Cruising World - June 2018

BOATS & GEAR

june/july 2018

cruisingworld.com

94

a daily basis, sailors can send

pre-scripted or custom-written

texts to any phone number or

email address, such as an “all’s

well” message to friends and

family. Alternatively, users can

use Bluetooth to pair their

inReach with their Android or

iOS mobile device equipped

with Garmin’s free Earthmate

app. This delivers all of the

inReach’s functionality to a

smartphone or tablet and al-

lows users to download NOAA

nautical charts and navigate

using the inReach’s shared GPS

information.

“It’s capable of sending a

tracking message with the

sailor’s location to a MapShare

page so that people can follow

along on their voyage and

participate from home,” says

Chip Noble, Garmin’s senior

product manager for inReach.

He adds that inReach is de-

signed to keep data costs low.

“The marine weather forecast

is an SBD message that gets

formatted on the device. It’s

the same size as standard text

messages, so there’s no discern-

able difference in download

speed. With clear views of the

sky, we’d expect the turnaround

for a weather forecast to be

measured in minutes.”

Garmin makes two versions

of its communications tool,

the inReach SE+ and the

inReach Explorer+. They

share features, including the

ability to navigate, but the

Explorer+ goes a step further

and includes full-feature GPS

capability and maps and charts.

As mentioned earlier, both will

pair with smart devices, letting

you navigate on a larger screen.

InReach devices carry an IPX7

rating, which means they are

designed to withstand submer-

sion in up to 3 feet of water.

A SPOT Gen 3 will also let

friends and family track your

progress remotely. You can use

it to send messages that are

pre-scripted on a computer,

along with GPS coordinates, to

preselected contacts. However,

SPOT Gen 3 offers limited nav-

igational and communications

utility compared to an inReach

device. That said, SPOT Gen 3

users can send SOS messages,

along with their GPS position

information, to GEOS’

emergency response center.

Like inReach, SPOT requires

an active satellite-service

subscription. It is also made

to withstand the elements and

carries an IPX6 rating.

High-Seas Hotspots

Satellite hotspots connect to

the internet and then pair with

other wireless devices on board

in the same way as you might

connect your smartphone using

Wi-Fi while sitting at your local

coffee shop. The three biggest

players in this market are

Inmarsat’s IsatHub, Iridium’s

Go and Globalstar’s Sat-Fi.

Inmarsat’s IsatHub terminal

connects to Inmarsat’s I-4

satellite and ground network,

which provides global 3G

connectivity pretty much

everywhere except the remote

high latitudes. The hub then

uses its built-in Wi-Fi access

point to deliver voice, data and

texts to smart devices equipped

with Inmarsat’s IsatHub

control and voice apps. The

IsatHub terminal features a

fi rewall and multiple security

levels, and allows users to con-

trol each networked device in

order to manage satellite costs.

The terminal sports an internal

lithium-ion battery, a DC

power-supply connector and an

AC power adaptor, as well as

an IP65 water-resistant rating.

While the IsatHub’s advertised

data-transfer speeds (384 Kbps

downloads, 240 Kbps uploads)

aren’t competitive with satellite

domes, it’s the fastest satellite

hotspot discussed in this article.

The Iridium Go connects

up to fi ve wireless devices to

the internet via Iridium’s global

satellite network. Sailors can

make voice calls, send and

receive texts and emails, and

make SOS calls irrespective

of their latitude or longitude;

however, Go’s standard da-

ta-transfer speed of 2.4 Kbps

requires some patience when

downloading larger fi les, such

as weather GRIBs. If you’re

planning a trip to, say, Ant-

arctica, the Go will keep you

connected.

As with the other two

hotspots, Globalstar’s Sat-Fi

allows users to place and

receive voice calls and texts and

use email, and it can simultane-

ously support up to eight wire-

less devices. The Sat-Fi delivers

data-transfer speeds of 9.6

Kbps, and it supports regular

10-digit calling. Additionally,

Globalstar’s Sat-Fi supports

caller ID and gives users the

ability to use each mobile

device’s stored contacts. Those

going to remote areas, however,

should consider GlobalStar’s

coverage map. Unlike the Irid-

ium network, GlobalStar has

gaps in its coverage footprint.

For sailors who need higher

bandwidth but who don’t have

deck or mast space for a full-

scale satellite dome and system,

there is a more robust option,

Ground Control’s MCD-

4800. Sometimes called the
      “Football,” because it travels
      in its own case, sort of like
      the nuclear football aides to
      the president carry, the device
      links to Inmarsat’s Broadband
      Global Area Network (BGAN)
      to become a portable, global
      internet hotspot. It delivers
      uplink speeds of 448 Kbps and
      downlink speeds of 464 Kbps
      to nearby wireless devices. The
      Football comprises a Hughes
      9450 BGAN In-Motion
      C11 Antenna, a SIM card,
      nickel-metal hydride batteries
      and other components that are
      housed in a robust Pelican 1450
      fl yaway case. Collectively, these
      pieces, plus Ground Control’s
      proprietary electronics and
      software, create a fi nished
      product that delivers connec-
      tivity in all but the highest of
      latitudes.

David Schmidt is CW’s

electronics editor.

ALL ABOUT THE

BENJAMINS

While the technologies described in this article are consid-

erably less expensive than gyrostabilized satellite terminals

(read: pricey antenna domes), there are still hard costs in-

volved, for both hardware and subscription services. When

it comes to stretching dollars, SPOT Gen 3 and Garmin’s

inReach are great go-to devices because their hardware costs

range from $170 to $4 5 0, respectively, and their monthly

service fees range from $20 to $80 per month. A mazu by

SkyMate can be purchased for $99 5 in hardware, and service

runs about $40 per month. Offshore email such as XGate’s

offerings require roughly $1 50 in hardware, and airtime rates

run from $20 for seven days to 24 months for $ 5 19. Inmarsat’s

IsatHub, Iridium’s Go and Globalstar’s Sat-Fi are more expen-

sive options, with hardware fees running at roughly $7 50 to

$1,200. Monthly service plans start at roughly $60. For sailors

who want to go big, the “ Football” goes for a cool $12,99 5 ,

with data rates starting at 100 megabytes for $ 525.

Globalstar Sat-Fi Inmarsat Isat Hub Iridium Go

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS