that I should use and how to use the app is next challenge.
Hi Niel, I'm not sure of the exact ratings, I believe TelcoAntennas may have that on their site, but we are in wind of 50km/h at the moment with no problems, and have had it up in places like the Bunda Cliffs on the Nullarbor with no issues.
Good video thank you. But I just use a mobile phone booster on a long mast with an antenna outside of my caravan and a small antenna inside of the caravan and it works very well and no SIM card needed just the SIM card in your phone. If you have one bar outside you will get 5 bars inside .
Hi Stephen, just so you know that doesn't really do much. You don't actually have 5 bars inside, just 5 bars to your booster. If it works for you that's fine, I don't care, but there are much better solutions that are more effective as you get more remote. Starlink being the best right now.
Hi there. Love your video and thank you for taking the time to explain everything so well. I'm in the process of buying this kit, and was wondering if you can explain whether the Nighthawk M6 will be suitable as telstra don't have stocks of the M5 atm.
So when traveling in car you have the night Hawke, are you using any external antenna at that time or does it just naturally have better reach then your phone
Hey, we generally don't use another antenna while driving, the nighthawk does a good job on its own 😁 We have been trialling an Omni antenna recently but haven't done enough testing to know if it's worth it or not yet.
Hi Justin, the M6 works, the M6 pro is overkill. We've tested and found the M6 works, but it is a bit more finicky using the external antenna than the M5, still a reasonable option for the kit. 😁 Thanks for watching and reach out if you have any more questions.
Got our setup today except they didn’t send the extension pole will have to sort that out 👍- how do you get your distance to come up on the aus phone tower app ?
Hi mate, it's usually 2 packages, but if it doesn't come be sure to check with TelcoAntennas. I've worked out the distance thing is only on Android, not sure why :/ I think the app can get more data from Android
Very informative, thank you. I'm going to take a good wild guess here and guess your ex AJ tech or one of the other services. Ex RaSigs Operator myself and mainly dealt with crypto and frequencies so thanks heaps for the update. I've been using a older Netgear modem plugged into a G spotter omni directional antenna for the last few years but wanting something better for outback NSW. I previously haven't bothered with comms outside an Iridium and PLB for emergencies and HF. What antenna do you use for comms on the move? I don't have a caravan, just the fourbie. Just wanting to improve internet and voice services and update what is basically on my vehicle an older and reaching used by date system.
Hi Liam, you can update to a higher gain MIMO omni and a newer Nighthawk if you wish, however just the new modem should give you most of the improvement you are after.
Thanks so much for this video - I'm a car camper and looking at some options as my favourite spot has crappy reception. Probably a silly question, but I have saved up the data on my phone (Amaysim/Optus - I'm home alot on my home wifi). If I put a new sim in the Nighthawk, does it use the data from nighthawk sim, or my phone sim?
Hi Dan, Great video. I just bought the kit and am setting up on my van. I see Starlink RV is out and wondering if that has changed any of your opinion or recommendations in the video? Cheers
Hi mate, Thanks! I've got a writeup here - overlandexposure.com.au/starlink-for-travellers/ At the moment it's a both situation unfortunately, not an either or.
Thanks for the clips. Can you please assist? I am getting frustrated and purchased this Nighthawk M6 Pro with the below details today on 25 November 2022 here in Melbourne, Australia at Telstra shop. I checked all the settings in all three hotspots, and they are identical. The USB port is set to charging and tethering. However, it does not seem to want to power on without the battery connected when tethered to a PC. I am using the same cable it came with the device to connect to my desktop. Every time I remove the battery while the cable is connected to the desktop and the device, a picture pop up on the device screen showing (attached picture) the cable can only connect to the device adaptor for AC and it cannot connect to the PC. But as soon as I put the battery back on the device, the device connects to the PC. what am I doing wrong?
Hi Dan, thanks for this information Very helpful! We started with the RVWifi and it definitely did not do the job. We managed to return it and get a refund. However we went into JB hifi to buy what we thought was the Nighthawk M5 but when we got home we found they sold us the Telstra MU500 wireless hotspot! Yes very dum from us not to notice! However my question is what’s the difference between the two? Is the Telstra one as good as the Nighthawk? Thanks
Hi. Great info you have put together. My question is I’ve noticed Nighthawk M5 have 2 models. MR5100 and MR5200. I’m about to order one but unsure which would work the best in remote areas in OZ. Cheers Brett
Hi, thanks for putting the time into making this video. I am planning to travel and work remotely but I need to teleconference 8 hours a day to paying clients. I plan to park and work for three days at a time when doing so, so I will be able to research places with reasonably good tower coverage. I am concerned about speed dropping when the towers are being heavily used (I will be working from 8am to 5pm). Do you think I need to be concerned, are there other issues I should consider and do you think my plan is workable?.. I don't want to let down paying clients. I've considered purchasing a second antenna and modem and then using Speedify to bond the connections to try and get a faster connection at peak times, is this something you would recommend? Thanks again
Hi Will, There is the possibility of congestion which is what you are talking about, it's one of the reasons we carry our directional antenna, and also an Optus Sim. Between these things we can generally get a pretty good connection in most places. I would just do this for now, and look at adding Starlink in the next 6 or so months for a 100% solution.
@@OverlandExposure thanks, that makes sense. Do you think it would be worth placing an order for Starlink at this point considering they are yet to provide support for those who move frequently?
Will. Internet data through put is only as fast as the slowest bottleneck between you and what you are interfacing with regardless of what medium/s (dialup modem/ADSL/NBN/fibre/telephony/etc) you are using. Thus it can vary from location to location. For example, last year whilst we were in a caravan park in Ross (suburb of Alice Springs), every day the data throughput was great in the morning and deteriated as the day progressed even though the 4G telephony signal strength was still the same (4 bars) - this was using Telstra service on both a Netgear M2 and Oppo Android devices.
@@terryhaebich6262 yep, I'm a communications technician, I'm well aware :) That's what I'm saying, the CelFi will only limit the bandwidth, not ever increase it more than just the same antenna plugged into the Nighthawk. What you are talking about in Alice Springs is likely to be Network Congestion.
Hey mate excellent video thank you we now have this setup. I am wondering how you display the line with direction of the tower on the Aus Phone Towers App?
@@OverlandExposure any idea how to get direction from an iPhone? I am playing with Hema 4x4 maps that may give a rough idea. I gather you only have to be in the ball park?
I use terrain features and the map in the Aus Towers App to get it roughly right. It has a pretty wide beam so nope it just needs to be roughly in the right direction :)
@@OverlandExposure would be handy if Aus Phone Towers had a compass in the app. Still have not found an easy solution with iPhone as yet to find the direction of a tower.
