Category : Satellite

Satellite communication, Iridium, Inmarsat, Thuraya, Globalsat

IsatPhone 2 the new Inmarsat satellite phone [Update-2]

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The war is open between the two leading operators worldwide satellite phone. After the announcement of GO! by Iridium (¹), this is IsatPhone 2 by Inmarsat.

Inmarsat will deliver its new mobile satellite phone on March 24 next. IsatPhone 2 target the high end market of satellite telephony. Described as "a fine device combined with a feeling of high quality", it has additional options and more features than the previous model IsatPhone Pro (²), such as GPS tracking, emergency button or the receipt of calls with the folded antenna. Read more …

With IsatHub, Inmarsat promises to connect - much - faster [Update]

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After the announcement with great pump of the GO! by Iridium few month ago, but not yet available, Inmarsat has introduced IsatHub at CommunicAsia show which just closed its doors in Singapur. The competition is tough between the two industrial, but unlike Iridium more oriented towards mainstream users, Inmarsat is aimed primarily at a professional market.

IsatHub is a WiFi hotspot allowing to connect all mobile devices to Inmarsat satellite network. No need cellular towers, IsatHub provides aworldwide connectivity to your tablets and smartphones.
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Iridium GO! promises to connect you – nearly – anywhere

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Iridium GO!We read in the news

Global satellite company aims at the consumer market with Iridium GO!™ : pack it for camping or world travel (¹).

In all public places where you can connect wirelessly to the Internet today, Wi-Fi is not yet ubiquitous. And if you are a boater, backpacker, pilot, camper or someone who spends a lot of time in nature, the chance to connect to cyberspace in some remote locations is almost impossible. It is not just data. Try making a cellular phone call in such places !

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IsatPhone Pro versus Iridium (continue)

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As promised in my post on 15 July, here are the results of the comparative test conducted aboard "Prince d'Oc" for our trip from Port Leucate to Dubrovnik.

Thanks to the loan of a full IsatPhone Pro, with cradle and external antenna (big thanks to PYG @Voilier_xhosa, who sent me all this from Belgium), and the presence of a similar facility Iridium on board Olivier's boat : Iridium 9575 with fixed external antenna Sailor, we were able to test in real use.

Prince d'Oc vers la Croatie

Prince d'Oc en route to Croatia

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Iridium NEXT the future

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Constellation Iridium actuelleThe use of Iridium takes a growing place among offshore sailors. Safety at sea to join his family at all times, or be able to contact a medical emergency, arguments are often raised by purchasers. In addition, satellite phone offers data services to send and receive text messages and emails, and especially to query GRIB weather files. Unfortunately, to date the available bandwidth for data exchange is extremely low, do not allow more than 2400 bits per second on average to use from a mobile phone. Only large fixed installations, out of reach of the average boater, offer data rates up 128 Kbps.

And tomorrow ? Iridium Communications Inc., based in McLean, Virginia (USA), announced in June 2010, launching a major program of development of a constellation of new generation, coming gradually replace the current : Iridium NEXT. Read more …

IsatPhone Pro versus Iridium, choose which ?

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I just read, in the last issue of Voiles et Voiliers dated May 2012, a comparative Inmarsat-Iridium that leaves me unsatisfied. Quite interesting on the form, it has many approximations on the bottom, and does not allow the reader to form an opinion on elements of accurate and quantitative comparison. On the other hand, no offense to Francis Xavier Ricardou, software solutions for Mac have long existed and are well proven : just to see the number of participants provided with Mac or iPad at ARC 2011. I will try to contribute complementary, I hope, inform potential buyers. Read more …

Testimony : Transquadra and Navigation Mac

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BluestairsAfter Jean Debèze, avid supporter of Navigation Mac, made me the pleasure of a detailed tutorial about installing a multiplexer aboard his sailboat, here's a ticket by Jacques Vermeulen, reflecting very didactic experience during the recent Transquadra, on board " Bluestairs ", with the owner and friend Marc Bolla.

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Placed at the Transquadra 2011/2012, we met, at the first stage of the Mediterranean Barcelona-Porto Santo (Madeira), problems receiving and sending data and GRIB files via the Iridium network. Email was impossible to use with the Iridium Airtime cards we used. Do we remained as the ability to call with the Iridium.

Back after this first stage, I decided to deepen the subject and educate myself with Francis Fustier whom I had knowledge, hitherto, through his blog, really comprehensive. Read more …

Navigation with iPad trainings : a complete solution

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With Weather4D PRO and Iridium Mail, associated with a satellite phone Iridium, we now have a complete solution, reliable and low cost to receive, display and manage GRIB files in open seas with iPad.
iNavX and Navionics cartography also provide a complete navigation solution, supporting files transfers with Weather4D PRO : GRIB, routes, tracks, that allows simultaneous display in both applications.

These solutions, fully complementary and mutually consistent, were tested on more 2800 NM in the automn during a crossing from Canaria to the Caribbean, on board Catana 47 " Gust ", token place in ARC rally 2011. In addition, Olivier Bouyssou was able to improve his Weather4D Pro application "over time", correcting, adding and optimizing daily development onboard. Read more …

Iridium - iPad connection – is coming out !

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AxcessPoint

Router WiFi AxcessPoint of Iridium

I dont like to advertise products or features before they are available, but in this case the subject can guide choices or postponements of purchase among potential users.

Iridium announced on last 7 September the creation of a free service called Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web app which will be available before the end of the year 2011. This will be a mail and web compression service, hosted by Iridium, specifically designed to optimize data transmission with the new WiFi router Iridium Iridium Mail. Read more …