Time for me to get another boat!

[wakeup]

Which Mapism has just tested for me in Carloforte and he's sitting there watching Sky Sports beamed from my TV via the Slingbox! And that is over the Marine Sifredi wifi which, as Hurricane will remember, is none too brilliant either. Given that I got very few channels of any kind from my onboard Sat TV in Carloforte, the Slingbox could be the answer to my prayers when it comes to catching essential sports programs on board

The good thing about a Slingbox is that it will negotiate down to your available bandwidth so you will get audio and a picture even on pretty crappy bandwidth and as Deleted User says you get all the channels you get at home assuming no one at home also playing with the TV.

The bad bit about Slingbox is that they die regularly. I've had three in 4 years and I've given up on them now as they always seem to fail just out of warranty. Not surprising when you have a look at how badly the PCB is made and populated, which is a pity because the set up software and client player are very good indeed.

 

[Hurricane]

I found Slingbox very very slow
And it doesn't answer the bandwidth usage issue.
Actially, I found the marina WiFi in Carloforte quite fast.
It ran BBC through a proxy/VPN quite well.
certainly no need for a slingbox.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

The bad bit about Slingbox is that they die regularly. I've had three in 4 years and I've given up on them now as they always seem to fail just out of warranty. Not surprising when you have a look at how badly the PCB is made and populated, which is a pity because the set up software and client player are very good indeed.

I can imagine that. I set up my Slingbox last night and even after only a few minutes use, it was almost too hot to touch so I guess a component is going to give out sooner rather than later. If I have to replace it once a year, I suppose £150 is bearable

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

It ran BBC through a proxy/VPN quite well.
certainly no need for a slingbox.

Yes but if you buy a proprietary VPN service, they might only charge £5/month for free to air channels like BBC but they charge £30-40/month for subscription channels like Sky so if I want to watch something on say, Sky Sports, on my boat its going to cost me a lot more than buying a Slingbox, even if I have to replace it every year

After you left CF, they moved me close to where Mapism is moored and the wifi speed there was often very poor, in fact so poor that one day I gave up on it and bought a local Vodafone Wifi pass

 

[Braddersmd]

Yes but if you buy a proprietary VPN service, they might only charge £5/month for free to air channels like BBC but they charge £30-40/month for subscription channels like Sky so if I want to watch something on say, Sky Sports, on my boat its going to cost me a lot more than buying a Slingbox, even if I have to replace it every year

After you left CF, they moved me close to where Mapism is moored and the wifi speed there was often very poor, in fact so poor that one day I gave up on it and bought a local Vodafone Wifi pass

Use a DNS/VPN service like unblock.us and you can run sky go on a laptop without needing to subscribe to anything else. Had just this working flawlessly in Corfu a couple of weeks ago to watch the football. If you use a router, stick the DNS settings into that and use an STB that supports sky go directly into the TV.

 

[Hurricane]

Or 27.5 west to intelsat 907 and if your reciever can decode BISS encryption like this one http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/icecrypt-s1600hdcci-hd-satellite-receiver-with-hdmi-and-usb-pvr-function-n00ce then you can watch BBC, ITV Channel 4 and a few others.

I am aware of Intelsat 907 - found it whilst Googling and keeping up to date etc.
Presumably, they are using either their Eastern Hemisphere or UK Spot beams.
Either way, I wonder what the signal would be like in the Med.
Some internet sites say it is a strong signal in Spain.
Might be worth trying sometime.

AFAIK BBC are using these feeds as a backup feed to their terrestrial transmitters.
In other words, the service isn't vital and only a few receivers used.
Also 907 is coming to the end of its life.
I read that the encryption is BISS which isn't very sophisticated.
It uses a key that is changed regularly so from time to time you have to enter new key codes to de-scramble the transmissions.

BTW - I don't think that the receiver in your link above would handle the decryption.
Probably a Dreambox would be a better option but it has been a long time since I plugged my old Dreambox in and I'm sure there are better ones out there now.

EDIT - Just done a bit of Googling and it seems that the CAM on Icecrypt receiver in your link might be the answer.
Unfortunately it isn't a long term answer to BBC outside the UK.
More research needed.

