12. February 2009 by admin.

Let’s face it - we all know the economy is a wreck. So now may be the time to save money on those communications costs for the yacht. You can do a number of things to consolidate and provide more options for voice and Internet Communications onboard a Sail or Motor Yacht. All size vessels can realize savings.

ASMT works with multiple technologies including Satellite, Cellular 3G, and WiFi Hotspot Sharing systems. Having multiple options can save you money over things such as the high cost of satellite Voice and Internet Communications.

Yachts may be spending more time in dock than in years past - and this can make the options easier for keeping Internet and Telephone Communications going. At ASMT we usually work with technologies and systems that provide solutions that work all around the world … because face it you are on a very mobile platform. The yacht may not cruise as often this year, but chances are you will cruise. A suggestion that we always make is to save the more expensive satellite communications method for those deep blue sea situations where nothing else works. If you don’t have them already you might want to look into installing some options, as I’ve mentioned already, using Cellular 3G and WiFi Connection Sharing Systems. This while keeping the option to easily switch in the Satellite System for those times and geographic locations where that’s the only answer and you are well aware of the costs that you are incurring.

An investment in multiple systems can be a good thing to do right now. The costs can be easily recovered (ROI - Return on Investment) when you use - often FREE - WiFi and comparably inexpensive Cellular 3G Systems to power the vessels onboard Communications for both Voice and Internet.

ASMT has solutions for integrating 2 or more Internet Systems for Yacht / Marine Vessels - allowing you to easily toggle in the appropriate service that costs the least (least-cost routing of voice and Internet) at any given location.

I’m not saying that marine satellite systems are bad. No - they’re great. And in fact I recommend them to yachts that can afford it and just gotta have that level of connectivity and/or voice communications anywhere including the deep blue. What I am saying is that you can opt for plans that allow you to pay per usage … and then limit that usage to only when it’s necessary. Otherwise use other systems/services that are more cost-effective when you can.

When life gives us lemons … we make lemonade. So call now and ask about our lemonade specials at Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

—
Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
http://www.marinetelecom.net
http://www.wifiyacht.net
+1 954 683 3426
communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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12. February 2009 by admin.

I just got an email …

And it was good enough of an information update to go on my famous Bahamas /Carribean Cellular Information Page. The page that’s not only done by me, but done by the input of YOU - The Yachting Community.

http://www.marinetelecom.net/bahamas-cellular.html

A Yacht Captain in Harbour Island, Bahamas … At the North End of Eleuthera Island near Spanish Wells. Here goes:

2009 February 12 - From a Yacht in the Harbour Island, Bahamas: We’re over here getting ready for the Boss in Harbour Island, known for it’s pink sand beach because of the color of the coral that gets ground up in the surf. It’s actually not all that pink. You can really only see it when the sun is out. Anyhow I discovered that BaTellCo Data is now working up here. I just looked at the Ericsson Config page and it shows 5 Bars, Connection is EDGE, Roaming on Service Provider: BaTellCell 36439 [what ever that means]. Two years ago, the only cell phone that would work up here was my old Analog Tellular. AT&T took that away from me [Feb.] last year but at the same time I discover that all our Digitals worked up; but not the Data. So times are a changing, slowly, in the Bahamas. I still doubt that the far outer islands have data yet. We’ll be talking to you.

—
Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
http://www.marinetelecom.net
http://www.wifiyacht.net
+1 954 683 3426
communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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12. February 2009 by admin.

[Alan Spicers’ Note:]

I thought this of interest to Marine Communications that Yachts and other Marine Vessels use. Of the satellite services used by marine vessels, 3 generally considered smaller (handsets and antennas) and less expensive - but generally slower Internet Speeds, are the Inmarsat Mini-M - Globalstar - and Iridium. Globalstar has been in the news for recent satellite problems and related service problems. The Inmarsat Satellites and other satellites used for VSAT (as well as Satellite TV) services use Geostationary Satellites and are approximately 36,000 km (22,000 mi) above sea level. The Globalstar and Iridium satellites are much closer in Low Earth Orbit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary

* The satellite in question in today’s news is an Iridium Satellite. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_(satellite)

The Iridium system requires 66 active satellites in orbit to complete its constellation, with spare satellites in-orbit to serve in case of failure. Satellites are in low Earth orbit at a height of approximately 485 miles… [more at the wikipedia link]

The Iridium satellite being destroyed by the collision will no doubt cause some problems for The Iridium Company’s customers. I’m guessing that this could be similar to the problems that Globalstar has had - because of their satellites which were damaged by radiation in space. Iridium will no doubt try to maneuver spares to replace the damaged satellite and restore full coverage.

[end of Alan Spicers’ Note:]

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/159415/us_russian_satellites_collide.html

A commercial Iridium communications satellite and decommissioned Russian satellite both appear to have been destroyed after an unprecedented collision in space, Iridium said Wednesday.

The collision took place on Tuesday and was verified by U.S. government organizations that track satellites and other orbits, said Iridium, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Iridium network, which offers satellite telephone and data service to governments, corporations, media and other groups worldwide, is made up of 66 satellites orbiting approximately 800 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. This low-earth orbit means the satellites orbit the globe continuously and so, if enough are put into space, all parts of the planet can be covered with service at all times.

In contrast, typical communication satellites like those used for TV broadcasting orbit at 36,000 kilometers so they appear at the same spot in the sky when viewed from earth. This means reception systems can be simple because dish antennas don’t have to move, but such satellites have trouble covering higher northern and lower southern parts of the globe.

The in-orbit collision will mean brief service outages for some customers over the next few day,s but Iridium said it expects to have the issue largely resolved by Friday. Within a month, the company expects to have one of a number of in-orbit spare satellites moved into position to replace the one that was lost.

—
Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
http://www.marinetelecom.net
http://www.wifiyacht.net
+1 954 683 3426
communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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