Damp weather and dome dishes are not friends. Any dome will somewhat reduce reception. Under normal conditions it isn't noticeable on satellite TV (different story on satellite internet) but under adverse conditions such as rain, snow, dew, etc the dome will definitely go dark on you first. As to KVH's DewShield, it turns on in the pre-dawn hours, and heats up air inside the dome to adjust to the rising outside temperature. While this may help some, I am somewhat dubious that is would compensate for a heavy dew.
The TracNet 100 is an EVDO device. It uses Verizon's Broadband Access as it's signal source. I have Verizon Broadband Access running off a Kyocera PC Card and Kyocera KR-1 router. It works well in the major metropolitan areas that support Broadband Access speeds. It works, but very slowly, in smaller cities. In the areas such as West Texas, it doesn't work at all.
I use an old outdated Datron open dish DirecTV antenna on the front of the coach and a MotoSat DataStorm F-1 Satellite Internet antenna on the rear of the coach that has an adapter that let's me pick up DirecTV at the same time as the internet. You must be stopped to deploy and use either of these dishes. I have thought about the advantages of having in-motion satellite but don't really think it would be worth it to my wife and I. We TiVo everything and watch very little live TV.
TracPhone is VERY expensive to use. Satellite phones work well but the costs are high. The unit you are referencing, the 252, runs $1.49 per minute of use. Not bad if you have to make an important call and the nearest cell tower is 100 miles away but very expensive otherwise.
I have used MotoSat products for years and am extremely pleased with the quality of their products and their support. I believe that Newell is using KVH for their DirecTV antenna supplier so I would suspect that they provide good support as well or Newell would have changed suppliers.
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