remote area communications

IridumGo..........any one using this in Aussie or elsewhere in the world ?

What are your thoughts?

How much are you spending to get the basic wind reports

Tech. guy told me this is easy and simple to use with your everyday exisiting mobile/cell phone.

Costs. Tech says at $1.50 per 30 seconds I need 3 minutes to get the basic weather info.........

What do you guys use when out beyond coverage.

I have looked at H.F. radio - too complicated, bulky and initial cost.

regards.

We (or rather, my gal) use ham radio. Can talk to anywhere in the world most evenings. The skip off the water from the boat is worth 5 to 10X what you can do with a power amp on land. 10/12 watts and a decent antennae works pretty good.

No charge for minutes.

Yes,
Agreed, the radio is by far the cheapest after buying, installing, learning, registering etc.
Out of interest what unit are you using and aerial/antenna arrangement do u have and do you use an antenna tuner?

If you just want winds and weather you can use the Delorme InReach

Added a Garmin Inreach to the boat last month. Like the satellite tracking and text messaging. Not as fast as cellular texting, but very reasonable.

Ted

Wxx3......did u use the Inreach weather reports while out in the middle of the Atlantic .........

Oc Diver......have you used the weather reports

We use a KVH mini Vsat satellite system

If you need phone and internet, pretty much anywhere in the world this is the system to have.

We have the smallest unit, which provides 2mbps download, and crystal clear voice, even in Alaska.

No, I haven't used the weather report. They all lie anyway.

Ted

bogranjac1 said:

Out of interest what unit are you using and aerial/antenna arrangement do u have and do you use an antenna tuner?

Click to expand...

Bog,

Some info on that from my gal below. She has used a portable beam that was setup on the forward deck (barely visible in my avatar pic) and a simple wire dipole running over the top of my boat bow to stern. Antennae tuner was in a small box. A big power amp that was run once caused feedback into the boat's thruster wiring and the boat spun around the anchor buoy when she keyed the mike!

Begin quote>>
For someone who is looking for an emergency rig that fits in a small pelican case, I would recommend either the Elecraft KX3 or KX2 (KX2 is smaller) 10-15 watts with built in tuner, two 100ft rolls of 18ga stranded wire a bnc to banana plug adapter, a lithium 12 volt battery (for when you have no power) power cables and microphone.

Beyond that, more permanent installation requires much more thought. Things to consider include: a sail boat or a power boat provide different antenna options, how much power should you run (100 watts), How to deal with near field RF getting into your boat power and boat electronics, what kind of RF ground (aware of galvanic issues), How much RF noise does your boat generate (inverters, chargers, ignition etc). Don't forget, you NEED A LICENSE!

<<<End quote

She is 50 year ham radio operator, top dog in her hobby. Was down your way last fall for a ham radio contest out on Chatham Island, east of New Zealand.

If you want more info (and believe me, she is loaded with info) send me a PM and I'll put you in touch. She designs antennas, among other things. Hope that helps! Cheers!

Wxx3 said:

If you just want winds and weather you can use the Delorme InReach

Click to expand...

I'd be wanting to know the source and reliability of the weather modeling used.

Different models give entirely different predictions. On one recent coral sea passage a model used by one weather source said strong winds whereas the model used by Australian meteorologist and their local knowledge had it as calm to 10 knots which is what we had.

Various internet weather sites would say one thing, looking out the window showed something completely different.

Out of range of what? Cell phone coverage. Does Oz have Globalstar? Off western North America I had coverage with it out past 200nm. Telephone rates good and download rate was decent without having big up front costs associated with other satellite service providers. I was fortunate in that I had a loyalty plan cuz I stuck with them when their satellite constellation was reduced and service was terrible. More recently they are back to great coverage and I had unlimited air time for about $60 per month .

Flat out getting 30 miles offshore if lucky in Australia.
Most will have no reception at all
Yes, we have sat phones, which global star is but coverage is not 100% and costs are horrific

Globalstar Australian Coverage

How far up the coast of WA are you going, mate? Or are you planning a trip across the bight?

I can get VHF coverage for BOM weather reports along almost all of the SA coast out about 20-30 km, other than along the bight. Much of it is just volunteer stations, but they do pass on the weather reports. Its often patchy close to the coast, but better out a couple kms. A high mounted antenna certainly helps.

