Iridium – Navigation Mac

Iridium Communications acquires Satelles

Posted on9 th 2024One comment

Iridium to Expand its Reach as a Global Alternative PNT Service.„

This is how Iridium presents the acquisition of its partner Satelles. March, the 4 th 2024, Iridium Communications, strategic partner of the company Satelles of which it already owns 20% of capital, has announced its full acquisition, to become Iridium's "Satellite Time and Location" business unit. Iridium buys the 80% of capital remaining for approximately 115 million dollars (¹).

With this acquisition, Iridium aims to provide a PNT service (²) more robust and reliable than current GNSS networks (³). Read more …

Iridium GO! exec® adopts Certus®100 service [Update]

Posted on15 th 202312 th 20243 comments

The latest device Iridium GO! exec® (what a funny name !) has been available since March. It represents the first standalone device produced by Iridium to adopt the Certus®100 (¹) down to 88 Kbps download, 22 Kbps upload.

This big brother of the Iridium GO!® appeared in 2014 provides download speeds 40 times faster, but at costs that are clearly proportional. Read more …

Iridium Certus 100, a step towards yachting ? [Update]

Posted on15 th 20236 th 20244 comments

Since the operational commissioning of the constellation Iridium NEXT (¹), Iridium has begun offering its new range of services called " Certus® ”. These services rely on the significantly increased technological capabilities of new satellites, which has made it possible, among others, Iridium to be approved as a second satellite communications provider for the GMDSS maritime security service (²), of which the competitor Inmarsat has held the monopoly since 1979.

Certus®, in addition to demonstrating that American businessmen are also literate. (³), is a range available in six bandwith levels starting from 22 Kb/s up to 704 Kb/s, and up to 1408 Kb/s in the near future.

Iridium emails accessible via webmail

Posted on3 December 202218 February 20252 comments

On this opening day of the Paris Nautic boatshow, and as the Christmas holidays approach, I can't resist providing a small gift to the users of the satellite messaging app Iridium Mail & Web app. A tip that I have just been reminded of in the last newsletter of our friend Dominique, to iTabNav.fr, that you may meet on the Booth E11 – Hall 2 to ROM-Arrange.

For those who don't know yet, the email account created for use with the Iridium Mail & Web app (¹) has been accessible for some time by a webmail From any internet browser. Read more …

Iridium services : Inflation in Low Earth Orbit

Posted on12 November 202212 November 2022One comment

Inflation does not spare satellite telephone services, to believe that the price of radio waves increases with the cost of transport ! Does this mean that the cost of the round trip of a radio wave toward Iridium satellites (environ 2 x 780 km) is directly impacted by the increase in fuel prices ? Damned, I will have to be explained !

Anyway, the bad news has just reached us through our partner iTabNav.fr : Significant general increase in Iridium subscription prices on January 1 2023 affecting all resellers. Read more …

Share GRIB files with Air Share [Update]

Posted on30 th 202225 July 2023

More and more of you have adopted the Iridium GO! for its easy way to request GRIB files, directly from Weather4D and some other applications. But some also want to transfer these files to a PC to import them into Windows software. (as you know, no one is perfect !). An easy solution is available : the messaging app Air Share, compatible iOS/iPadOS (¹). [Update 30 th 2022] Warning : the application has changed its identifier code on the AppStore. Read more …

Urgent ! Iridium GO!® firmware update and app GO!®

Posted on5 October 202110 October 20214 comments

A new version of the firmware 2.1.22 is now available for the’Iridium GO!®. This release includes an update to fix an incorrect time and date issue for the device Iridium GO!® and the application GO!®. This problem does not affect the functionality of the device/application. Appeals, the data, SMS, SOS and follow-up are still working normally. Only cases where a message (Quick GPS, tracking, SOS) contains a date/time, this one will be incorrect. The order of messages in the Iridium GO app!® may not be respected, as well as missed voice calls. Upgrading the device to the new firmware version 2.1.22 will fix this issue.

Iridium GO! app change de look [brief]

Posted on27 February 20202 th 2020One comment

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 …

Iridium GO! Positive feedback [Update]

Posted on17 January 20202 th 20256 comments

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

Posted on11 January 20196 th 2024

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.