We're planning our first trip down the ICW this fall and are trying to figure out the best way to access the internet and email remotely without investing a fortune. Does anyone have any suggestions? We're planning on spending most of the fall/winter close to the US coast, either using the ICW or cruising around Florida. We also would like to spend a little time in the Bahamas. Thanks
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Jack Tyler
Your low-cost options...
Hi, Tom - how's Annapolis? (We used to liveaboard at Mears Marina in Eastport some years ago; very good memories). Since you want email without spending lots of bucks, your choices are clear...but few. Pocketmail is the choice of most budget cruisers (and even some with a laptop). There are several articles on this on the Sailnet site and you access an 800# when within the U.S. This can also be used in the Bahamas but users find it can be a bit expensive if you're calling back to the U.S. regularly. Still, if you only stop for a short while there, it won't be a big factor. The other option is to use shoreside cafes. You'll have to hike a bit at times, while at other times the marinas will have a hook-up right on site (bring your laptop if you have one). E.g. Charleston's City Marina just installed broadband access; great and free with dockage! Obviously, this option isn't as convenient as Pocketmail, as PM only requires a phone booth. Both these options require going ashore - and in a developed area - to email. For afloat service, you can use a cell phone, laptop and interface cable that makes the two talk with one another. If you go this route, the issue becomes cell coverage. E.g. Sprint advertises a nationwide 'Spring Network' but, if you look at their coverage, you can see they concentrate on large urban areas and service will be at 'off Network' rates in large ICW stretches - more costly. This will give you about 9600 baud which permits up/downloading jpegs or files. For some this makes the cell phone costs worthwhile (either to share things with family & friends and/or do more formal work). There are some great 'higher tech' options but, for ICW travel, you'll find these are pretty much it. Have a great trip - the ICW 'experience' remains a treasure, no matter how 'developed' the rest of the country becomes! Don't miss a short stop at Waterside in Norfolk (or anchoring at Hospital Point, just across the river). GREAT grocery with van service to Waterside (free!), all kinds of interesting sites within walking distance (the 50 cent ferry to Portsmouth is a must!) and the 14 screen movie house and huge mall only 4 blocks away will offer splurges & treats for anyone aboard. Norfolk is a rare treat just before civilization disappears. Jack
Hi, Tom - how's Annapolis? (We used to liveaboard at Mears Marina in Eastport some years ago; very good memories). Since you want email without spending lots of bucks, your choices are clear...but few. Pocketmail is the choice of most budget cruisers (and even some with a laptop). There are several articles on this on the Sailnet site and you access an 800# when within the U.S. This can also be used in the Bahamas but users find it can be a bit expensive if you're calling back to the U.S. regularly. Still, if you only stop for a short while there, it won't be a big factor. The other option is to use shoreside cafes. You'll have to hike a bit at times, while at other times the marinas will have a hook-up right on site (bring your laptop if you have one). E.g. Charleston's City Marina just installed broadband access; great and free with dockage! Obviously, this option isn't as convenient as Pocketmail, as PM only requires a phone booth. Both these options require going ashore - and in a developed area - to email. For afloat service, you can use a cell phone, laptop and interface cable that makes the two talk with one another. If you go this route, the issue becomes cell coverage. E.g. Sprint advertises a nationwide 'Spring Network' but, if you look at their coverage, you can see they concentrate on large urban areas and service will be at 'off Network' rates in large ICW stretches - more costly. This will give you about 9600 baud which permits up/downloading jpegs or files. For some this makes the cell phone costs worthwhile (either to share things with family & friends and/or do more formal work). There are some great 'higher tech' options but, for ICW travel, you'll find these are pretty much it. Have a great trip - the ICW 'experience' remains a treasure, no matter how 'developed' the rest of the country becomes! Don't miss a short stop at Waterside in Norfolk (or anchoring at Hospital Point, just across the river). GREAT grocery with van service to Waterside (free!), all kinds of interesting sites within walking distance (the 50 cent ferry to Portsmouth is a must!) and the 14 screen movie house and huge mall only 4 blocks away will offer splurges & treats for anyone aboard. Norfolk is a rare treat just before civilization disappears. Jack
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Guest
One More
You can get your General Class Ham Radio license and do all your e-mail for free. A good used radio can be had for as little as $500 and the interface hardware is cheap. As a Ham you can also do free phone patches around the country or overseas and with a 2 meter rig you can access the local repeaters and make local calls. All of this is FREE. You just have to invest a little of your time and $6.75 for the test. Ron/KA5HZV
You can get your General Class Ham Radio license and do all your e-mail for free. A good used radio can be had for as little as $500 and the interface hardware is cheap. As a Ham you can also do free phone patches around the country or overseas and with a 2 meter rig you can access the local repeaters and make local calls. All of this is FREE. You just have to invest a little of your time and $6.75 for the test. Ron/KA5HZV
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Don
Investigating Same
Doing the same for a fall/winter trip south. I need internet and email access for work and comms, which will be part time. I'm looking at Verizon's wireless internet access via a wireless modem for my laptop. Hardware is about $200 bucks (with the current $50 rebate) and monthly unlimited access is about $99 bucks. Seems reasonable. Problem is, for me, they want a 1 year contract and I'm not so sure of the coverage. You get a 15 free trial, but who knows what the coverage will be in some areas. From their maps and other posts here, coverage looks good up here (Annap) and Florida, in between is pretty limited. I'm struggling...
