Communications: Does anyone have a satphone?
I bought a new iCom M700 single side band capable of ship to shore
communications from thousands of miles out, useful for calling the Coast
Guard if we should need help, or to update them if we think we are at
risk. It will also receive weather forecasts while at sea. It will not
support email, and there are not marine operators to connect us with
telephones ashore. I may buy the equivalent of a satellite blackberry
with limited bandwidth and delays measuring in tens of minutes.
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The range of VHF and SSB varies greatly depending upon installation. I never knew that I had a VHF problem until I had someone tell me that I sounded bad from time to time. Ended up I had a poor power connection. I ended up wiring the VHF power directly to a distribution stud with and in-line fuse. I suddenly could be heard 15 miles away! The only way to know if to test with a digital RF meter and/or have someone at a distance. Oversized co-ax makes a huge difference on how much signal gets out. Worth every penny to re-run cable to masthead. Also, check masthead cable connection. The best signal I ever heard was a guy, not on a sailboat, but on a trawler. He just had the best installation, not the most power or tallest mast!
SSB installation is key to success. Some people just boom on the airwaves while others barely transmit a whisper. Grounding, grounding, grounding, and good power supply make all the difference. Good installation will also save on the power budget. Installing an SSB is not a trivial matter. We're talk'n religion here! :)
To do email, you would need an HP modem (not cheap $500) and a laptop. Good for downloading very small files, text emails, weather fax, and more detailed weather products, etc.
Check out Chris Parkers book on marine weather. Worth every penny to have on board as a reference. All the skinny on weather products
available via VHF, email, SSB, HAM.
http://mwxc.com/
Another website:
http://www.caribwx.com/
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