Connecting to Ocens downloads with Globalstar and Ipad

[Calypso52]

Is anybody else using a Globalstar phone and the Globalstar car kit to connect to Ocens weather downloads using the Ocens Sidekick wireless router and Grib Explorer Plus on an Ipad? How's it going?

[mrronwright]

I am the Regional Sales Manager for Globalstar for the NW and AK. I have and use the Side Kick and the Explorer software. In my experience it has operated very well and downloads quickly. I work regularly with the crew at Ocens and I've found them to be very helpful. I highly recommend their services!

[Calypso52]

Clearly from the lack of response to my question, I may be on the bleeding edge here. The most important lesson to be repeated over and over: Allow plenty of time to install and test new electronics before a sea voyage. Fortunately I did.

My issue is now resolved thanks to the amazing persistence and patience of the good folks at Ocens, and Ron at Globalstar. I even spoke to the owner of Ocens for an hour on a Sunday afternoon. I have been assured that the issue with the settings in my new Globalstar phone was one in a thousand and will not reoccur.

The Globalstar/Ocens/Sidekick/Grib Explorer Plus package is elegantly simple and affordable for those of us without SSB. I'll post another update after I've used it for a couple weeks at sea.

[Calypso52]

Well its been six months now. The weather downloads from Ocens work just fine and I recommend the Globalstar for that.
However for voice in the Caribbean, simply put, it sucks. First you wait for it to find a satellite. Make yourself some coffee and come back. The moment you have four bars (one, two and three do nothing for you) dial quick. If you connect, quickly explain that you are calling on a poor connection and it may get lost. Apparently the process of losing a call for the person you are talking to is worse than on your end. Lots of static. The connection may last 30 seconds or 10 minutes. You never know.
So of those 1,200 minutes I purchased to be used within one year, I will use about a hundred. Next year I will buy the minimum number of minutes only if I am going to do weather downloads offshore. From island to island, cell phones and wifi are the way to go. Globalstar is only for those with no other option either in terms of service or price. If you can afford Iridium and need it, that is the way to go.
And getting some limited weather from Ocens and/or Chris Parker emails via In Reach is really the low cost solution.