Can I ditch my SSB radio for an Sat Phone type Iridium Go?

[Irishaisling]

Can anyone advice if a Sony All-band radio receiver would work offshore to at least listen to nets? I have the Iridium Go system and will not be installing an SSB. Just wondering if I can have the best of both worlds, but without the complexity of installing an SSB (have had in the past and have a licence).

[merrydolphin]

It’s marginal. Better than nothing. You can buy ham rigs really cheap used. Really pretty simple installation. The whole package rig, tuner, antenna under $500. Run copper strapping from tuner to a couple of thru hull. Antenna wire to a home made antenna. 12V to rig. Wire rig to tuner. Done! Now you have both! I think the nets are still worth it even just using on marine SSB nets.

But yeah. The Sony better than nothing. Good luck. I bought all my SSB gear on VHF Cruisers nets.

[Marathon1150]

A dock neighbour in Mexico used a Sony shortwave and was generally able to receive all relevant local SSB/HF nets, sometimes better than others with SSB/HF radios, even on the HAM bands.

We have an SSB/HF (ICOM 802) and I have a HAM license. The radio is the best way to stay in touch with groups of people via nets. We participated in the Pacific Puddlejump last year and there was a requirement for daily check ins via email or SMS. This also allowed keeping in touch with groups of people but not quite in the same way. Questions could certainly be asked but it might be several days before a response was received. On a radio net the response is immediate.

Nonetheless, the IridiumGo is much simpler to use and IMHO much more dependable for sending and receiving email messages. It always works - there are some days when connecting to a Sailmail station for email can be quite difficult.

[Tomodore]

Remember Rebel Heart a few years back, they left for French Polynesia from Mexico with HF radio and sat phone. While on passage the phone company disconnected their service due to bureaucratic error. Their HF radio was disabled As I recall from a deck leak. When on of the crew had a health issue their only recourse was the EPIRB.They ended up abandoning the boat.My point that for coastal waters super redundancy is a nice luxury for off shore relying on one or even two system can be catastrophic. On Tappan Zee we use our HF radio as primary and Garmin InReach as back up. Not planning another equator crossing soon but if we do I'll shop for some more options for communication.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I was recently at the point of having to make this decision myself. I have an HF radio, but I'd have to spend money to get it working, plus I'd have to invest time to learn how to use it, get licensed, etc. My decision was to get an Iridium Go! and I will soon sell the Icom radio and Pactor modem. With limited resources, I have to prioritize.

[argonauta1]

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

I was recently at the point of having to make this decision myself. I have an HF radio, but I'd have to spend money to get it working, plus I'd have to invest time to learn how to use it, get licensed, etc. My decision was to get an Iridium Go! and I will soon sell the Icom radio and Pactor modem. With limited resources, I have to prioritize.

In so doing you deny yourself and crew any opportunity to participate in the cruiser nets and all the networking of information nets provide.

[jackdale]

Given a forced choice between SSB and sat phone, I will go with Sat Phone.

For those who need assistance from vessels nearby, a call to the the nearest RCC with result in them coordinating with AMVER (https://www.amver.com/) and effecting a rescue. All you need to do is include the appropriate RCC phone numbers in your passage planning process. (https://sarcontacts.info/). This needs to be done in advance.

Be there, done that.

https://www.amver.com/Content/Docs/P...ss_release.pdf

https://youtu.be/NBn7drXizb0

[merrydolphin]

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

I was recently at the point of having to make this decision myself. I have an HF radio, but I'd have to spend money to get it working, plus I'd have to invest time to learn how to use it, get licensed, etc. My decision was to get an Iridium Go! and I will soon sell the Icom radio and Pactor modem. With limited resources, I have to prioritize.

I agree if you have absolutely no choice. But, a good thing about SSB is that they are readily available. You can but components on the used market. I bought mime form a buy/saws/trade on a VHF net. $400 for all: transiver, tuner and made my own antenna and ground system. Also ham outlets on line have much used equipment. So what ever your problem, you could probably get going for a couple of hundred or less. If you just use it as Marine SSB and not ham licensing isn’t much issue. I really have benefitted from radio nets. In many ways. At least once it enabled us to save a life, and once I was able to get a badly needed tow from a fellow on the SSB net. Plus just lots of info and knowledge. But I really do enjoy having both. Two different things really.

[akopac]

Beyond the ease of install or maintenance for HF radio. There is a social aspect. Just talking and mingling on the HF nets is really cool and fun. Not sure you can get that from a GO.

