Accounting Authority for Inmarsat C

[sb1946]

We have had an Inmarsat C terminal since 2001. The Accounting Authority is GB14 which was originally British Telecom, then Stratos and now Inmarsat Solutions.
They have instituted an annual charge of USD 250 to replace the 15% surcharge formerly levied on roaming traffic routed through other providers' land earth stations. This applies to other accounting authority codes previously operated by Stratos
We use Inmarsat C almost exclusively to receive GMDSS and other free transmissions. Total expenditure on other services over a 10-year period has been about $300.
In effect the new charge is a fee for the use of the terminal.
Inmarsat Solutions advise that I can change to an accounting authority that does not charge and have provided me with an apparently out of date list of all AAs.
Has anyone else met this problem and found a cheaper AA or is anyone already using an AA that only charges for services actually used?
I could easily spend the $250 on phone calls to all the AAs.

[gstraub]

I got a call from my service provider a couple of months ago alerting me to the new annual fee and asking if I wanted to continue the service. I don't use it much so I opted to discontinue. You should still be able to get the safety messages without a service subscription, but you won't be able to send anything or receive personal messages without the service. It's a bum deal, I agree.

Gerhard


Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[goboatingnow]

I think it's all part of Inmarsat policy of squeezing out low volume users.

If one could get the GMDSS messages over the net , they could be relayed to a spot or Delome device with a bit of technical jiggery pokerly

Dave


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ka4wja]

Richard, et al,
Thank you all for the heads up on this..

Fair winds...

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[SuzieWong]

I am still in the process looing for the equipment for the near future yacht. After successful completion of the LRC course I surely want to have Inmarsat C on board.
A bugger that they started an annual charge… Although, as mentioned above, receiving SafetyNet messages should be still possible w/o any accounting authority, same as sending distress and urgency messages… (as far as my knowledge goes)…
By the way, may I ask which systems can be recommended?
I am still struggling between the Furuno Felcom 18 and the Sailor 6110 (which seems to need more components).
Any advice or practical hints from Inmarsat mini c users would be highly appreciated

[goboatingnow]

I wasn't aware that Inmarsat will send safetynet out if you don't have a Inmarsat C contract

you can of course receive safeynet via NAVTEX for free

[ka4wja]

Dave,
Unless something has changed recently (within the past year), INMARSAT sends out hi-seas SafetyNet broadcasts to all INMARSAT-C terminals...

Here is today's AOR-W SafetyNet broadcast (MetArea IV):

HIGH SEAS FORECAST FOR METAREA IV
NWS OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER WASHINGTON DC
1630 UTC WED MAR 11 2015

CCODE/1:31:04:01:00/AOW/NWS/CCODE
SUPERSEDED BY NEXT ISSUANCE IN 6 HOURS

SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE AVERAGE
HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY
BE MORE THAN TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT

PAN PAN

NORTH ATLANTIC NORTH OF 31N TO 67N AND WEST OF 35W

SYNOPSIS VALID 1200 UTC MAR 11
24 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC MAR 12
48 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC MAR 13

.WARNINGS.

...HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING...
.INLAND LOW 53N68W 990 MB MOVING E 30 KT AND RAPIDLY
INTENSIFYING. OVER FORECAST WATERS WITHIN 540 NM SE QUADRANT
WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS TO 8 FT.
.12 HOUR FORECAST LOW 53N56W 979 MB. WITHIN 780 NM S AND 420 NM
E QUADRANTS WINDS 30 TO 45 KT. SEAS 12 TO 19 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST LOW 53N48W 955 MB. FRONT TO EXTEND FROM LOW
CENTER TO 45N41W TO 38N47W TO 37N58W. WITHIN 240 NM E AND SE OF
THE FRONT N OF 38N...AND WITHIN 240 NM NW SEMICIRCLE WINDS 40 TO
55 KT. SEAS 18 TO 27 FT. ELSEWHERE FROM 34N TO 58N W OF 35W
WINDS 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 12 TO 21 FT.
.30 HOUR FORECAST LOW 53N46W 949 MB. WITHIN 240 NM S AND NW
SEMICIRCLES WINDS 50 TO 65 KT. SEAS 21 TO 32 FT.
.48 HOUR FORECAST LOW 57N39W 951 MB. WITHIN 600 NM N...420 NM
E...360 NM S...AND 540 NM W QUADRANTS WINDS 35 TO 50 KT. SEAS 21
TO 39 FT. ELSEWHERE N OF 32N AND E OF 64W WINDS 25 TO 40 KT.
SEAS 12 TO 21 FT.