Iridium GO is the ticket for offshore weather, data and phone coverage. Globalstar id absolute crap here in Australia.
I have my GO connected via Predict Wind who give good predictions and weather routing.
various plans available but the $109.00/month (not absolutely sure of price) does the goods for all voyaging in the pacific and Australisia.

Any radio using Iridium will work as long as there is clear sky view. The interesting reality is that it always has problems in cities with tall towering buildings (urban canyons). Their network covers the entire earth, pole to pole.

Radios that use GlobeComm and other satellites with a designated footprint will only work when you are in an area covered by a satellite.

Before you buy anything but Iridium, check the satellite coverage footprint.

Stu

O.K. a couple of questions need answers.
Ease of operation is a big factor....don't want to have to build a radio shack just to get the wind and warnings.

thx guys for input so far....iridium go and inreach seem the best option so far.....they both are really just a fancy sat.wifi device and make things simple via the existing mobile/cell that we use everyday.

Auscan.....I'm going into the Kimberley region for months. I bought a good Icom VHF and going to mount one of those nice big fibreglass antenna on the roof, but I know it won't receive out in the 'never never'.

Simi 60.....I agree about quality of reports....the difference between some if well............fatal !!
I would be most happy to get the BOM site up daily and go with that. (somehow)

Tidahapah.....thx for the message, also the tech guru said Predictwind was the most favoured by his customers.

Nightsky.......here in Australia we have huge amounts of country with non-existing coverage. The Kimberley is truly frontier stuff.

stubones99......can u expand on the word "radio" you refer to. Are you talking some type of receiver like ssb. ?

Bog the radio is any satellite receiver hardware.

Note the limited coverage:
https://www.globalstar.com/en/index.php?cid=101&sidenav=85

Satellite Coverage - Globecomm

inmarsat is second best in satellite coverage with just about everything but the poles.
Our coverage - Inmarsat

and Iridium is everywhere with their LEO network of satellites with always 2-3 satellites overhead
My favorite was the Iridium 9575 Extreme phone that could also do slow speed data.

There are several on the way though;

Outernet uses an SDR and your laptop to receive their satellite broadcasts.

SpaceX is planning a ton of LEO satellites that should cover the earth better than Iridium and provide high speed internet with lower latency than Iridium and probably cheaper but that's at least 2 years out.

bogranjac1 said:

IridumGo..........any one using this in Aussie or elsewhere in the world ?

What are your thoughts?

How much are you spending to get the basic wind reports

Tech. guy told me this is easy and simple to use with your everyday exisiting mobile/cell phone.

Costs. Tech says at $1.50 per 30 seconds I need 3 minutes to get the basic weather info.........

What do you guys use when out beyond coverage.

I have looked at H.F. radio - too complicated, bulky and initial cost.

regards.

Click to expand...

I installed Iridium Go for my recent cruise down to Tassie. The running cost was approx $130 Per Month for unlimited data and 2 mins voice - no fixed contract. It works well for me with email and voice, taking around 12 mins to download PredictWind files - hence the need for the unlimited data plan.

Some reckon the need for a smart phone is a hassle, but for me it's not nearly as bad as trying to message using the tiny keys on the Delorme.

I have a mast mounted antenna, but the Iridium Go unit itself can be easily demounted to take ashore or use anywhere with its own antenna and internal battery.

One more thing...

If anyone calls your satphone with their phone or cell phone, they get hit with a surcharge from $8-$14 per minute. Why? Because they can, and no Govt. agency has stopped them yet.

So, for the few people you want to be able to call your Iridium number, use two stage dialing. You call the number in New Mexico and enter your Iridium number and it rings the phone through.
Iridium 2-Stage Dialing Instructions

If your phone was purchased or supported through Satcom Direct, they offer another option called a global one number service that can ring your home, cell or sat phone with no surcharges. https://www.satcomdirect.com/products-and-services/global-one-number/

No affiliations with any of these vendors or Iridium.

stu

stubones99 said:

One more thing...

If anyone calls your satphone with their phone or cell phone, they get hit with a surcharge from $8-$14 per minute. Why? Because they can, and no Govt. agency has stopped them yet.

So, for the few people you want to be able to call your Iridium number, use two stage dialing. You call the number in New Mexico and enter your Iridium number and it rings the phone through.
Iridium 2-Stage Dialing Instructions

If your phone was purchased or supported through Satcom Direct, they offer another option called a global one number service that can ring your home, cell or sat phone with no surcharges. https://www.satcomdirect.com/products-and-services/global-one-number/

No affiliations with any of these vendors or Iridium.

stu

Click to expand...

