heat and internet

[KasbeKZ]

i have two questions, so i thought i'd double up.

internet:
i've heard that verizon has a card for laptops that will give satellite internet almost anywhere in the world. sounds like what i need for a boat. but i've google searched it for a while and can't find anything on it. they just want to put a dish on my house. anyone have this?

heat:
can't find a small enough diesel heater for a 27 foot boat. they are all for 30' and up. anyone have any suggestions for one that is just right or a little too small for a somewhat poorly insulated 27'? i would rather have one with very low consumption than have one that is able to get the boat above 80 degrees. if it could keep me at 65-70 when it's 20 outside i'll be happy.

thanks for any suggestions!

BTW, if you read anything from my other thread, you'd see that i'm looking for a boat. i found a few! the economy is making it easy for me to be able to buy one too. just thought i'd let you all know that i found some good ones.

[ecsimonson]

The verizon card only works somewhere with a cell phone signal. Not sure about what type of signal they use, if its cdma then will only be useful inside of the US. If its gsm then it should be able to work abroad. I havent kept up on anything new because the only service here is the old cdma stuff

[eryka]

internet: ATT/Cingular has a feature you can add to your plan that lets you use your GSM cellphone as a modem. We chose this rather than Verizon aircard because: (1) no extra hardware to buy; (2) its a "feature" of your plan, meaning you can turn it on in the months you use it, and turn it off when you don't, rather than a two-year contract for the aircard. Cost was the same, $60/month, either way.

heat: Look at Webasto heaters, their smallest is for boats <30'

[JohnRPollard]

Heat:

There are quite a few threads here on Sailnet that discuss the pros and cons of different heaters. Do a search using the term "cabin heat" or "cabin heater", you should get several returns.

The Webasto that Eryka mentions is a very nice unit, but there are less expensive alternatives. If you don't need the Webasto's forced hot air (which requires ducting), some of the bulkhead mounted convection heaters might work for you.

Take a look at the Dickinson Newport heaters. They are offered in propane and diesel versions. The 9000 btu version is designed for boats up to 32 feet or so. Sigma Marine also makes similar units.

[Undine]

We use the AT&T air card: $60/mo, unlimited use, long distance, and roaming. The advantage is that it doesn't use our phone minutes. We don't use many minutes each month talking and have a cheap plan. Yes, they want a 2 year contract. But we have been with them since they were Southern Bell Mobility and I don't see that changing. In fact we have recently changed our plan since getting this card 6 mo. ago and are on a new 2-yr. We are happy with the service. We use this card as our only internet connection and run a wireless network from it in our house.

[hellosailor]

Put a camera tripod on deck at night. Now, put a stick on the tripod and try to point it at one star, any one star, and keep it pointed exactly at that star.

That's what you have to do for satellite internet, except you'll be pointing a dish not a stick. And anytime it moves off the star--you lose the signal and have to start over again.

Yes, there are portable satellite internet stations used by RVers, you can set them up anytime you run aground. And yes, there are stabilized satellite internet connections that align themselves--you don't want to know the cost per minute, or the cost up front.

Cellular internet is probably as good as you'll get for now, and what you get and what you pay depend on who services your area. Most of the "unlimited" plans also have a line of fine print: Limited to 5GB per month and no streaming multimedia (movies, etc.) or they reserve the right to cut you off.

[sailingdog]

IF you want internet access in remote anchorages, the only choice you have is satellite based internet—which is very expensive as the equipment is fairly expensive and the service plans charge by the megabyte.

WiFi internet is becoming fairly common and easily accessible in many cruising areas.

In the US, you can use any number of cellular modem or aircard type devices and get relatively reasonably priced internet, although not as fast as some of the other methods. Verizon, Sprint, AT&T/Cingular and T-Mobile all have data service plans. The T-mobile ones are probably the lowest coverage and lowest speed of the four.

[KasbeKZ]

thanks for all the suggestions everyone. it looks like the verizon card is just about what i'm looking for. it doesn't need to reach remote anchorages, i'm just trying to get internet at the marina that i'll be living in.

i'm not too sure about heaters still. i sure have a lot of material to search for now though. i had done a search for "heaters" before and didnt' come up with much. i'll keep looking. thanks again!

[Stillraining]

Hard to beat electricity for heat if your plugged in already ..IMHO

[Freesail99]

Does anyone have an opinion on which card is better or has better coverage, the ATT or the verizon card ?