# Internet Connections



## Sharlyn (Apr 23, 2001)

I would like to cruise all over the Caribbean but I need an internet connection for 2-3 hours per day for work. I would rather not stay at a marina every day but don’t know what options are out there. Can anyone offer any info on this that I can start researching?


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

Sharlyn:

You''re asking how to arrange a common connection on Mars, Venus & Jupiter. Some folks try to use a cell across these different island nations, but it often falls apart - and the reconnection fees are steep, to boot. You''ll find shoreside cafes to be fairly common (and you can shape your itineary to line you up with good cafes) but I gather from your note that hopping into the dink and going ashore each day may not be realistic. (If you''re really hoping to cruise, it isn''t!) Moreover, web costs are pretty steep in some places...and of course, you''re checked out to use the French keyboard, right?

You''ll notice I have avoided talking about connection speed, let alone reliability of the connection.

Some folks (not only for work reasons but also because they want to remain tied to the Grid) choose to oscillate around in each region until they can find a shoreside cafe that''s acceptable and then stay rooted to that island or anchorage. Others accept that dependable Web connections are not part of our regular technical diet, at least not yet and not thru-out the Caribbean.

Sorry I can''t be more reassuring. Could you accept visiting a few places for extended periods, where fairly reliable service is available? That''s the best compromise I can imagine.

Jack


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## Sharlyn (Apr 23, 2001)

That''s not what I wanted to hear. You were supposed to say "Of course, haven''t you heard of....it''s cheap and simple and works great!"

I may have to see what I can do offline and then do quick emails or hit the Internet cafe on shore.

What about GSM. A friend mentioned this to me but I''m not quite sure what it is or how it works. Is it just the same as cell phone service?

Thanks for the earlier info.

Sharlyn


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

There are several options availabe that will vary in cost depending on your need for speed and reliability. 

1. SSB/ SailMail. You can use an SSB radio and special modem to connect your laptop and send emails. It is very low cost ($200 per yr) BUT...it is slow, emails have to be limited, no net surfing and is not suppose to be used for biz. There are other SSB email services that can be used for biz, info is available on the net. An SSB might cost $1400, the modem an addition $200 or so. 

2. Cellular (GSM etc). Next in cost would be a cell phone connected to your laptop via a cable from thesupplynet.com (about $30). This is a simple and inexpensive solution in the US. In the Caribean the issue will be coverage and cost. If you can find cheap, reliable cellular service in the caribean, this would be your best option. You can send larger emails and surf the net. Cost would be whatever the cellular cost is with hopefully some unlimited usage period. Lots of info available on cell service in the caribean. You might even find coverage from a US provider like Verizon. 

3. Iridium and Globalstar. These are sat phones. Like cell phones, they can be connected to your laptop. They are reliable, can be used ANYwhere and offer fast connections. They are uniformly $1.50/min in cost (phones cost $800)

4. Inmarsat. Another sat system. Expensive

5. PocketMail. This is a cheap acoustic modem built into a neat little device that you can type short emails on. You hold it to a regular telephone and dial up the service (800 number). Cost is 10/mo for the service and whatever the phone call costs you (not cheap from the islands to the service in the US). Data rate is very very very SLOW (300 baud...not 300k or 3k...300). But it is an option. Emails have to be very short. No net surfing.

Sounds like you need to spend time online and wish to do this aboard rather than on land. My suggestion is check out cellular service in the islands. 

Hope this helps. Let us know what you find. Need help in your biz... I would love to find a job I could do 3 hrs a day from my boat in the Caribean :O)

All the best

John
sv Invictus


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## gnorbury (Mar 27, 2002)

Concerning Iridium/Globalstar, I would have to say that "fast" is a relative concept. Yes, these devices are faster than an SSB (@240bps), but I really wouldn''t consider 9600 bps fast enough for anything other than email.

If you want fast (56kbps or better) I believe the only solution is the hideously expensive Inmarsat, or maybe the two-way internet access from DirecTV (provided you remain in the coverage area). Either way, its going to cost BIG BUCKS.

