Satphones Locked up by Cuban Customs?

[barnakiel]

Are satphones locked up by Cuban Customs?

I ask this as my clients (weather routing) sailed into Hemingway and we immediately lost contact to their Iridium phone.

They cannot access the Internet there either.

Pretty stupid situation with Irma approaching the island.

PLS let me know your feedback.

Regards,
barnakiel

[Auspicious]

My understanding is that hardwired satellite terminals are allowed but handheld and other portable satellite messaging devices (including phones) may be confiscated at the discretion of the customs agent.

There should be more info on Noonsite under Cuba. I can't get it to load at the moment.

[Alex_V]

Not sure about the legal aspect of having a satellite phone, but I don't recall anyone inquiring about us having them this summer.

Internet is really crappy at Hemingway Marina. A card can be purchased at the Club house and in certain places in the marina it will work. I had little luck with using one. Very spotty.

1 of 3 of our US cell phones worked while roaming. Bill wasn't cheap but within reason.

[barnakiel]

Thanks!

My client says 'Iridium suppressed'. Not sure if this implies the Customs officer took it or there is a jammer device at Hemingway.

The Internet there does not work right now. Possibly this is due to censorship as none of our emails to book a berth had been reserved by their servers. We tried six different email addresses at two different servers. All we got was 'your email could not be delivered'.

My client has been able to sms me from a mobile network. However my response got likely 'suppressed' or otherwise scrambled by their govt (or by their mobile network quality).

This is really troubling, as now my client is left without weather services while the storm is approaching. It may turn, it may not turn.

Apparently Cuban govt does not give a hoot about human life. Or maybe it is only a foreign human life, I do not know.

Sitting, waiting, hoping the forecast to be correct (Irma to turn right before it reaches La Habana.

Thanks for your replies people. Most appreciated.

barnakiel

[barnakiel]

BTW text (sms) cost from the EU to Cuba is 1EUR each (USD 1,15), includes taxes.

Just in case someone later encounters similar challenges.

Cheers,
b.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

My client says 'Iridium suppressed'. Not sure if this implies the Customs officer took it or there is a jammer device at Hemingway.

HF/SSB? Shipcom, Cruiseheimers, something like that.

Ham radio is easier to get a message in but that is off the table if you're getting paid for weather advice.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

HF/SSB? Shipcom, Cruiseheimers, something like that.

Ham radio is easier to get a message in but that is off the table if you're getting paid for weather advice.

I do not work over ssb/ham. This is so because I cannot have an ssb transceiver while traveling (as far as I know, there is no www/ssb interface). Besides, this particular boat does not have a ship station, so I cannot reach them this way.

I must look up cruiseheimers as I was not aware of this. Thanks for the tips!

PS Ok, I looked up cruiseheimers. This is also HF based so can't be deployed now.

barnakiel

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I do not work over ssb/ham. This is so because I cannot have an ssb transceiver while traveling (as far as I know, there is no www/ssb interface). Besides, this particular boat does not have a ship station, so I cannot reach them this way.

I must look up cruiseheimers as I was not aware of this. Thanks for the tips!

My point was that other boats may well (are likely to) have HF/SSB in Hemingway and can pass a message to your clients.

If nothing else you can use ham radio (find a ham) to get a H&S query into Hemingway to see if your clients are okay.

[barnakiel]

What a sad country, Cuba.

Revolution gone astray.

b.

[Jim Cate]

IMO, emergency weather info, paid for or not, is legitimate ham traffic.

Jim N9GFT/VK4GFT

[Library70]

We where in Marina Hemingway last spring. Our Globalstar phone is in a Pelican case. Cuban officials wrapped the case with security tape when we arrived and inspected it when we were leaving. We tried to use it along the north coast and had good signal but the calls would not go through. We were told that Globalstar has an agreement with Cuba to block calls from Cuban territories.

[Elie]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

What a sad country, Cuba.

Revolution gone astray.

b.

Yeah!... But thanks to the American embargo, poor Cubans suffer from lack of everything. Strangely enough, communist Vietnam, Communist China that beatup and killed thousand young Americans(Vietnam war, Corean war) do bussiness as if anything ever appens...

[astokel]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

What a sad country, Cuba.

Revolution gone astray.

b.

Grr!
Cuba has managed to avoid the US cultural imperialism for 60 years. It was difficult for them, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union.


They are a proud people who deserve respect.

[Capt. Ray]

I can confirm that at least checking in at Hemingway marina all handheld Satphones are bonded; they put it in a bag with "BOND" clearly marked and owners are sternly told not to open the bag or use the device while in Cuba. This happened to me just over a year ago, but we also had a big dome fixed Satphone (not contracted but still obviously installed!) and the fixed station was not questioned.

This leads me to believe that the real motivation is to make sure that no local population Cubans get their hands on the portable means to telephone the outside world.

Captain Ray

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Are satphones locked up by Cuban Customs?

I ask this as my clients (weather routing) sailed into Hemingway and we immediately lost contact to their Iridium phone.

They cannot access the Internet there either.

Pretty stupid situation with Irma approaching the island.

PLS let me know your feedback.

Regards,
barnakiel

[zengirl]

Originally Posted by astokel

Grr!
Cuba has managed to avoid the US cultural imperialism for 60 years. It was difficult for them, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union.


They are a proud people who deserve respect.

Along with this respect...know that you will not find a starving child in Cuba. How many in America? Thousands and thousands. And word has it they also have some of the best doctors in the world. The grass is never greener. The French say poor Americans! And the French have their own problems too. Nobody should judge another till they stand in their shoes.