Hunting season is upon us again. As summer winds down, sportsmen all over the country are preparing themselves for the thrill of the hunt. And while hunting is an outdoor activity, there are quite a lot of resources online that can help you take your hunting knowledge to the next level.

Know your state’s regulations
Before you even think about going out on a hunt, you need to know what kinds of regulations your state has concerning hunting. Because the federal government mostly leaves hunting laws to the discretion of local governments, regulations vary from state to state.

This means that the start of a particular hunting season in one state may be much earlier than another, which can be confusing to hunters who have just moved or are just starting out. Make sure to check your state’s particular hunting laws and regulations so you can keep yourself on the right side of the law.

Choosing your method of take
Now that you’re all caught up on what your state’s hunting regulations are, it’s time to pick a method of taking down game. If you’re a beginner who wants to hunt larger animals but you don’t know how to quietly get close to your prey, you’re probably going to want a rifle. Rifles generally have a range of around 50 to 300 yards, which means you can keep yourself farther from your prey and have less of a chance of scaring it off.

Bows, on the other hand, take more skill. They can accurately shoot 10 to 50 yards, which means you’re going to need to sneak really close to your prey. That said, they do hold the advantage of penetration over guns. Although rifles are much more powerful, bullets rely only on the high energy of the shot to penetrate. Arrows, on the other hand, require less energy because they have a sharp edge, and can usually penetrate deeper and cause more internal damage than bullets.

No matter what you choose, you need to make sure you’re a good shot. Just like everything in life, practice makes perfect.

Cooking your meat
You’ve picked your weapon, stalked your prey and taken that successful shot. Now comes the fun part: eating. There are a lot of ways to cook your kill, but your most important move is going to be taking the time to get rid of that “gamey” flavor. The first thing you need to do is to trim the fat, connective tissue and silverskin off the meat. A lot of that gamey taste comes from this part of the meat and you’re going to want to remove it before cooking.

After you’ve trimmed your meat, you should consider marinating it. A marinade is the perfect way to mask a gamey flavor while also tenderizing the meat. Marinades are also extremely simple to make, and can turn any meat you bring home into a delectable meal.

Of course, this is only a taste of what the internet has to offer in terms of hunting resources. And even though many hunters may be frustrated with their current rural internet options, Excede is here to make sure you never go without satellite internet again. Our wide range of service options allow you to choose the plan that best fits your lifestyle. From the constantly connected hunter who loves posting his most recent take on Facebook to the outdoorsman who might need to check current regulations from time to time, Excede has the satellite internet package for you.

To have Exede High Speed Internet installed in your home call 717-248-4996.

Going out for a night on the town with your significant other can be expensive. Between the cost of parking, dinner at a nice restaurant and tickets to the show, it can turn into quite the pricey evening.

Instead of shelling out the big bucks, opt for date night at home with the help of satellite internet from Exede! Still wondering how it’s possible for you and your honey to have a fantastic night without ever leaving home? Let’s take a look:

Dinner and drinks: Endless possibilities
When it comes to dinner, there’s simply nothing better than a home-cooked meal. Impress that special someone and show off your culinary prowess with help from your reliable Exede internet service. There are more than a handful of websites that offer recipes for delicious dinners and tempting cocktails – the Food Network, Allrecipes and the food and drink section of Pinterest are among our favorites.

This is also ideal for those that might not be the world’s greatest chef – select an easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipe that includes pictures or even a short video. This foolproof strategy will ensure you and your partner can enjoy a delicious meal without the restaurant’s high price tag.

Skip the movies
Going to the movies is another date night staple, which can get a little expensive. It’s much cheaper for the two of you to select a flick from the comfort of your own couch. Best of all, there’s no need to get dressed up – you can even take relaxation to the next level by making it a pajama party! And with Exede’s internet and DIRECTV services, you have an array of available choices for entertainment.

Exede customers can bundle their services with DIRECTV for a low monthly cost for an entire year. For a full 12 months, you have access to a number of movie channels, as well as your favorite TV shows and sporting events. This makes date night easy – simply select a movie from the guide, sit back and enjoy the show.

Your Exede internet service gives you even more choice when it comes to movies with streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go and other platforms. These websites allow you to stream content directly to your device. Although streaming services can eat up quite a bit of data, there are a few ways to keep you from going over your allotted amount. Using a lower resolution, for example, can help save on data. Check our tips here.

Exede also makes it easy for you to check on your available data – simply visit my.exede.net to view your usage. This way, if you’re nearing the end of your billing period and you still have a few extra gigs of data, you can stream without worrying about exceeding your limit. In addition, Exede’s unique Free Zone – available with Exede Classic, Evolution or Essential plans – gives you a free pass when it comes to data use. Depending on your plan, the Free Zone allows for unmetered internet access from midnight to 5 a.m. or  3 a.m. to 8 a.m. – perfect for night owls.

For more information on Exede call 717-248-4997.

Football is finally here!

Watch every live game this Sunday – FREE on DIRECTV.

View the NFL Sunday Ticket schedule.

