Internet / Email Access via Iridium

[Chris84]

I'll search in future
Just reading into Xgate now. Cheers

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

If you use the search function on CF you will find a wealth of answers to your questions.

We kept it simple and used XGATE compression software on a laptop to download email and the GRIBs via Home Page This was efficient and cost effective. Vary the GRIB resolution and size based on situation and requirements.

If the connection is dropped XGATE picks up where it left off on the reconnect. We did not have dropped calls on our crossings as the signal was strong.

Other folks have reported good experiences with other compression software for the Iridium.

[Stendecian]

Bit of a segway but I've found that since the "upgrade" of the CF - the search function is pretty much a chocolate teapot.

[Auspicious]

You might read Sailmail guidance on connecting through Iridium. Airmail does a good job of building the grib request e-mails for you, including automatically sending gribs to you on a schedule. You can view gribs in Airmail (actually a helper app called Viewfax) or transfer the *.grb to OpenCPN.

You'll have to walk through the set-up of your operating system (Windows? Mac?) and switch all updates to manual. Apple, Adobe, Java, and other products leave background apps running to check for updates also - it becomes a research project in and of itself to figure out what is "phoning home."

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by galacticair

I have limited experience using voice on IsatPhone Pro/Iridium 9555, but from what I've seen call quality seems comparable. I once did voice calls (satphone to mobile) testing both units back-to-back for ~5min each, and didn't think any one was markedly better or worse. Both worked well.

However, one satphone vendor told me IsatPhone Pro and geostationary orbit is better for voice quality...

Would love to hear if anyone has a view on this.

Having used both , my main view was that the isatphone needed its antenna pointed in the general direction of the satellite. I could receive and make calls inside with the iridium but not with the isatphone.

Latency on data seemed much higher on the isatphone , which is to be expected.

Iridiums system is so much better technically, but so complex and costly to implement that it's problems are well documented.

On balance I prefer iridium , but there's not much in it and isatphone handsets are considerably cheaper

Dave

[Chris84]

Thanks for everyone's responses. No Doubt I'll be back on here soon trying to work out how to make a bloody call haha

Chris

[monte]

Im also setting up an iridium 9555 and would like a simple method of handling emails. Id rather not subscribe to a service at more than $20/month. I have 500 minutes to use in a year so slightly slower download speeds are acceptable.
I seem to remember someone talking about zygrib saying the data was already compressed so is that a good solution for Gribs?
The free email sights mentioned earlier in this thread seem to now be pay subscription services.
Email isnt so important for me either, just the ability to send and receive urgent mails would be fine.
Weatherfax not really needed either.
To receive weather gribs or fax by email is it best to use saildocs and have gribs delivered daily with email?
Sorry for the randomish questions, just trying to get things nutted out and definitely want to keep it simple!

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by monte

To receive weather gribs or fax by email is it best to use saildocs and have gribs delivered daily with email?

Used saildocs for two years underway with great success. Downloaded GRIBs once to twice per day off-shore depending on the...weather. It is a no-brainer. I don't know of a better more simple way.

[monte]

Thanks, are saildocs gribs compressed? Any idea how they stack up agains zgrib as far as connection/download speed and forecast quality?
Apart from the gribs, can you suggest a free mail compression site?
Thanks again
Monte

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by monte

Thanks, are saildocs gribs compressed? Any idea how they stack up agains zgrib as far as connection/download speed and forecast quality?
Apart from the gribs, can you suggest a free mail compression site?
Thanks again
Monte

I assumed that the XGATE software compressed the GRIBs. That said, perhaps the GRIBs were compressed and the GRIB display software uncompresses the data.

Did not do comparisons to other solutions or know of free sites. Once I found a working solution I went on to the 1000 other tasks needed to get completed before casting off.

[sck5]

I spent a year sailing to the Caribbean and back using winlink and sailmail with a pactor. Then I got a deal on a used Iridium 9555 with an external antenna and used Xgate on our trip last spring to Bermuda and back. Way easier! Could also call people on shore with no problems even while we were getting pasted by bad weather.

Sure, it costs money for Iridium and Xgate. The savings in frustration establishing connections via pactor made it worth it.

And as for web browsing? That is a shore based activity. If you cant do without it, then it is better to stay there or else be very rich.