Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Single Post - Sat Phone w/ Data Transfer

conachair · 05-06-2009, 05:01

Shell, I did a fair amount of research on this recently and found for me iridium was the best way. Phone with data kit off ebay cost 500 pounds UK. SSB radio with modem et all where i was at the time was going to be over 4000. WOuld love ssb but can´t afford. Inmarsat install and running costs were too much. Worst bit about iridium is the 34 pounds a month fee before turning the thing on, airtime costs me about 2 pounds a minute but think there are cheaper options from usa which i might go for soon. You don´t say what you want to do? Internet access, forget it, too slow. Emails and grib files fine and there´s another feature seldom mention in these ssb\sat discussions, you can phone people from midocean

. If it´s just weather then weatherfax may be a much cheaper bet, just need a ssb reciever (200 pounds would get you one) and a laptop. Lots weather info here Franks-Weather / Frank Singleton's Weather and Sailing Pages | The Weather Window
More technically with the satphone I found that to FTP download grib files from here Index of / was faster than using a service such as Global Weather Downloads (GRIB / Synoptic / Text) | MailASail via email though if you want to check your emails (I don´t bother offshore) then maybe not.

05-06-2009, 05:01	#19
conachair Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cruising Brazil Boat: Ebbtide 33' steel cutter Posts: 74	Shell, I did a fair amount of research on this recently and found for me iridium was the best way. Phone with data kit off ebay cost 500 pounds UK. SSB radio with modem et all where i was at the time was going to be over 4000. WOuld love ssb but can´t afford. Inmarsat install and running costs were too much. Worst bit about iridium is the 34 pounds a month fee before turning the thing on, airtime costs me about 2 pounds a minute but think there are cheaper options from usa which i might go for soon. You don´t say what you want to do? Internet access, forget it, too slow. Emails and grib files fine and there´s another feature seldom mention in these ssb\sat discussions, you can phone people from midocean . If it´s just weather then weatherfax may be a much cheaper bet, just need a ssb reciever (200 pounds would get you one) and a laptop. Lots weather info here Franks-Weather / Frank Singleton's Weather and Sailing Pages \| The Weather Window More technically with the satphone I found that to FTP download grib files from here Index of / was faster than using a service such as Global Weather Downloads (GRIB / Synoptic / Text) \| MailASail via email though if you want to check your emails (I don´t bother offshore) then maybe not.