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Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] sat phones

Ann-Sofie Svanberg <kanalmamman@...>
 

OK , I think we need to explain more thouroughly.

Skype is a software for communication with voice, video or text and it works all over the world as long as you are connected to the internet. 
You don't need to get a Skype number and you don't need to pay anything for the service as long as the reciever recieve the call through Skype. If you want to call a normal landline phone or mobile phone you have to put money on an account with Skype.
To get internet access you can connect through a wifi net that someone provide for free or for a charge. If they charge you can buy the access on the connection site when you are in the area.

A hotspot is the same as a wifi provider. 

You can also get internet connection through the 3G net (mobile phones) but then you have to buy a SIM card with internet access (and talk). In the Caribbean you have to buy a new card for every country/island. Or you can use your mobile card from the States, but then you have to pay roaming fees which can be VERY expensive.

Or you can connect through a satellite but that is expensive when you use the internet on it. On the other hand it is probably cheaper calls than with your phone. But using Skype over the satellits internet connection will be expensive.

Hope this made things a bit clearer. If not come back again and I will try to explain again

/Annsofie
S/Y Lady Annila
SM232



Skickat från min iPad

17 feb 2014 kl. 08:50 skrev "Patrick Mcaneny" <sailw32@...>:

 

Annsofie, I tried to goggle Cruiser WiFi , but coud not find it. What is the service provided ? Do you have a link to it?  Thanks ,Pat


-----Original Message-----
From: Ann-Sofie Svanberg <kanalmamman@...>
To: amelyachtowners <amelyachtowners@...>
Sent: Sun, Feb 16, 2014 11:03 am
Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] sat phones

 
Hi Patrik
We are at Grenada now, and can confirm that you have plenty of WiFi net to connect to.
In Antigua, you can buy access to hothothotspot, in Tobago you have free wifi fromboth Digicell and LIME and you can buy access to Cruisers WiFi. The last one works perfectly in Trinidad and Grenada as well. In Chaguaramas on Trinidad, every marina has wifi for their guests, some are free and some you have to pay for.
Here in Grenada, you have free internet on most marinas and restaurants if you don't want to use Cruisers WiFi. 
One month, with no limitations in use, with Criusers WiFi are 40 USD.

/Annsofie
S/Y Lady Annila, SM 232 at Carriacou

Skickat från min iPad

16 feb 2014 kl. 10:24 skrev "Patrick Mcaneny" <sailw32@...>:

 
I am thinking Skype may be a good way to say in touch. The Skype website they showed their hotspots in the Caribbean , they were limited ,showed no hotspots south of Antiqua . Can someone confirm that one can connect to Skype further south down to Grenada ? Has Skype proved to be a reliable means to communicate back to the states? Has, as Trevor mentioned, the unintentional downloading of updates been a problem ?
                                                                                                                                                                    Thanks, Pat SM #123                           
-----Original Message-----
From: seafeverofcuan <seafeverofcuan@...>
To: amelyachtowners <amelyachtowners@...>
Sent: Sun, Feb 16, 2014 5:54 am
Subject: Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] sat phones

 
Another Fleet Broad band user.
FACTS YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW
A Skype app. is lethal for downloading updates without you knowing until you get your bill.
All and I mean ALL apps. and programs must be switched off before you connect to the internet otherwise your PC will download every update it can find out there and you have no way of knowing until the bill arrives.

I find it works much better and cleaner with a Mac Book Pro logging on to a dedicated closed email address with Mailasail.co.uk. That way there is no roaming for updates from other internet sites.

The Sat phone charges commence the moment you start to key in a phone number NOT when the call connects.

 Downloading large data files (e.g. manuals, instructions ) while at se a can be a very costly business $1k plus! if the connection drops out - how do I know this?

It works very very well but is prohibitively costly and I always pull the jack plug out of the Mac when not in use.
For weather charting and routing,all sites, it is simply fantastic.
I still haven't sailed into a dead zone and always have had coverage.
Excellent for safety I have used it to relay piracy from The African coast to UK navy in minutes.

In saying all that Blackberry world roaming $100 per year wins every time for solid land based communication at affordable and reliable rates.

Knowing what I know now I would never have installed Fleet as the running costs never came close to what I was lead to believe, it is just too expensive.
Average annual billing using Fleet including some business use $10 to 14k over a three year period.
At least forty per cent of this was data i.e. updates I didn't know about or want.

The most stable PC platform for Fleet has been Windows XP3.

I would choose my hand held Iridium over Fleet simply because you know what the bill is going to be and you can call anytime from your Sat. phone to get the balance.
The Satellite dish is mounted on the port side pushpit rail with a stabilizing bracket and has been a success.

Fair Winds,
Trevor lusty
Seafever

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