The app Iridium GO!®, used on our smartphones (iOS/Android) to connect to the Iridium network via the device of the same name, just undergone an happy facelift. Nothing really fundamental, if not the user interface, but a stylish graphics help for first-time users. Read more …
Category : Communication
Iridium GO! Positive feedback [Update]
Iridium GO! cruising
Since it was introduced to the market in September 2014 (Eh, yes, 5 years already !) this device, with its indisputable ergonomics and excellent quality/price ratio, has become a must-have for offshore sailors. Easy to implement, without the need for an external antenna (except metal build) it can be used inside the boat.
A test run of several weeks, carried out in October and November 2016 during a transatlantic delivery, had already demonstrated its ability to download GRIB weather files and weather maps despite the low rate (environ 10 KB / mn). With the new Iridium NEXT constellation (¹) we notice since 2019 a real improvement in the global coverage without satellite disconnection.
The new Iridium NEXT constellation is completed
A few months late, Iridium has just completed its Iridium NEXT satellite launch campaign (¹).With his 75 new satellites successfully deployed by SpaceX over the past two years, Iridium has achieved the feat of completely replacing its first constellation in record time. The last ten satellites, successfully orbited this January, 11 with a Falcon rocket 9 during the eighth and last launch, definitively complete the new constellation.
Iridium NEXT maintains its schedule [Update-3]
In June 2012, I wrote a post about the future constellation of communications satellites Iridium NEXT. While intended for operational use in 2017, the calendar had been shifted by a few months. Indeed, the launch of the first ten satellites by the private company SpaceX, originally planned on 12 th 2016, was postponed for a few months by the explosion on September 1 of a Falcon rocket 9 rocket explosion during the fuel filling on its launch pad before a shot of engine test.
Iridium Mail & Web app : GRIB weather files on iPhone and iPad in open sea [Update-2]
[Update 15 February 2019] The recent update of the application Iridium Mail & Web app gives me the opportunity to refresh this post originally written in December 2011.
The Wi-Fi Gateway Optimizer from RedPort allows owners of a mobile satellite phone to make requests and receive GRIB weather files from an iPad or iPhone on the high seas, into the wild, anywhere on the world.
After implementing and testing this solution On a long journey, It proved to be perfectly operational. However, it is limited to the receipt of the forecasts of the GFS weather model worldwide, and the wave pattern WW3, obtained by the American server's autoresponder Saildocs.
AIS, VHF/DSC radio and LEDs lights
The Department of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, published on 4 August a Boating Safety Alert about LEDs bulbs (¹). The text warns boaters on the risks of radio interference found where the VHF antennas are close to navigation lights or bridge lamps equipped with LEDs bulbs. Read more …
Satellite phones : prices increase in France
If satellite phone rates, mainly Iridium and Inmarsat, have not evolved in the United States., this is not the case in France. After storage removal of products remained on the shelves, new supplies from distributors saw a sharp increase. Indeed, the combined action of Euro decline and French VAT rise obligated to a significant prices increase, both the material as communication SIM vouchers, prepaid or postpaid. Read more …
Iridium stops distribution of AxcessPoint router [Update]
Iridium announced to its distribution network the shutdown of the AxcessPoint WiFi router at the end of February (¹) which allows an iPad or iPhone to connect to an Iridium phone to access an email service.
No need to worry for current users : the associated Iridium email service will remain active and accessible to all users. However, this router will no longer be able to be ordered from the 25 February. Read more …
Iridium Mail & Web became fully usable again
Since release Apple iOS 8 early October 2014 the messaging app Iridium Mail & Web app (who replaced Iridium Mail & Web app) was no longer able to export an attachment to another application using the “Open in” function.… ”. As a result, a GRIB weather file received as an attachment from the SailDocs server could no longer be used in any application, mainly Weather4D PRO.
It took more than 3 months for two successive updates to correct this severely handicapping problem for Iridium customer users :
[Update 21 November 2014] The version 1.0.6 finally fixes this bug, but unfortunately adds others including the rotating display.
[Update 2 of 6 January 2015] The version 1.0.9 fixes bugs for viewing and deleting messages (by removing rotation, too strong !).
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Iridium unifies the use of its mobile devices
Since the release of Iridium GO! (¹) There were two different pages of subscription (for free) to messaging service, and two applications (iOS/Android) to connect to Iridium devices. Now there is only one application : Iridium Mail & Web app to connect to either the router Optimizer, or to Iridium GO! Read more …