(Larry W4CSC) wrote in news:3fda5bba.84612137
@news.knology.net:

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 19:34:31 +0200, "Andre Venter"
wrote:

Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?


It's
still $1.99 per minute to CALL OUT. INCOMING CALLS ARE NOT CHARGED!
Just set a schedule to call YOU from shore....

Where the heck did you get this idea from? I have Iridium and incoming
calls are something like $10.99 per minute and are billed to the callers
phone. I had to set up a special number which forwards to my sat phone and
I get billed at my normal rate of $1.50 per minute.

-- Geoff

Satellite phone is a better idea. SSB is nearly DEAD.

Sorry but that is nonsense. SSB is thriving in the cruising community. As
said elsewhere, safety nets, weather nets, weatherfax etc etc.

We have both. The satphone is only for the odd call home and to take in
the liferaft. If we could only have one it wouldn't even be a close
contest, SSB wins by miles.

Mike

Satellite phone is a better idea. SSB is nearly DEAD.

Sorry but that is nonsense. SSB is thriving in the cruising community. As
said elsewhere, safety nets, weather nets, weatherfax etc etc.

We have both. The satphone is only for the odd call home and to take in
the liferaft. If we could only have one it wouldn't even be a close
contest, SSB wins by miles.

Mike

You can make phone calls via SSB as well although not as convienient
as on a satphone. If you are a ham then it is free. Free email as well for
hams. For serious cruisers, obtaining a ham license is well worth the
effort.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Mike Cobbe" wrote in message
.. .

Satellite phone is a better idea. SSB is nearly DEAD.

Sorry but that is nonsense. SSB is thriving in the cruising community. As
said elsewhere, safety nets, weather nets, weatherfax etc etc.

We have both. The satphone is only for the odd call home and to take in
the liferaft. If we could only have one it wouldn't even be a close
contest, SSB wins by miles.

Mike

You can make phone calls via SSB as well although not as convienient
as on a satphone. If you are a ham then it is free. Free email as well for
hams. For serious cruisers, obtaining a ham license is well worth the
effort.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Mike Cobbe" wrote in message
.. .

Satellite phone is a better idea. SSB is nearly DEAD.

Sorry but that is nonsense. SSB is thriving in the cruising community. As
said elsewhere, safety nets, weather nets, weatherfax etc etc.

We have both. The satphone is only for the odd call home and to take in
the liferaft. If we could only have one it wouldn't even be a close
contest, SSB wins by miles.

Mike

The CG's handling of SSB is a bit unclear to me. We were in a situation
where
VHF contact was marginal. I asked the CG if I could contact them via SSB and
they said no, they did not support SSB frequencies.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Dick" wrote in message
...
Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?


It depends on who you want to talk to. If you want to talk to the friends
that
you have met while cruising or the Coast Gaurd then SSB. If you want to
call
home then you can use the satelite phone or ham. If you are going to use
email
then ham or SSB are still good and they are cheaper so most cruisiers go
the
cheaper route. When and if satelite phones become cheap then more cruisers
while use them.

Dick

The CG's handling of SSB is a bit unclear to me. We were in a situation
where
VHF contact was marginal. I asked the CG if I could contact them via SSB and
they said no, they did not support SSB frequencies.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Dick" wrote in message
...
Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?


It depends on who you want to talk to. If you want to talk to the friends
that
you have met while cruising or the Coast Gaurd then SSB. If you want to
call
home then you can use the satelite phone or ham. If you are going to use
email
then ham or SSB are still good and they are cheaper so most cruisiers go
the
cheaper route. When and if satelite phones become cheap then more cruisers
while use them.

Dick

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 00:38:52 GMT, (Larry W4CSC) wrote:

It's
still $1.99 per minute to CALL OUT. INCOMING CALLS ARE NOT CHARGED!

It's Calling Party Pays, just like all calls in most of the world
outside North America.

You are right though, that it won't cost You anything extra on Your
own bill, so You don't have to worry about leaving it on or answering,
that's for sure.
/Marcus

--
Marcus AAkesson
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail !

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 00:38:52 GMT, (Larry W4CSC) wrote:

It's
still $1.99 per minute to CALL OUT. INCOMING CALLS ARE NOT CHARGED!

It's Calling Party Pays, just like all calls in most of the world
outside North America.

You are right though, that it won't cost You anything extra on Your
own bill, so You don't have to worry about leaving it on or answering,
that's for sure.
/Marcus

--
Marcus AAkesson
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail !

Don't feel bad, I tried to bring up USCG Marcomms webpage and it's
dead, too!

I called CG Group Charleston on 2182 Khz USB they're SUPPOSED to be
monitoring, according to the CG's own marcomms lists both with their
call letters and "CG Group Charleston" from Charleston Harbor to see
if they were listening. I got zero response, even after NMN in New
Orleans responded. They said they hadn't heard Charleston in a while
and gave me a good signal report from the insulated backstay/Icom M802
about 7PM EST.

Someone USCG will answer you, maybe not who you call,
though......dammit.



On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 15:59:25 -0500, "doug dotson"
wrote:

The CG's handling of SSB is a bit unclear to me. We were in a situation
where
VHF contact was marginal. I asked the CG if I could contact them via SSB and
they said no, they did not support SSB frequencies.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

"Dick" wrote in message
...
Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?


It depends on who you want to talk to. If you want to talk to the friends
that
you have met while cruising or the Coast Gaurd then SSB. If you want to
call
home then you can use the satelite phone or ham. If you are going to use
email
then ham or SSB are still good and they are cheaper so most cruisiers go
the
cheaper route. When and if satelite phones become cheap then more cruisers
while use them.

Dick




Larry W4CSC

NNNN