Get Another SSB or Go for a Sat Phone ?

[sailvayu]

The emergency I have been listening to is still ongoing. It is a sailboat at sea where one person onboard has had a stroke. The Ham operators are assisting the vessel owner contact the Iridium tech department. It seems the sat phone cut out in the middle of this emergency because they ran out of minutes or the activation card expired. So the SSB and ham operators are being used to help get the phone reactivated and working again so they can talk to medical folks on shore.

Would seem the SSB is not quite obsolete.
KJ4WXF

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by fairbank56

I think you have made the point yourself. Horses are not obsolete and neither are marine/ham ssb radio communications.

Eric

Actually, that is the point, horses are obsolete except in very limited applications. Also, there is the hobby aspect, racing, pets, etc.

[MarkJ]

At least we are now doing better with spelling the word Obsolete


I was getting abit worried for a while.

[sailvayu]

Update: Iridium is refusing to turn the phone back on without written request from an official organization such as the USCG.

A man is possibly dieing out there and they need proper paperwork to help.

Meanwhile the hams on the SSB have worked with the Belize CG and who are minutes away from arriving on site. They (the hams) have made calls and worked phone patches for the last 24 hours in order to get help to this vessel.

Without the hams on this one i think things would have been far worse.

I think you can draw your own conclusions from this one.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by sailvayu

Update: Iridium is refusing to turn the phone back on without written request from an official organization such as the USCG.

A man is possibly dieing out there and they need proper paperwork to help.

Meanwhile the hams on the SSB have worked with the Belize CG and who are minutes away from arriving on site. They (the hams) have made calls and worked phone patches for the last 24 hours in order to get help to this vessel.

Without the hams on this one i think things would have been far worse.

I think you can draw your own conclusions from this one.

Hopefully, the sailor makes it OK. Congrats to the hams for their good work.

The conclusion that I would draw here is that having a back-up system is always good and for critical systems it could save your life someday.

There is a school of thought that believes when going offshore it should be without communication equipment. If you go offshore it should with with total self sufficiency without a plan to burden others with your emergency. Assuming the risk of going offshore comes with potential consequences.

[Mambo]

LakeS -
I am curious what you spend on Sat Phone offshore. It sounds like your costs probably tracked BobSadler's. He is the only one I can see who put hard numbers on his minutes and his costs would be budget busters to me (a professional with no interest in joining the $500 mo crusing club . . . but with a budget nonetheless). I think this discussion would be far more useful with some more real budget numbers.

[btrayfors]

Re: the emergency situation near Belize, Iridium said they added 75 minutes to the account, but the vessel reports they still have no use of the satphone.

Hams continue to provide 2-way communications with the distressed vessel. BTW, both the vessel -- a 38' steel sloop -- and its owner are in distress. It does appear that the Belize Coast Guard will arrive at their position shortly.

Two lessons:

1. As Lake Superior said, it's always good to have a backup plan; and

2. Hundreds of hams were and continue to be listening and prepared to provide any help they can, including contacting the Belize and U.S. Coast Guards or any other facility needed at their own expense. This exemplifies the spirit -- and the power -- of ham radio.

Cudos to the Maritime Mobile Service Net and, especially to KM4MA Paul and W1RKT Bob who as I type this has Iridium on the phone and is trying to resolve the satphone problem.

Let's hope the owner, Robert, gets needed medical attention fast and that his vessel and crew remain safe.

Bill

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I'll choose door number 3.....
Go now. In the morning, fix coffee, sit in cockpit looking at some beautiful anchorage/lagoon and revell in the uninterupted peace and quiet Knowing I cannot be reached....

You know, having a satphone or SSB doesn't make door #3 impossible. Just switch them off.

It is possible to sail safely (relatively, as always) without any communications technology. SSB and Satphone each have their own major advantages and minor drawbacks. If I had to choose one, and couldn't otherwise make up my mind, I would go for the satphone. Or flip a coin. On VALIS we've got both.

[jeancharleb]

I'm in the Med i Have just bought all of what is needed for SSB communications wich is IC7000 Antenna tuner Pactor modem and single wire to hoist up the mast and a extra large dynaplate. All this is alot of work to install not counting the 10 week course to have my license for Hamradio. BUT. As for electricity and navigation it is nice to know that we are self sufficient when you have solar panels , wind generator SSB with no cash to deploy all the time. Automatic withdrawl on the account is something to reduce to the max when deciding to voyage with the less possible attachments. Except our kids and their life of course

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Mambo

I think this discussion would be far more useful with some more real budget numbers.

I have a Thuraya stallite phone given to me by James S of this forum when we were in Asia and about to do the Gulf of Aden thing and v tight on cash.
I wanted to be able to have voice coms with the coalition navy and have SMS with my sister in Australia to give me weather. I didnt have a data cable so couldnt download grib files.
Nicolle SMS'ed weather after she left and I was solo sailing.


SMS cost .50 cents per text 160 characters. She could SMS me for free using the Thuraya website.

