Larry and Todd:

It's not quite so simple -- take a look at
http://www.mvfintry.com/pix/portland800.jpg.

There are two w/t compartments on the main deck and six below, all possibly
with data, as well as tanks. The wheelhouse can also be separated by a w/t
door. (Remember that in The Perfect Storm movie, Andrea Gail flooded from
the wheelhouse. What really happened, we'll never know.)

Maybe you guys are right -- that wireless would work fine -- certainly there
are a lot of openings in the bulkheads, although they're all small (2" tops)
and sealed with intumescent caulk to keep fire and flood in one place if
they happen -- AC, DC, H&C potable water, sal****er fire main, black and
gray water, compressed air, diesel, and all the information wires.

Question then, given that running wire is really easy, because we'll have
the conduit for phone, burglar, fire alarm, audio, etc. anyway (sure, maybe
all of these can be wireless also, but there are some security issues,
etc.), am I better off with wired or wireless? If Larry's right and 802.11
will really reject everything that it might meet, is it a more robust
installation to go wireless? This assumes that all of the primary stuff on
the bridge is wired -- we're talking about personal computers (in the
broader sense of the words) and a couple of non-critical remote readouts
here.

None of this will go in until we get her on this side of the pond next
summer (God willing). I'd be delighted to try it sometime after then....

--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


..

..
"Todd" wrote in message
m...
"Jim Woodward" jameslwoodward at attbi dot com wrote in message
...
Certainly if I were adding a network to an existing boat
that wasn't well set for easy access everywhere (that's another topic),
I'd
certainly take a shot at using wireless and test the hell out of it at
the
dock.


--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com

Jim,

I think you make a good point that testing is definitely the key
before leaving the dock.

Metal boats do present a problem for wireless networks and my take on
doing wireless on a metal boat (assuming you want to and certainly not
everyone does) is to mount the external antenna in the salon area so
that any cabins (with non-metal or open doors) can access it and the
signal can get up the companionway stairs to the cockpit. Would that
give you a signal on the foredeck? As you say you'd just have to test
it since it will vary with each boat.

As an aside I would never recommend anyone use wireless as their sole
means of electronic navigation. When we designed our wireless
navigation server it was always as an addition to a set of fixed
mounted instruments and even more importantly as an addition to having
a paper chart and being able to navigate when you lose all form of
power aboard. We also require an external NMEA multiplexer to combine
the NMEA signals (or convert Seatalk) which allows you to unplug our
wireless navigation server and plug the serial connection directly
into a laptop were our hardware to fail.

Best,
Todd

--
Marine Wireless
http://www.marinewireless.us