Have only found out about you and your products recently. Have ordered a van with a celfi go, however have not finalised yet. It will be finalised on 2 April 22. Therefore I can delete the celfi from the order. My question to you is if I buy the complete kit that you are promoting. Can I use the same in/out antenna wires and maybe have a plug on the back of the van for the external antenna. Would be good to get this done during the build of the van. Can you supply any simple wiring diagrams for connection to the nighthawk unit so I can show the van people. The van is a crusader Excalibur serenity full composite van. Ie no frame work in walls or roof . They seem to be very open to any ideas that I have. Thanks Doug.
Hi Doug, The external setup we recommend requires 2 x SMA inputs, and then shielded cable inside the van to 2 x SMA outputs. (This supports the MIMO antenna) The Celfi would have required the same except a single SMA connection to an external antenna. Just remember that every connection you add into the circuit will decrease it's effectiveness, it's one reason why we recommend simply running the external cables from the antenna into the van, and then connect via the adapters into the modem.
Hi. Thanks for all the useful information. I have a Landcruiser ute 4WD with a small motorhome on the back. I work online so need good internet. Two questions: 1. There seems to be a Nighthawk M6 and a Nighthawk M6 Pro available nowadays. Which is better and why? 2. As I do not have a towbar, I would not need the swing up mount. Is your antena system available without the mount- and the cost? I would plan to have openable D catches on the side of my veicle to hold the anenat in place and a baseplate mount on the ground. Thanks
Hi Kimberley, no worries. The M6 and M6 Pro aren't out yet, however as soon as they are available we'll have one for testing. I spoke to the CEO of Telstra yesterday about this and they expect them out before the end of June. You'll have to order the antenna and the mast separately, you can ask Telco Antennas if they will give you the Overland discount on the two together. You might also be able to look at Heavy duty suction mounts or Magnetic mounts? Hope this helps, Dan
Thanks, Dan I will wait for the review then. I need to have a system in place by end of July, when I will be on the road again. I don’t think there is any point getting the M5 when the M6 is so close, do you? Cheers, Kimberley
great video, but i have a dilema, we travel periodically so starlink doesnt work for us, we recently were in a place where a guy was using a celfi to stream kao and we could not even get a message out. afte some research we like the cowfish solution as it incorporates all you mentioned and some more, do you rate it? is it worth spending another 600 bucks for the 5g version as we would have enough signal in the 4g regions anyway, is the 4g network here to stay? cheers, love your content
Thanks mate. I've been searching different sites for info and you've been able to pull it all together in the one place backed up by your technical knowledge. We have a Cel-fi with an omnidirectional aerial but I'm starting to lean towards the Netgear Nighthawk. I can't really justify the full system that you have for just a few months a year so I was wondering if it's possible (or even worthwhile) to connect a Nighthawk to the Cel-fi aerial?
Hi mate, I wouldn't, but if you end up with a Nighthawk you can plug the omni into it. The differences will be marginal though and probably not worth the cost.
@OverlandExposure Update: Thanks to your tips, I found that our phones' 5G hotspot is giving us better speeds than our satellite service here at home. I've already arranged for it to be disconnected while we take the van away at the end of the month. I've now ordered the Nighthawk for our trip as I found that including it on our Telstra account allows us to use the data from our phones too through data sharing. This was the clincher as we presently only use a fraction of this data but get great service at our rural location. We will probably keep using the Nighthawk at home after our trip instead of the satellite service as it appears to be better and actually works out cheaper. Thanks again for your help.
@The Travelling Penny @Tim Bonnor @Romeo1010 @Brendon Stalker @Glenn Davis @Emma Unsworth @Hector Martinez @Best Travels - thanks so much for your comments on the old video, so sorry again for the audio issues, apparently it was an problem with the recent Premier Pro program update. This is the fixed version, please feel free to watch again and leave us a comment here!
Hi Anthony, you get both the mast and antenna in our package here www.telcoantennas.com.au/remote-data-setup-for-caravans-campers-trailers-mi There's also an extra 5% discount code on our website overlandexposure.com.au/faqs-for-internet-travelling-australia/
@@OverlandExposure Thank you for taking the time to respond. Was looking for a cheap, already set up option, which a tree monkey put 30m up a tree for me, but I'll set up what you've recommended(tree monkey's still available). Thanks again.
I've been using a 10-12dBi 2xMIMO omni with a second-hand Netgear AC790S ($65) for my mobile data needs for about two years now. It lives in the canopy of the ute and is connected to auxiliary battery permanently, while the antenna is up on the roof rack. I does well, but having a good mast with that RFI MIMO you have will be better than my set up by a fair way. Antenna gains are about the same on paper, but as you say, the higher the better with a mast, and the RFI unit has better VSWR than my MIMO, so there's that. Still, I like your thinking with the directional antenna with picking a better tower, and the Nighthawk M5 is a cracker unit. I like the kit you've made available. Subscribed while I was here.
Hi Michael, thanks so much for watching, taking the time to comment and subscribing! Glad you've got a system that works for you, glad you think ours is a good option too! :)
Hi Guy's, a great explanation and food for thought, speaking of food.. did anyone else notice the disappearing bananas?? Disappeared at 24:41, reappeared at 36:28, disappeared at 42:21 and finally reappeared at 43:06?? Not to mention the fruit in the bowl above! Bloody hilarious.. tnx..
Great video mate! Now that Starlink has full coverage in Aus have you been using it more? I am interested in using RV starlink plan with standard hardware modified to run off 12v. Rumours that Star link will disconnect you if you are moving without the very expensive fixed flat panel.
Here's where to buy the kit: www.telcoantennas.com.au/remote-data-setup-for-caravans-campers-trailers-mi
and here is the Link to the discount code: overlandexposure.com.au/how-to-get-internet-anywhere-in-australia-remote-internet-guide/
Hi and thanks!
I'm building a camper and I'm not sure where I can fit the swivel type antena set up. I did speak with Telco Aerials and they recommend a celfi setup. But after watching your video, I'm unsure. If I went with the M5 Netgear, what other antena options will give me the most powerful system and better chance of internet connection?
Thanks in advance!
@@tonyslegg not high jacking, but this is the response I got from telco
It really depends how far out you are planning on going, if its really remote places then the directional antenna setup would offer a much better chance of the connection, if its mainly staying around the highways then the omni setup is certainly suitable.
Cheers,
Brent Pukallus
Operations Manager
I recently got the M6 Pro, amazing results over the M1 I had, but when I buy an antenna I'll get the Omni, as I don't go off the beaten track or remote all that much
Hi @coco gem, thanks for reaching out. Could the mount go on the A-frame. We've also seen it put on a bullbar on a bus and the mast and antenna removed for travel for these options. As you know we really don't recommend the celfi and have extensively tested it.
