Cell phone converage in the Carib.

[LaLeLu]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Skype works fine with WiFi, any broadband connection will do. WiFi should be obsoleted this or next year as WiMax and other stronger/faster versions of wireless broadband deploy now. (At least here in the US.)

Skype works with WIFI in the Bahamas as well. As someone posted above, you can use the free Skype version or you can pay to make calls with Skype from your computer to a land line in the States. It is really cheap - compared to bellteco anyway.

[LaLeLu]

Originally Posted by LaLeLu

Skype works with WIFI in the Bahamas as well. As someone posted above, you can use the free Skype version or you can pay to make calls with Skype from your computer to a land line in the States. It is really cheap - compared to bellteco anyway.

Bellteco? I must have been thinking Taco Bell. That would be BaTelco

[halyardz]

The Admiral and self are heading to Bahamas in January 08 and would like any updates on cell phone coverage/use mainly around Grand Bahama and the Abacos. Our current cell provider is Verizon. Thanks in advance.

[kevinm]

I am going to be island hoping this winter and wondering what the best cell phone company to go with would be between grenada and the virgin islands?

Also what kind of coverage can I expect of shore?

Will I be able to have a single phone# throughout the islands?

Thanks in advance.

[Lynx]

Per the Abaco forums the coverage is only in the towns and is expensive for your phone. Suggest that you cut it off execpt when using it. Extra cost from AT&T will be charged to find your phone has been reported.

Phone cards are cheeper, buy the smallest ones unless you talk a long time as some only allow a few calls out.

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by kevinm

I am going to be island hoping this winter and wondering what the best cell phone company to go with would be between grenada and the virgin islands?

Also what kind of coverage can I expect of shore?

Will I be able to have a single phone# throughout the islands?

Thanks in advance.

Look at Cingular/ATT Motorola Razr (I have V3, not sure what current
version is, just make sure it's a quad band), suppose to work in almost
every island, data in most as well. You can go to Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans from AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless
site and check it out yourself. Note the international rates are high, $2-3
a minute, so if you are using for more than occasional use it might not be
a good option. Yes, you would keep your name number throughout and
could check your email as well. Coverage should be good for 10 miles
offshore. Note, I haven't actually tried this myself, will be using mine
for first time this winter.
TJ

[Lady Hawk]

We have a Verizon air card for our laptop internet connection and have recently started using Skype. We are researching a wi-fi booster system that will work with a newer HP Pavilion computer (the card slot is unique) to increase our wi-fi- range when Verizon is not available.

We are thinking with this setup we can cancel our cell phones with AT&T/Cingular (contract has expired). If our Verizon Card is useless we can suspend service which just extends the contract. We recently visited with a couple that spent the last four years in Turkey and the Med area. They have unlocked phones and just bought local sims card and cell service.

Staying in touch is important but it may not be possible for us as the sat phone is too expensive.
Dawn

[Vasco]

Lady Hawk,

Started a thread a while back re wifi antennas. After a few months of research I've just ordered the following.Netgate
Haven't tried it yet as I won't be cruising until middle of November. I ordered the Netgate set up as it seems simpler than most, doesn't need a card and is a usb connection. I have a HP Pavilion 4000. (3 years old?)

[Lancerbye]

Vasco
I bought one of those last summer and it works good. I plan to extends it's range by hooking it up to an unused modified vhf antenna that sits atop of the mast. Should be able to get a 3 mile range with it.

I use SkypeOUT in the middle east to communicate back to Canada via internet for 2.4 cents per minute. $14.00 for Skypeout per recharge goes a long way.

[SurfNRG]

For wi-fi internet connections on my catamaran I've been happy using a 500mW USB Transceiver for 802.11 G by Quicker Tech. See ::QUICKERTEK:: Kick Ass wireless for your Mac!. The one I'm using is the Quicky for my Mac but they're also available for Windows PC.

[billyehh]

Kevin: From most of the research I have done, the Islands of the Eastern Caribbean are all GSM. Before you leave buy an unlocked GSM phone. A cheap one can be had for under $80.00. I bought one that includes GPS and navigation as well as being WIFI enabled. This way I can use SKYPE for long distance when I am in a hot spot.
At each island (country) you have to buy a sim card to enable the phone approximately $10.00 plus air time.

Ill let you know how well it works, I'm heading for Grenada next week.

[hellosailor]

SurfNG-
I'd be curious to see what ranges you actually get. First, because in order to get "range" you may need extra power and sensitivity at both ends--not just on the boat. But second, because of "latency delays" in the router setups. That is, each Wifi set (your card and the router you are conecting into) is programmed so that if it experiences too great a delay between sending and receiving packets--it will drop them and ignore the transmissions. The delay (if anyone else remembers the NASA radio casts from Houston to the moon landers) is caused by the distance between the two units, and cannot be changed. What some routers allow, is for a user to reprogram them to accept larger delays.
That kind of reprogramming was critical to setting the Wifi line-of-sight land distance record, which is something like 125 miles at this point. But without reprogramming (which most routers simply won't allow) there are much lower limits--offhand I don't know how low.

I suppose it is also worth adding: radio isn't just radio. In the US, licensed amateur radio operators are allowed to use more power on WiFi than "civilians". Both have limits. I'd expect limits apply no matter where you go--and some other countries are way stricter than the US, about confiscating "all related equipment" which could conceivably include the whole boat. They don't just ask for a small fine.

[billyehh]

Rick: That looks just like an EnGenius, which I picked up at Annapolis. However it was $79.00. They also had an amplifier and antenna system rated at 1500 milliamps for $400.00.

Home

I'll try out the small system first and see how it works

[Vasco]

Billy,

Netgear is 199 for the whole package, if you go with EnGenius the whole package comes to $399! But if you don't get the amplifier it comes to $199 so I guess they're the same.

[billyehh]

Thats great. I'd hate see someone out there ripping us off.