Graham


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

A couple of tag-ons given the other comments:

1. SSB email is neither a ''web access'' system nor cheap. It''s also not as slow as referenced above. Airmail is free (the ham system), Sailmail is $200/year for approx. 10 min/day access, but both require a SSB (assume an Icom 706 at $1000 w/ tax), most likely an auto-tuner (assume an SGC at $400) and at least a PTC IIe TNC (''modem'') at $600. So it''s a 2BU ($2K U.S.) purchase plus antenna and counterpoise install for up to 1200 baud data rate that provides email capability and, WRT Airmail, wx fax/sat pix/text forecast data. It''s a wonderful system I appreciate immensely and IMO a huge improvement in safety aboard an offshore boat...but it lacks web access and, since the commercial system (Sailmail) has the 10 min/day limitation, is far from what was being asked for.
2. Cell service in the islands is not about ''equipment'' (your laptop, your cell phone, the data rate provided by the shoreside cell) but rather about island-to-island access. The drill is to arrive at the next island (if a different govt''l entity than the last one), take your cell phone to the local govt. or private Telcom office, and have it reregistered for a fee (if it''s compatible at all) before it will work. Just imagine being somewhere in Europe of the 1950''s, with each country doing its own thing, and you get a sense for the govt''l environment among the many island nations of the Caribbean.
3. If I''d heard something well below "3 hrs/day" in usage and the need was mostly for email vs. website access, I''d be more encouraging about an Irridium phone. In Trinidad recently, the local provider was offering a better all-around deal fo the low-time user (phone+access fee+per/min cost) than the TT folks were offering for a regular cell phone. But with much useage and at the current data rates, it''s not adequate for the useage I heard being described.

Some folks who stay in touch with Publishers on a regular basis - one good example of how folks deal with the business world while out cruising - rely on a web-based email address (e.g. Hotmail) and decent shoreside cafe services. If that''s not available, they wait until they move on. (Beth Leonard & Steve Pavlidis are both examples of this). When this doesn''t fit the business need, they may move to a Sat Comm system when necessary, but are VERY careful about who has access to their number and how often they have the system up & running. John Neal (Mahina Services) and a friend of ours who is an occasional ''cruising investment advisor'' choose this approach (when the previous option isn''t timely enough).

It would be great if there were better answers to this puzzle, but folks seem to make it work despite the limited technology in place for now.

Jack


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## silentfaith (Jul 20, 2001)

The Magellan is still working just fine....If you need text only messages than the Magellan gsc100 works fine .I leave my unit on constantly by a 12v adapter and a two way vhf antenna spliter. works worldwide, I get messages from the kids several times a day. $30 a month for unlimited messages, It''s also a gps and you can insert you position with your message.
C


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Magellan gsc100 email:

Unit cost about $1000 and service is $30/mo. Service allows for only 200, 500 or 2000 characters (thats a very short email), depending on which SAT is in range. You get only 10 sends per month, after which you pay $0.01 per character. Servce includes 30 email ''checks'' per month (msgs again limited to 2000 characters).

Interesting, but sounds like about the same capability as SSB email. I would think the cost of Iridium or Globalstar is somewhat competitive and their capability (including net surfing however slow at 9600 or 14.4k bps) much greater. 

I wonder if a cheap global pager would be more worthwhile?


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## Sharlyn (Apr 23, 2001)

Wow! Thanks everyone for the info. It''s a lot to take in and I''ll have to determine what is really going to be necessary.

thanks again,
Sharlyn


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Just when you thought it was safe to cruise and get away from the office...

Got a notice today from my ISP, Earthlink, that TWO-WAY SATELITE high speed internet service is available for $70/mo. 400kbps. The sat is in geosynchronous orbit 22,400 mi out, in the southern sky, so its horizon may be such that you could ping it from the islands. 

Maybe this is an option for you.

www.earthlink.net

I think that *I* am now going to do more to AVOID email while I am on my boat :O)))))

Hope this helps!!!???


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

John, could you tell us what Earthlink states as the per/min charge for this 400kbps sat ISP service? And is there a per/connect fee? And do they specify a specific vendor''s equipment (which would have to include a geostabilized antenna system) and the approximate equipment cost + average install cost?

I''m guessing the $70/month fee is just the monthly subscription fee, and the eensie-beetsy tip of the iceberg re: cost. But the speed is surely impressive.

Jack


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi Jack

I do not recall all the specifics regarding fees. It is similar to getting a digital dish for your TV. The dish cost a couple hundred or so and there is an installation fee. Thats about it. They have specials all the time and wave one fee or another so its best to go to the site and get the info.

www.earthlink.net

And yes, they are using a specific service, I do not recall the name, but it is a well known digital sat service provider. One thing though, remember this is NOT a marine antenna and is not stabilized for a boat. It is for home use (or perhaps dockside use).

