SSB?

[Roniszoro]

I've got a ICOM M-710RT and an AT-130 tuner sitting in my storage locker and am debating whether to install it in my new (to me) sloop. I plan on getting Predict Wind's Iridium Go package. So I'm wondering if it is worth the expense (back stay insulators and ground a plane) and the effort in time of installing SSB these days.

Your thoughts?

[wsmurdoch]

We have a ICOM IC-m710 and AT-140 that we use almost daily when aboard on ham and marine frequencies when in the Bahamas and at sea.

Waterway Radio and Cruising Club
Cruiseheimers
Navtex weather
Chris Parker weather
Nick's BASRA weather
CG voice weather
Weather fax
Winlink for position reports, email, and GRIB weather

Bill
AK4PO
irish-eyes-to-the-bahamas.blogspot.com

[Roniszoro]

Originally Posted by wsmurdoch

We have a ICOM IC-m710 and AT-140 that we use almost daily when aboard on ham and marine frequencies when in the Bahamas and at sea.

Hi Bill;


Do you have Iridium Go or something like it or is your weather etc from only from SSB?


Ron

[wsmurdoch]

We get weather from VHF, SSB, and cellphone. We do not have satellite coms, never felt the need.

Bill

[sck5]

My first trip down to the Eastern Caribbean I used the SSB all the time. Then I got a cheap Iridium phone on ebay (check it out if you decide to go this route) and rarely used the SSB. But I never wanted anything but weather while on passage so perhaps the cheap/free SSB email options would appeal to you more than they did to me.

I think if I did the Pacific I would need the SSB more. But in the Caribe not so much. In the Bahamas we got a local cell phone number and were happy with it. You dont always get reception everywhere but then again, neither does SSB

[gamayun]

This is almost like the "radar vs AIS" posts -- different equipment for different purposes. Personally, if I had both, I'd keep them both and would not think of them as either/or.

[boom23]

If you plan to do offshore cruising, you'll be happy you installed the SSB.

[Kenomac]

We presently own an ICOM SSB radio which we haven't used in over 6 years. Don't bother installing yours, because there's nobody to talk to out there anymore.

Instead, we're installing a KVH V3IP broadband internet and phone which will enable us to make data phone calls anywhere in the world and get SAT weather updates, all for $49 per month.

Sell the SSB and update to KVH SAT communications.

[MV Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We presently own an ICOM SSB radio which we haven't used in over 6 years. Don't bother installing yours, because there's nobody to talk to out there anymore.



Instead, we're installing a KVH V3IP broadband internet and phone which will enable us to make data phone calls anywhere in the world and get SAT weather updates, all for $49 per month.



Sell the SSB and update to KVH SAT communications.

Hi

Do you have a link to where one can get KVH service for $49 a month?

Many thanks
Tom

[Kenomac]

Here’s a screenshot showing the pricing for $49, the website is kvh.com. The KVH V3ip systems are being discounted because a new system recently came out displacing it. But the V3ip is perfectly capable of 50MB of data calls, virtually unlimited text and emails for the price of $49 per month.

Just set up a dedicated laptop or tablet which won’t fetch automatic updates, and don’t watch videos. The main interest for us in upgrading both Oysters, was to be able to have a dedicated phone number, then be able to make data calls and receive weather files anywhere in the world at anytime.

[gaucho]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Instead, we're installing a KVH V3IP broadband internet and phone which will enable us to make data phone calls anywhere in the world and get SAT weather updates, all for $49 per month.

Sell the SSB and update to KVH SAT communications.

Hmmm aint that a 15k hardware cost?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Here’s a screenshot showing the pricing for $49, the website is kvh.com. The KVH V3ip systems are being discounted because a new system recently came out displacing it. But the V3ip is perfectly capable of 50MB of data calls, virtually unlimited text and emails for the price of $49 per month.

Just set up a dedicated laptop or tablet which won’t fetch automatic updates, and don’t watch videos.

I don't know how I would stay within 50MB a month on a high speed connection.


I used more than a GB last summer on my extremely slow Iridium Go, in about 6 weeks off the grid.


Even very lean VOIP codecs need about a MB per minute of a voice call. I think even special satellite codecs need about 3kbs, and I think that needs to be hardware implemented -- like, inside an actual satellite phone -- to work.



Sounds like a great system, but the faster the connection, the more data most people will need. 50MB is gone in one gulp if you load the wrong page.

[MV Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I don't know how I would stay within 50MB a month on a high speed connection.

Sounds like a great system, but the faster the connection, the more data most people will need. 50MB is gone in one gulp if you load the wrong page.

I used to have a FleetBroadband 250 system on my Oyster which is capable of decent speeds but at great expense. I found that the critical thing was to have a router between the boat network and the satellite modem with a firewall programmed to block all traffic except the specific destinations needed for basic email and weather (in my case xgate and Predictwind). With that in place, I found that a few MB per month was plenty for all the ocean crossing we did without access to cellular or WiFi internet.

[MV Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Here’s a screenshot showing the pricing for $49, the website is kvh.com. The KVH V3ip systems are being discounted because a new system recently came out displacing it. But the V3ip is perfectly capable of 50MB of data calls, virtually unlimited text and emails for the price of $49 per month.

Just set up a dedicated laptop or tablet which won’t fetch automatic updates, and don’t watch videos. The main interest for us in upgrading both Oysters, was to be able to have a dedicated phone number, then be able to make data calls and receive weather files anywhere in the world at anytime.

That’s a very good price - more or less what I spend on my iridium go for 5mb a month. Of course, unless the hardware is already installed or can be found at a big discount, the total cost of ownership is still high.

One advantage of the iridium go is that it can be taken into a liferaft to provide emergency comms but the KVH is certainly faster. Couldn’t you achieve the dedicated number objective (and weather/email) with either an iridium go or an iridium phone handset?

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thoreed

That’s a very good price - more or less what I spend on my iridium go for 5mb a month. Of course, unless the hardware is already installed or can be found at a big discount, the total cost of ownership is still high.

One advantage of the iridium go is that it can be taken into a liferaft to provide emergency comms but the KVH is certainly faster. Couldn’t you achieve the dedicated number objective (and weather/email) with either an iridium go or an iridium phone handset?

We also have an Iridium Go, which I plan to sell or stick in the ditch bag. 50MB is enough for virtually unlimited text, and basic emails each month along with daily weather updates which is all we plan on using the system for. Otherwise, we'll be using the unlimited cellular data plans on our smartphones and iPads.