We'll be on our boat in the Caribbean for three months beginning in January, and we want to have web and email access on our notebook computer. Does anyone have advice about using a computer card for wireless email? How about experience using a Globalstar Satellite phone and its X-gate wireless service? We're not sure if we want to purchase a satellite phone in order to have email on the boat or if a wireless card would work just as well. We'll be between BVI and Grenada. We need to purchase equipment soon and appreciate your input about emailing and/or phones. (We're not hams, so I don't think we can use some of the systems out there.)
Products for email and web access in Caribbean?
- Thread starter J. Shannon
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Globalstar
One option is to go with a Satellite phone; I recommend using the Globalstar network which has good coverage of coastal America including Mexico, Panama and the Caribbean. See related link below. Another option is to use Sail Mail with a SSB. Sounds like fun! Trevor
One option is to go with a Satellite phone; I recommend using the Globalstar network which has good coverage of coastal America including Mexico, Panama and the Caribbean. See related link below. Another option is to use Sail Mail with a SSB. Sounds like fun! Trevor
depends where and how much
Internet and email access depends on where. You say you will be only going for 3 months. Investing in an expensive sat phone or ssb modem may not be money well spent. Longer term cruising it makes sense but even after 2 years we have not had an issue without email underway. So far everywhere we have gone that there are cities we have been able to get internet access. When we are in the out islands for a couple months at a time, we don't worry about. We use the ssb to download weather fax and the occasional sstv from George without the use of a modem. Heck I am sitting in Venezuela right now on free wireless.
Internet and email access depends on where. You say you will be only going for 3 months. Investing in an expensive sat phone or ssb modem may not be money well spent. Longer term cruising it makes sense but even after 2 years we have not had an issue without email underway. So far everywhere we have gone that there are cities we have been able to get internet access. When we are in the out islands for a couple months at a time, we don't worry about. We use the ssb to download weather fax and the occasional sstv from George without the use of a modem. Heck I am sitting in Venezuela right now on free wireless.
you can get a used Globalstar phone
for $299. Airtime on the $65/month plan is $0.43 a min. This is the route im going next month when i go do a 2 week cruise, mainly for checking in with home base so they know im not lost...
Im getting a data cable for it that can do 9600bps, enough for text email.
for $299. Airtime on the $65/month plan is $0.43 a min. This is the route im going next month when i go do a 2 week cruise, mainly for checking in with home base so they know im not lost...
Im getting a data cable for it that can do 9600bps, enough for text email.Thanks -- great info, what about wireless card?
Thanks for sending your opinions and the links. Keep them coming! We have come close to buying a used Globalstar satellite phone, but it has a one-year minimum for service and we only need 3 months. Now we're wondering if a wireless card for the notebook computer would work just as well for emailing. We'll be homeschooling our kids, so we'll need to email and fax quite a bit of info back to their regular schools, and I don't want to just rely on internet cafes. The SSB with Sailmail wouldn't work, as we won't have an SSB. Jill
Thanks for sending your opinions and the links. Keep them coming! We have come close to buying a used Globalstar satellite phone, but it has a one-year minimum for service and we only need 3 months. Now we're wondering if a wireless card for the notebook computer would work just as well for emailing. We'll be homeschooling our kids, so we'll need to email and fax quite a bit of info back to their regular schools, and I don't want to just rely on internet cafes. The SSB with Sailmail wouldn't work, as we won't have an SSB. Jill
after the 3 months pay the term fee.
It should still be cheaper than buying a SSB, or you can sell it to another cruiser. If you will be in cell range all the time the cell GSM wireless card is fine, but if your going out of range... Email, if you keep it text only then you can get an email utility that will automatically connect the sat-phone cell modem when you are ready to receive and send, then disconnect when you are finished, which will keep airtime down to a min. If you need graphics, you will need something with more bandwidth than 9kbps. Not much out there that is economical at higher data rates, except for wireless 802.11b/g hotspots. Ive seen a sat system that is 128kbps but it is 9000$.
It should still be cheaper than buying a SSB, or you can sell it to another cruiser. If you will be in cell range all the time the cell GSM wireless card is fine, but if your going out of range... Email, if you keep it text only then you can get an email utility that will automatically connect the sat-phone cell modem when you are ready to receive and send, then disconnect when you are finished, which will keep airtime down to a min. If you need graphics, you will need something with more bandwidth than 9kbps. Not much out there that is economical at higher data rates, except for wireless 802.11b/g hotspots. Ive seen a sat system that is 128kbps but it is 9000$.
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