All in all, does not sound like too bad a deal compared with cable and DSL (just say no to DSL :O). 

A dock neighbor of mine ripped his dish equip out of his house and brought it out to the dock one day to watch something on TV...so... I assume that moving the unit around and reinstalling from place to place can be done if you know how to shot the sat. 

I am finding a cell phone/PDA very suitable for my needs and when I need to write long technical papers (as is my job), I just plug in a portable keyboard to the PDA. That said, a cell phone is $35-40/mo and the sat service $70/mo for a much richer net presence. Not a bad value proposition. 

And I a very curious as to the whether you can shot the event horizon from the islands...hmmmmmmmm

My best to all

John


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

John, I took a peek at the Earthlink site as I was very doubtful that high-speed access is offered in any form that is suitable for the portability of a boat.

What I first saw is that Earthlink is offering WAP service in what they call ''Hot Sites''. (This relates to access ashore in a few locations that Earthlink selects, e.g. large international airports). The $70 (one-time) fee I saw is for an Orinoco card. I recently set up a WAP (also called Wi-Fi) system in our condo, and it''s great. Pat''s in one room using a G3 Powerbook while I''m in here on a Pentium II desktop - no wires for her and she''s running at 400KBS. But the catch is that her little Orinoco PCMCA card has a range of 50 yards or so from the router (the WAP device) that is connected to a cable modem (or could be connected to DSL).

There is another technical option, which is to use a sat dish to download web data - apparently that is what you''re referring to. The catch there is that it''s one-way, them to you. How do you handle pushing data back up? You need a phone line and modem - slow going out, fast coming back. As you note, the dish would not be geo-stabilized. You''ll notice that many sat TV users in marinas attach the dish to the dock piling vs. their boat (unless they bought a geo-stabilized antenna) - small movements will interrupt the signal.

I don''t believe either of these relate to boat application, except the conventional cable or DSL service to a marina tenant. I mention this since high-speed access while cruising is in such high demand and dont'' want folks to think there''s an option that doesn''t exist. Regretably, the closest I know of is Sat C at 9600 baud, greased with lots of bucks.

Jack


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Not sure you saw what I was referring to. Earthlink IS offering TWO-WAY sat internet. $70/mo. Not sure what you are referring to.

And true, this system is not meant for a boat and could not be used while underway. However, I have known people to take their Direct TV sat dish and re-align it with the sat for reception someplace else. I am surmizing that if you know how to shoot the sat, you might be able to take the whole thing along and nail it to a dock anywhere you go. Also, since the sat is in geosynchronous orbit 22,400 mi out towards an equatorial position, or at least somewhere over the southern US, that you might be able to find the sat from the Caribean. Obviously, this is prohibited by the FCC, but... I do not see a TECHNICAL reason why it could not be done. 

:O)

J


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

John, I surely did learn a few things when I talked to Earthlink. It isn''t quite as fast as you claim, but it''s a step up from the ''sat down/phone up'' system they were using. As Earthlink''s web site states: "The service costs $69.95 per month for downstream speeds of up to 400 Kbps and upstream speeds of up to 128 Kbps." That ''up to'' is one catch, as they apparently can''t assure that speed using the burst technology they have in place. The fellow I talked with also wasn''t real encouraging about unbolting/reinstalling the antenna "unless you really know what you''re doing", whatever that means. As boaters, we tend to end up knowing a lot about the things we don''t know about.

If anyone else is following this thread, the answers to the questions I posed are: $649 for the xmit/receive dish; $259 for the install; $399 early termination fee (contract req''d for 1 year); and they''re running a sale right now ($300 off the whole enchilada).

However, since this is a forum on using a boat, I''ll again point out this isn''t for anyone who''s hoping to cruise the Caribbean. It''s strictly a ''bolt it to the piling'' system. Within our context (boating), that usually means a marina. And many marinas now offer cable or DSL service via the local vendors for less money (and faster data rates going ''up'' the pipeline).

Clearly, Earthlink''s business plan is to be the ''broadband provider for everyone'' and, where DSL or cable broadband is not available, they can offer satellite service. The question is how long will it take for the cable and telecomm companies to reach 90% of the same population with the same service...still at a lower cost.

Jack


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## DuaneIsing (Jul 10, 2001)

Just want to say thanks for all the great info you''re sharing.