[donradcliffe]

Having spent the last 2 weeks fighting with a GO, I would get both systems working well before you leave. Even with the external antenna, I could not get half of my texts to send on the GO and phone calls were very rough and dropped every couple of minutes. It liked a mode called "login failed", which could only be cured by removing the battery for a few minutes and rebooting. They say that the Iphone app is less buggy, but I got pretty frustrated with my Android.

[davil]

+1
today finished installing my old ICOM 710,was in the garage for the last 21 years since I removed it from my previous cruising boat.
Thanks to the guidance and encouragement of ka4wja and Brian as well as other members,at 5 pm was able to receive the weather report from Chris Parker on his daily report.
Amazing
I am located in Morehead City NC and not a clear shot as surrounded by trees.
Not too interested on communications as much as the cruising nets and weather reports.
There is plenty of information on the forum and they both are very patient dealing with some of us (ineducable)
I carry on board the IridiumGo,Garmin InReach SE Explorer as well as all the EPIRB available including personal and AIS etc.

Subscribe to Predictwind full service to download gribs files as well receiving texting etc.

I like the SSB for the limited but nice contact with the nets, too bad the older radios do not have the Selective Digital service, after this season might get it,a only couple of thousand for an emergency distress call to all available shipping around, worth it to short the time of rescue if needed.

I used a made up backstay without cutting the backstay for the ceramic insulators,total cost $ 5.00 using 30 ft of stainless wire I have left at home.
Very happy.
PS
Somebody asked about the small portables,I use the Tecsun and the reception depending on the weather have picked up Chris Parker reports.

[Capt.Don]

Re: Inreach vs. Iridium Go! - they are different devices.

Our Garmin InReach subscription is $35/month for unlimited tracking and 40 text messages/month. Spot weather can be downloaded as a text SMS message (though costs 2 messages and is not very detailed). There's no email or GRIB downloads. The Iridium Go!, unlimited data subscription costs $140/month, and includes unlimited data and 150 minutes of voice.

We use the SSB w/Pactor modem for email and GRIBs. The InReach works well for tracking and brief text messages. I'm thinking about the Iridium Go! for convenience and backup. Though, there's not a lot of free Windows PC/laptop email or GRIB download options that work with the Iridium Go!. I can continue to use Winlink (free), or, subscribe to SailMail $299/year, or subscribe to PredictWind's Standard package $250/year.

We've been fine with SSB w/Pactor and InReach. The Iridium Go! (if we purchase) will be a convenience (though at a $600-$1000 equipment, $140/month Iridium data plan and possibly $250/month PredictWind.

Don

[sv_pelagia]

All this talk of InReach yet no mention of ZOLEO.

Suggest you take a look:
https://www.zoleo.com/

Compare InReach vs Zoleo:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yR--HkF8l0Q

(We have/use HAM Winlink email on our SSB but have recently purchased a Zoleo to "compliment" our SSB-based communications.)

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

All this talk of InReach yet no mention of ZOLEO.

(We have/use HAM Winlink email on our SSB but have recently purchased a Zoleo to "compliment" our SSB-based communications.)

The Zoleo has a significant weakness compared to the InReach. There's no texting facility; it requires a phone app. And whilst the text facility of the INReach is primitive and tedious, the unit is self contained,

I recently borrowed an InReach for an ocean voyage. And we found ourselves in trouble. It's hard to evaluate with certainty, but I think the outcome would have been more negative had we had to rely on a delicate smart phone that needs a comparatively enormous quantity of power.

Water and smart phones don't make a great match. And if your cell phone dies the Zoleo is effectively useless except for the Mayday button. And typically things go wrong in bad weather; hands, clothing etc gets wet.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by grantmc

The Zoleo has a significant weakness compared to the InReach. There's no texting facility; it requires a phone app. And whilst the text facility of the INReach is primitive and tedious, the unit is self contained,



I recently borrowed an InReach for an ocean voyage. And we found ourselves in trouble. It's hard to evaluate with certainty, but I think the outcome would have been more negative had we had to rely on a delicate smart phone that needs a comparatively enormous quantity of power.



Water and smart phones don't make a great match. And if your cell phone dies the Zoleo is effectively useless except for the Mayday button. And typically things go wrong in bad weather; hands, clothing etc gets wet.

I have NO problem keeping my smartphone safe from water... in its waterproof dry sleeve https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5030-6...e?colour=SOU00

As for Zoleo, I recommend others actually do their research and compare. The linked youtube does deal with pros and cons.

Batteries are not an issue as I have several power banks (almost never needed).