Satellite Communicator

[Latecomer]

Ahoy!

Guys and Gals,

I am about ready to purchase one of the satellite communicators on the market, but would first like to know what other cruisers have to say about their experiences.

Question: Which is the absolutely best of all the makes and models, or better yet, which is a must have for the serious sailor?

Regards,

George

[Mike OReilly]

Do you mean a full sat phone or something like the inReach or SPOT? If the latter, I've used inReach since before it was Garmin's takeover. Still like it.

[Latecomer]

Mike,

I don't think my budget will allow for a satphone, however, it would be good to be able to have that capability as well. If I'm not mistaken, I think there's an Iridium that features phone, text, and internet in the high $600 range. I realize that there is a a monthly subscription charge for the various services offered, however, that is to the extent of my knowledge about portable satellite communications. Tell me more about the pros and cons, and what works best for you.

[Mike OReilly]

inReach uses the Iridium satellite network, so global coverage. I use it to send tracking points that allows people to see where we are. I also use it to send both per-formatted and basic texts. The cost is modest ... much cheaper than a full sat system. The plans are flexible, and can be upgraded or downgraded as need arises.

It also has other tools such as being able to access weather forecasts (ranging from basic to somewhat detailed), as well as an emergency service.

The cons are it's not a full satellite system. It's no where near as flexible.

It is a tool that does a few specific things, but does them well, and for a modest price.

[Latecomer]

Sounds very interesting...Thanks! I will definitely do some research on InReach.

George

[fogmachine]

What is a "serious sailor"? If I'm coastal I don't need satellite. For offshore passages where I need only weather downloads and e-mail I prefer Iridium GO! If we're offshore and someone needs to frequently talk to the office we use an Iridium phone. If the goal is periodic position updates on a website there are several solutions.