Duane


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## bobmctx (May 30, 2002)

I was just following this line. and thought I might add a little info, There are satellite dishes that are self seeking. They will search for a satellite and acquire the signal. they sell them for RVers so the spouse can watch TV while they are rolling down the road. Could be compatible with a boat? Bob


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

Bob, there is a Sat TV *receiving* antenna that will auto-track. Among other places, it''s demo''d at some boat shows and the annual SSCA Gam. However, the Sat antennas for internet access normally must be two-way (transmit capability) and I haven''t seen a product like that yet. Earthlink would know, since they''re trying to corner the broadband sat internet service biz.

Jack


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

jack,
i think KVH has a two antenna system that will allow 65k
baud rate.
eric


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

sorry,
KVH tracknet system also runs at 400k bps.
eric


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## spindriftconsulting (May 16, 2000)

Potential problems with Sat Service is footprint, and the further you move from US, the less the signal strength. Cruising friends swear by Pocketmail, though the necessity to locate a local phone can be a pain in the plans. Sailmail and CruiseEmail are reasonable commercial options, again with the limited 10 min/day limitation, while the Ham/SSB option has been the best for personal e-mail. On a recent delivery from Guadeloupe to NY, via St. Barth''s and Bermuda, I used internet cafe''s in Guadeloupe, St. Barth''s and Bermuda, and the Winlink system for Ham radio during passages. The cafe''s were all a bit expensive $5 to 15 per hour, while the Commercial SSB fee was $200 for a year. My equipment brought along in a carry on, consisted of an Icom SSB, SGC Tuner, Coax, 50'' copper wire antenna, and sufficient DC wire to connect the radio and tuner to the ships power. Whole package was well under $2K US. Great connections, lots of wx maps downloaded along the way and of course the advantage over most cell service in I could access from the boat, as well as connect with other vessels and shore stations for wx, news and family connection.
Sean


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

I think we''ve covered some of this ground before re: Sean''s comments. Just to get the facts lined up with the options, so we don''t oversell SSB-based email systems...
1. CruiseEmail, PinOak Digital, MarineNet, etc. are for-profit commercial HF email systems and their pricing varies. Sailmail is the $200/year non-profit commercial HF email system and it''s the only one with a 10 min/day *approx* time limitation. The ''for profit'' outfits would like you to use their system 24/7!
2. Winlink is indeed free (and a wonderful service) but the pricing Sean mentions excludes a Pactor modem (min $550 or so) and presumes a Ham SSB, so a $2K final price, installed, is a good - but bottom end - starting point. Marine SSB radios will be more costly and push the final cost up; most non-hams will buy something like an Icom 710 and also choose to pay for installation, boosting cost even more.
3. Sat footprints depend on the service purchased. Iridium is worldwide, while GlobalStar excludes areas well offshore. They do bill themselves as offering Caribbean coverage (well, most of it, anyway).

Sean, when you bring your portable system aboard a boat, what do you normally do for a counterpoise - what works best in your experience?

Jack


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## mco (Oct 15, 2002)

good info in: http://isealife.com/Ham_Chat.htm
Mike


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

Hi, just got back from the Annapolis Boat show. Saw something called StarPhone. A satellite phone for $299. $59/mo incl. 100 min. Addl. minutes $.25 . E-mail & hook-up $79. New at this, Does this sound like a good deal.Being sold thru Boaters World.
Marc


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hmmm, about those internet cafe''s or whatever, do they allow unlimited email? When it omes my time to gor cruising, not too far off, I can get away with only hooking up once or twice a month, but in order for me to accompish any type of work, I''ll need to transfer large files, up to 25 megs. AutoCad drawings.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

StarPhone is GlobalStar. Nice to see that prices have come down but it is still not global coverage. See the link below for their coverage map, read the note on color coded coverage carefully.

http://www.globalstar.com/coverage.html

Does seem like there is good caribean coverage, but then I keep hearing about several cellular companies expanding into the caribean.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Here''s an option that exists but is in a bit of a grey area legally.

Plug a wireless network card into your laptop with an external antenna to boost signal strength and just leave it running.

Your software scans for a network connection (just like it would if you have a home wireless setup) and will let you know when it finds one.

When it does open up your webrowser and off you go. More often that not you''ll hook into a network with broadband access.

