marcuc
New Member
Has anyone used cel fi boosters for data off Queensland Coastal with worthwhile results
Cel fi boosters off north Queensland Coast
- Thread starter marcuc
- Start date
Neeves
Well-Known Member
I confess - I don't know what a cel fi booster is - maybe because it is unnecessary.
Testra has excellent coverage from well south of Eden and into Bass Strait to north of Port Douglas. If the weather is good you get coverage right across Bass Strait. If you are close to shore and there is a high coastline you can lose reception. You get VHF reception with roughly the same footprint as mobile phone. For weather you simply need to be able to receive the BOM broadcasts, on short wave frequencies simple transistor radio with shortwave reception. You mention 'data' what sort of data do you mean?
Jonathan
wonkywinch
Well-Known Member
When we chartered in the Whitsundays last year, I read somewhere that Telstra offered best coverage since they put up all their masts whilst govt owned and without budget constraints that independant cellular firms would have.
I bought a cheap data sim that used the Telstra network and it worked well except for areas where we were in the shadow on uninhabited islands where there were no repeaters/masts.
Of course most phone networks are designed for land use so any reception out at sea is a bonus.
I bought a cheap data sim that used the Telstra network and it worked well except for areas where we were in the shadow on uninhabited islands where there were no repeaters/masts.
Of course most phone networks are designed for land use so any reception out at sea is a bonus.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
I think Telstra is mandated to provide coverage to a large proportion of a disseminated population. The other internet/mobile phone companies are required (they have to make a profit) to cover the highly concentrated urban areas. In Sydney there are a number of providers in the Whitsundays (and lots of the country with a sparse and disseminated population) has Telstra. As far as I can ascertain Telstra 'rents out' its network so coverage is a bit better than I imply - but why would a provider with profits as its motivator want to service offshore coverage (Telstra does it so well)
I wrote and artcle on the topic for Cruising Helmsman some years ago but it has slid into the ether. However Telstra publishes coverage maps
Our Network Coverage & Rollout Maps - Telstra
which in the day were much more detailed (and maybe still available if you search).
If you require enhanced coverage, because (for example) you are running some form of business and better coverage means more profit for you then Telstra offer a variety of devices to improve reception and coverage - look for 'Telstra Go'. You can independently buy modems that offer enhanced coverage (we use one). But if you only want weather and weather warnings then a short wave transistor radio receiver (or SSB - which opens a whole new, or old, series of options) and an alarm clock, broadcasts are every 4 hours, is the way to go. We used SSB as it offered other opportunities
Jonathan
I wrote and artcle on the topic for Cruising Helmsman some years ago but it has slid into the ether. However Telstra publishes coverage maps
Our Network Coverage & Rollout Maps - Telstra
which in the day were much more detailed (and maybe still available if you search).
If you require enhanced coverage, because (for example) you are running some form of business and better coverage means more profit for you then Telstra offer a variety of devices to improve reception and coverage - look for 'Telstra Go'. You can independently buy modems that offer enhanced coverage (we use one). But if you only want weather and weather warnings then a short wave transistor radio receiver (or SSB - which opens a whole new, or old, series of options) and an alarm clock, broadcasts are every 4 hours, is the way to go. We used SSB as it offered other opportunities
Jonathan
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marcuc
New Member
Well was thinking of say a weather ap like Windy
Neeves
Well-Known Member
The BOM has good marine weather forecasting or you could try Seabreeze. Whether they are like Windy - I cannot comment. The BOM is good as you can opt for their radar view - great for thunderstorms. Seabreeze gives brilliant wave representations. But its all the same information presented I different ways.
http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/wind.shtml
Cairns North QLD Weather Forecast & Live Wind/Surf Report - Seabreeze
You can get all this, and more, on your phone
If you are looking for something further afield the BOM covers the Tasman, and more and also covers 'our part' of the Indian Ocean
The blue water Indian Ocean forecast are invaluable as that's were other weather comes from (or it starts in the Antarctic and sweeps across the Indian Ocean - so you can track big fronts). The Blue Water forecast are also 4 hourly but a different 4 hours to the local marine forecasts.
Most of our forecasts, there are a number, can be focussed at a specific locality - Queensland is a big place. There are BOM offices round Oz and you can visit them, physically, or ring up and talk to a forecaster - a bit better than Windy.
Jonathan
http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/wind.shtml
Cairns North QLD Weather Forecast & Live Wind/Surf Report - Seabreeze
You can get all this, and more, on your phone
If you are looking for something further afield the BOM covers the Tasman, and more and also covers 'our part' of the Indian Ocean
The blue water Indian Ocean forecast are invaluable as that's were other weather comes from (or it starts in the Antarctic and sweeps across the Indian Ocean - so you can track big fronts). The Blue Water forecast are also 4 hourly but a different 4 hours to the local marine forecasts.
Most of our forecasts, there are a number, can be focussed at a specific locality - Queensland is a big place. There are BOM offices round Oz and you can visit them, physically, or ring up and talk to a forecaster - a bit better than Windy.
Jonathan
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