Mobile Broadband internet aboard!

[Bad Obsession]

I have just purchased a PCS card for my laptop to run mobile broadband. It is pretty reasonable ($60 a month for unlimited). I am just curious to how this will work on the boat. I was told that I will get a signal where ever I get a cell signal by a lot of computer experts. I have to be in certain areas to run at the highest speed, but I am use to slow as I have dial-up at home. I will keep everyone posted on how this works but I am thinking that I will have internet in a lot of my cruising areas on the Chesapeake Bay. It will be a huge help in getting my wife to come onto the boat!

 

[Chuck Creel]

laptop internet

I am sure you will enjoy the pcs card. I am a tugboat captain and use mine alot while at work running the coastal ICW.Lets me check e-mail and sometimes get into yahoo chat room for sailing.There are a few dead spots but then again, I travel sometimes from Florida to Texas along the ICW. I think you will find it faster than dial up service.Enjoy.!!

 

[capitybill]

fla. to tex.?

Hi chuck, could you let me know how you feel about a 27'sailboat making a trip from st. marys ga.to the lower tex coast? and how bad did the marinas get hit last year/ I was over there two years ago at pirates cove and fell in love with it and wish to get back there!Ciao and smooth sailing. PS I hold a 100ton lic and would work for food just to get some time on my ticket! I be a good cook too!

 

[Ross]

Capity Bill, You don't have to make the trip

from St mary's to Texas. You just have to make fifty or sixty miles a day. A 27 can do that.

 

[chuckwayne]

verizon coverage on Miane coast?

AC,what parts of the maine coast have you found to have good coverage for your connection? we cruise Maine (Maine Hunter Sailing Association) and it would be great to have email working.

 

[A.C.]

In the past...

In the past I had no digital signal beyond Small Point but this year I used the internet all the way to MDI. I spent time uploading photos to my web site http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising at Burnt Coat Harbor on Swans Island, Hells Half Acre, Isle Au Haut, North Haven and NE Harbor. There are a few spots where the signal is weak or non existant but my internet speeds through my Motorolla Q, used as a modem, were fairly quick and I had a signal more often than not. I guess Verizon added a bunch of digital signal to Maine in the past year!

 

[chuckwayne]

thanks AC! maybe it's time for me to switch from

cingular!

 

[BrianW]

capitybill - Pirates Cove Report

Pirates Cove in Josephine, AL lost the large marina portion of the complex to Hurricane Ivan and sold out to developers. BUT, the Pirates Cove juke joint is better than ever. Very good live music. Now only about 25 slips and couple of transient slips. BrianW

 

[Chuck Creel]

pirates cove

I bet Paul is rolling over n his grave sinc developers are in now.Glad to know old faithfull is still kicking though.Gotta plan a trip over soon.

 

[Blue Eyes]

A.C. Thanks for the link

I bought a Treo in last summer and the salesman at Verizon assured me it could be used as a modem for my laptop with the unlimited data plan I bought. When I downloaded their software and tried to use it another password was required. I called tech support and they informed me there would be an additional $15 per month "tethering" charge to use the PDA as a modem. I called the store and customer service and spoke to several Verizon reps - most said the call "tethering" was included in my plan but when I tried to get it set up the tech people always said the charge was required. I finally gave up. I am going to try the software you recommended - maybe I will finally get from Verizon what they promised when I bought the phone and 2 year plan.

 

[Don s/v Tellico]

Verizon is the worst with new technology

When they started the wireless broadband, I had a heck of a time getting the plan setup as I wanted it. Some said yes, some said no. I actually worked with VZ wireless at the time and had to climb all sorts of internal ladders to get what customer service promised in the beginning. Moral is, if something doesn work or jive early on, give it a month or so and go back to them, and keep going back. Get names of who tells you what. A store manager is pretty high on the piling, so get that name and keep going back to them. Eventually it seems that their technology and polices catch up with each other. And, at that point they **might** give you a credit for all the grief. You never know, but if you want the product you have to fight for it these days. Weird huh?

 

[Joe]

Verixon Service

Like many other items, definition of "best" and "worst" service is highly dependent on the time and place. I have been a user of Verizon's wireless broadband service for both generations of their product (their 1XRTT and EV-DO services) and have found the Verizon tech support (telephone service, not local store) to be outstanding. Verizon and SprintNextel are both in the process of upgrading their networks to the third version of this wireless service (EV-DO Rev A for those of you who follow the wireless industry), which will offer considerably faster access (uplink and downlink) than the current EV-DO service. For those who are in range of a carrier's service, this is an outstanding way to get all you want and need via a wireless link. At some point, the GSM carriers will be offering their GPRS service that should be somewhat comparable to the EV-DO Rev A service.This post is not unlike the discussion on the Canvas Store-certainly those who have had a bad experience, with a substantial number who have had good experiences. Guess it all depends on the side of the bed you wake up on any given day.