I’m having a weird issue with Hologram. For years we’ve been buying SIMs from them and including with every OVMS device shipped. No issues, no complaints, and all smooth sailing. Now, a month or so ago I tried to buy a new batch of SIMs, the Hologram shop no longer offers shipping to Hong Kong. I wrote to them using their website contact feature, but no reply. I wrote to their sales contact, but no reply. I wrote to all my contacts there, but no reply. I wrote using both my open vehicles email address and gmail, but no reply. Ghosted. No idea if they are restructuring, or something broken with their email contact system, but it is very frustrating. Anyway, it now looks like the upcoming batch of OVMS won’t be able to include Hologram SIMs as standard. An inconvenience for our users, but not much I can do about it. If anyone has any contacts there, or any way of contacting them, perhaps you would try and ask. I’ve given up. There are plenty of alternatives, but perhaps that given that only a fraction of our users actually use the included Hologram SIM, it is time to stop including it. Regards, Mark.
Mouser does seem to have a large quantity in stock. On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 3:57 PM Mark Webb-Johnson <mark@webb-johnson.net> wrote:
I’m having a weird issue with Hologram. For years we’ve been buying SIMs from them and including with every OVMS device shipped. No issues, no complaints, and all smooth sailing.
Now, a month or so ago I tried to buy a new batch of SIMs, the Hologram shop no longer offers shipping to Hong Kong. I wrote to them using their website contact feature, but no reply. I wrote to their sales contact, but no reply. I wrote to all my contacts there, but no reply. I wrote using both my open vehicles email address and gmail, but no reply. Ghosted.
No idea if they are restructuring, or something broken with their email contact system, but it is very frustrating.
Anyway, it now looks like the upcoming batch of OVMS won’t be able to include Hologram SIMs as standard. An inconvenience for our users, but not much I can do about it.
If anyone has any contacts there, or any way of contacting them, perhaps you would try and ask. I’ve given up. There are plenty of alternatives, but perhaps that given that only a fraction of our users actually use the included Hologram SIM, it is time to stop including it.
Regards, Mark.
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Phil, Mouser (or using an address in USA and forwarding on) is an option. Just the whole ghosting thing is making me very nervous about the company. Regards, Mark.
On 21 Nov 2023, at 8:23 AM, Phil Hochstetler <phil.hochstetler@gmail.com> wrote:
Mouser does seem to have a large quantity in stock.
On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 3:57 PM Mark Webb-Johnson <mark@webb-johnson.net <mailto:mark@webb-johnson.net>> wrote:
I’m having a weird issue with Hologram. For years we’ve been buying SIMs from them and including with every OVMS device shipped. No issues, no complaints, and all smooth sailing.
Now, a month or so ago I tried to buy a new batch of SIMs, the Hologram shop no longer offers shipping to Hong Kong. I wrote to them using their website contact feature, but no reply. I wrote to their sales contact, but no reply. I wrote to all my contacts there, but no reply. I wrote using both my open vehicles email address and gmail, but no reply. Ghosted.
No idea if they are restructuring, or something broken with their email contact system, but it is very frustrating.
Anyway, it now looks like the upcoming batch of OVMS won’t be able to include Hologram SIMs as standard. An inconvenience for our users, but not much I can do about it.
If anyone has any contacts there, or any way of contacting them, perhaps you would try and ask. I’ve given up. There are plenty of alternatives, but perhaps that given that only a fraction of our users actually use the included Hologram SIM, it is time to stop including it.
Regards, Mark.
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To add a small data point to Mark’s concerns, I’m using the Hologram SIM in the US[CA], and my OVMS hasn’t communicated over the cellular network [typically T-Mobile] since 11-Nov-23. It typically communicates every time I drive the car (which is at least 3x per week). My OVMS is working fine over WiFi.
On Nov 20, 2023, at 4:38 PM, Mark Webb-Johnson <mark@webb-johnson.net> wrote:
Phil,
Mouser (or using an address in USA and forwarding on) is an option. Just the whole ghosting thing is making me very nervous about the company.
Regards, Mark.
On 21 Nov 2023, at 8:23 AM, Phil Hochstetler <phil.hochstetler@gmail.com> wrote:
Mouser does seem to have a large quantity in stock.
On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 3:57 PM Mark Webb-Johnson <mark@webb-johnson.net <mailto:mark@webb-johnson.net>> wrote:
I’m having a weird issue with Hologram. For years we’ve been buying SIMs from them and including with every OVMS device shipped. No issues, no complaints, and all smooth sailing.
Now, a month or so ago I tried to buy a new batch of SIMs, the Hologram shop no longer offers shipping to Hong Kong. I wrote to them using their website contact feature, but no reply. I wrote to their sales contact, but no reply. I wrote to all my contacts there, but no reply. I wrote using both my open vehicles email address and gmail, but no reply. Ghosted.
No idea if they are restructuring, or something broken with their email contact system, but it is very frustrating.
Anyway, it now looks like the upcoming batch of OVMS won’t be able to include Hologram SIMs as standard. An inconvenience for our users, but not much I can do about it.
