Iridium Go - is it really a good deal?

[TheOffice]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Almost certainly requiring all new client hardware.

Existing hardware will work but won’t take advantage of the high speeds.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

Existing hardware will work but won’t take advantage of the high speeds.

The NEXT design was completed in 2010, the satellites were built starting in 2014, and launched starting 18 months ago. Unconscionable that the ground-based hardware sold in that period isn't future proofed. Instead "For small, portable devices, we won’t be introducing Iridium NEXT enhanced services until the network is fully deployed in the late 2017 [No news, they're late] timeframe." That's what you get with what is essentially a monopoly.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by Jordan

I've had an iridium Go for 1 year. It's been my primary source of weather data during a voyage from Florida to the Beagle Channel.

My monthly bill is between $90 and $125.

I have the Blue Cosmo Go75 plan.

I get my weather data by using the iridium Go app to download free grib data from MailaSail.

During high usage months I download grib data maybe 3 times in 2 days.

This is more expensive than I thought it would be. Some cruising friends are using an iridium 9555 phone to get grib data and it costs them hlf of what I pay.

Does anyone have a better/cheaper way to use the Go (other than getting less weather data)?

Thanks!!!

As your cruising friends how much data they are downloading with the 9555. They may be using it less, Perhaps only a couple times or once a week instead of 3 times in 2 days. They also might be downloading smaller gribs, either a lower resolution or a smaller area.

I believe the Go to be cheaper for data, and the phone cheaper for voice. Certainly with the unlimited data plan, which isn't available on the 9555.

The go is a heck of a lot easier to set up than the 9555 as well, which requires setting up a dial up connection on your laptop.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by TheOffice

Existing hardware will work but won’t take advantage of the high speeds.

My point exactly. Iridium NEXT is not relevant to people with existing hardware unless they are prepared to start over.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

My point exactly. Iridium NEXT is not relevant to people with existing hardware unless they are prepared to start over.

The hardware is cheap, is not fixed mount, and can be resold, so I think this is a pretty trivial issue.

I have no doubt that the NEXT hardware will be expensive, so the Go! will surely continue to be relevant and in demand.

I'm not sure I even need NEXT -- the Go! is really excellent for essential weather and nav work, plus basic email comms.

[Kenomac]

I just purchased an Iridium Go for $550 which included a spare battery and Pelican case, and intend to use the $139 unlimited data plan which includes 150 minutes of talk. Very cheap data and hardware IMO. I’ll switch to Next when it’s available and either sell the Go system or retain it for redundancy or ditch bag.

Dockhead,

Is the data fast enough for an audio data call using Whatsapp? I was encouraged to buy the Go from your positive reports.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I just purchased an Iridium Go for $550 which included a spare battery and Pelican case, and intend to use the $139 unlimited data plan which includes 150 minutes of talk. Very cheap data and hardware IMO. I’ll switch to Next when it’s available and either sell the Go system or retain it for redundancy or ditch bag.

Dockhead,

Is the data fast enough for an audio data call using Whatsapp? I was encouraged to buy the Go from your positive reports.

The data is definitely not fast enough for that. Think 1200 baud modem. Maybe even 300 baud modem. A 1 megabyte file is possible but it's a big deal which may take a long time.

What I like about it and what is different from a Pactor modem is that the data rate although very slow, is very stable, and connections are not dropped. It is a very efficient and reliable way to send and receive small data files. Up to 50kb is really good.

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Everything? No.

Today you can use WINMOR, a software modem, with Winlink Express. It is slower than Pactor III (P3) and a lot slower than Pactor IV (P4). It can only be used with Winlink so you must have an appropriate ham radio license (General or above in the US) and you may not communicate anything that is in your financial interests. They check. You also give up the truly outstanding weather fax hardware demodulator in SCS ("Pactor") modems. You also give up a number of functions in Airmail that are focused on the cruiser that do not exist in Winlink Express which is focused on terrestrial emergency communications.

There are two other software modems in development. Prospects are promising as far as it goes but no one, not even the developers, expects to beat Pactor and you'll still have the shortfalls of Winlink Express.



True has far as it goes. Pactor is more robust, more reliable, and faster than WINMOR. You also have more options: Sailmail, Cruiseemail, Brunei Radio, and more.


Why not synoptics over weather fax? So much better than gribs.


PredictWind is still gribs. They just mix GFS with a couple of other models and do some tweaking. Still just a grib. No fronts.


Still gribs. *sigh*

Thanks very much for your comments. I did a deeper dive in to the PredictWind website and it only provides Grib files, although options with some proprietary weather models.



On the OP's issue: cost - One of the things that most excites me from casting the dock lines off and leaving land is to get rid of the monthly subscription fees from cell phones, cable TV, and everything else. I am really resistant to the idea of having another monthly fee. I'm sure that seems ridiculous to some of you.



I may change my mind later but I'm going to get the Pactor modem while gritting my teeth about the cost of it but at least I won't have one more monthly business arrangement I have to deal with forever and forever. There are enough of those already.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

Thanks very much for your comments. I did a deeper dive in to the PredictWind website and it only provides Grib files, although options with some proprietary weather models.



