Trans-Atlantic Internet Connection

[Eitan]

Looking for a good device for cross atlantic.

I would like to have internet connection for the whole way, mainly for weather condition.

[johnar]

not cheap at all, much more reliable ways to get weather at sea, ie. Ham, SSB or Sirius.


Dutch

[Eitan]

Thanks, I'll check them out.

Do you know if I can use the data in my navigation systems?

[johnar]

I am sorry I do not know alot about that. I do know that the Sirius works with the Raymarine C-70 system so I would guess the answer is yes. But I am not sure what your meaning is.

Dutch

[Eitan]

Thanks

[Zanshin]

Various Inmarsat options (very pricey), Iridium phone with data (US$1.50/minute @ 4800 baud) and an SSB with a PACTOR modem and a system such as SailMail are your options. The latter is limited to a certain amount of minutes per day but all the systems will let you load GRIB files. NAVTEX would also give you weather, but no other communication.

I think that Sirius is a US-based satellite system that won't give you useable weather information for the offshore Atlantic.

[s/v Jedi]

How about weather fax? should be the first thing to have imo.

cheers,
Nick.

[Eitan]

Do you know of any reliable weather fax??

[sandy daugherty]

This is all old stuff, Eitan. Try google! Then try the search function here. People have been crossing oceans with good weather data for decades. Even before there was an internet, if you can believe it!

[ka4wja]

Originally Posted by sandy daugherty

This is all old stuff, Eitan. Try google! Then try the search function here. People have been crossing oceans with good weather data for decades. Even before there was an internet, if you can believe it!

Sandy, I couldn't agree more with your succinct post!!!
WELL DONE!!!

Nick, I also agree with your direct post!!!
Also, nicely written....

Now, Eitan, if you're interested in learning about internet access at sea (which I agree seems completely unecessary), you can get quite an education by reading threads here and at the SSCA Disc Boards on this subject.....
http://ssca.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8666

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...one-29813.html

In a nutshell equipment will cost you $4500 - $10,000, minimum (plus installation) and monthly charges based on # MB / per month of data / downloads, which will be from $300/month to $1000/month, or more....
And typical data rates of 128k symentical, with 32k and 64k avail at lower costs, and as much as 250k available at higer costs.....
(Iridium Open Port, or INMARSAT Fleet Braodband)
Although, you can reduce equipment costs some (30% - 40%) and reduce monthly rates a little bit (~ 5-10%) by reducing your requirements to using the system only in port, and/or in calm seas, etc.... (B-GAN)

Eitan, please take Sandy's and Nick's answers to your question to heart....they have steered you straight!!!
Only read what I referenced, if you're looking to waste lots of $$$$....

Fair winds..

John

[barnakiel]

Inmarsat, if not, then:
Open Port (Iridium), if not, then:
Iridium

In any case a weatherfax. Cheap - just need a decent SSB receiver (I use NASA - about 300USD) and a laptop (which you probably have anyway).

If you already have an SSB/ham then going via pactor is a good option too.

b.

[s/v Jedi]

You can get a real weather fax thingy or use a computer with sound card connected to a SSB receiver's headphone output. If you go for a real weather fax you can find a 2nd hand cheap Furuno that prints on the thermal fax paper or the great new Furuno 3D version which is all electronic and you use a web browser on any device (incl. an iPhone if you like) to read the faxes from it (it has an Ethernet port). It also receives Navtex.

If you go the sound card path, you can get free software (Google it) or buy much more user friendly software like "MScan Meteo Pro" for little money.

If you go the SSB + pactor modem route, you can use the pactor modem as the demodulator (no need to use the sound card) or you can just download the weather fax files at any time (regardless of the broadcast schedule) via Winlink or Sailmail. These last two also give you access to grib files, Navtex etc.

I think that sums it up. Satellite services like Sirius Weather or XM Weather do not have the coverage you need.

And then there's the weather forecasts transmitted in voice on SSB and HAM bands.

cheers,
Nick.