Download GRIB to iSatPhone Free, cheapest way

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

Best free way is to use Winlink as an email client. On your Windows laptop you need to setup the firewall so that it does not allow any traffic except email. It is relatively easy to do in the firewall. Create a satellite profile, an SSB profile and a shore Wifi profile in the firewall. When offshore, the firewall will stop all traffic except email. The email files will be small because gribs are already compressed and the grib request email is small. You will not lose much compared to Redport and it will be totally free. Winlink allows you to preview emails and choose which ones to download, so you can use this for general email as well. Remember to change the firewall profile when in harbor or you will not be able to surf the web.

SV Pizzazz

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That's good information but I have no idea how to configure Windows firewall. Could you go into a little more detail on that?

Thanks in advance.

[44'cruisingcat]

I'm amazed that this seems to have gotten so difficult. About six years ago all I did was download Saildocs, install the Isatphone driver discs, plug the phone into the laptop, spend about 1/2 hour setting up and it was done.

[Bob666]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

Best free way is to use Winlink as an email client. On your Windows laptop you need to setup the firewall so that it does not allow any traffic except email. It is relatively easy to do in the firewall. Create a satellite profile, an SSB profile and a shore Wifi profile in the firewall. When offshore, the firewall will stop all traffic except email. The email files will be small because gribs are already compressed and the grib request email is small. You will not lose much compared to Redport and it will be totally free. Winlink allows you to preview emails and choose which ones to download, so you can use this for general email as well. Remember to change the firewall profile when in harbor or you will not be able to surf the web.

SV Pizzazz

Hi!


You're right. You don't necessary have to purchase SailMail, Ocens etc, eventhough it might be good stuff.


I've made some progress. I have managed to connect to Inmarsat. As I haven't shut down the firewall, I could view for a few minutes how traffic flowed in both directions and all looks ok in the modem log also.


I previously installed Opera Mail and set it to low bandwidth mode, but of course I could never send nor receive an email as Windows did lots of other stuff on the link, until I disconnected.



Wasn't aware you could have profiles in Windows Firewall. Will try this now. What is hard to know though is - should you block everything except a specific application? What about "Core network services" and stuff like that? After all TCP/IP must function over the dial up connection?

I tried using this technique, I wasn't aware of profiles so made the dial up connection "public" and blocked all but Opera Mail for the Public profile. No go. Hardly any traffic flowing, unlike when firewall open = lots of traffic under status for the connection:
https://superuser.com/questions/4033...s-in-windows-7


Will keep bouncing my head against the wall a bit more...the hard part is the firewall stuff it seems.

[Bob666]

By the way, I downloaded Winlink Express but cannot figure it out, I am no Radio Amateur. Should I use telnet, and where to enter POP/IMAP settings etc?

Might revert to get Opera Mail going. I set it to POP, maybe change to IMAP?

I created a new Gmail address for this purpose. An address I will never share with anybody, solely used for GRIB files.

[Bob666]

I found an app called TinyWall that seems to do the job. Happily I decided to test, just that the iSatPhone Pro decided to die right then. I recommend TinyWall to others though.


So back to square one. Tired of pre-owned electronics. Not that new electronics is any better in the salty environment we reside in, but at least you get to use the warranty (50% of purchases last year ended up in warranty issues. "Made in China" = oh yeah?).


The best part is when you ask them to return the repaired goods to e.g. Marina Coruna, and nothing ends up on their desk. Wicked...


Me, bitter? Not the least..especially like the batteries you buy from Amazon.com, that have been on a shelf for 5 years and have 10% capacity left. Really nice...

Should I buy a brand new Iridium Go? It'll set me back a bit, economically. What about the subscriptions? I know...google...



Cheers

[Emouchet]

I would go with an Irridium phone rather than the go.

You will get almost same capabilities of downloading emails and GRIB, and the option of getting voice when everything else no longer work or you need immediate assistance for medical purpose for instance.


I will be in you same boat next year: So far, for 4-7 days off-shore passages I use my Inreach, but for a long ocean crossing, I think I will go one level up.

[Bob666]

Originally Posted by Emouchet

I would go with an Irridium phone rather than the go.

You will get almost same capabilities of downloading emails and GRIB, and the option of getting voice when everything else no longer work or you need immediate assistance for medical purpose for instance.


I will be in you same boat next year: So far, for 4-7 days off-shore passages I use my Inreach, but for a long ocean crossing, I think I will go one level up.

What about the iSatPhone Pro 2? It's almost 300 Euros cheaper than the Iridium 9555. Plus, I get to keep my number and can simply move the SIM card to the new phone and top it up with the current provider, which I am happy with. I am using Cash card/top up-SIM, as I only use it on Ocean crossings.

I could probably even use my "own method" of requesting GRIBs via Opera Mail, Tiny Wall etc (never had the time to throughly test, I could always purchase Sail Mail if no go).

Once ARC is over, I can keep the phone for life, good for next adventure. Have no interest in Arctic regions. Hate the cold. Somebody born in Sweden would understand...

I made a few calls with the iSatPhone Pro and they were pretty good in quality, but we both sounded a bit drunk.

One thing that speaks for Iridium is that the external antennas are much cheaper! So total cost should be considered.

[Pizzazz]

I will try to write a guide later this weekend on the firewall settings for Windows 10. Best way is to start disabling services one by one and watch your traffic until you get to something reasonable.

Regarding the other question, if you are using a dialup modem, I.e. satellite phone then you need to use Winlink telnet. If you are using Iridium, Winlink has a specific setting for it, so you do not need toess with the firewall. If you are using Winmor, then it is all automatic within Winlink. If you are using an HF modem outside Winlink, then it is complicated and you need the firewall. Give me a couple of days to write a concise guide.

[Bob666]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

I will try to write a guide later this weekend on the firewall settings for Windows 10. Best way is to start disabling services one by one and watch your traffic until you get to something reasonable.

Regarding the other question, if you are using a dialup modem, I.e. satellite phone then you need to use Winlink telnet. If you are using Iridium, Winlink has a specific setting for it, so you do not need toess with the firewall. If you are using Winmor, then it is all automatic within Winlink. If you are using an HF modem outside Winlink, then it is complicated and you need the firewall. Give me a couple of days to write a concise guide.

Awesome. Will do the same if I get Opera Mail in low bandwidth mode + Tiny Wall firewall working as expected.

I ordered a brand new iSatPhone Pro 2. Anybody had any success downloading small GRIB files + receiving a few pure text emails with that unit, without external antenna?


Cheers

[ayozek]

what about this???


FREE GRIB Files from GMN Marine Weather Services




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