You can get dubious software that tries to hack closed off networks but you''ll be amazed how many wireless are openly broadcasting that you can access just using your native software. A good rule of thumb is that if the network isn''t broadcasting in such a way that your native Windows networking software can''t hook into it then they want to be left alone.

For a test run just take your laptop to any town (with the wireless card pluggrd in )and you''ll find yourself picking up open wireless networks all over the place. There are even websites that map them via contributions from people.

Dont ask me for specifics.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Sharlyn:I have installed the inmarsat c mimi c system. You can receive and send e mails faxes and voice anywhere in the world. I also
have globial star and it doesn''t work very 
well in the Carib. Go to www.sky-mate.com and
look at the mini c or call Jeff Mclaren at 
949-673-1727 for mini c. or call Bob Campbell
at 1-800-848-0386 he sells the equipment and the air time.
Ray


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Graham: I have inmarsat c and it costs me 1.19 per minute and it takes about 8 seconds to load several e mails and send. But inmarsat c system rounds off on the minute mark. So no matter how fast you send or receive you still get charged for the whole
minute. But it does work and I have had no problems with coverage like I do with globial star sys.
Ray


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## rculp (Aug 28, 2000)

A little clarification of the 2-way satellite internet connection offered by Earthlink. This is the Hughes Network Systems'' DW4000 and can be bought on Ebay for about $250 (I did). You can get the service for $59.95 per month total cost--no per minute charge (HNS). Download rates are 400Kb and upload rates are 60Kb. I live in a remote mountain area and it works just great for me. KVH has an autotracking antenna for big bucks ($2000+). These are for RV use. A big bonus of the system is that you can hang on an LNB and get DirecTv. There are 3 satellites at geosync altitudes with a fourth planned for launch in 2004. Key for cruising would be antenna pointing & stability. I''ve seen the DirecTv antenna set up on a piling and that works well. Same could be done with the larger two-way system dish. Cheers--Bob


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## CigarBoy (Oct 15, 2003)

Keep in mind "upload" for a Sat dish (speaking here of the Earthlink setup) is a MODEM LINE... the dish is nothing more than a reciever.. not a transmitter... so to upload, it''s via modem line... so when you are away from the dock, no ''land'' modem line... 
Mike


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## Guest (Oct 26, 2006)

Hello - I am completely naive when it comes to anything to do with email/internet on a boat. In fact, I know very little about boats, but my Mom and Stepdad are very much into theirs. They are based in Long Beach, CA and will, on occasion, go to Mexico. Mom would like to purchase a notebook computer and be able to use it for email when they're abroad. She mentioned something called "Winlink" <sp?>, but said that it requires a greater degree HAM license than they currently have. But she also mentioned "Sail Link" (or something like that). Does anyone know what the required hardware would be in order for them to be able to use Sail Link? Or does anyone have any suggestions for the proper route to go? I'm savvy as far as computers go, but not radio communications or other oceanable (May I trademark that term? heh heh) email and/or internet options.

Can anyone help?

Thank you.

Jeff Slarve


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Not all of the satellite connection require a modem line for the uplink. I had DirectPC and it was a two-way satellite dish, which was considerably more expensive than the simpler one-way dish, but allowed fairly decent upload speeds. I don't believe this type of service, which is now provided via Hughes, is available in a small gyro stabilized marine antenna...but I could be wrong. 

If you have a Ham or SSB radio and a Pactor modem, you can use WinLink or SailMail to send/receive e-mail. However, the e-mail is fairly limited, to mainly just text. Attachments are not really feasible with it. I don't recall how the services charge for access. 

Another option is to get a gyro stabilized satellite phone. With one, you can get a medium-band connection via what is effectively a ISDN connection over it. This requires a B-Term type sat phone, and is fairly expensive, as it costs per megabyte IIRC. This would be a full internet connection, and would allow you to web surf and get/send e-mail, including attachments if necessary. 

There are also smaller sat phones, like the Iridium, which will allow you to have a modem-speed narrow-band full internet connection. 

The last two connection types used by sailboats require you to be in relatively civilized waters. 

One is via a WiFi connection to a land-based internet connection. This is somewhat range limited, but is becoming fairly widely available in many marinas and harbors. In some cases it is provided as a free service or amenity, as it is in Baltimore's inner harbor, and in others it is a paid service, and requires either a hourly, daily, weekly or monthly service fee.

