GSM coverage throughout the islands.
One of the problems within the Caribbean island chain is that communication services are sparse. GSM is limited to a few of the "European" islands, such as St Maarten and Martinique, where you can find a French Orange network to log onto. If you use the local BoatPhone service, your telephone number changes when you arrive at each different island. This means that anyone calling you needs to know where you are before they can select which number to dial. As a result, many yachts resort to using satcom communications whilst in the Caribbean.
A new product currently being launched into the yachting market effectively turns the yacht into a GSM cell and allows everyone on board to use their own GSM phone on the yachts very own network. Therefore, whether the yacht is anchored in a remote anchorage in the Tobago Cays, on passage between islands, or even mid Atlantic, GSM coverage is always available for both making and receiving calls.
Under this system, the communication link from the yacht operates via the yacht´s satellite communication system, which then connects to the land based networks. The calls are charged to the person making the call at the standard European roaming rate.
The service currently available is for text (SMS) only, but an upgrade to voice will be available early next year. As an added incentive, there is a free upgrade to the voice service for the early installers of the system.
Improved sat TV dishes.
The world renowned company Sea Tel, which manufactures gyro stabilized dishes for satellite TV, is about to launch in Europe its new product line the XX04 marine antenna with a new touch screen controller.
Many yachts have either Sea Tel or KVH sat TV antennas fitted, and their captains and engineers understand the limitations on dish size and satellite footprints.
The good news about this new antenna range, firstly, is that it uses a new, higher gain dish. With the new dish what would previously require a 1m dish can now be received on an 80cm diameter dish. This will provide better reception of DirectTVLA in the Windward Islands for smaller dishes. Likewise it will also enhance reception in the Med.
The second advantage is that they track the satellite using the digital ID rather than on a frequency. This means that the dish will not accidentally move off and track another nearby satellite with a similar frequency.
The third feature is the new touch screen controller. This has to be a huge improvement as it is much more user friendly than the old TAC92.
Please be aware that if you plan to watch DirecTVLA in the Caribbean and you intend to install a new sat TV antenna, it is essential to mount the antenna in the optimum position on board if you plan to spend long periods of time at anchor.
Second season for VSAT high speed data on SatMex 5.
This winter season will be the second season for the VSAT high speed data service via Wavecall on the SatMex 5 satellite covering the Caribbean. Clients using the new Sea Tel 4003 VSAT last winter reported receiving a good service from this satellite.
Another year on and we hope any initial hiccups have been resolved and the service will be even better. We have also been told that there will be an airtime option, whereby a dedicated pipe providing a 256/516k service solely for that yacht will be available.
VSAT airtime is normally charged as a fixed figure per month, which allows the yacht to take advantage of many new added value services, such as downloading and printing the owner´s or charter guest´s local papers at no extra cost on the airtime. What a great extra sales feature this would be for a charter yacht.
Track your tenders for safety and security.
The Seetrac tender tracking system has had a great inaugural summer in the Med. Clients have reported back to us their great satisfaction at being able to keep track of all their guests playing on their water toys! We had a report from one yacht that on a jet ski a guest became disorientated following a wipe out and started heading over the distant horizon. Fortunately by using the Seetrac tender tracking system, he was soon located and brought back to the safety of the yacht.
In the Caribbean where security is always a priority, Seetrac will enable you to keep an eye on that tender left on the dock, and to identify whether an approaching tender in a dark anchorage is friend or foe.
Surveying reef entrances.
In the Caribbean, where reef entrances are mostly uncharted, an additional feature of Seetrac comes into play. The tender can be used as a remote pilot vessel going ahead of the yacht through the reef, and relaying live depth information from its own depth transducer back to the yacht.
Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Ship Security Alert System (SSAS).
These systems are not new. For some yachts AIS and SSAS are legislation induced carriage requirements for ISPS compliance. However for ALL yachts over 20m AIS is compulsory for transiting the Panama Canal. A year later, since AIS hit the headlines, it is still rumoured that the US Coast Guard may well make AIS compulsory in US waters.
There are some moves to provide added value features to AIS. Early this year when I was in St Maarten, our associate company outlined a plan to transmit, on AIS, the wind and depth data at the bridge in the channel into the Lagoon. This type of added value feature would make AIS more appealing to most.
Monaco Yacht Show 23rd to 25th September
E3 will be exhibiting at the Monaco Yacht Show on our own stand QS45 on the Darse Sud and also on the Mallorca Chamber of Commerce stand QP37 in the Parves Piscine Rainier III air-conditioned tent. They invite all to join them for a chat, drink and even a read of the paper (we will be printing newspapers from all around the world). If you would like tickets for the Show, drop in to their office in Marivent.
For further information contact:
Erik Nieuwmeijer or Tony Holland at E3 Systems or E3 Airtime
Tel: +34 971 404208/400738 email: erik@e3s.com or tony@e3s.com