The blog
I mentioned in two previous posts, firstly the ADS-B system equivalent to the AIS for aerospace, other future satellite communications with the next constellation Iridium NEXT. Imagine the site NewScientist tells us, in a recent article dated 14 December, Iridium NEXT satellites that will load transmission devices ADS-B. Let me give you the following translation freely adapted.
These two technologies will revolutionize the communication associated air traffic in the next ten years. Read more …
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 en route to Croatia
The 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 …
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 …
After 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 …
MailaSail informs us : you can now update your Tweets directly from your Iridium phone (*). Start by sending an SMS from your Iridium with words START or SIGNUP to short code 40404… Read more …
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 …
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 …
British company Mailasail, I am now agent in France for Mac users, provides tools to connect directly an Iridium to Mac OS X. A driver designed by them can now transfer data from a mail application in OS X, mainly Mail or Thunderbird, and surf the Internet.
We can make requests for weather files by mail from servers Mailasail, Saildocs, ocens.net or Navimail. Subscription to Teleport-it provides several services : mail compression, access to the weather file server Teleport Weather (¹), possibility of creating a personalized blog. Added to this are two very useful applications : Teleport Firewall and Teleport Proxy.
Finally, Mailasail had the good sense to provide a free trial subscription, to achieve all the configuration that follows, and to test mail sending/receiving following procedure described on its website. Read more …