A lot has happened in the NFL since Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to victory in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1. But now it’s time to throw out those off season blues and get ready for another year of excitement. And while watching the games is always a good time, many fans are trying to make football a more interactive sport through the creation of fantasy leagues.

Fantasy football has taken off in recent years. An analysis from Fox Business writer Mathew Rocco projected that around 56.8 million Americans and Canadians will play fantasy football in 2015. That’s a lot of people, and with so much competition out there, drafting a team of your own can seem like a daunting task, especially for those new to fantasy football. Thankfully, there are some simple tips and tricks out there to keep you at the top of your league.

Draft day
Picking a good team is vital to a season’s success, so do your research and choose wisely. Making sure you have a successful and productive draft day starts with in-depth research about player rankings and statistics. A good place to start is ESPN’s Fantasy Rankings for 2015.

Although these rankings are a great way to compare players and build a team, it’s crucial that you don’t rely on these as a crutch. Adrian Peterson is currently ranked as the second-best running back and would make a great addition to any team, but he missed the last 15 games of the 2015 season. This, coupled with the fact that he’s getting a little older might lead to some problems at the beginning of the season. Make sure to do your homework on players, including past injury reports and performance during summer training camp.

While researching players, also make sure to look out for sleepers, or players who will outperform their average draft position. One player a lot of people seem to be buzzing about is Blake Bortles, a second-year quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although his first season was a bit of a bust, Bortles had limited offensive options last year. The Jaguars have since invested in their offensive line, and have brought on running back T.J. Yeldon to help Bortles score. Sleepers are generally a gamble, put can pay off big for those who like to live dangerously.

With all of this in mind, it’s important to remember that you’re playing for an entire season, not just draft day. Picking poorly in the draft is going to make winning an uphill battle, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost all chance of being a champion.

During the season
So you’ve done your research, chosen your players and constructed a top-notch fantasy team. Now it’s time to set a lineup and actually start playing. There’s really no surefire way to predict how someone will play during a particular game, which means a lot of the time you’re going to have to rely on intuition.

That said, the first thing every single fantasy coach should do when making a starting lineup is check to see who’s injured and who isn’t. This seems pretty obvious, but starting an injured player is one of the most frustrating ways to lose a game.

What this means is that you need to check on your players religiously. What is ESPN saying about their performance last game? Have they been accused of any criminal charges? Are they tweeting about hanging out at the club the night before a big game? All of these questions and a million others should guide your daily research in order to make sure your team is getting you as many points as possible

What this means is that you’re going to need one of the best wireless internet providers possible. Thankfully, Exede has got your back. With some of the best satellite internet around, Exede allows you greater access to every tidbit of information about all of your team’s players. And with an abundance of DIRECTV internet bundles, you can watch the big game while researching your next trade.

To get Exede High Speed Internet call 717-248-4996 and schedule your installation today.

Experience the NFL like never before! Kick off the 2015 season with a free preview of NFL SUNDAY TICKET on Sunday, September 13. Catch it all only on DIRECTV channels 701–719.

Get every live game, every Sunday, and much more. Watch up to eight lives games in HD at the same time on our exclusive Mix Channel. Choose up to 20 players and keep tabs on their stats throughout the day with Player Tracker. Plus, get real-time scores, stats, and standings throughout game day right on your screen—all without missing a second of live game action.

Enjoy your NFL SUNDAY TICKET free preview on Sunday, September 13, only on DIRECTV (Chs. 701–719).

To get DIRECTV call 717-248-4996 and schedule your installation today.

The average American owns and uses four digital devices, according to the 2014 U.S. Digital Consumer Report from Nielsen. Just think about the devices you currently have – these could include a smartphone, tablet, laptop, wearable device or other connected item like a smart TV. These items have changed the way we do many things, including how we’re entertained.

In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of the second screen, where people not only watch television, but use one of their four mobile devices to connect with complementary apps and websites to enhance their viewing experience. One of the leaders in this arena is DIRECTV, which piloted one of the first second-screen apps available. Now, there are all kinds of second-screen apps available to accompany certain shows and overall network programming.

Second screen habits
So how exactly are people using their second screens to enhance their TV viewing experience? According to recent research, nearly 80 percent of viewers take part in the second screen experience, using a variety of different devices – 32 percent use a laptop, 26 percent use their smartphone and 20 percent use a tablet, according to CE.org.

Sometimes, these activities are less related to what people are watching. CE found that 65 percent of people use their second screen for multitasking and 58 percent pick up their smartphone, laptop or tablet to distract themselves during commercial breaks.

Tips for the best second-screen experience
However you choose to use your second screen, there are some tips you can use to give you the best experience possible:

• Check if there is a companion app for the program you’re watching. Something like DIRECTV’s second-screen app for Rogue can offer a ton of interesting tidbits and factoids. You can even impress your fellow viewers with your knowledge of the show – provided they want to hear your feedback of course.
• Use your second screen for research. Have you ever watched a show and recognized an actor, but can’t place where you might have seen them? Having a second screen handy can help you find out the name of the actor as well as other shows or movies they might have been in. Websites like IMDb, or Internet Movie Database, can be very helpful in these respects. You might even discover something new from this actor that you might like.
• Look up reviews. If you’re anything like us, you don’t want to waste two hours on a movie that turns out to be a real stinker. A second screen can allow you to use websites like Rotten Tomatoes to look up reviews of top TV shows and movies so you know what you’re getting into before the beginning credits ever roll.