@SLP we've tested adding an Omni to the nighthawk and didn't see much signal improvement.
I’m about to order the kit I have a nighthawk do I need any other adapters or are they all incl in the kit ? Great video mate
Hi, great article, I have been using this type of setup for several years and it is very successful. A minor note though, to save phone battery life and interruptions caused by the phone switching between wifi and the tower in marginal areas we set our phones to airplane mode then enable bluetooth and wifi when at camp and when mobile. The Nighthawk does the trick. Phone is set to WiFi preferred for phone service. SMS comes through as per normal.
Thanks for watching and the tip about the phone battery!
Thanks Nickelrick2033 - I'm a solar+battery contractor in regional SA, and I kept getting dropped calls even though I had the Nighthawk on Optus with 2+bars signal but my phone had almost no optus signal. Today I tried the airplane mode + just wifi+bluetooth - the Nighthawk now gives me faultless calls. I'm often talking to solar tech support and installing firmware updates for inverters etc - it's always stressful with unreliable reception. Now a lot less stress - everywhere that I take that nighthawk I find minimum 2 bars of Optus - even though my phone shows almost no bars. The nighthawk;'s internal antenna is sensational - I haven't yet needed an omni external antenna.
So thanks for the airplane mode tip
Great job mate, ive been trying to explain this stuff to family and friends for ages now and your video basically sums it all up
Thanks Kieran, glad to help 😁
As an IT guy, that is the most technically excellent vlog I've seen from any of the travel caravanner brigade bar none. As I am watching this nearly 2 years later I had a good chuckle whilst you were dealing with the elephant in the room (Starlink). Slowly catching up on all your travels. Looking forward to the Starlink one in the future when I catch up :)
Thanks David! Glad you thought so highly of it 😁
Starlink has definitely changed the game since this video, but this is also still relevant for those that don't need starlink 😆
I hope you continue to enjoy our vids 😁
I'm looking to work remotely and use Citrix which is super sensitive to interrupts. Starlink seems to be defeated by trees so I'd be looking at using both options.
Starlink is always improving as they are always launching more satellites, in saying that trees can still cause some issues. I suggest, maybe buy starlink and the mast kit and do some testing with trees and putting starlink on the mast too, and if it is still dropping out under trees, buy the nighthawk and Sim (which are both generally easily available) and add it on. 😁
Thank you for posting this video. I was looking at the RV -wifi but I am sold on the nighthawk system now! 👍🏻
You're welcome Andrew! Happy to use my knowledge and experience to help others😁
Glad I found this solution myself 3-4 years ago, never looked back👍
Thanks for the informative video. I was looking to buy an external antenna for our van and bought the setup you recommended. It works a treat! Thanks.
Amazing, so glad to hear that!! 😁
Thank you so much for that valuable information, I already had the Nighthawke and nearly changed until i came accross this. Have now purchased the arial for my Nighthawke :)
You're absolutely welcome Chrisy! Glad you found it useful 😁
Great useful video!! Well done mate👍
Thanks so much! Glad it was helpful 😁
This video is so good and helpful... THANK YOU
You're welcome 😁
In your Ausphonetowers app, I noticed that the frequencies were written around the edges of the blue radiation patterns and also that you could click on a tower and it would tell you how far you were - is there a particular setting to switch this info on? I can't seem to find it in my app (iphone/ios).
Hi mate, unfortunately these functions don't seem to work in iOS :/
@@OverlandExposure Ah, I wondered about that. Many thanks!
Awesome video mate. Thanks for your time and info.
You're welcome, glad you found it helpful, thanks for watching and leaving us a comment!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and explaining it so clearly. We’re looking for exactly that solution.
No worries John, worry you had to listen to my voice for that long!
Well done Dan ! Thanks for sharing your RAAF training and expertise . I am just about to order telco antenna to go with my M5 .
Thanks BadDog!! Welcome! 😁
@@OverlandExposure I did 12 yrs in . Mirages and F111s . Goid times .
@@baddog7589 Both good and bad :)
Thanks for your great video about the internet
We never miss seeing your videos on your travels
I went to order one about they are on back order so will keek checking
No worries mate. I suggest ordering straight away as it's first in best dressed when stock arrives.
Really interesting. I've been so unimpressed with the Celfi and omni antenna.
I was considering purchasing a telescopic mast and directional antenna for it, but after watching this I think I'll reconsider....
Am i understanding your speed test correctly - the Nighthawk with NO antenna is still significantly faster than the Celfi WITH a directional antenna????
Hey guys! Thanks for watching and reaching out! In answer to your question - generally yes, but it depends where you are. We've tested it a couple of times and it has been the case if there's any more than 1 bar of reception on your phone.
@@OverlandExposure maybe wait for starlink ?
@@adamj1299 hi Adam, we have Starlink actually and are testing it. It's not really mobile suitable yet though. Probably by the end of 2022!
@Wild Touring This setup is the way to go. We traded in our hotspot/omni directional antenna for this and we are yet to find somewhere we haven't been able to pull reception. Very handy.
@Overland Exposure - thanks for this video. We purchased your kit from Telco Antennas last year and used it extensively across the High Country and the Murray. Has been amazing!
@@scruiser80 thanks heaps guys, great to hear. We were recently at Perlubie and pretty chuffed to see 4 caravans with our setup along the beach :)
Awesome video. Thanks a bunch!
Do any we have any tools to tell if a tower is saturated, or is it all up to experience?
Thanks! It's just experience, after a while you will get a feel for it. When you have higher upload than download is a good sign.
Very informative. We have Telstra via a Woolworths SIM and didn’t know that there was any difference to normal Telstra (incl Boost). I now know why we didn’t have mobile reception in a lot of outback areas. Keep up the good work! Really enjoying your videos.
Thanks so much! Glad you learnt something new 😁 and glad to hear you're enjoying the videos!
Thank you Daniel very comprehensive and informative video, cheers
You're welcome Tim! Glad you enjoyed it. :) Sorry again about the audio issues originally!
Thankyou so much for your information. I am a communications technician myself and am always interested in good information people are sharing.
With planing to travelling around Australia in a caravan and with lots of stuff out there to use.
I will be for sure using your products
Thank so much Paul 😁
thank you for sharing a great detailed video as great watching
You're welcome, thanks for watching and commenting!!
If I’m using a night Hawk 5 g and using a iPhone through the night hawk does that mean I’m using 5 g
If the iPhone is 4 g
Yes if your plan supports it
Thanks for the info, after seeing your vid a year ago I got a mimo panel antenna with a 7m mast and secondhand nighthawk and it worked great for our recently completed lap of Aussie(20000klms). We used our existing 2x Optus plans with shared data with extra sim for the NH along with a 12 month 280gig sim ($300) for when there’s no Optus.
Glad I could help!
