Web access on the hook

[Alisske]

Thanks in advance to those folks who will respond.

I have a 26 down east with Lehman diesel. I came from a commercial fishing family and grew up lobstering 11 months a year in the northeast. I ran a few boats down to florida with my pop and we did it by staying on the anchor 90% of nights. (If not driving through the night via the outside route.)

I mention this to prep you all for my next question, lol.

I am going to take a cruise in April down south. Figure 2 months or so. Will run the outside down to Carolinas. From there on, figured I would take a more leisurely stroll through the ICW down to FL. I dont plan on staying at a marina much. (I know, its going to be spartan, but Its a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.)

Now to things I have no idea about. One of my goals is to finish my MBA and I have 6 courses left online.
Figured I could use my phone as a hotspot and just use a laptop while at anchor. I have a small 2000 Honda Generator fyi.

Could use advice and feedback from folks. I have 6 weeks to prepare, so figured i would learn from you guys

Thanks

A

 

[O C Diver]

Regarding internet access:
Most cellular towers point inward toward land, not offshore. Going past cities, you will likely have cell service 3 to 10 miles off shore. In lower populated areas it's probably less than 4 miles. Most of the AICW from Norfolk to Stuart, FL will have internet cell service with several exceptions. Cruising down the coast you will find areas that you can be close enough to have service. Fair amount of areas the water is too shallow to be within the service range.

Ted

 

[C lectric]

Our experience is on the West coast and travelling by RV to Cal. and Az. was you may need to find out who the dominant provider of cell service is in the areas you intend to visit.
No matter what a lot of providers advertised we found that Verizon was consistently the best and most reliable not only for range but simply for actual service once connected.
Our phones were not good enough. We had to get a hockey puck style hot spot separate from the phones. We often were on the outskirts of the towns as you will be.
We quit the travel 3 years ago so I am sure things have changed but hopefully others can advise what they use in various areas.

I have no idea who you will be looking at for service but be aware you MAY need to check the providers carefully and /or use something better than the phone, a booster maybe or get what we eventually did.

Have a good trip. I hope all goes well.

 

[rslifkin]

Cell service will cover a lot of places, but not everywhere. A cellular router that can use bigger external antennas will get you coverage in more places and further offshore, but it'll likely cost you more than a basic hotspot.

 

[Alisske]

Thanks for the responses.

I don't plan on being far offshore much (with the exception of the first run down to Carolinas). During times like that I plan on completing classwork prior to leaving and getting caught up on my return.

The hockey puck hotspot sounds reasonable and I will look into it. As far as a carrier, currently have ATT.

Seems like its as simple as it sounds, lol. (Get a puck, have laptop wifi connect, stay close to shore, expect areas of outage)

I appreciate everyones input. If I've learned anything, its that sometimes simple things are not simple. (But sometimes they are!)

Thanks

 

[caltexflanc]

AT&T will work fine almost the whole way, and in virtually every anchorage, and we've been in most all of them. The on line coverage maps are pretty granular and quite accurate these days. No need for a separate for your described use, as long as your phone has that capability. You may have to adjust your rate plan if you also plan to stream a lot of video.

It's a fantastic trip!

Where are you planning to come in from offshore? Overall planned route?

 

[Alisske]

Hi and thanks for the insight.

I have a phone which allows the hotspot. (And will test prior to leaving etc...)

I am still sorting out the travel plans (have some practical matters to tend to in regards to being gone for an extended period of time)

I will take any advice related to how and where to come in.

Thanks again

A

 

[OldDan1943]

I have ATT, pay about $200 a month. I can do everything I want via a hot spot except make love to it. (Well, there is porn too.)

I came down from LI,NY many years ago. Never lost the cell signal. Was both inside and outside. I suspect you will be fine if you do not use the hot spot to watch TV.

 

[Alisske]

Thats awesome to hear!

Not gonna watch TV much, if at all. 200$ a month seems like it will work great.

Thank you.

 

[rslifkin]

If you end up getting a separate hotspot and don't need truly unlimited data, the budget option (assuming they show adequate coverage in your intended cruising areas) is the T-Mobile hotspot plan. 100GB / month for $50.

 

[Alisske]

If you end up getting a separate hotspot and don't need truly unlimited data, the budget option (assuming they show adequate coverage in your intended cruising areas) is the T-Mobile hotspot plan. 100GB / month for $50.

Damn. Thats a price that i can live with

Thanks

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Most marinas have WIFI, although it is usually not great. Ask the dockhand where the signal is best. That will cover the few days at marinas.

While on the hook the "hotspot" should work although I have heard it is very hard on the cell phone and battery if you spend more than a few minutes on it at a stretch.

pete

 

[bayview]

The new starlik sounds great for boats.

 

[sbman]

You are likely to find more restrictions on your phones hotspot than you will with a dedicated hotspot device, carriers often put limits on the phone hotspots to throttle speeds for various activities, while dedicated hotspots tend to be subject to less restrictions.

 

[caltexflanc]

I have ATT, pay about $200 a month.

$200 a month? How many lines do you have? ATT's most expensive plan for a single person is $85. The per person rate goes down as you add additional people to the bill. We have 3 lines, and the most expensive plan since we actually use all the different services included in it.

https://www.att.com/plans/unlimited-data-plans/

While on the hook the "hotspot" should work although I have heard it is very hard on the cell phone and battery if you spend more than a few minutes on it at a stretch.

Depends on the phone, but generally speaking that is not correct. I have a cheap Motorola as my daily driver and can use it as a hotspot virtually all day, and regularly do. You can always plug it in to the charger while being used for that purpose if you need to.

 

[Simi 60]

.

While on the hook the "hotspot" should work although I have heard it is very hard on the cell phone and battery if you spend more than a few minutes on it at a stretch.

pete

Our $40 android phone has been plugged in 100% of the time for 4.5 years connected to internet continually as hotspot for 5 devices downloading and streaming when we want so as to burn through 100gb/mth

I have replaced the battery twice in that time due to bulging
They cost $12 on eBay

 

[Alaskaflyer]

The new starlik sounds great for boats.

It's not nearly anywhere ready for "prime time", but the future potential is huge, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Right now, your service (if you are one of the lucky few to have your previous invitation and deposit turned into the reality of having your equipment ship and an account activated) is allegedly "geofenced" to your service address, during this beta period. I imagine you could move it around a little within this restriction, say around the general neighborhood, but not far.

 

[Lollygag1]

Verizon wireless hotspot allows me to do pretty much everything I want. No issue with video calls. As always distance from cell tower determines effectiveness but its an effective product and charges quickly (we use a small solar charger)

As to Starlink, the technology is promising but there is a long way to go before you will see it widely available. There are items at the FCC that may also impact their desire to drop to a lower orbit due to potential interference. It will be interesting watching it play out in the coming years.

 

[bayview]

look up starlink FAQs. they say it is not geofenced but limited to the foot print of the assigned satellite. They dont say how to move to another satellite but that should not be hard to do.

 

[Lollygag1]

Likely based on the zip code you use when you sign up. It will work if you move it within a certain area but if you went from MN to TX no