 

[KevB]

I am aware of Intelsat 907 - found it whilst Googling and keeping up to date etc.
Presumably, they are using either their Eastern Hemisphere or UK Spot beams.
Either way, I wonder what the signal would be like in the Med.
Some internet sites say it is a strong signal in Spain.
Might be worth trying sometime.

AFAIK BBC are using these feeds as a backup feed to their terrestrial transmitters.
In other words, the service isn't vital and only a few receivers used.
Also 907 is coming to the end of its life.
I read that the encryption is BISS which isn't very sophisticated.
It uses a key that is changed regularly so from time to time you have to enter new key codes to de-scramble the transmissions.

BTW - I don't think that the receiver in your link above would handle the decryption.
Probably a Dreambox would be a better option but it has been a long time since I plugged my old Dreambox in and I'm sure there are better ones out there now.

EDIT - Just done a bit of Googling and it seems that the CAM on Icecrypt receiver in your link might be the answer.
Unfortunately it isn't a long term answer to BBC outside the UK.
More research needed.

I'm using intelsat 907 in southern Spain with the icecrypt 1600. The BISS code changes about every 90 days but is up on the web within an hour and takes less than a minute to re enter.

£50 for the icecrypt and no on going charges

You get

BBC One /HD
BBC Two /HD
CBBC
BBC THREE
CBeebies
BBC Four
BBC News
BBC Parliament
BBC Red Button 1
ITV London /HD
Channel 4 UK /HD

And get the rest of freesat or Sky from Astra 2e

 

[Hurricane]

I'm using intelsat 907 in southern Spain with the icecrypt 1600. The BISS code changes about every 90 days but is up on the web within an hour and takes less than a minute to re enter.

Thanks for that
Since posting my last - I've been Googling and this seems to be a good solution.
The spec on the box is good as well - DVB-S / DVB-S2 etc
Where can I find more information on setting the CAM up etc - are there any user groups - etc?
I might get one and take it out to the boat next month - see if I can get it working - I will need some strong transponders (both Horizontal and Vertical) to get my dish to lock onto it - presumably I will find the data on Lyngsat etc.

 

[Hurricane]

BTW

An easy solution if you can get a good internet connection - this works anywhere in the world.
FilmOn
If using a tablet - load the app
Virtually every TV station is transmitted live - BBC is under the UK TV section.
This works very well - only live TV

 

[KevB]

Thanks for that
Since posting my last - I've been Googling and this seems to be a good solution.
The spec on the box is good as well - DVB-S / DVB-S2 etc
Where can I find more information on setting the CAM up etc - are there any user groups - etc?
I might get one and take it out to the boat next month - see if I can get it working - I will need some strong transponders (both Horizontal and Vertical) to get my dish to lock onto it - presumably I will find the data on Lyngsat etc.

There is a profile update for the icecrypt which is available on the web which already includes all the channels so no need to manually enter them which you would ordinarily need to do as the stations initially show up as data so not found in a search. I'll PM you the details tomorrow. ps what's a CAM?

 

[Hurricane]

There is a profile update for the icecrypt which is available on the web which already includes all the channels so no need to manually enter them which you would ordinarily need to do as the stations initially show up as data so not found in a search. I'll PM you the details tomorrow. ps what's a CAM?

Yes - please PM me anything you have
CAM - Conditional Access Module - I assumed this is what is used to decode the BISS encrypted signals - but maybe it isn't that complicated

 

[BartW]

For those interested,
In Croatia there was / is a very good offer for unlimited 4G, at 10 euro/ week, from T national Telecom co
This was perfect, as we only took it during the periods we were in Croatia (alternating with montenegro), and with up to 10 users on the boat network at a time...
In the homeport porto montenegro there is a verygood w portwifi network (vpn connection for my security camera, ...

 

[wakeup]

I can imagine that. I set up my Slingbox last night and even after only a few minutes use, it was almost too hot to touch so I guess a component is going to give out sooner rather than later. If I have to replace it once a year, I suppose £150 is bearable

Yes and no, I object eventually to giving money again and again to a company that haven't built something properly.

Tellypass's VPN is $80 a year for their all singing and dancing service.

 

[KevB]

Yes - please PM me anything you have
CAM - Conditional Access Module - I assumed this is what is used to decode the BISS encrypted signals - but maybe it isn't that complicated

The icecrypt does the BISS business. Nothing else needed.