I can't find the cost of the SIM Card but I think it was USD$110?? (SIM would have included some airtime)

Transaction History



14th February 2010
Recharge Units Ordered: 20
20.00 Units added to your phone
US$22.00



9th January 2010
10.00 Units added to your phone
US$13.00

And I am about out of credit now (and out of coverage aread till I am back in the Med)

The only Voice calls I have made was to Mum on her birthday (short!!) and a few to the Navy and they ring back

So total spend $145 for SIM and Airtime.


It was a grand pressie for a sailor


Mark
PS It has a GPS in it so I have an extra backup

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Mambo

LakeS -
I am curious what you spend on Sat Phone offshore. It sounds like your costs probably tracked BobSadler's. He is the only one I can see who put hard numbers on his minutes and his costs would be budget busters to me (a professional with no interest in joining the $500 mo crusing club . . . but with a budget nonetheless). I think this discussion would be far more useful with some more real budget numbers.

From a sometimes faulty memory...

1. I purchased 1000 prepaid Iridium minutes for $1.30 USD per minute

2. I purchased a 6 month XGATE contract for ~$20.00 USD per month (I am now on DORMANT status for $5.00 per month until May.)

3. The Atlantic crossing on the northern route was 19 days and 3 hours,(wasn't really keeping track) Halifax to Ireland. We downloaded 1 to 2 GRIBs per day tracking 5 major lows that went by during the crossing. I spoke briefly with my wife about 1 once a day. A sad family issue was winding down. My rough guess is we used approximately 300 minutes there.

One crew members wife was having serious health issues that came up shortly after we left. He burned through another 300 minutes on the crossing. It was very fortunate he could stay in touch with her and his son in order to participate in the decision making.

I might add that even though we had a high gain WiFi antenna setup there were anchorages in Ireland and Scotland without coverage. We then went to the Iridium for the GRIBS. Good weather forcasts were important for cruising the west coast of Ireland.

[Mambo]

Thanks Mark -- So SMS weather would cost you a couple of bucks more a day when you are on a crossing? Still way cheaper than BobS's who spent $400 mo on minutes alone (before subscriptions). The difference between $100 mo and $400-500 is pretty significant (in my budget).
Thx.
-M

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I have a Thuraya stallite phone given to me by James S of this forum when we were in Asia and about to do the Gulf of Aden thing and v tight on cash.
I wanted to be able to have voice coms with the coalition navy and have SMS with my sister in Australia to give me weather. I didnt have a data cable so couldnt download grib files.
Nicolle SMS'ed weather after she left and I was solo sailing.


SMS cost .50 cents per text 160 characters. She could SMS me for free using the Thuraya website.

I can't find the cost of the SIM Card but I think it was USD$110?? (SIM would have included some airtime)



And I am about out of credit now (and out of coverage aread till I am back in the Med)

The only Voice calls I have made was to Mum on her birthday (short!!) and a few to the Navy and they ring back

So total spend $145 for SIM and Airtime.


It was a grand pressie for a sailor


Mark
PS It has a GPS in it so I have an extra backup

[Mambo]

Good stuff -- thanks!

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

From a sometimes faulty memory...

1. I purchased 1000 prepaid Iridium minutes for $1.30 USD per minute

2. I purchased a 6 month XGATE contract for ~$20.00 USD per month (I am now on DORMANT status for $5.00 per month until May.)

3. The Atlantic crossing on the northern route was 19 days and 3 hours,(wasn't really keeping track) Halifax to Ireland. We downloaded 1 to 2 GRIBs per day tracking 5 major lows that went by during the crossing. I spoke briefly with my wife about 1 once a day. A sad family issue was winding down. My rough guess is we used approximately 300 minutes there.

One crew members wife was having serious health issues that came up shortly after we left. He burned through another 300 minutes on the crossing. It was very fortunate he could stay in touch with her and his son in order to participate in the decision making.

I might add that even though we had a high gain WiFi antenna setup there were anchorages in Ireland and Scotland without coverage. We then went to the Iridium for the GRIBS. Good weather forcasts were important for cruising the west coast of Ireland.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Mambo

Thanks Mark -- So SMS weather would cost you a couple of bucks more a day when you are on a crossing?

No. Its costs me NOTHING.

People on the internet at home can SMS Thurayia Sat phone for FREEEEEEE.
I take the message but do not reply to them unless I need to.

So its basically free


https://sms.thuraya.com/


I don't know if Iridium has the same thing.

Only drawback is SMS ain't a grib file. But if those doing it cheaply its cost effective

Even Lake Superios is very cost effective if you took out the family difficulties. But at least he had the ability to have great family contact for 2 families when needed most, and whats $300 in those situations? nuiifn


I just see Iridium has Free sms too!!

Iridium Satellite - Send a Satellite Message

Someone want a SMS on their iridium?


Mark

[barboak]

I could not imagine starting a day aboard without listening to one of the SSB nets, depending where we are cruising. Most cruisers also start the day listening in to a weather net like Chris Parkers where you can hear friends checking in all over the Caribbean and Bahamas. Can't do that on a Sat Phone.