Whether you’re using a laptop, tablet or smartphone as your second screen, your satellite internet service from Exede is there to make it happen.

A new report by Coldwell Banker Real Estate and CNET has revealed that the world is waking up to the benefits of the Smart Home. 

More than a quarter of Americans now own at least one connected home device, and they’re enjoying more money, more time, and less worries because of it. In fact, nine out of ten Smart Home users would recommend it to others. Here are three big reasons why. 

A Smart Home Gives You Peace of Mind 

Stat: 72 percent of Smart Home users say it gives them peace of mind on home security.

Smart Home Security has advanced the home security system into a protective powerhouse capable of guarding your home and family from intruders, accidents, water damage, energy waste and even extreme weather. That takes a whole lot of worry off your mind. 

Families with children enjoy this benefit more than most, whether protecting young kids at play in the back yard or staying in touch with home-alone teens. Almost four-fifths of Smart Home parents with under-18s say they enjoy more peace of mind. 

A Smart Home Saves You Time 

Stat: 57 percent of people with Smart Home tech say that it saves them time—30 minutes a day on average. 

With devices like smart lights, locks, and garage doors, a Smart Home gives you a ton of ways to save time. 

You get everyday micro-savings, like using your smartphone (or Apple Watch) to turn your lights off or adjust a thermostat. Then, there are significant but less common time-savers, like letting a contractor in remotely rather than staying home for the morning. They all add up. 

A Smart Home Saves You Money 

Stat: 45 percent of Smart Home users say it saves them an average of $98.30 a month. 

A Smart Home offers a range of ways to protect your home and wallet, including automated energy savings that can put a big dent in energy bills. 

A fully-integrated Smart Thermostat uses information from all around the house to save energy while keeping you comfortable, while smart plugs and switches take the work out of battling energy waste by appliances like TVs. 

To read the report by Coldwell Banker and CNET in full, click here. 

Back-to-school time comes with big changes to schedules and new concerns for parents.  With smart home security from One-Stop Communications, your child coming home safely is less likely to be one of them. 

If you’re a working parent with older kids, you’re not going to be there every night when the bus drops them off. Traditionally, that would mean a routine of check-in calls and keeping tabs on their whereabouts. That can be a hassle for everyone in the family. 

Not so with smart home alarm system, which easily provides the perfect back to school awareness solution to keep you worry free. 

1: Add a Smart Lock 

Keys are small and easy to lose. Kids can be absent minded – particularly with all that homework on their minds. Combine the two and there’s a good chance you might be making a few trips to the hardware store for extra keys this fall. 

Wait—you hid a spare key under a planter? That’s a solution that a burglar will thank you for. A better way to go is a smart lock for your front door. It’s a permanent solution to lost (and poorly-hidden) keys. They open with easy to remember four-digit codes or from anywhere with our smartphone app. 

2: Set Up User Codes 

User codes don’t just open doors, though. They provide peace of mind, even when the security system is disarmed. 

With your smart lock integrated into your Smart Home Security system, your child’s user code can trigger an instant alert when they use it. 

That means you’ll know exactly when they arrive home. There’s no need for them to text, no need for you to call, and no need for you to wonder—it’s completely automatic. For additional awareness, you can create a no-show alert, which lets you know if they’re not home by a certain time. Then you know to follow up. 

3: Add an Image Sensor 

So who else is home? If you don’t want your home to turn into a neighborhood hangout in the afternoons, then it’s a good idea to keep tabs on who’s there. 

An image sensor is a motion sensor with an onboard camera that lets you visually verify who’s coming in and out of your home. Positioned in the hallway overlooking the front door, it can take a snapshot right when your kids arrive home so you can rest assured that they’re following your rules on after-school guests. 

4: Program Your Smart Thermostat 

Kids have more exciting things to worry about than keeping the energy bill down, so they often overlook closing doors and windows when the AC is running. 

You can rest easy about your kids ‘cooling the neighborhood’ with a smart thermostat, which can automatically set back to ‘savings mode’ if they leave the door open for any length of time. 

You can also keep more control over the temperature settings in your home, even when you’re not there. Set a schedule on your Alarm.com Smart Thermostat and create an alert so you’ll know if anyone makes an adjustment on the thermostat. You can even restrict temperature changes so they can only be made from the mobile app, not the device. 

Don’t Have Smart Home Alarm System? Get Started Today 

Back-to-school is here, but it’s not too late to make it easy with One-Stop Communications. 

Love Football? Get NFL RedZone – included in Multi-Sport Pack from DISH. Catch all the best football action at a price that’s unbeatable! Only $13/mo. with qualifying package.

Check out Channel 155 throughout the preseason and Week 1 for a free preview of NFL RedZone.

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