www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Delorme-inReach-SE-2-way-satellite-communicator/

Be aware you won't get internet with this device.
It is excellent for keeping in touch with people though

Thanks guys. The in reach will do me, mainly to let the misses know im still alive

of course the phone is extra and costs just as much as most sat phones do

I use an Iridium sat phone I bought on ebay a few years ago for $800. Never had a problem communicating with home and have the Rescue Coordination Centre number saved in it.

It is becoming expensive, I see it is $3.30 for 30 seconds with Pivotel. Texts are $0.55c. Last year it was, I think, $3 a minute.
You might get a better deal elsewhere.

More homework required ....

satphonesales.com.au/pages/which-phone-which-network

This thread kinda morphed into Satphones.

I live aboard and I need to have the ability to conduct my business at sea on my laptop.
My WIFI, aerial on the davits and Telstra internet system just isn't good enough.

Is there anyone out there who has got a good satellite internet system set up onboard their yacht?

Cheers!

A mate of mine is an IT wizz on big private yachts when i was working on yachts they used v sat. Ill ask him today and get back to you. Je should know EVERYTHING about satelitte comms as thats a big part of his job.

NowandZen said..
This thread kinda morphed into Satphones.

I live aboard and I need to have the ability to conduct my business at sea on my laptop.
My WIFI, aerial on the davits and Telstra internet system just isn't good enough.

Is there anyone out there who has got a good satellite internet system set up onboard their yacht?

Cheers!

I have a multi tiered offshore communication system.
Comprises a Spot Tracker device which sends its GPS location to a password protected Google Earth website via satellite with 1/2 hourly or so updates. This device also has three preprogrammable message alerts. First sends an SMS or email pre written message to pre difined recipients. ie "All is well and I miss you heaps" to your wife and friends. Second sends an "alert message" to pre defined recipients. ie "This is a PAN PAN alert from S/V xxxxxx. Our present location is attached to this message. Please standby for escalation of Alert". Include AMSA email into this message and preadvise AMSA in your EPIRB/MMSI trip details.
Third level is an SOS SPOT Satellite network equivalent of setting off an EPIRB and is onforwarded to the nearest equivalent to AMSA at your location.
The cost of this service is approx $100 per year and is an excellent communication system.

Also have a handheld Sat phone with prepaid airtime, spare batteries in a waterproof case stored in grab bag. No requirement to have airtime credit if dialling the Satellite equivalent of 000 or 911. This phone could be used as your primary comms device with airtime and data prepaid service. Approx $1.00 per minute prepaid airtime.

Also have a Fleetbroadband 150 Satellite system. This enable connection to the internet and voice communication. Again I use a prepaid service at $1.00 min voice and $15.00 Megabyte data. Obviously cannot surf the net at that rate but can conduct business. I use a dedicated email address (similar to sailmail service) to keep data minimised. I had my business emails onforwarded in a stripped out manner and only those that required my attention. The cost of an email with an average 1 page pdf attachment is about $1.50. Weather grib attachments from Predictwind run at about $1.00.
The hardware for a Fleetbroadband 150 system should run at less than $5000 installed.

frant said..
Just checked and it seems that the prepaid Fleetbroadband service is no longer offered by Inmarsat. Need to go on a postpaid service at approx $400/month and 3 month contract term.

frant, can you pay your data fees online while at sea, to ensure continued service.???.

Don't know if this will suit but I have been hearing advertising for a thing called a sat sleave from optus it's the $15 plan and $1pm call somehow your normal mobile phone connects to it via blue tooth. And you use it as a satellite phone.

So the word from my mate who does IT on the private yachts says intellian or kvh antennas at a cost of about 20k. he's getting back to me on prices for the new smaller intellian antennas. the cheapest contracts are about 3k a month. Vsat more expensive but not limited by usage.

Don't discount a HF radio (either maritime or amateur), sure it's not as intuitive as a satellite phone and does require a individual to hold a licence (vice the class licence held by the manufacturer of the sat phone).

But it does have some significant advantages, once you have installed it and got the licence, it's free to use.

For maritime HF, there is a known network of professionals and amateurs listening all the time, often including the area SAR coordination centre.

For amateur radio (another of my hobbies) there are regular nets (basically a conference call) that can expect to hear from you and can raise the alarm if you don't report in (The Traveller's net being the one I am familiar with), if your loved ones at home have a licence you can talk to them (again for free) and you can do cool things APRS (Automated Packet Reporting System - I think) which automatically reports your position to the packet radio net - viewable on the Web, and experiment with data over HF, which won't win any speed records but can provide a way to get emails or similar text style messages back ashore.

Maybe an IridiumGo. Basically a Modem that your iPad or iPhone can WiFi into. Cost me about $1600 fully installed with external aerial. I was on an unlimited at a plan (about 170/mth) on my last cruise and the price included about 150min of talk time plus free calls to all other iridium users. The data was slow but Predict Wind have a special App that loves it. No good for surfing the net. Great for phone calls and emails plus the Predict Wind made no issues getting good weather information.

When you are in Noumea you can just buy data (cards) as long as you are in the WiFi coverage of the provider. Great at the Isle of Pines and when you are in Noumea, there is free WiFi at the market near Port Moselle and also in the town centre.

Enjoy your trip

No problem at all HGO2 it was just something I heard advertised on the radio for 4WD thought it may help.
last night onboard back to reality tomorrow