Article by Capt. Steve Katz
Keep in Touch
Some people go fishing to get away from it all, unplug for a while and enjoy the outdoors. Others need to stay connected so they can get away and fish and be available if needed.
Many coastal fishing and boating spots in our area are covered by cellular signals, providing voice and internet, up to about 10 miles offshore. Marine VHF also covers our inshore fishing areas very well, along with much of the coastal USA. Booster antenna are available to increase the near shore signal strength.
Once you venture farther offshore or into less populated waterways, the coverage of cellular voice and data drops off rather quickly, leaving the VHF as one of the primary methods of communications.
There was a time in the past that a “marine operator” could be hailed on a specially designated VHF channel, they could connect you, via public relay to a telephone call to someone on land, this service ended once cell phones become the preferred communications tool.
In today’s world, there are a few different choices that allow a boater to communicate with others on land or on the water when you are out of cellular phone range. The most well-known device used by boaters and anglers is the Garmin inReach.
The Garmin inReach is one of a handful of satellite communicators.
The inReach family of devices are a text or email satellite powered handheld device about the size of a cell phone. Garmin products with inReach technology use the Iridium satellite network to send and receive custom and preset text messages or emails with delivery confirmation. The InReach data plans are similar in pricing style to a cell phone plan, there is a monthly charge, and you choose a plan that covers the amount of messaging you think you need. Plans start at $12/month.
The Garmin inReach also uses GPS to track your location and provide a map of the area (certain models only). This location information can be appended to your text messages, allowing the receiver to see your location and your speed and heading. This feature makes it easy to keep friends and family updated on your position when traveling or fishing away from cellular coverage. These devices are not a substitute for an EPIRB or PLB but do have the ability to transmit an emergency message that is sent to a private rescue service.
While the Garmin inReach is popular, there are similar satellite messaging devices such as, Iridium GO! Globalstar SPOT X® 2-way satellite messenger and the new ACR Bivy Stick Two-Way Satellite Communicator Globalstar, recently discontinued a product called Sat-Fi2, they still offer service for their legacy product the original Sat-Fi. Only two of these products above can be used for voice calls too – the IridiumGo! And Globalstar Sat-fi. While the IridiumGo! and Sat-Fi could be also used for internet data, the speeds are so slow that most users find it useless for most tasks.
If voice calls are more important than texting, there are a few handheld and permanent mounted satellite phones for marine use, many of these are voice only, which may be all you need. Iridium, Inmarsat, KVH, Intellian and Globalstar offer traditional satellite phones starting around $700 for the hardware. One note of caution if selecting a handheld satellite telephone; the handset needs a clear view of the sky to receive a GPS and satellite signal from the service provider. Using a handheld phone under a hardtop or in the cabin or salon of a boat usually will not work since the signal is then too weak. Many of the handheld phones offer a marine accessory kit with an external antenna that is mounted on the boat’s topside and a special cradle for the handheld phone inside the boat. The user then makes a phone call using a special wired handset or Bluetooth headset to connect to the cradled satellite phone handset.
If you need more than simple texting or voice calls, then you want to look at satellite broadband solutions offered by KVH and Intellain for the leisure market. There is a new entry in this marketplace, the KVH V30. What makes this satellite “dome” different than others? Technology and price plans! The V30 offers one of the fastest internet download speeds as fast as 6 Mbps down/2 Mbps up, housed in a compact 14” antenna dome. KVH offers new lower cost price plans that have not been offered to pleasure boaters in the past, both unlimited and metered plans. The new price plans are now available month to month, unlimited plans have no overage costs, though speed slows down once you use more than your plans allotted data. The metered plans offer the highest speeds at the lowest costs. The internet signal is also used for phone calls with the included telephone line with a unique USA based phone number. Texting is possible using your regular smartphone apps, since you are connected to the internet with WiFi on the boat. Metered data plans start at $99/month and unlimited data plans start at $149/month.
Keeping in touch while out on the water is easier and less expensive today than it has ever been. There are satellite hardware solutions and price plans for every budget.
Until next time...
Stay Grounded §
