I was talking with Skip on my new Linksys CIT200 Skype wireless phone and
have a few observations for dock condos and communications in exotic
places.....

To call home from most exotic island telephone companies or cellular
companies reminds one of the price of diesel at the marina dock. Just
getting service in most islands is a hassle with all the different
CDMA/TDMA/GSM/AMPS/(list more favorite letter combos here) systems, none
of which are compatible, of course....

Now, many nice marina are now providing their dock customers with wifi
internet service and many savvy users are using free Skype internet
telephone software to call the folks back home for free to their Skype-
equipped home computers. (http://www.skype.com/)

Skype has just gotten much easier and PORTABLE to use on those docks!

I purchased a new Cisco/Linksys CIT200 wireless internet telephone for
$99 from Circuit City. It looks like:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...ldpagename=US%
2FLayout&cid=1127783455701&pagename=Linksys%2FComm on%2FVisitorWrapper
(sorry for the huge URL and word wrapping)

The little "box" is actually a 1900 Mhz digital transceiver, much like a
miniature cellphone site. Its USB plug, after installing the required
driver from the included CDrom, plugs into any USB port on your computer,
even your notebook if you like aboard the boat. The 1900 Mhz signal will
not interfere with your 2450 Mhz wifi connectivity between your laptop
and the marina's wifi hotspot.

Skype comes on the CDrom or you can get the new 2.5 version from
skype.com's download page. It's free...no spyware/spamware/crapware...

Let the Linksys phone's installer have its way.....

Now, this little box DOES take over your computers soundcard duties ONLY
when the little box is attached (it's USB powered so there's no power
supply brick). When you disconnect the box, the driver unboots and gives
your computer sound card back its sound duties, like movies and MP3s.
You cannot watch a movie or play music on the computer while Skype and
this little wireless phone are active...sorry.

Skype is installed, registered and the box is installed to its
driver.....

A little problem was it didn't work. But, you open Skype's preferences
page and click on SOUND DEVICES. Switch them all to the CIT200 setting,
click APPLY and the phone works great!

Why this phone? Why is it special?? CONTROL....control of Skype,
remotely! You can carry Skype up to 300 meters from the computer, in
your pocket, and control Skype, dial phones if you have Skype's pay
services hooked up, and it RINGS! when someone calls you on Skype...in
radio range of the little cell box....like your cordless phone at home.

The system has 5 channels in the USA, more in other countries, so more
than one phone can be attached to your Skype at a time. You and the
spouse can have separate Skype wireless phones, which brings another
advantage...INTERCOM! Each Skype cell box has a PAGE pushbutton to ring
up the handset, just like your cordless phone at home. The phones can
also hook up BETWEEN each other, up to 4 phones, to use them as walkie
talkies...boat to office, boat to marina store, "Dinner is served in the
Main Salon"...yeah, just as soon as you get out of those bilge clothes.

The little phone also has SPEAKERPHONE...really LOUD speaker phone from a
big speaker on the back of the phone. You pick it from a menu, going
from a private regular phone to the speaker phone...just like your
cordless phone at home...(c; On Speakerphone, a group of people can
converse with the Skype contact, of course, like your cordless or
cellphone. It's all FULL DUPLEX, not like a walkie talkie at all.

Calling home from the beanbag on the bow or from the neighbor's cockpit
party...or getting calls from home on Skype to the party...just got lots
easier.....300 meters is a long ways for a cordless phone at home.

Wanna hear it? call me. I'm larryw4csc on Skype....

tomorrow! I'm off to bed after midnight.....