Hmmm

Not all satphone systems are like that.

My KVH satellite phone has a Washington state USA phone number.

No incoming charges to anyone except possibly Long Distance. I get charged $0.49 per minute with no other Long Distance fees within the Unted States.

OK, both AT&T and Verizon charge surcharges when you call an Iridium, Globalstar or Thuraya satellite phone, varying from $5 - $14 bucks a minute. This is cellular and wireless calling inbound to a sat phone. WHY? because they can. No rhyme or reason why, since it is simply another call to a phone number, but they have added a surcharge to the block of #'s allocated to satphone carriers.

Your satphone charges are per minute, and on some plans, outbound calls only.

That's why Iridium has it's own inbound gateway, so caller's won't get hit by the surcharges to Iridium satphone customers.

It's because it's an international call, regardless of where the sat phone is actually located. So all calls to those sat phones ate international calls at international rates.

Most providers offer a domestic number than you can call, and from there dial the sat phone with no extra charge. And KVH goes a step further and gives each phone a domestic number.

BTW! The sat providers have their own unique country code.

Sorry TwistedTree, Iridium phones have a New Mexico number by default.

You could be in NM with your satphone, but it works anywhere...

I programmed our phone system to identify our sat phones, dial the NM 2 stage dialing number and then dial the satphone number, and saved a ton of $$$

But then, our company got paid to spend Govt money, so it wound up costing some profit It's a bad position to be in, to do the right thing, save taxpayer money, and cost corporate profit... I still did the right thing.

Isn't the NM number the one you call for two stage dialing? Plus there is an international number for direct dialing?

That's how my iridium worked, as I recall.

My KVH, which is what I use now, had a domestic direct dial number.

Right, they have a domestic number, but the carrier's know who owns various blocks of numbers, and assess a surcharge for Iridium, Globecomm, inmarsat and thurya inbound calls. Anyone who calls those numbers, pays a surcharge. This was 5 years ago and was all phone carriers I queried. I didn't try KVH since that wasn't our business.

For some reason, a local provider Satcom Direct had their OneNumber service that would let people reach you with a single number, and ring multiple destinations, including satphones, and their aircraft equipped satphone customers. They were one of our approved vendors and always provided great service. It's been 5 years and they seem to have been going through a growth spurt...

Stu

Huh, i don't think we ever got a surcharge for calling the NM number, and I haven't hear of them in the past few years. Is it possible they stopped doing that?

it might have happened... but i've never seen an IXC or RBOC walk away from profit...

Better go check the weather in hell... it might have frozen over.

bogranjac1 said:

Auscan.....I'm going into the Kimberley region for months
?

Click to expand...

Ooooooh - you lucky dog. I'd love to join you.
Give us an update whenever you pass through civilisation.

I would not leave the coast without it

bogranjac1 said:

Wxx3......did u use the Inreach weather reports while out in the middle of the Atlantic .........

Oc Diver......have you used the weather reports

Click to expand...

To make a long story short, I finally figured out that in a boat that goes 135 nm/day, with a low pressure system that moves at 500 nm/day, it was not worth the effort to look at weather.

So yes, I looked at weather all the time form the InReach and I liked that they added the feature to not only use your current location, but you can input a different Lat/Long.
However, as I said, it made no difference, so this last trip, I really only requested the weather when I was bored and wanted to see how accurate it was.

I found what I expected, the accuracy was plus or minus 30 degrees and 50% of the wind speed, meaning that if the fcst was 20 knots, the speeds were between 15 and 25, but on some occasions, 10 to 30.

But I find the InReach most useful to communicate and occasionally ask someone to check specific info for me, e.g.: best port in this direction, what to do when you run out of hydraulic fluid, etc.

Lastly, I liked knowing that if attacked my pirates, I did have a quick means to SOS.

I would not leave the coast without it.

question to ..... Tidahapah and Eagle419

What Predictwind subscription are you guys using as there are three types (besides the free one)

eagle419 as your weather download took eight mins. were you downloading everything possible to take that long?

The iridium go looks the go for me.
Along with the sat. unlimited data by the month subscription

Predictwind is awesome looking app. I have the trial version running on my Windows notebook and on the Android mobile.