All I did was copy the new profile on a usb stick, plug it into the icecrypt and updated the icecrypt. Turned the satellite dish to 27.5 west and about 42 deg elevation and ran a blind scan.

 

[Whitelighter]

Good luck today Pete

 

[MapisM]

I can imagine that. I set up my Slingbox last night and even after only a few minutes use, it was almost too hot to touch so I guess a component is going to give out sooner rather than later. If I have to replace it once a year, I suppose £150 is bearable

LOL, unless it will melt down on Sep 18th at 20:01, I reckon...!
Just for anyone else that might be interested, having tested this Slingbox thing, I can confirm that it works amazingly well, also with a rather slow and unstable connection.
It seems to self-adjust to the network speed at the beginning, trying to dispatch a high resolution signal and eventually reducing it to whatever the connection can handle.
But the quality was very good indeed, albeit probably not as sharp as the original HD channel.

 

[petem]

Looked at a Med based T30 yesterday. Here are my observations:

The good

Originals of all 'Bills of Sale' (4 owners) available for inspection along with the original Modelo 309 (from 2002) when the boat was first sold. Also a copy of the 'Certificado Motivo del la solicitud / Agencia tributaria' from 2002 present. Broker has sold and known the boat since new.

Boat currently registered on the Geman ADAC registry.

Boat was presented in a clean and tidy condition (just washed by broker).

Hull seemed to be straight and the blue gelcoat was still glossy.

Original vinyl seating in good condition. Blue and white striped foredeck cushions included.

Full teak deck in good condition.

Engines and engine bay very clean. No bilge water (dregs pump fitted).

Gas cooker and hob unused.

Interior upholstery in reasonable condition.

Heads in excellent condition (no bad odours) - no holding tank.

Snap davits, small RIB and new 4hp 4 stroke outboard (stored on outboard bracket in engine room).

All doors and fitting in excellent condition.

The bad

No aircon despite the advert stating there was (and brokers confirmation prior to inspection visit).

Service history not available for inspection but broker assured me that the boat has been serviced throughout its life by the same VP agent so should be available.

Blue air intakes looked a little dull but I suspect these could be polished to restore the shine. White deck surface also a little dull. Note that blue T30's tend to suffer less from the sun as the rear flanks are white, unlike earlier and bigger models where they are coloured.

As can be expected, some gel coat chips and crazing from minor impacts to bathing platform and side pods.







Top windscreen rail corroded and coating blistered.







Radar / plotter not working (display showed thin coloured vertical lines).

No camper cover (only bimini and tonneau).

Forward bilge full of oil (appears to have leaked from the Sidepower bow thruster reservoir).





GPS / Radar head unit not working (display showing narrow coloured vertical lines).

Port side rev counter cracked (hours counter not working).

Shipmate radio not DSC / linked to GPS.

Cracked drinks holder



Engines very slow to start.

Original carpet has seen better days.

A couple of areas of minor rust staining to vinyl in main cabin (I suspect it could be cleaned with proper chemicals).

Water staining to Alcantara panel (suspect condensation rather than a leak).

Summary

The cosmetic stuff I was expecting.

The windscreen frame is a bit of a problem but I suspect that the screen could be dismantled and the frame stripped and re-coated. Can someone confirm?

The bow thruster leak is a potential issue as it may have been run dry causing damage to it.

The nav gear fault is another potential issue, whilst the head unit could be replaced courtesy of eBay, I have no idea whether the GPS receiver and radar are working.

Is the slow starting engine a concern? On my new boat the engines started on the first turn of the engine.

Replacing the hood is another expense (£2k) and essential if I ever took it back to the UK for re-sale.

The biggest issue though is the lack of A/C. This is a €5-7k install so represents 10% of the value of the boat and no doubt the seller will think his prices already reflects the absence of this.

Thought anyone?

 

[Portofino]

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1994/Fairline-Targa-38-2837929/Portugal#.VfHWK2t5mK1
Try and get more pics/ info before travel

 

[stelican]

Deleted as quick reply set

 

[petem]

Hey Stelican, do you remember fixing all the bashes on my old boat!

Whats your thoughts on the windscreen frame?