What about communications and weather information when you get beyond shore-based cell phone and internet systems? I'm new to all this and far from being a techie (the jargon gives me a headache) but I gather from my reading that SSB radios and weatherfaxes still seem to be standard offshore fare. I put together a Heathkit SSB in 1962 and bought my first FAX machine in 1985. Have we moved on? Given the amount of invaluble information quickly available on the internet (especially regarding weather) and the seemingly endless variety of satellites whizzing about our planet and button-encrusted boxes glued to our ears, is there an "Idiot's Guide to 21st Century Offshore Marine Electronics"? What is the State of the Art? I get snippets and hints in magazines and on forums but I can't connect the dots here under this flat rock I call home.
21st Century Offshore Electronics?
- Thread starter knothead
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Unless you have a sponsor(like Jessica) and can afford a satellite phone it is pretty much like you knew it. Here is a site that I like: http://www.hffax.de/html/email_at_sea.html .
State of the art would be a gyro-stabilized high-speed satellite terminal... However, unless you've got a lot of money to burn, this isn't really feasible, especially on a smaller sailboat. The expense of installing such a system, along with the on-going costs, and the electrical loads it will impose, make it less than useful in the real world for small boat sailors on a budget.
If you can afford it... it would allow you to "surf" the internet from most anywhere, except the extreme polar regions, and at ISDN speeds or so... but it'd be very expensive, as you pay for data by the megabyte.
If you can afford it... it would allow you to "surf" the internet from most anywhere, except the extreme polar regions, and at ISDN speeds or so... but it'd be very expensive, as you pay for data by the megabyte.
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