"One thing you need to understand about satellite communications is disaster pricing!" I can't recall who shared this theory about the importance of price-insensitive satcoms customers, but I was certainly reminded of it last week while taking in Inmarsat's 2011 FY investor presentation. Not only does that slide above illustrate how "events" like tsunamis and revolutions can significantly accelerate sat phone sales, but you can also hear a CFO refer to "a continuing headwind in Afghanistan" that apparently means a winding down of western involvement and the related heavy use of satellite services. But the main thing I learned from the presentation is why Inmarsat may drastically raise the minimum service costs of FleetBroadband services even though it views the recreational users who might howl about it as an important growth element in its "addressable market"...
I hear that trying to use the Inmarsat iSatphone Pro's low-speed but high-latency data connection can be extremely frustrating, as we partially anticipated when it became possible last winter. Meanwhile, the folks who've invested in broadband satellite connections tend to worry a lot about extraneous programs that eat expensive megabytes. And regardless of their satcom speeds most everyone these days wants the freedom to use it with any of their computing devices. Well, it looks like Global Marine Network's new RedPort wXa-102 WiFi router/firewall may be an elegant solution to all these issues...
I don't know why Icom didn't hold a press conference in Miami because the company certainly has significant new products to brag about. Maybe it's because neither the GPS/DSC/VHF handheld M92D above nor the fixed M424 sibling in its new family of radios is currently FCC certified, and therefore they aren't yet for sale or even priced. But quick FCC approvals seem possible and if priced right I'll guess that "The New Look of Icom" -- that's the theme of the ad campaign -- will draw customers...
The photo above is meant to compliment the one I took when first testing the DeLorme inReach satellite communicator. It shows how Briartek's CerberLink is thinner in the depth dimension and also how it uses a USB-chargeable 2000mAh Lithium Polymer battery instead of a two AA Lithiums. And that's important. In fact it's pretty amazing how different the CerberLink and inReach are even though they're both based on the same Iridium 9602 SBD (small-burst data) modem and both aim to revolutionize two-way messaging, tracking, and safety beyond cellular coverage...
It's not slated to go on sale until February, assuming FCC approval, but it's very likely that the Explorer GX1700, press release here, will be the first fixed VHF radio with a GPS built in. Of course that means that this radio will be easier to install so that the automated distress call under that little protective plate at lower right, and many other DSC features, actually work. A professional installer or DIY boater will only have to wire the GX1700 to 12v power and a VHF antenna, and program it with an MMSI number that can be had easily and free from organizations like BoatUS (unless you plan to cruise outside this country or want to base a Group MMSI on your number, in which case you'll need to deal with the FCC). This radio is also housed in a similarly trim case as the current Explorer GX1600 -- with which it shares many interface and calling features -- and it makes use of its internal GPS in ways beyond DSC...
I've been meaning to write about the Icom M24 handheld VHF for some time. While I haven't actually tested this model myself, just holding one at a boat show was a revelation about how light and hand-friendly a full-featured portable marine radio can be these days. Apparently Standard Horizon was also impressed, because today they announced an HX300 model that seems very similar...
I'll venture a guess that Vesper Marine won't commit to giving Christmas "prezzies" to their AIS WatchMate customers every year, but the company is following up on its terrific 2010 anchor watch software gift with another free update feature that lets users place direct DSC calls to AIS targets if their WatchMate model 670, 750, or 850 is set up to output NMEA 0183 to a compatible VHF radio. But I fear "compatible" is the key word here, and I caution WatchMate owners not to set their expectations high, though I think that this is a very worthwhile experiment...
Following up on inReach hands-on #1 -- which attempted to be both an overview and a close look at its associated Android app Earthmate -- let's check out the Internet side of the system. The screen above is the user's web portal at explore.delorme.com, which DeLorme developed in partnership with GeoPro. Given that GeoPro builds its own pro-level Iridium handhelds, like its new $1,200 SHOUT Nano, it's no surprise that the portal let's you thoroughly view and manage inReach communications. It could even be used by, say, a fleet manager to keep an eye on multiple inReach units...
Click on this photo for a close look at the new age of satellite messaging, tracking, and distress handhelds, or at least three of the early contenders. I was cautiously keen on the DeLorme inReach when it first surfaced, but then I had to bite my tongue. Though I was experiencing its reasonably fast and affordable two-way global messaging back in August, I couldn't discuss it because of the beta testing NDA. Fair enough, as the inReach system evolved substantially during the beta process. Plus I've now had a chance to compare it with the less expensive Spot Connect, whose one-way custom messaging via Globalstar was discussed here in January. Not to mention the pro-oriented BriarTek Cerberus system, which also appeared here last January and which uses the same Iridium 9602 data modem as the inReach. The news is pretty much all good for anyone who boats (or hikes, or whatever) beyond cell service, but it's going to take several entries just to lay out what I've learned so far...
Tomorrow the Volvo Ocean Race begins its first offshore leg -- Alicante, Spain to Capetown, South Africa -- and Thrane & Thrane is justifiably proud of how it will help the racers keep in touch and also help us follow the action. That's the company's little Inmarsat mini-C dome in the foreground along with its FleetBroadband 150 (also sold as the KVH and Intellian FB150s, I think). The Volvo boats also get Sailor VHF radios-- probably the 6215/6 model which has impressed me in testing you'll hear about soon -- and big FB500 systems especially useful for uploading video. That's one job of "media crew members" (MCMs) like Groupama's Yann Riou shown filming above. To see what this equipment and the crews are about to endure check out these video snippets from the last Volvo. And note that B&G is also proud of its serious Volvo involvement, but I have more Thrane & Thrane news...