...STORM WARNING...
.LOW 62N42W 964 MB MOVING NE 10 KT. WITHIN 240 NM S AND 420 NM E
QUADRANTS WINDS 35 TO 50 KT. SEAS 21 TO 30 FT. ELSEWHERE WITHIN
480 NM S AND SW QUADRANTS...AND 540 NM E QUADRANT WINDS 25 TO 35
KT. SEAS 12 TO 21 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST LOW 63N36W 981 MB. WITHIN 240 NM N AND 300 NM
S SEMICIRCLES WINDS 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 12 TO 18 FT.
.48 HOUR FORECAST LOW AND ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS ABSORBED BY LOW
57N39W DESCRIBED ABOVE.

...GALE WARNING...
.LOW E OF AREA 47N30W 990 MB MOVING NE 35 KT AND RAPIDLY
INTENSIFYING. OVER FORECAST WATERS WITHIN 600 NM W AND SW
QUADRANTS WINDS 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 12 TO 23 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST LOW AND ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS E OF AREA.

...GALE WARNING...
.LOW 42N66W 1006 MB MOVING NE 20 KT. WITHIN 420 NM SE AND 540 NM
SW QUADRANTS WINDS 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST LOW AND CONDITIONS ABSORBED BY LOW 53N48W
DESCRIBED ABOVE.

...GALE WARNING...
.36 HOUR FORECAST NEW LOW 43N43W 993 MB. WITHIN 420 NM S
SEMICIRCLE WINDS 35 TO 45 KT. SEAS 12 TO 24 FT.
.48 HOUR FORECAST LOW AND CONDITIONS E OF AREA.

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING...
.MODERATE TO HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY OVER ICE FREE FORECAST WATERS
N OF 59N W OF 41W AND W OF A LINE FROM 59N48W TO 56N52W TO
51N47W.
.24 HOUR FORECAST MODERATE TO HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY N OF 60N W OF
GREENLAND AND FROM 57N TO 60N W OF 56W.
.48 HOUR FORECAST MODERATE TO HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY NW AND W OF A
LINE FROM 61N47W TO 55N53W AND W OF A LINE FROM 47N47W TO
44N57W.
.SYNOPSIS AND FORECAST.

.DENSE FOG. VSBY OCCASIONALLY LESS THAN 1 NM OVER FORECAST
WATERS FROM 40N TO 42N W OF 67W.
.24 HOUR FORECAST DENSE FOG FROM 44N TO 48N BETWEEN 45W AND 48W.
.48 HOUR FORECAST CONDITIONS IMPROVED.

.DENSE FOG. 48 HOUR FORECAST VSBY OCCASIONALLY LESS THAN 1 NM
OVER ICE FREE FORECAST WATERS FROM 58N TO 62N W OF 56W.

.HIGH 39N49W 1031 MB MOVING E 40 KT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST HIGH E OF AREA.

.HIGH 31N58W 1029 MB NEARLY STATIONARY.
.24 HOUR FORECAST HIGH DISSIPATED.

.48 HOUR FORECAST HIGH 40N74W 1035 MB.

.FORECASTER NOLT. OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER.

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 31N W OF 35W INCLUDING CARIBBEAN SEA AND
GULF OF MEXICO

SYNOPSIS VALID 1200 UTC WED MAR 11.
24 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC THU MAR 12.
48 HOUR FORECAST VALID 1200 UTC FRI MAR 13.

.WARNINGS.

...CARIBBEAN GALE WARNING...
.FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 74W AND 77W NE TO E WINDS 30 TO 35 KT.
SEAS 11 TO 16 FT. ELSEWHERE FROM 10N TO 18N BETWEEN 67W AND 81W
NE TO E WINDS 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 13 FT. REMAINDER AREA S OF
18N BETWEEN 64W AND 82W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT IN
NE TO E SWELL.
.24 HOUR FORECAST FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 74W AND 77W NE TO E
WINDS 30 TO 35 KT. SEAS 11 TO 16 FT. ELSEWHERE FROM 10N TO 17N
BETWEEN 71W AND 81W NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 9 TO 12 FT.
REMAINDER AREA S OF 18N BETWEEN 65W AND 83W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS.
SEAS 8 TO 11 FT IN NE TO E SWELL.
.48 HOUR FORECAST FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 74W AND 77W NE TO E
WINDS 30 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT. ELSEWHERE FROM 10N TO 78N
BETWEEN 70W AND 80W NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
REMAINDER AREA S OF 18N BETWEEN 68W AND 83W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS.
SEAS 8 TO 11 FT IN NE TO E SWELL.

.SYNOPSIS AND FORECAST.

.ATLC FROM 17N TO 22N BETWEEN 55W AND 65W NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT.
SEAS 8 TO 9 FT. ELSEWHERE S OF 20N E OF 63W WINDS 20 KT OR LESS.
SEAS TO 9 FT IN NE TO E SWELL.
.24 HOUR FORECAST S OF 20N BETWEEN 55W AND 655W WINDS 20 KT OR
LESS. SEAS 8 FT IN NE TO E SWELL.
.48 HOUR FORECAST WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.

.ATLC S OF 22N BETWEEN 67W AND 76W...INCLUDING THE WINDWARD
PASSAGE E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 9 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST S OF 22N BETWEEN 68W AND 75W E WINDS 20 TO 25
KT. SEAS TO 8 FT.
.48 HOUR FORECAST LITTLE CHANGE.

.ATLC 48 HOUR FORECAST COLD FRONT FROM 31N50W TO 28N60W. N OF
29N W OF FRONT TO 60W N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT.

.CARIBBEAN S OF 19N W OF 85W...INCLUDING GULF OF HONDURAS...E TO
SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS TO 8 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.

.GULF OF MEXICO FORECAST COLD FRONT FROM 29N91W TO 20N96W. S OF
24N W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.
.24 HOUR FORECAST COLD FRONT FROM 30N92W TO 19N92W. WINDS 20 KT
OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT.
.48 HOUR FORECAST STATIONARY FRONT FROM 30N91W TO 19N92W. FROM
26N TO 29N BETWEEN 85W AND 89W E TO SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS
LESS THAN 8 FT.

.REMAINDER OF AREA WINDS 20 KT OR LESS. SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT

And, for comparison, here are some of today's NAVTEX broadcasts (from Miami and Charleston):

NAVTEX MARINE FORECAST
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1103 AM EDT
WED MAR 11 2015

...PLEASE REFER TO COASTAL WATERS FORECASTS (CWF)
AVAILABLE
THROUGH NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER MEANS FOR DETAILED
COASTAL
WATERS FORECASTS...

SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO

.SYNOPSIS...WEAK COLD
FRONT EXTENDS FROM EASTERN LOUISIANA TO
THE COAST OF MEXICO NEAR 20N97W. THE
FRONT WILL DRIFT SLOWLY
EASTWARD ACROSS W PORTIONS TODAY WITH WEAK LOW PRES DEVELOPING
ALONG FRONT NEAR 25N95W THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVING N-NE
ALONG
FRONT AND INTO SW LOUISIANA THU. THE COLD FRONT WILL THEN
MOVE
SLOWLY E ACROSS THE N GULF TO THE FLORIDA BIG BEND EARLY
SUN...WHILE
THE S PORTION OF THE FRONT STALLS ACROSS THE E BAY
OF CAMPECHE.

.THIS
AFTERNOON...E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT.
ISOLATED
SHOWERS.
.TONIGHT...E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4
FT.
.THU...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
.THU NIGHT...E WINDS 15 TO
20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
.FRI...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.
.FRI
NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
.SAT...SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT.
SEAS 3 TO 4 FT.
.SAT NIGHT...SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 FT.
.SUN...E
WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 FT.
.SUN NIGHT...NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3
FT.

WITHIN 200 NM EAST OF THE COAST OF FLORIDA

.SYNOPSIS...STRONG
HIGH PRES RIDGE OVER THE NORTHERN WATERS WILL
MOVE EASTWARD TODAY THROUGH THU
AND AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES S
OF 31N THU NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM
24N65W TO 27N78W
FRI THEN WILL DISSIPATE FROM 22N65W TO CENTRAL BAHAMAS BY
SAT. A
SECOND COLD FRONT WILL MOVE S INTO THE NORTHERN WATERS SUN
.