Sad to hear from your last blog. The caravanning has ended, but your instagram with your new direction travelling Europe lools exciting i can't to see your new blogs my question is our carvan has a Winegard on the roof is this a RV wifi or a different system
Thanks so much! Europe and the UK are wonderful adventures, we are really looking forward to sharing them on RUclips soon and really look forward to taking you along with us!
In relation to your Winegard, it depends on the model - some are just TV and some have 4G too, so unfortunately can't answer specifically for your one.
@OverlandExposure Sorry, it's a Winggard Connect 2.0 4G, and it sits on top of our van under a black dome. It has a small slot to fit a sim card, are dose units any good as it comes with the van
Hi mate, it will be better than nothing! Give it a try and see how it goes for you, worst case it doesn't do much and you don't use it. Best case it works well :)
Very informative, thanks.
Thank you, you're welcome 😁
Hi Thanks for a grate vid, lots of useful info .
I am retiring this April and starting to get the bits and pieces i need to be on the road .
Do you still do the netgear package for price and delivery.
Cheers for now Steve.
Hi Steve, glad you found the vid helpful.
I believe telco antennas still has the package available. The link should be in this article. overlandexposure.com.au/how-to-get-internet-anywhere-in-australia-remote-internet-guide/
Enjoy your preparations & time on the road.
Ok Awesome i will keep that in mind, the antenna looks like a good idea. Again thanks 👌🇦🇺
No worries 😀
Hi will this solution also help to watch streaming service like Stan etc ? We have small TP thing our son suggested but buffering drives wife mad and me a little.
Hi mate, yes it will.
Thanks so much. We will consider the set-up asap.
Very informative great work , with your advise ,I purchased the M1 and directional mimo , yet to try it out but I’m confident
Thank you! 😁
Hi there, I found this video very interesting and we were considering buying the kit you mentioned. However, with Starlink now on scene, and with your knowledge as a RAAF techo, I was wondering if I could ask you a question on this subject please, which may also be of interest to other watchers of your channel. We are thinking that Starlink might be best for us as an older couple wanting to travel maybe 4 months in a year. We see Starlink has a special ending 26 Sept where one can buy refurb hardware at half price. However, when I try and buy RV option online it does not offer refurb hware, but does when I click residential. From what we can tell the hardware is all the same whether rv or residential? As such, tempted to buy the residential refurb kit and activate rv account when we travel, but not sure why Starlink is not offering refurb kit on rv option. Want to buy before special ends on 26 Sept, but don't want to make a mistake in getting wrong thing - would appreciate your advice - thanks for your entertaining videos!
No worries, you should be fine with that plan :)
A very informative video. We have the Nighthawk M5 and use it both at home in our apartment for our internet and in the caravan when we travel. Would a 'stick' antenna help with reception in both settings, even if just a little bit? Would plugging 2 small antennas directly into the unit make a difference? We are retired so don't need great capacity but sometimes reception on the unit is poor, both in our unit and in the caravan. We are not permitted to fix an external antenna to the outside of our apartment hence why I'm asking about a portable set up. TIA.
Hi Kevin, in my experience the small antennas are no better than the internal antennas on the M5. Sorry!
@@OverlandExposure Thank you. Appreciate the reply.
Hreat video mate. Been usi g a cel-fi for a couple of years, wish I'd seen this two years ago.
Ahh bummer! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍😁
Hi, great video! Now that the Nighthawk M6 is available, do you still recommend the M5? Thanks!
Hi Yep the M5 is better if you can get one. Otherwise the M6 is ok.
Thank you so much for this info.Its greatly appreciated.I have a friend who has a celfi and I was not impressed with the performance.Very poor and they are so expensive.
You're welcome. Thank you for watching 😁
Hi. I have watched your video on the best internet set-up for travelling...very good.
Are the items you recommended back when making the video still your current recommendation? I am sitting in our van now. Outside we have 4G. Inside the van - zero, until I hold the phone to the window. We recently did 13,338km with the van QLD/NT and so often had nothing so I have to do something and your recommendation appears good to me. Starlink seems good too.
Do you have recommendation on TV reception for travelling?
Kind regards, Dan
Hi Dan, no changes in the equipment, although if you check out website we have an updated article on Starlink. Don't worry about TV reception just get awesome internet and stream :)
@@OverlandExposure Thank you! Dan
@@OverlandExposure Hi Dan, I was going to ask the exact same question as Daniel Kemp here. I would just like to add..... what are your thoughts on the Nighthawk M6, its what Telstra has available now that the M5 has been superseded? I was actually going to originally go with the RV-Wifi setup but also felt it didn't cover all our needs having two young boys, after looking into the nighthawks M6 and how to adapt them with long range antennas I stumbled across this vid. Great video I must add 👍 I'm a sparky so do appreciate and enjoy the in-depth technical side of it.
@@shaungalea1713 all good Shaun, the M6 is ok and does the job, we find it a bit more finicky to find the external antennas sometimes.
@@OverlandExposure is there a difference in Australia with the 2 versions of Nighthawks M5’s MR5100 and MR5200? Also I have liked and subscribed to the channel mate so looking forward to seeing more 👌🏻
Great video mate. Just wondering where you can buy the mast and a frame connector separately as I already have a Netgear Nighthawk and antenna. Thanks
Thanks Matt! You should be able to get the mast and bar connector from Telco Antenna's. Maybe send them an email and tell them we sent you but you're just after those two bits! www.telcoantennas.com.au/remote-data-setup-for-caravans-campers-trailers-mi
Great channel and contents mate. What are your thoughts on the Nighthawk M6 Pro. Can't get the M5 anymore, Telstra saying its been replaced with the new M6. Would we have the same or even better internet paired with your antenna kit? Thanks in advance
G’day fella, great video. I have a rv wifi installed, with an Omni directional, how can I get the directional antenna with the pole?
Hi mate, check out the link in the description.
Great write up. Thanks for the heads up I wish I had have found this before I purchased a CelFi Go
Any special set up tips for the M2 ?
Thanks! Nope, nothing special, it will just work when you plug the antenna in.
@@OverlandExposure thanks 🙏
Well done, thanks for the info.
You're welcome! Thanks! :)
Excellent information 👌 👏
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful. 😁
Hey guys, very informative vid cheers. We have the nighthawk m5, with a, what I now know from your video is a omni directional antenna. We have been looking at the outhereinternet solution, however this comes with a modem. Is this system similar to the package you guys have put together?
Cheers
Hi mate, I have nothing against OutThere Internet, I haven't tried it personally though. Our package is essentially a directional antenna to replace your omni antenna, a mast to get it up high (the higher the better) and a way to mount the mast to a caravan or trailer. Since you already have a Nighthawk M5 you are halfway there, the antenna in our kit simply plugs into it. I believe OutThereInternet includes the modem, as you mentioned, so you would be doubling up on that component if you went with it. I believe the performance is comparable to our kit, but I haven't tested it personally so can't comment. The concepts are similar.
