mobile phone /e mails

[castlevar]

Hi all
I am interested how you all can send long postings to the forum I am fortunate that I am at home in Ireland at the moment using a pc hooked up to BT
When I am living on board I use a laptop connected to a mobile phone as you must realise I dont use it very often only to send e mails back home.
My method of connection is Orange phone {uk} BTinternet anytime use as I am not very good on the computer Itry to keep it as simple as possible.
I would appreciate any help on this matter perhaps a cheaper method of connection regards Geoff

geoff

 

[MedMan]

IMHO it is not practical to connect to websites using a mobile phone though I have been known to download weather maps this way when no better alternative was available. This and many other questions on using a laptop connected by a mobile phone are covered in a paper called 'Communication in European Waters' on my website - see link below.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.geocities.com/yachtretreat/>http://www.geocities.com/yachtretreat/</A>

 

[mikewilkes]

I would only use my mobile/laptop for my banking. The cost for a couple of minutes is worth it for the "relative2 security. Anything else I use an internet cafe.
Mike

 

[castlevar]

Hi all
Thanks for info I thought is was missing something looks like we will have to wait for some technical breakthrough in phones.

geoff

 

[rrees]

BGAN phones are coming down in price all the time
I have one of these sat phones connects to the usb port of my Laptop
Cost £1000
monthly £30
per meg £7
speed 144Kb

 

[snowleopard]

BGAN?

what's that short for?

 

[rrees]

Re: BGAN?

Its an new Inmarsat service

 

[DavidJ]

We are based in Sardinia and use the mobile all the time for e-mails (not for Boat Chat forums) I've got a local SIM card (pay as you go) which I put in my existing Nokia, I'm on AOL so call up the local number. So as long as you do your typing before hand and save your e-mails to file rather than read on line, I find each call is about €0.20 for maybe only 20 seconds(The charge comes up every time I finish).
Too expensive for surfing though.
David

 

[chrisrixon]

Is this always on? Also is there a minimum call charge, I have been stung by GPRS which costs 80p min even if you send no data (vodafone)

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[rickpayne]

Chris
I am thinking of trying GPRS on the boat next summer, but I thought that it was charged by the megabyte and that there is no charge if you are not actually uploading and email, or down loading a web page. In case I am wrong about all this, can you tell us how you came to be charged by the minute? Was this in UK? Or abroad?

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[Dave_Snelson]

Technological breakthrough....maybe?

The technology you are waiting for maybe about to arrive...perhaps!

Most people are waiting for 3G, the third generation of mobile phone technology that enables higher bandwidths to the handset, hence computer, in your case.

I reckon this will be overhauled by comms companies setting up Wi-Fi, which is high bandwidth, long distance transmission bluetooth. Bluetooth technology enable devices to be connected together (like a computer to a printer) without the need for physical cables. This bluetooth technology has been extended to Wi-Fi and BT are rolling this out across the UK with base stations in hotels, airports, railway stations etc, and there will be more to follow. I guess for boating, it won't be much good out at sea but OK if there is a base station near your marina. Transmission distance is about 1km.

You can look up Wi-Fi by typing its name into google - there's quite a bit of info on it and people are using it right now!

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[chrisrixon]

Ah well that's what the vodafone staff told me and the UK its true. They failed to point out (because they didn't know) that there is a minimum call charge of about 80p if you are abroad. I found GPRS pretty good most of the time but inevitably not perfect. Its very irritating to find you have been stung 80p even if you don't get a connection. Its not too bad if you can stay on all day - i have had a GPRS connection for over 8 hours but if you are not on shore power this is not possible!

i am trying other suppliers to see if that have a better pricing plan ...

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[ashley]

80p minimum is extreme.
I'll be trying GPRS this season as it gives almost 56Kbps and is charged by what I view, not how long I'm on line.
Orange charge £10 per Mb whilst roaming europe and by switching off images, you'll download almost 100 small 10k web pages for that.

Wifi would be hard pushed to reach 200 metres let alone 1Km.
I think you'll be lucky to get a connection in a marina or major town, and you'll need to use sign up to a service like <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.megabeams.com> Megabeam</A> to roam. This technology could be good in a couple of years once coverage is better, but you still have to be within the limited range of the access points.

Ashley