The last popular connection is via cellular modem or cellphone. This requires a cellphone or cellular modem for your computer. With the newer third generation or 3G networks, you can get medium band speeds through this service. This requires a GSM, GPRS, EDGE or CDMA equipped cellular phone or modem, and is often available as a flat-monthly fee service. 

I hope this helps. If you have any specific questions, let me know.


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## travellerw (Mar 9, 2006)

OK I just felt like I had to reply here. A couple of years ago I and some investors were looking into providing medium speed two-way satellite connections for boaters. The system was essentially the same service that EarthLink is providing with a gyro stabilized dish.

The reason that it never happened was due to cost of equipment. We were looking at about $6500 in hardware and then about $125 in charges per month. Our research indicated that most boaters would not be willing to pay that amount.

With that being said, during our research phase we came across a much cheaper product but never had a chance to test it. You can look at the product here http://www.followmetv.com/

If I were out boating now, I would definitely buy and try this product. Based on the tests our researchers did I'm sure this product would work for quiet anchorages. You would just have to set the elevation every time the boat moved. Paired with the EarthLink service, this would be one fairly cheap solution. If it doesn't work, then at least you have an autotracker for watching TV..


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

follow me TV is not precise enough for internet comms


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

For some of the cell phone link systems, the operating cost can be reduced by the type of email programs that you run, conventional ones like yahoo and hotmail are 'on' all the time, programs like Juno allow you to write a number of messages then to send and receive in one transmission. Then you're offline again. This could help to limit some costs with these systems. I am really hoping a good workable boat system will be developed soon.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

JakeLevi said:


> For some of the cell phone link systems, the operating cost can be reduced by the type of email programs that you run, conventional ones like yahoo and hotmail are 'on' all the time, programs like Juno allow you to write a number of messages then to send and receive in one transmission. Then you're offline again. This could help to limit some costs with these systems. I am really hoping a good workable boat system will be developed soon.


Any POP3 mail server will allow this, as will some of the web-based e-mail services like Yahoo's paid e-mail (not their free service), gmail.com and mac.com. However, most of the cellular providers have some sort of flat-fee, unlimited data service plan available.

T-mobile's is about $20 a month. I used it when I was in the process of moving and its about twice the speed of dialup in most places, faster in a few others. However, T-mobile's rollout of their 3rd gen network has been slower than the others IIRC.

Using T-mobile didn't require any extra or new hardware, just my BlueTooth equipped phone. The notebook I use most of the time has built-in bluetooth, but the bluetooth dongles are now less thatn $20 for a decent one.

I'm pretty sure that Verizon, Cingular and Sprint probably have a package that is similar.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

JSlarve...to actually answer your question...
They need a Pactor modem and cables conected between the SSB and the laptop. Then they need Sailmail service.
Pactors run about $1k
Sailmail costs $250 per year..visit sailmail.com for all you need to know.
For Pactor...see http://www.farallon.us/webstore/ they have the right stuff and will walk you through the install and conection to sailmail over the phone. Incredible support!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks Cam, well worth checking out. 

This is one addiction thats hard to kick, plus, it has real $ value in information gleaned. 

Ref yahoo paid, I have it, it is on all the time unless shut off, it doesnot send in multiple message bursts but individual messages. The main thing for the paid version is no popups slowing you down and more storage on your account. Its a great place to store online books etc. I have 5% so far of a 5gig available.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

JakeLevi said:


> Ref yahoo paid, I have it, it is on all the time unless shut off, it doesnot send in multiple message bursts but individual messages. The main thing for the paid version is no popups slowing you down and more storage on your account. Its a great place to store online books etc. I have 5% so far of a 5gig available.


I guess you didn't read my post that closely. The real bonus of the Yahoo premium paid e-mail service is that it will let you send/receive messages in bursts *if you are using a POP3 e-mail client, like Thunderbird.*

If you are using the web browser mail interface, and paying for bandwidth, then you're just being stupid. 

A good POP3 client will let you download your messages, go offline, write your replies to all the messages, store them in a outgoing mailbox, connect and then send all of the messages. This minimizes your connection time. This is how it was often done when broadband connection and flat fee for unlimited service didn't exist. A lot of people still do this for their cellular internet connections-sometimes just because it minimizes the interruptions caused by signal dropouts.

A POP3 e-mail client, properly configured, can also be setup to not download messages if they have attachments, or if the messages exceed a certain size. I've set this up for people using Inmarsat satellite phones for their internet connection-which is charged by the megabyte IIRC.


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