@@OverlandExposure ok awesome, thanks for the honest reply. We will see how we go. 👍
Hi Daniel, re nighthawk tip for anyone, we both use boost mobiles and when range is needed, I forward my phone to the bride and my sim, goes into nighthawk (Just need the extra sim spacer). One advantage of the nighthawk is my sms messages will now appear on the Nighthawk router display of all things so you do not miss anything. Saves us having third account. Boost switches phone to router and back without issue.
Hi Geoff, that's a good idea too! If you both have nano sims you won't even need the extra spacer either.
I am getting a RV bus and was searching for this information, Great info. With your set up can you also use the 360 antenna on the move and when you stop put up your directional antenna.
My bad you answer this question - as I said great information
Haha no worries! Thanks for watching and commenting! Any other questions just ask 😁
Will the night hawk work in South Africa if so we’re can it be obtained
G'day, love your show especially about the Netgear Nighthawk WiFi. I have purchased the netgear 5100 and an Rfi CDQ 8195 5g antenna so what do I need now to hook the antenna to the Netgear and make it all work in the car?
Cheers
Keep up the good work, maybe we'll meet on the road.
Hi Hans, you will need a ts9 to SMA adapter or pigtail :)
Hope this helps!
Thanks Dan, done.😊👍
Hi Guys.
Great video and great information.
Just what I was looking for.
Just wondering if the aerial can be fixed to the bottom of the Winegard tv aerial? I know it won’t be as high as your solution, but easy up easy down and it has the directional ability from inside the van.
Will it affect the TV signal being so close to the tv aerial.
Hi Peter, no idea sorry mate! Most of the places we can get internet with our kit we can't even get TV reception, so it probably won't be an issue?
Excellent video with great information. as i am deaf, the captioning was really clear so much appreciated. What would be the setup (in lieu of jockey wheel type thingy at back of caravan to mount antenna) for a canopy with roof rack? Thanks in advance
Hi Michael, glad you enjoyed it. You could look at the Telco Antennas towball mount instead? Or possibly you may have to drill and bolt a mount to the canopy? If you do buy the antenna and mast together mention Overland Exposure in the comments section of the order :)
@@OverlandExposure Hello, I went to Telstra and put an order in for the Nighthawk M5. Telstra texted me this last night "Hi Michael, unfortunately we're unable to provide you with the Nighthawk M5 you recently ordered as it is no longer available from the manufacturer." I wonder what options I have to purchase the M5 or even M6 (which Telstra says they dont have). Not keen on the M1 or M2. Thanks
All good now, Telstra have updated their website to include M6 & M6 Pro.
I got a question.. does the nighthawk boost the phone reception or just for internet
Just the internet, but you can make calls over the internet with most providers now :)
Also another question say for 5g towers. I’d say I’m camping in a area on the fringe of a 5g reception area based off the “aus phone tower” app but the tower is 32km away does the antenna need to connect to the tower or have access to the reception coming off the tower. Also does the phone need to be on Telstra full network along side the modem.. like can you get say wholesale Telstra on phone and boost on modem? Also do you need a 5g phone to work with the 5g modem
The antenna will connect to the tower yes. The phone doesn't need to be on full Telstra or 5g, it just gets its internet from the modem Wifi.
What is the optimum distance you are getting out of your antenna in kilometers
Hi mate, it completely depends on the terrain. My record is 110km, but 50-70km is more normal.
@@OverlandExposure Thanks so much mate,I was also wondering when you outback in the never never how high would your aerial have to be to reach say 200 KLM if that is possible.I remember back in my young days I had a cb base station with a 5\8 ground plane aerial and I could talk all over Australia my aerial stood about 5 metres beside my parents house wouldn't it be good if we could design something like that we could reach any tower anywhere in australia
Great info guys, appreciate it! 🤘😁
Welcome! Glad you found it useful! 😁
Thank you Daniel Great share.
Cheers Gerard.
You're welcome! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment, really appreciate it! 😁
For months I've been looking at this subject and trying to find something like this video, well done!👍
I however before finding this video I made my purchase 2weeks ago and chose the Nighthawk M2 based on price over the CelFi. My first weekend away I meet up with a friend who had a CelFi with him. We ran some speed test in the remote location and I found the Nighthawk on it's own had way faster data than the CelFi on it's own. I am wrapped with the Nighthawk. I'm using it on the move as WIFI calling with a small roof mounted 7dBi antenna ($49 magnetic base) and drove through an area where I'd definitely experience dropouts. The Nighthawk only went digital twice with no dropouts.
The only problem with the Nighthawk, the TS9 connectors. Way too fragile. I wish it had SMA connections.
Hey mate, glad to hear! You can always upgrade the antenna too :)
Ts9 connectors, yeah they aren't amazing, but we have found they are generally ok and last pretty well! You can also use small pliers to squeeze the connectors back together slightly to make it tighter again
I'm really happy with my Nighthawk. I have used it successfully all over Austalia.
So glad to hear this Shirley!
Hi, we have bought the Nighthawk and your setup, thanks for the video, straightened out our thinking. Testing it in a couple of weeks.
In the video you mentioned showing how to setup to use Optus as well. I have Optus with lots of data on my phone and wanted to swap between the two as needed. Thanks
Hi Steve, thanks for watching and purchasing, we appreciate it!
On our website we have a blog article with instructions on how to alter the settings to open up all the Optus bands (it is in the gear section). Your Optus Sim may just work fine once in the nighthawk, but if it doesn't you'll need to follow the steps. 😁 www.overlandexposure.com.au
@@OverlandExposure thanks, appreciate the response. I’ll try first and checkout the blog as needed.
Thanks again.
Welcome! 😁
Hi Thanks for the video presentation. Just wondering why you didn’t mention Starlink?
Hi Marco,
If you look at when this video was made, Starlink wasn't an option. I have since done an in depth Starlink review :) ruclips.net/video/KDqp8b8eGMo/видео.html
Hi i was wondering if your mast , omni antenna would work ok with a cradle phone hot spot setup , ?
Hi Larry I haven't used a cradle phone before sorry.
Thanks guys, just catching up.
I bought a Cel-Fi Go in 2019 and it worked 'well' on a 15, 000 Km trip from Canberra, up the WA centre to Broome via Carnarvon, Gibb and back down via Wiluna. This VLOG has got me thinking about making the Cel-Fi Go 'portable' and 'boosting' my phone near the van, and pulling my MiMo NightHawk out of the cupboard.
