Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?

Depends on when you are heading for the high seas. If it is now or in the
next year or two, you are stuck with the cludgy system call HF (SSB). If you
are going in 5 years or more, satellite will be so widespread as to be a
reasonable alternative.

--
Dennis Gibbons
S/V Dark Lady
CN35-207
email: dennis dash gibbons at worldnet dot att dot net
"Andre Venter" wrote in message
...
Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?

I thought Iridium satelite phones covered the whole world now. Am I wrong?

"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...
Depends on when you are heading for the high seas. If it is now or in the
next year or two, you are stuck with the cludgy system call HF (SSB). If
you
are going in 5 years or more, satellite will be so widespread as to be a
reasonable alternative.

--
Dennis Gibbons
S/V Dark Lady
CN35-207
email: dennis dash gibbons at worldnet dot att dot net
"Andre Venter" wrote in message
...
Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:38:14 GMT, "Richard" wrote:

I thought Iridium satelite phones covered the whole world now. Am I wrong?

Pole to pole.....The birds fly polar routes so cover the planet, or
most of it.


Larry W4CSC

NNNN

Met a fellow in the Bahamas last winter. He was furious with his Iridium
service. Very poor reliability. He had cruised from GB and was very
dissapointed with Iridium.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:38:14 GMT, "Richard" wrote:

I thought Iridium satelite phones covered the whole world now. Am I
wrong?

Pole to pole.....The birds fly polar routes so cover the planet, or
most of it.


Larry W4CSC

NNNN

Met a fellow in the Bahamas last winter. He was furious with his Iridium
service. Very poor reliability. He had cruised from GB and was very
dissapointed with Iridium.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:38:14 GMT, "Richard" wrote:

I thought Iridium satelite phones covered the whole world now. Am I
wrong?

Pole to pole.....The birds fly polar routes so cover the planet, or
most of it.


Larry W4CSC

NNNN

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:38:14 GMT, "Richard" wrote:

I thought Iridium satelite phones covered the whole world now. Am I wrong?

Pole to pole.....The birds fly polar routes so cover the planet, or
most of it.


Larry W4CSC

NNNN

I thought Iridium satelite phones covered the whole world now. Am I wrong?

"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...
Depends on when you are heading for the high seas. If it is now or in the
next year or two, you are stuck with the cludgy system call HF (SSB). If
you
are going in 5 years or more, satellite will be so widespread as to be a
reasonable alternative.

--
Dennis Gibbons
S/V Dark Lady
CN35-207
email: dennis dash gibbons at worldnet dot att dot net
"Andre Venter" wrote in message
...
Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?

An SSB gets you daily nets where you can check in, get weather and
communicate with other cruisers. You can also get HF faxes, GRIB files, e-
mail, etc, etc. Emergency frequencies are monitored by various agencies.

A Sat phone allows you to make phone calls. Most other cruisers won't have
one or only use it for outgoing calls. Covergage can be spotty even in
areas where you're supposed to have coverage.

I have both and view them as complementary services. If I need to make a
call from in the middle of nowhere, I can. However, don't rely on a sat
phone in emergency situations. Just look at it as another card in your
hand.

If you're looking at one or the other, I'd get a SSB.

-- Geoff

"Andre Venter" wrote in news:U5ydnWr3K9KzYUSiU-
:

Which is a better idea - ssb or satelite phone?

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 23:31:59 GMT, "Geoffrey W. Schultz"
wrote:

An SSB gets you daily nets where you can check in, get weather and
communicate with other cruisers. You can also get HF faxes, GRIB files, e-
mail, etc, etc. Emergency frequencies are monitored by various agencies.

A Sat phone allows you to make phone calls. Most other cruisers won't have
one or only use it for outgoing calls. Covergage can be spotty even in
areas where you're supposed to have coverage.

Most people don't realize INCOMING call on Iridium, just like Nextel
are FREE! You only pay $1.99 to call OUT. If the family calls you,
it's no charge. And, you can get a LOCAL phone number in a lot of
countries from places like Worldcell
http://www.worldcell.com/services/rentsatellite.aspx
They'll rent or sell you a phone and got some neat packages of
service. The boat can even have its own 800 number...(c;


Larry W4CSC

NNNN