.THIS AFTERNOON...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT S OF 27N...AND SE 10 TO
15 KT
N OF 27N. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
.TONIGHT...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT S OF 27N...AND SE 10 TO 15 KT N OF
27N. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SHOWERS.
.THU...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT S OF 27N...AND SE 10 TO 15 KT N
OF
27N. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
.THU NIGHT...S OF 27N...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. N OF
27N...E WINDS
10 TO 15 KT...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 3
FT
S OF 27N...AND 4 TO 6 FT N OF 27N.
.FRI...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3
TO 5 FT S OF 27N...AND 5 TO
7 FT N OF 27N.
.FRI NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20
KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT S OF 27N...AND
5 TO 7 FT N OF 27N.
.SAT...SE WINDS 15
TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 FT S OF 27N...AND 5 TO 7 FT N
OF 27N.
.SAT NIGHT...SE
WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 FT S OF 27N...AND 4 TO
6 FT N OF 27N.
.SUN...S
WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 FT S OF 27N...AND 4 TO 6 FT N
OF 27N.
.SUN
NIGHT...NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT.

NAVTEX MARINE FORECAST FOR MID ATLANTIC STATES WATERS
NWS OCEAN PREDICTION CENTER WASHINGTON DC
1215 PM EDT WED MAR 11 2015

CONDITIONS GIVEN REPRESENT THE HIGHEST WITHIN THAT PERIOD.

...PLEASE REFER TO COASTAL WATERS FORECASTS (CWF) AVAILABLE
THROUGH NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER MEANS FOR DETAILED
COASTAL WATERS FORECASTS...

.SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SE ACROSS THE NRN WATERS
TODAY...THEN CONTINUE SE ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SRN WATERS
TONIGHT THROUGH THU. A STRONG HIGH PRES RIDGE WILL BUILD IN FROM
THE NW LATE THU AND THU NIGHT...MOVE OFFSHORE FRI AND FRI
NIGHT...THEN SHIFT E OF THE AREA SAT. A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NE
ACROSS THE AREA FRI NIGHT AND SAT. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE
OFFSHORE SAT NIGHT...THEN PASS SE ACROSS THE WATERS SUN. ANOTHER
STRONG HIGH PRES RIDGE WILL THEN BUILD IN FROM THE W SUN NIGHT.

SANDY HOOK TO 37.5N

...GALE WARNING...

.TODAY...W WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. CHANCE OF RAIN
WITH VSBY 1 NM OR LESS.
.TONIGHT...N TO NW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT.
.THU...N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT.
.THU NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT.
.FRI...S TO SE WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.
.FRI NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.
.SAT...SW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT.
.SAT NIGHT...W TO SW WINDS 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT.
.SUN...W WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT.
.SUN NIGHT...N TO NW WINDS 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 11 TO 15 FT.

37.5N TO CAPE HATTERAS

...GALE FORCE WINDS POSSIBLE SAT...

.TODAY...W TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT.
.TONIGHT...N WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. CHANCE OF RAIN
WITH VSBY 1 NM OR LESS.
.THU...N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT.
.THU NIGHT...NE WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT.
.FRI...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT.
.FRI NIGHT...S WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.
.SAT...S WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT.
.SAT NIGHT...SW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
.SUN...W TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
.SUN NIGHT...NW WINDS 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 10 TO 14 FT.

CAPE HATTERAS TO MURRELLS INLET

...GALE FORCE WINDS POSSIBLE SUN...

.TODAY...W TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. AREAS OF
DENSE FOG WITH VSBY 1 NM OR LESS.
.TONIGHT...N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT.
.THU...NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT.
.THU NIGHT...E TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT.
.FRI...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT.
.FRI NIGHT...S TO SE WINDS 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT.
.SAT...S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT.
.SAT NIGHT...SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT.
.SUN...W TO SW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT.
.SUN NIGHT...NW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT.

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I wasn't aware that Inmarsat will send safetynet out if you don't have a Inmarsat C contract

you can of course receive safeynet via NAVTEX for free

At least here on this side of the Atlantic, NAVTEX does not include these SafetyNet messages, as NAVTEX here only covers "near-offshore" waters, typically out to 250 miles offshore...

I thought the UK and EU NAVTEX was the same, covering near-offshore waters, typically out 200 - 250 miles???
Can you confirm that, as this is what is posted online (at gmdss.org)

(it used to be, but it's been a few years since I was there....can't get UK / EU NAVTEX here in Florida, some 5000 miles away...


Fair winds...

John

[sb1946]

My understanding was that you have to be registered with an accounting authority in order to connect an Inmarsat C terminal.
Does anyone have actual experience of connecting and receiving Safetynet broadcasts when not registered?

Richard