Telstra gives me 375Gb of 4G LTE on my phone ($96 pm) with fallback to HSPCA, 2G (might be turned off now) and 3G but I know that the NH has better antennas while driving.
So, I think that what I'll do is 'boost' the phone at the van with the CFG, NH while driving and use my Starlink sparingly (understanding how the on/off plan works).
Wifey has VodaNoPhone (which does, surprisingly, work in some of the most remote areas that we've been to) and put an Optus SIM into the NH.
We live on the road and I work on the road. Interestingly, our adult son and I did a two week SA Peninsula fishing trip about 6 weeks ago - he got T 5G mostly and I got mostly T 4G nothing! And we left the Starlink behind on his porch while we were packing :(
What do you think of my plan using what I already have?
Thanks,
Stu
Hi Stu, sounds ok, and you can always just move the Nighthawk around.
We have just ordered a new build a Caravan. Would you suggest getting a fixed point installed for the aerial cord to enter into the van? If so is it and aerial in / aerial out points needed?
When traveling where do you put the mast?
How do you get the nighthawk 6 to use other non Telstra sims? Is is just a case of plug and play?
Hi Karen, we wouldn't actually, it's something else to go wrong, and every connection reduces the performance of the antenna. If you really want to, it's 2x female SMA in and 2 X male SMA out.
Our mast stays on the back of our van permanently, other people unbolt it and store it inside or in a tunnel boot, as it isn't always needed. The bolts are the same size as your stabizers.
Nighthawk M6 - we are testing it at the moment and not 100% sure it works with other carriers yet, We will release some info on this soon.
Has the system been tested on boats?
Hi mate, yes it's no different except they will normally not use the mast and mount their antenna higher. Most have gone to Starlink now though.
@@OverlandExposure Yes I know but we use our phone hotspots quite successfully up and down the Qld coast. I just want a single unit for both to use (computers and phones) plus Google TV.
Hi Richard, yep this will work for you then. I'd go with a large omni antenna though, maintaining a directional antenna would be difficult I would think.
Hi, I wanting to have the antenna coaxial cable into a mount on the wall / side of my van. I think you showed a fitting, that some one else made. What connectors do I need to allow a connection?
There are 2 cables and connectors on the antenna, does that mean I'll need 2 coaxial cables.
Thanks!!
Hi, yes it does. They are SMA connectors, just be aware that the more connectors and cables the worse the performance of the system.
Alot of intersting information and food for thought.
We have been looking into a product called "out there internet", do you have any thoughts on it and how it compares to the nighthawk?
Hi Scott, I haven't seen or used one in person. I believe it doesn't have 5G and might be more expensive than our solution? It sounds like it's an effective product from their website though.
@@OverlandExposure thank you for the response. Definitely a positive having the 5g with yours.
No worries at all :)
Great explanation. I am a mobile tech and agree with what you have presented. I usually suggest the Nighthawk as well. On the topic on directional antennas, I give a torch as how a directional antenna works. Omni works like a candle.. I also tell people to use a Telstra TV box for free to air and Netflix on mobile network instead of an expensive Satellite setup.. TV box does the same thing
Thanks for watching Greg! I like your candle and torch analogy! :)
Hi Greg, I have a Fetch tv box...can I use that instead of Telstra's?
Hi, I have a Netgear M6 in my UTE and wonder what type of antenna could you suggest to use with it while I'm driving?
Hi mate, any omni antenna would be fine, the higher gain the better :)
Hi, many thanks for this useful video! One question please: Does the Telco Antennas package include the pivot base of the antennae which allows you to change the position from horizontal to vertical?
Hey, no worries, thanks for watching!Yes, the package comes with the rear bar mount, which is what rotates it and holds the base of the mast. 😁
Hi Dan we have everything now setup but the Aus Tower App that I’ve downloaded doesn’t show what ur vid shows? What are the settings that I should use and how to use the app is next challenge.
Hi Kate, it should just work? It might need permissions from your phone for GPS etc?
Hi, what strength wind can the aluminium mast withstand?
Hi Niel, I'm not sure of the exact ratings, I believe TelcoAntennas may have that on their site, but we are in wind of 50km/h at the moment with no problems, and have had it up in places like the Bunda Cliffs on the Nullarbor with no issues.
@@OverlandExposure thanks for the feedback.
Welcome! 😂
Good video thank you.
But I just use a mobile phone booster on a long mast with an antenna outside of my caravan and a small antenna inside of the caravan and it works very well and no SIM card needed just the SIM card in your phone.
If you have one bar outside you will get 5 bars inside .
Hi Stephen, just so you know that doesn't really do much. You don't actually have 5 bars inside, just 5 bars to your booster. If it works for you that's fine, I don't care, but there are much better solutions that are more effective as you get more remote. Starlink being the best right now.
I would be interested to hear your opinion on the telco antennas dual sim modem router in combination with the kit you have mentioned in your video.
Interesting, I haven't actually looked at Telco routers.
Hi there. Love your video and thank you for taking the time to explain everything so well. I'm in the process of buying this kit, and was wondering if you can explain whether the Nighthawk M6 will be suitable as telstra don't have stocks of the M5 atm.
Hi Gavin, the M6 is a suitable replacement, I'm doing testing on it soon to confirm.
@@OverlandExposure cheers mate, appreciate the reply👍
Did I miss something, where do you buy this setup please
www.telcoantennas.com.au/remote-data-setup-for-caravans-campers-trailers-mi
So when traveling in car you have the night Hawke, are you using any external antenna at that time or does it just naturally have better reach then your phone
Hey, we generally don't use another antenna while driving, the nighthawk does a good job on its own 😁 We have been trialling an Omni antenna recently but haven't done enough testing to know if it's worth it or not yet.
Hi I was just wondering if you have looked into the nighthawk m6 and m6 pro? Would these work with your set up?
Hi Justin, the M6 works, the M6 pro is overkill. We've tested and found the M6 works, but it is a bit more finicky using the external antenna than the M5, still a reasonable option for the kit. 😁 Thanks for watching and reach out if you have any more questions.
Got our setup today except they didn’t send the extension pole will have to sort that out 👍- how do you get your distance to come up on the aus phone tower app ?
Hi mate, it's usually 2 packages, but if it doesn't come be sure to check with TelcoAntennas. I've worked out the distance thing is only on Android, not sure why :/ I think the app can get more data from Android
Very informative, thank you. I'm going to take a good wild guess here and guess your ex AJ tech or one of the other services. Ex RaSigs Operator myself and mainly dealt with crypto and frequencies so thanks heaps for the update. I've been using a older Netgear modem plugged into a G spotter omni directional antenna for the last few years but wanting something better for outback NSW. I previously haven't bothered with comms outside an Iridium and PLB for emergencies and HF. What antenna do you use for comms on the move? I don't have a caravan, just the fourbie. Just wanting to improve internet and voice services and update what is basically on my vehicle an older and reaching used by date system.