Doing the same for a fall/winter trip south. I need internet and email access for work and comms, which will be part time. I'm looking at Verizon's wireless internet access via a wireless modem for my laptop. Hardware is about $200 bucks (with the current $50 rebate) and monthly unlimited access is about $99 bucks. Seems reasonable. Problem is, for me, they want a 1 year contract and I'm not so sure of the coverage. You get a 15 free trial, but who knows what the coverage will be in some areas. From their maps and other posts here, coverage looks good up here (Annap) and Florida, in between is pretty limited. I'm struggling...
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Jack Tyler
Ham's not the answer here...
I appreciate Ron's endorsement of ham radio on an ICW-bound boat; it has certainly made our cruising more enjoyable - and safer. But for the question posed - cheap email access - ham radio is regretably not an option. Low-cost, used ham radios can not support the Pactor II fast switching and long transmit periods. Moreover, one needs a TNC (at least $600 for a SCS IIe) and, for practical use, an auto-tuner. A basic set-up (706 base model, SGC 230 tuner, IIe plus the antenna & counterpoise) is a wonderful addition to any boat, and especially those going offshore where weather & safety info is hard to come by. But it surely can't be considered 'low cost'. I mention this only because Airmail/Winlink service (the 'ham email system) gets such rave reviews that I don't want folks to expect more than is reasonable. Jack N3FYP
I appreciate Ron's endorsement of ham radio on an ICW-bound boat; it has certainly made our cruising more enjoyable - and safer. But for the question posed - cheap email access - ham radio is regretably not an option. Low-cost, used ham radios can not support the Pactor II fast switching and long transmit periods. Moreover, one needs a TNC (at least $600 for a SCS IIe) and, for practical use, an auto-tuner. A basic set-up (706 base model, SGC 230 tuner, IIe plus the antenna & counterpoise) is a wonderful addition to any boat, and especially those going offshore where weather & safety info is hard to come by. But it surely can't be considered 'low cost'. I mention this only because Airmail/Winlink service (the 'ham email system) gets such rave reviews that I don't want folks to expect more than is reasonable. Jack N3FYP
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Andy Howard
Don
Verizon's Express does look promising and Sprint, Cingular, and AT&T are racing to catch up with simular 3g service. Sprint's Vision plan "might" have better coverage it's worth checking out before you commit. If I were you I'd check out all the new systems and wait until the last minute as they are adding coverage area as fast as they can. It might be a little rocky this year, but by 2003 internet by wireless is going to be alot easier.
Verizon's Express does look promising and Sprint, Cingular, and AT&T are racing to catch up with simular 3g service. Sprint's Vision plan "might" have better coverage it's worth checking out before you commit. If I were you I'd check out all the new systems and wait until the last minute as they are adding coverage area as fast as they can. It might be a little rocky this year, but by 2003 internet by wireless is going to be alot easier.
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Bob M
Sierra Wireless through Verizon
Folks I am responsible for Remote Access at a large consulting firm in DC (not AA) and I have 4 partners set up using the Sierra Wireless card and Verizon access. The connection speeds range from a high of 128K to a low of 9K. Coverage is spotty but if you can get an analog connection you can connect (slowly). All the major cities on the coast are covered by digital; some other sites give you digital also. The rest is analog or nothing. This service is more likely to be successful for those who sit in marinas in cities and want ISDN speeds. With the proliferation of wireless (802.11b) I am finding that more and more if you are in a big marina then wireless is available. We are leaving in October for a coast down the ICW and I still haven't decided on what connection I am going to use. I'll probably go with the Sierra system and Verizon coverage as I have a contact in the upper echelons of the Verizon system. Bob
Folks I am responsible for Remote Access at a large consulting firm in DC (not AA) and I have 4 partners set up using the Sierra Wireless card and Verizon access. The connection speeds range from a high of 128K to a low of 9K. Coverage is spotty but if you can get an analog connection you can connect (slowly). All the major cities on the coast are covered by digital; some other sites give you digital also. The rest is analog or nothing. This service is more likely to be successful for those who sit in marinas in cities and want ISDN speeds. With the proliferation of wireless (802.11b) I am finding that more and more if you are in a big marina then wireless is available. We are leaving in October for a coast down the ICW and I still haven't decided on what connection I am going to use. I'll probably go with the Sierra system and Verizon coverage as I have a contact in the upper echelons of the Verizon system. Bob
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Rob Koryn
Cingular Wireless
In looking for a reasonably priced cell phone provider, we decided on Cingular as they have "no long distance & no roaming fees" anywhere in the US. They also offer coverage EVERYWHERE - which during our search we couldn't find another provider who could make the same claim. Have had the service for 4 months and am quite happy with it. Have a laptop with cable connections allowing us to use the cellphone as a modem, so internet access is always available. As we too plan to travel the ICW this winter, we felt this was the most economical way to go.
In looking for a reasonably priced cell phone provider, we decided on Cingular as they have "no long distance & no roaming fees" anywhere in the US. They also offer coverage EVERYWHERE - which during our search we couldn't find another provider who could make the same claim. Have had the service for 4 months and am quite happy with it. Have a laptop with cable connections allowing us to use the cellphone as a modem, so internet access is always available. As we too plan to travel the ICW this winter, we felt this was the most economical way to go.
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