On the OP's issue: cost - One of the things that most excites me from casting the dock lines off and leaving land is to get rid of the monthly subscription fees from cell phones, cable TV, and everything else. I am really resistant to the idea of having another monthly fee. I'm sure that seems ridiculous to some of you.



I may change my mind later but I'm going to get the Pactor modem while gritting my teeth about the cost of it but at least I won't have one more monthly business arrangement I have to deal with forever and forever. There are enough of those already.

Well, you are the perfect candidate for HF radio. If you get a ham radio license and a Pactor modem, then there is an awful lot you can do for free.

However, carrying on any kind of business correspondence is not one of them! For that, you will need a SailMail account, which is quite expensive -- currently $275 p.a. And that does NOT give you unlimited access to the system -- you are allocated a certain amount of connection time.

Probably that will do if you don't have a large volume of business correspondence (that includes anything commercial, managing renting out your house, etc. etc.), because you can do your personal correspondence for free over WinLink.

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, you are the perfect candidate for HF radio. If you get a ham radio license and a Pactor modem, then there is an awful lot you can do for free.

However, carrying on any kind of business correspondence is not one of them! For that, you will need a SailMail account, which is quite expensive -- currently $275 p.a. And that does NOT give you unlimited access to the system -- you are allocated a certain amount of connection time.

Probably that will do if you don't have a large volume of business correspondence (that includes anything commercial, managing renting out your house, etc. etc.), because you can do your personal correspondence for free over WinLink.

Right on Dockhead. We had Sailmail and Winlink before (we both have our Ham licenses) and I am OK paying something for business correspondence but I have to say I want to leave most of that behind me when we push off again. We are selling the house to avoid having to deal with the whole landlord thing. And I want to keep my other financial stuff as minimal as possible. That is one of the reasons, for us, to push off. Others love it or need it. We'll go to great lengths to minimize it. I wish I didn't have to deal with the USCG boat doc renewal as that has always been an annual hassle. At least US taxes can be done relatively easy online.



It is great that there are more options for those who have to do business dealings though.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

I wish I didn't have to deal with the USCG boat doc renewal as that has always been an annual hassle.

The past couple of years I have received fliers for a private service that handles this too. I don't need it right now so I didn't keep the mailings, but I'm sure you can Google it. Can't vouch for its rep but you can find that out too I'm sure.

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by Exile

The past couple of years I have received fliers for a private service that handles this too. I don't need it right now so I didn't keep the mailings, but I'm sure you can Google it. Can't vouch for its rep but you can find that out too I'm sure.

These services are a legal scam. They charge you more than the USCG Documentation Service does for no benefit. You still have to deal with it annually regardless.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

These services are a legal scam. They charge you more than the USCG Documentation Service does for no benefit. You still have to deal with it annually regardless.

OK, good to know, thanks.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The hardware is cheap, is not fixed mount, and can be resold, so I think this is a pretty trivial issue.

True that it can be resold. It won't be worth much when Iridium NEXT flies.

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Is the data fast enough for an audio data call using Whatsapp? I was encouraged to buy the Go from your positive reports.

Not even close. Check the Iridium app - crackly audio, text messages, very limited email, gribs, Facebook posting but not I think reading.

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

I may change my mind later but I'm going to get the Pactor modem while gritting my teeth about the cost of it but at least I won't have one more monthly business arrangement I have to deal with forever and forever. There are enough of those already.

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, you are the perfect candidate for HF radio. If you get a ham radio license and a Pactor modem, then there is an awful lot you can do for free.

However, carrying on any kind of business correspondence is not one of them! For that, you will need a SailMail account, which is quite expensive -- currently $275 p.a. And that does NOT give you unlimited access to the system -- you are allocated a certain amount of connection time.

Probably that will do if you don't have a large volume of business correspondence (that includes anything commercial, managing renting out your house, etc. etc.), because you can do your personal correspondence for free over WinLink.

Sailmail is pretty inexpensive for what you get. I was proposal manager for $60M effort at CSC some years ago during a transatlantic and the time requirements and data needs were well within the allocation from Sailmail.

I highly recommend getting a ham license. Don't worry about questions and answers. Learn the material. It will come in handy. Other than some minor regulatory material everything will make you a more self sufficient cruiser.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Sailmail is pretty inexpensive for what you get. I was proposal manager for $60M effort at CSC some years ago during a transatlantic and the time requirements and data needs were well within the allocation from Sailmail.

I highly recommend getting a ham license. Don't worry about questions and answers. Learn the material. It will come in handy. Other than some minor regulatory material everything will make you a more self sufficient cruiser.

We've owned an SSB radio for over 6 years, and never used it even once even though I have a license. Ancient technology IMO, soon to go extinct except for very limited ship to ship specialty communications. Dockhead I believe also has one but never uses his either.

Bring on the new tech, Iridium GO $139 per month for 2-3 months when needed is a bargain compared to the cost of installing an SSB and Pactor Dragon 4, the cost of the modem excluding connections is over $1500 alone.