Hi Liam, you can update to a higher gain MIMO omni and a newer Nighthawk if you wish, however just the new modem should give you most of the improvement you are after.
Thanks so much for this video - I'm a car camper and looking at some options as my favourite spot has crappy reception. Probably a silly question, but I have saved up the data on my phone (Amaysim/Optus - I'm home alot on my home wifi). If I put a new sim in the Nighthawk, does it use the data from nighthawk sim, or my phone sim?
From the Nighthawk when you are connected to it's wifi :)
Thanks for the time and effort.
Any word on the 'new' M6 from Telstra yet?
Hi mate, testing it at the moment! Preliminary, it'll do the job.
Hi. Would the only difference by using the M2 is only getting 4g any other performance issues cheers Greg
Hi Greg, it also doesn't have as good a wifi range as the M5.
@@OverlandExposure cheers mate
Hi Dan, Great video. I just bought the kit and am setting up on my van. I see Starlink RV is out and wondering if that has changed any of your opinion or recommendations in the video? Cheers
Hi mate, Thanks! I've got a writeup here - overlandexposure.com.au/starlink-for-travellers/
At the moment it's a both situation unfortunately, not an either or.
The Sphere WiFi in has a small antenna screwed on top, can this setup be used on it?
Hi Scott, I'm not familiar with the sphere Wifi, but if it has an antenna port then yes the antenna and mast should be able to be used with it.
Great video. Will a Telstra 4gx hotspot work the same please?
Hi Adam, I don't have personal experience with it, but apparently the Telstra Wifi Pro works.
Thanks for the clips. Can you please assist? I am getting frustrated and purchased this Nighthawk M6 Pro with the below details today on 25 November 2022 here in Melbourne, Australia at Telstra shop.
I checked all the settings in all three hotspots, and they are identical. The USB port is set to charging and tethering. However, it does not seem to want to power on without the battery connected when tethered to a PC. I am using the same cable it came with the device to connect to my desktop.
Every time I remove the battery while the cable is connected to the desktop and the device, a picture pop up on the device screen showing (attached picture) the cable can only connect to the device adaptor for AC and it cannot connect to the PC. But as soon as I put the battery back on the device, the device connects to the PC. what am I doing wrong?
From memory there's a specific setting for running with no battery in the M6 in the settings
@@OverlandExposure Thanks, but what is this specific setting?
Hi Dan, thanks for this information Very helpful! We started with the RVWifi and it definitely did not do the job. We managed to return it and get a refund. However we went into JB hifi to buy what we thought was the Nighthawk M5 but when we got home we found they sold us the Telstra MU500 wireless hotspot! Yes very dum from us not to notice!
However my question is what’s the difference between the two? Is the Telstra one as good as the Nighthawk?
Thanks
Hi mate, I'm not sure sorry :/
Hi. Great info you have put together. My question is I’ve noticed Nighthawk M5 have 2 models. MR5100 and MR5200. I’m about to order one but unsure which would work the best in remote areas in OZ.
Cheers Brett
Hi Brett, thanks. I don't have my devices with me at the moment, I believe it was the 5200 that Telstra sold.
Thanks very much for getting back to me. Will order one now 👍
Will a 4GX Telstra wifi modem unit work the same context as nighthawk?
Generally yes if it has antenna connectors.
Hi, thanks for putting the time into making this video. I am planning to travel and work remotely but I need to teleconference 8 hours a day to paying clients. I plan to park and work for three days at a time when doing so, so I will be able to research places with reasonably good tower coverage. I am concerned about speed dropping when the towers are being heavily used (I will be working from 8am to 5pm). Do you think I need to be concerned, are there other issues I should consider and do you think my plan is workable?.. I don't want to let down paying clients. I've considered purchasing a second antenna and modem and then using Speedify to bond the connections to try and get a faster connection at peak times, is this something you would recommend? Thanks again
Hi Will,
There is the possibility of congestion which is what you are talking about, it's one of the reasons we carry our directional antenna, and also an Optus Sim. Between these things we can generally get a pretty good connection in most places. I would just do this for now, and look at adding Starlink in the next 6 or so months for a 100% solution.
@@OverlandExposure thanks, that makes sense. Do you think it would be worth placing an order for Starlink at this point considering they are yet to provide support for those who move frequently?
@@ackerswill I would just wait out for 6 months or so, and see what they are doing with regards to mobility and portability.
Will. Internet data through put is only as fast as the slowest bottleneck between you and what you are interfacing with regardless of what medium/s (dialup modem/ADSL/NBN/fibre/telephony/etc) you are using. Thus it can vary from location to location. For example, last year whilst we were in a caravan park in Ross (suburb of Alice Springs), every day the data throughput was great in the morning and deteriated as the day progressed even though the 4G telephony signal strength was still the same (4 bars) - this was using Telstra service on both a Netgear M2 and Oppo Android devices.
@@terryhaebich6262 yep, I'm a communications technician, I'm well aware :) That's what I'm saying, the CelFi will only limit the bandwidth, not ever increase it more than just the same antenna plugged into the Nighthawk.
What you are talking about in Alice Springs is likely to be Network Congestion.
Hey mate excellent video thank you we now have this setup. I am wondering how you display the line with direction of the tower on the Aus Phone Towers App?
No Worries mate, I think it might be Android only.
@@OverlandExposure any idea how to get direction from an iPhone? I am playing with Hema 4x4 maps that may give a rough idea. I gather you only have to be in the ball park?
I use terrain features and the map in the Aus Towers App to get it roughly right. It has a pretty wide beam so nope it just needs to be roughly in the right direction :)
@@OverlandExposure would be handy if Aus Phone Towers had a compass in the app. Still have not found an easy solution with iPhone as yet to find the direction of a tower.
Have only found out about you and your products recently. Have ordered a van with a celfi go, however have not finalised yet. It will be finalised on 2 April 22. Therefore I can delete the celfi from the order. My question to you is if I buy the complete kit that you are promoting. Can I use the same in/out antenna wires and maybe have a plug on the back of the van for the external antenna. Would be good to get this done during the build of the van. Can you supply any simple wiring diagrams for connection to the nighthawk unit so I can show the van people. The van is a crusader Excalibur serenity full composite van. Ie no frame work in walls or roof . They seem to be very open to any ideas that I have. Thanks Doug.
Hi Doug, The external setup we recommend requires 2 x SMA inputs, and then shielded cable inside the van to 2 x SMA outputs. (This supports the MIMO antenna) The Celfi would have required the same except a single SMA connection to an external antenna. Just remember that every connection you add into the circuit will decrease it's effectiveness, it's one reason why we recommend simply running the external cables from the antenna into the van, and then connect via the adapters into the modem.
