snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Aren't you running Blackspot any more then?
Don't get to Dartmouth any more since they banned multihulls.
WiFI SPARK
- Thread starter oldvarnish
- Start date
Aren't you running Blackspot any more then?
Don't get to Dartmouth any more since they banned multihulls.
makingplansfor
Well-Known Member
Used 3 for the week of the regatta - worked really well for me. Agree totally with the views about Spark, shocking!
zikzik
Well-Known Member
I have been using an iphone with a 3 contract, and tethering with an ipad or laptop, for more than two years. Signal strength and speed pretty good. Good enough to get rid of the bt phone line and internet at my second home in Poole.
No experience of using it in Dartmouth, but I generally obtain a decent signal where ever I am on the boat without any boosters.
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Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
For those of us in the know, network three, it's a no brainer (if in Ireland tho another carrier is offering unlimited (fair use 30gb) of data and that is Meteor for just 10 Euro for a month!!
As for three it depending in your signal strength.
The fastest connection I've had with Three was 13mb download!!!! That is fast enough to have 6 people watching BBC IPlayer 2mb is the ideal minimum. (As of the last time I checked)
The great thing about having yacht spot up the mast is that when I don't have a mobile signal on my phone I do still have an Internet connection through the yacht spot/ three SIM card. So until you get an antenna up the mast (thick coaxial) then your limited by the device/ multi task router at interior level.
If your a live abroad and rely on Internet for work etc then is sell a few bonds or shares or that junk in the garage and invest in one.
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
For the past 2 nights on board we've been watching Internet TV which has been tethered to my sons phone. He has unlimited data on his 3 contract. Even HD TV worked perfectly. It almost goes without saying that next time my contract is up for renewal, 3 will be getting my business.
Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
Yes totally, I'm watching Sky Go (movies) at anchor every other night, if your in the uk it's great for me I travel a lot and EE is the best for making calls while travelling world wide I find: especially in Europe including Croatia.
pragmatist
Well-Known Member
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theoldsalt
Well-Known Member
Same with O2 but I don't know which is the cheapest or has the best coverage.
pessimist
Well-Known Member
Multihulls aren't banned - just subject to the ugly tax
We ran Blackspot only under a gentleman's agreement. The last harbourmaster was a gentleman.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Multihulls aren't banned - just subject to the ugly tax
No, just made as welcome as a f*rt in a space suit. It's the only harbour I've ever met where they charge extra for a multihull on a swinging mooring. I tackled the harbourmaster on it (he was pilot on the ship I was on) and he claimed my 5 tonner wears out a mooring more than a 12 ton mono of the same length.
oldvarnish
Well-Known Member
Thanks for this. My Alfa R36 (which I think was less than 50 quid) allows me to plug into it an external wifi antenna (which I do) or a USB 3G SIM. An external 3G antenna is always going to be best, but as a budget option the R36 goes a long way in that direction. But it's early days and I may change my mind.
The Yachtspot looks like a very good, robust bit of kit, but probably at a price. A quick search didn't reveal how much. Have you got a ball park figure?
Off to buy a 3 dongle now.
theoldsalt
Well-Known Member
That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. As long as I can remember (and I go back a quite long time) multihulls have attracted a mooring surcharge (due to their added beam) in most harbours.
VicMallows
Well-Known Member
A few years ago, Three were, quite literally, giving them away. (you just payed £5 for a sim preloaded with1Gb). I think you can pick up the dongles at next-to-nothing on Ebay.
My (free) ZTE dongle is quite happy with 3m of USB cable so you can get it a fair way above deck (an older Huwaei is not so happy with long USB).
Of course, if you are using an R36, there is nothing to stop you mounting THAT up the mast in a suitable watertight enclosure and with an extended 12v DC cable.
Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
Let me know if the 3G dongle gives you 'all you can eat' data. I bought a SIM only £15 all you can eat plan. 300 mins 300 texts. I connected them to Globesurfer with a normal house hold phone. It's brilliant.
http://www.globesurfer.co.uk
As for the yacht spot, Well send me a pm tomorrow and I'll find out the name of the chipset is. Yachtspot is over £1000 but the components supplied have been discussed on forum
Before and come in at around £400.
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
On a swinging mooring??!
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
A vast number of people in our village have had to dump BT because of useless internet.
Trying to cancel a BT contract is a good way to get oneself a heart attack
Stay as far away from them as you can- at least in St Lawrence Bay. Essex
As for mobile connection - forget it. I got better reception with 2 coke tins & a bit of string when I was a kid
Champagne Murphy
Well-Known Member
3 PAYG SIM; what's the cost for the data? Looking at these on Amazon and can't find the data costs.
Also what happens on the other side of the Channel? On Vodafone it rips me off £2 a day to 'roam' (isn't that the point of a 'mobile 'phone'?), do the data SIMs?
I have an old BT Dongle, they stopped that last year; will a new SIM card work with it?
Also what happens on the other side of the Channel? On Vodafone it rips me off £2 a day to 'roam' (isn't that the point of a 'mobile 'phone'?), do the data SIMs?
I have an old BT Dongle, they stopped that last year; will a new SIM card work with it?
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Steve Clayton
Well-Known Member
Don't try to cancel your contract. Tell them that you are merely suspending payment pending their delivery of a satisfactory service. Also tell them that if they cut you off that you hold them in breach and therefore they are the ones' cancelling and you are happy to accept with no penalty (back charges, etc).
Copy all communication to elc(at)bt(dot)com e l c is executive level complaints so you are talking to the CEO's support team.
Trust me - it works!:encouragement:
If you can also find aspects where BT are not complying with their own code then quote it - chapter and verse - to elc
http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/RegulatoryandPublicaffairs/Codeofpractice/index.htm
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oldvarnish
Well-Known Member
Very, very useful. Thanks