Category : Satellite

Satellite communication, Iridium, Inmarsat, Thuraya, Globalsat

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 complete IsatPhone Pro, with docking station and outdoor antenna (a big thank you 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 Sailor outdoor fixed antenna, We were able to carry out tests in real use situations.

Prince d'Oc vers la Croatie

Prince d'Oc on his way to Croatia

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Iridium NEXT the future

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Constellation Iridium actuelleThe use of Iridium is taking a growing place among offshore sailors. The security of being able to join your family at sea at any time, or to be able to contact a medical service in the event of an emergency, are arguments often raised by buyers. In addition, The satellite phone offers data services to send and receive SMS and emails, and above all make GRIB weather file requests. Unfortunately, To date, the bandwidth offered for data exchanges is extremely low, not authorizing more than 2400 bits per second on average for use from a mobile phone. Only large fixed installations, out of reach of the average boater, offer speeds up to 128 Kbps.

And tomorrow ? Iridium Communications Inc., based in McLean, Virginia (USA), announced in June 2010, the launch of a major programme to develop a constellation of next-generation satellites, gradually replacing the current one : Iridium NEXT. Read more …

IsatPhone Pro versus Iridium, which one to choose ?

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I just read, in the latest issue of Voiles et Voiliers dated May 2012, A comparison Inmarsat-Iridium that leaves me unsatisfied. Quite interesting in form, it presents a lot of approximations in substance, and does not allow the reader to form an opinion on precise and quantified elements of comparison. On the other hand, with all due respect to François-Xavier Ricardou, Mac software solutions have been around for a long time and are perfectly proven : just to see the number of participants provided with Mac or iPad at ARC 2011. I will try to contribute complementary, I hope so, enlighten 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, who testifies in a very didactic way to his 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, during the first stage of the Mediterranean Barcelona-Porto Santo (Madeira), problems receiving and sending GRIB and data files via the Iridium network. Email was impossible to use with the Iridium Airtime cards we used. All we were left with was the possibility of calling with the Iridium.

Back after this first stage, I decided to deepen the subject and educate myself with Francis Fustier whom I had knowledge, Until now, than 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, perfectly complementary and consistent with each other, have been tested on more than 2800 NM in the automn during a crossing from Canaria to the Caribbean, on board Catana 47 "Burst", 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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The Iridium AxcessPoint WiFi Router

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, specially designed to optimize data transmission with the new Iridium WiFi router Iridium Mail. Read more …

Use an Iridium phone with Mac OS

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mailasailBritish company Mailasail provides tools to connect directly an Iridium to Mac OS X. A driver specially designed by them now allows data to be transferred from a messaging application under OS, mainly Mail or Thunderbird, and surf the Internet.

We can make requests for weather files by mail from servers Mailasail, Saildocs, ocens.net or even Navimail. The subscription to Teleport-it provides several services : mail compression, access to the weather file server Teleport Weather (¹), Possibility of creating a personalized blog. In addition, there are two very useful applications : Teleport Firewall and Teleport Proxy.

Finally, Mailasail had the good idea to offer a free trial subscription, allowing you to carry out all the configuration that will follow, and to test mail sending/receiving following procedure described on its website. Read more …