Hi. Thanks a lot. Where can I buy just the extendable antenna pole and clamp from. I already have some of the other kit.
Hi Gary, Telco Antenna's should have it all.
Hi. Thanks for all the useful information. I have a Landcruiser ute 4WD with a small motorhome on the back. I work online so need good internet. Two questions: 1. There seems to be a Nighthawk M6 and a Nighthawk M6 Pro available nowadays. Which is better and why? 2. As I do not have a towbar, I would not need the swing up mount. Is your antena system available without the mount- and the cost? I would plan to have openable D catches on the side of my veicle to hold the anenat in place and a baseplate mount on the ground. Thanks
Hi Kimberley, no worries. The M6 and M6 Pro aren't out yet, however as soon as they are available we'll have one for testing. I spoke to the CEO of Telstra yesterday about this and they expect them out before the end of June. You'll have to order the antenna and the mast separately, you can ask Telco Antennas if they will give you the Overland discount on the two together. You might also be able to look at Heavy duty suction mounts or Magnetic mounts?
Hope this helps,
Dan
Thanks, Dan
I will wait for the review then. I need to have a system in place by end of July, when I will be on the road again. I don’t think there is any point getting the M5 when the M6 is so close, do you?
Cheers,
Kimberley
What do you think about the M6? I went to telstra and they’ve taken the M5 off the market. Thank you so much
It should be OK, I'll have one for testing next week :)
@@OverlandExposure thank you so much
great video, but i have a dilema, we travel periodically so starlink doesnt work for us, we recently were in a place where a guy was using a celfi to stream kao and we could not even get a message out. afte some research we like the cowfish solution as it incorporates all you mentioned and some more, do you rate it? is it worth spending another 600 bucks for the 5g version as we would have enough signal in the 4g regions anyway, is the 4g network here to stay? cheers, love your content
Thanks! Unfortunately I can't recommend Cowfish, I haven't heard enough about it. I only know our options and Starlink as the reliable options.
Thanks mate. I've been searching different sites for info and you've been able to pull it all together in the one place backed up by your technical knowledge. We have a Cel-fi with an omnidirectional aerial but I'm starting to lean towards the Netgear Nighthawk. I can't really justify the full system that you have for just a few months a year so I was wondering if it's possible (or even worthwhile) to connect a Nighthawk to the Cel-fi aerial?
Hi mate, I wouldn't, but if you end up with a Nighthawk you can plug the omni into it.
The differences will be marginal though and probably not worth the cost.
@OverlandExposure Thanks for your quick reply. Again you've saved me more research. I'll give the Nighthawk some more thought though. Cheers.
@OverlandExposure Update: Thanks to your tips, I found that our phones' 5G hotspot is giving us better speeds than our satellite service here at home. I've already arranged for it to be disconnected while we take the van away at the end of the month. I've now ordered the Nighthawk for our trip as I found that including it on our Telstra account allows us to use the data from our phones too through data sharing. This was the clincher as we presently only use a fraction of this data but get great service at our rural location. We will probably keep using the Nighthawk at home after our trip instead of the satellite service as it appears to be better and actually works out cheaper. Thanks again for your help.
You're welcome 😁 glad you've been able to sort it out!
Can your system work in South Africa and Africa
Great question mate. You'll have to look at what frequencies the carrier's there use, and check it against our antenna. I think it would be fine!
@The Travelling Penny @Tim Bonnor @Romeo1010 @Brendon Stalker @Glenn Davis @Emma Unsworth @Hector Martinez @Best Travels - thanks so much for your comments on the old video, so sorry again for the audio issues, apparently it was an problem with the recent Premier Pro program update. This is the fixed version, please feel free to watch again and leave us a comment here!
Awesome. Thanks for looking into it. Will watch full ep tonight. Super helpful info. Thank you. 👍🏼😊🥂
No worries! Let us know if you have any other questions :)
Where did you get the mask tower from.
Hi Anthony, you get both the mast and antenna in our package here www.telcoantennas.com.au/remote-data-setup-for-caravans-campers-trailers-mi
There's also an extra 5% discount code on our website overlandexposure.com.au/faqs-for-internet-travelling-australia/
Hi. Great video. I have a nighthawk and celfi. I thought the celfi was a booster only but the way you talk it is portrayed as a modem.
Hi Murray the Celfi isn't a modem, but I am saying that it won't do any better job as a booster than just plugging the antenna into the nighthawk.
Could I use a TV aerial with a cable splitter to connect to a Nighthawk?
Nah I don't think the TV antenna is suitable for the right frequencies sorry!
@@OverlandExposure Thank you for taking the time to respond. Was looking for a cheap, already set up option, which a tree monkey put 30m up a tree for me, but I'll set up what you've recommended(tree monkey's still available). Thanks again.
No worries, happy to help!
Why would the nighthawk provide better reception with a directional antenna then an RV wifi with the same antenna? is it due to being a newer modem?
Hi Damien, yep better modem, and the nighthawk is MIMO (2 antennas)
@@OverlandExposure i would love to see a comparison of the nighthawk m2 or m5 vs a rut360 or rutx11 with your antenna
@@Aussie_Damo hi mate, if someone wants to lend us one we'll do the comparisons :)
I've been using a 10-12dBi 2xMIMO omni with a second-hand Netgear AC790S ($65) for my mobile data needs for about two years now. It lives in the canopy of the ute and is connected to auxiliary battery permanently, while the antenna is up on the roof rack. I does well, but having a good mast with that RFI MIMO you have will be better than my set up by a fair way. Antenna gains are about the same on paper, but as you say, the higher the better with a mast, and the RFI unit has better VSWR than my MIMO, so there's that. Still, I like your thinking with the directional antenna with picking a better tower, and the Nighthawk M5 is a cracker unit. I like the kit you've made available. Subscribed while I was here.
Hi Michael, thanks so much for watching, taking the time to comment and subscribing! Glad you've got a system that works for you, glad you think ours is a good option too! :)
Hi Guy's, a great explanation and food for thought, speaking of food.. did anyone else notice the disappearing bananas?? Disappeared at 24:41, reappeared at 36:28, disappeared at 42:21 and finally reappeared at 43:06?? Not to mention the fruit in the bowl above! Bloody hilarious.. tnx..
Hahaha busted!! He forgot to record a bit in the middle so had to do that bit when we realised 🤦🤦
Great video mate!
Now that Starlink has full coverage in Aus have you been using it more?
I am interested in using RV starlink plan with standard hardware modified to run off 12v.
Rumours that Star link will disconnect you if you are moving without the very expensive fixed flat panel.
No worries mate, yep using it a lot more now. Check out our updated article here overlandexposure.com.au/internet-while-travelling-australia-update/