If anyone has any contacts there, or any way of contacting them, perhaps you would try and ask. I’ve given up. There are plenty of alternatives, but perhaps that given that only a fraction of our users actually use the included Hologram SIM, it is time to stop including it.
Regards, Mark.
_______________________________________________ OvmsDev mailing list OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com <mailto:OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com> http://lists.openvehicles.com/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev <http://lists.openvehicles.com/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev> _______________________________________________ OvmsDev mailing list OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com http://lists.openvehicles.com/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev
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Apologies, OVMS module required a reboot. After reboot, Hologram SIM is connecting to T-Mobile.
On Nov 20, 2023, at 5:01 PM, Charles B Cangialose <chip@cangmag.com> wrote:
To add a small data point to Mark’s concerns, I’m using the Hologram SIM in the US[CA], and my OVMS hasn’t communicated over the cellular network [typically T-Mobile] since 11-Nov-23. It typically communicates every time I drive the car (which is at least 3x per week). My OVMS is working fine over WiFi.
On Nov 20, 2023, at 4:38 PM, Mark Webb-Johnson <mark@webb-johnson.net <mailto:mark@webb-johnson.net>> wrote:
Phil,
Mouser (or using an address in USA and forwarding on) is an option. Just the whole ghosting thing is making me very nervous about the company.
Regards, Mark.
On 21 Nov 2023, at 8:23 AM, Phil Hochstetler <phil.hochstetler@gmail.com <mailto:phil.hochstetler@gmail.com>> wrote:
Mouser does seem to have a large quantity in stock.
On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 3:57 PM Mark Webb-Johnson <mark@webb-johnson.net <mailto:mark@webb-johnson.net>> wrote:
I’m having a weird issue with Hologram. For years we’ve been buying SIMs from them and including with every OVMS device shipped. No issues, no complaints, and all smooth sailing.
Now, a month or so ago I tried to buy a new batch of SIMs, the Hologram shop no longer offers shipping to Hong Kong. I wrote to them using their website contact feature, but no reply. I wrote to their sales contact, but no reply. I wrote to all my contacts there, but no reply. I wrote using both my open vehicles email address and gmail, but no reply. Ghosted.
No idea if they are restructuring, or something broken with their email contact system, but it is very frustrating.
Anyway, it now looks like the upcoming batch of OVMS won’t be able to include Hologram SIMs as standard. An inconvenience for our users, but not much I can do about it.
If anyone has any contacts there, or any way of contacting them, perhaps you would try and ask. I’ve given up. There are plenty of alternatives, but perhaps that given that only a fraction of our users actually use the included Hologram SIM, it is time to stop including it.
Regards, Mark.
_______________________________________________ OvmsDev mailing list OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com <mailto:OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com> http://lists.openvehicles.com/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev <http://lists.openvehicles.com/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev> _______________________________________________ OvmsDev mailing list OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com <mailto:OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com> http://lists.openvehicles.com/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev
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To follow up on this, I tried ordering from Mouser, but the order has been stuck in ‘export review’ for a week now with no movement. Still no reply from Hologram themselves. I can only guess that something has recently changed regarding SIM card export from USA. I know Hong Kong introduced a real name registration for local SIM cards - but both international roaming SIM cards and data-only IOT SIM cards were explicitly excluded from that requirement. Anyway, I give up. I know I could gray-market import these (thanks for the offers), but it is just too much hassle and we all have more important things to do. I have updated the documentation to reflect that Hologram SIMs are no longer included, but can be purchased directly from Hologram or its distributors, if required. Regards, Mark.
On 21 Nov 2023, at 8:23 AM, Phil Hochstetler <phil.hochstetler@gmail.com> wrote:
Mouser does seem to have a large quantity in stock.
On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 3:57 PM Mark Webb-Johnson <mark@webb-johnson.net <mailto:mark@webb-johnson.net>> wrote:
I’m having a weird issue with Hologram. For years we’ve been buying SIMs from them and including with every OVMS device shipped. No issues, no complaints, and all smooth sailing.
Now, a month or so ago I tried to buy a new batch of SIMs, the Hologram shop no longer offers shipping to Hong Kong. I wrote to them using their website contact feature, but no reply. I wrote to their sales contact, but no reply. I wrote to all my contacts there, but no reply. I wrote using both my open vehicles email address and gmail, but no reply. Ghosted.
No idea if they are restructuring, or something broken with their email contact system, but it is very frustrating.
Anyway, it now looks like the upcoming batch of OVMS won’t be able to include Hologram SIMs as standard. An inconvenience for our users, but not much I can do about it.
If anyone has any contacts there, or any way of contacting them, perhaps you would try and ask. I’ve given up. There are plenty of alternatives, but perhaps that given that only a fraction of our users actually use the included Hologram SIM, it is time to stop including it.
Regards, Mark.
_______________________________________________ OvmsDev mailing list OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com <mailto:OvmsDev@lists.openvehicles.com> http://lists.openvehicles.com/mailman/listinfo/ovmsdev
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participants (3)
-
Charles B Cangialose -
Mark Webb-Johnson -
Phil Hochstetler