Good questions. Satellite communication gives internet signal. The SkyMate allows WiFi aboard for other devices. Yep, I am talking about blue water passages. Here is my understanding. I have a sat phone aboard but data cost rates are very high. My own WiFi hotspot in the middle of the ocean sounded like a nice ATON. But transmission rates are low enough to keep email to a minimum. No large attachments such as pictures (I would have liked that). No chance of my teenage son using it for gaming, which I would not like at sea. Its a good story. Does it work? That is why I am posting.
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Internet at Sea - Sky Mate I1000
I was thinking about adding a Sky Mate I1000 to my boat for limited internet at sea, mainly for weather information and limited email. Anyone have experience with this unit?
Skymate I1000
Overview
The SkyMate I1000 is your global communication solution. Our technology gives you access to essential data services including email and weather so that you can stay in touch with friends, family and co-workers when out of cellular coverage on your boat. The SkyMate system works with any Wi-Fi enabled device (cell phones, tablets, and computers), simply connect and open the browser of your choice.
Retail: $1,600 and about $35-65/mon.
Features
E-Mail & Attachments
SkyMate provides worldwide email coverage. Whether you are at the dock or in the middle of the Atlantic, you can stay in touch with family, friends, and coworkers with SkyMate. Our easy to navigate screens makes it simple to send or receive emails from anywhere in the world. With the addition of Wi-Fi you are now able to access your SkyMate email on your phone, tablet, or laptop anywhere on your boat. You can read messages from your work and home e-mail accounts if your office or Internet Service Provider uses a Post Office Protocol (POP3) server. If you like, you can choose to retrieve message headers only, which can then allow you to select which full messages you would like. New in the Skymate ISeries are attachments. For your convenience, attach any type of file to your email up to 40 Kb and press send, its that easy!.
Weather
SkyMate offers a wide range of weather options from textual to graphical. All of our weather is on a per request basis. You select the type of weather and the location and your request will be sent to you within minutes. Examples of services available are: Coastal, Offshore, High Seas, Buoy, Point Forecast, Tropical, NEXRAD, and various charts.
WiFi Connectivity
The Skymate ISeries is now completely wireless. Connect to it through any device capable of running a browser such as Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer from anywhere on your boat. Enjoy the freedom of staying connected without wires.
Skymate I1000
Overview
The SkyMate I1000 is your global communication solution. Our technology gives you access to essential data services including email and weather so that you can stay in touch with friends, family and co-workers when out of cellular coverage on your boat. The SkyMate system works with any Wi-Fi enabled device (cell phones, tablets, and computers), simply connect and open the browser of your choice.
Retail: $1,600 and about $35-65/mon.
Features
E-Mail & Attachments
SkyMate provides worldwide email coverage. Whether you are at the dock or in the middle of the Atlantic, you can stay in touch with family, friends, and coworkers with SkyMate. Our easy to navigate screens makes it simple to send or receive emails from anywhere in the world. With the addition of Wi-Fi you are now able to access your SkyMate email on your phone, tablet, or laptop anywhere on your boat. You can read messages from your work and home e-mail accounts if your office or Internet Service Provider uses a Post Office Protocol (POP3) server. If you like, you can choose to retrieve message headers only, which can then allow you to select which full messages you would like. New in the Skymate ISeries are attachments. For your convenience, attach any type of file to your email up to 40 Kb and press send, its that easy!.
Weather
SkyMate offers a wide range of weather options from textual to graphical. All of our weather is on a per request basis. You select the type of weather and the location and your request will be sent to you within minutes. Examples of services available are: Coastal, Offshore, High Seas, Buoy, Point Forecast, Tropical, NEXRAD, and various charts.
WiFi Connectivity
The Skymate ISeries is now completely wireless. Connect to it through any device capable of running a browser such as Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer from anywhere on your boat. Enjoy the freedom of staying connected without wires.
1 - 7 of 18 Posts
Good points. Thanks.
Let's see if I have your collective wisdom. So I do not get true internet at sea (good point that I did not pick up on) but I do get Navtex or other weather services with about a 5 min. delay, when i request. I can send an email to Bristol Marine and let them know that I, for example, just lost my new Jabsco raw water pump on my Perkins and I need a warranty replacement. I will be docking there in a week. So they would receove my email within 5 min. and could respond via email confirming that they have this hard to locate part coming in and it will be there when I dock. I would have that within 5 min. of their email confirmation. Rather than going to the nav station I could check this on my iPhone using the boat WiFi (minor benefit, not much value). Or, I could have picked up the sat phone and called them. So, for me a very minor plus in this scenario.
Second scenario, the weather information on demand where and when I need it. I am returning from the Med and see low and a high pressure systems approaching from opposite directions with me in the middle. I am concerned and want to see hourly weather updates. With a 5 min. delay I can do that. Seems like a plus in this scenario for about $35/mon. data fee, far better than my sat phone data charges. Some benefit here it seems to me.
Does that sum it up accurately?
Thanks.
Second scenario, the weather information on demand where and when I need it. I am returning from the Med and see low and a high pressure systems approaching from opposite directions with me in the middle. I am concerned and want to see hourly weather updates. With a 5 min. delay I can do that. Seems like a plus in this scenario for about $35/mon. data fee, far better than my sat phone data charges. Some benefit here it seems to me.
Does that sum it up accurately?
Thanks.
Good catches. Helpful. Thanks.
Thanks, gentlemen. I have some homework to do. This is just the guidance that I needed.
I purchased the Iridium Go device based on input here on this forum. It will be installed this month and I will be aboard to give it a trial at sea in June. I'll post my results.
1 - 7 of 18 Posts
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