great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Cruising America's Great Loop and other inland routes
View all threads[TWGL] Communications
Yea, Just went through researching this. Cell Phone- VeriZon is available
now, almost anywhere on the loop in Digital, which is req'd for Laptop
Download of E-Mail. The newest phones are operating at a little over 28K,
which is plenty for downloading, providing U download/upload before opening
Mail. Easy on Explorer. Use free E-Mail service site, like VeriZon or Yahoo.
Answer each E- mail, push send on Comp., dial #, at nite. of course, get
into Explorer, to Yahoo Mail Box, Hit Send on each E-Mail, hang up.----No
Problem -------------Ken
----- Original Message -----
From: trawler-world-great-loop-request@lists.samurai.com
To: trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 12:01 AM
Subject: Trawler-world-great-loop digest, Vol 1 #159 - 10 msgs
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Today's Topics:
1. Communications (Robert Reib)
2. Re: Wanted! Charts of the Great Lakes (Allen Johnson)
3. Re: Charter on the Erie Canal (Allen Johnson)
4. Re: communications? (Forrest Myers)
5. Re: communications? (Allen Johnson)
6. Canal Charter (David Perdue)
7. Cellphone in the Bahamas (Ted Brustowicz)
8. Cellphone in the Bahamas (Robert Reib)
9. Re: Trawler-world-great-loop digest, Vol 1 #158 - 5 msgs
- neat trawler for sale (Louis Letson)
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Message: 1
From: "Robert Reib" SkipperBob@worldnet.att.net
To: Trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 08:36:03 -0500
Subject: [TWGL] Communications
Doc,
For daily communications home the cel phone with nationwide coverage is
best. Anyone can get in touch with you and vice versus without a problem.
Check your plan, with some plans you have to pay an extra fee when in
Canada, with others you do not. Verizon, Sprint, Nexell and AT&T all offer
such plans.
SSB is a waste for the Great Loop.
For Email on the road I prefer Pocketmail. You can send and receive Email
from any phone any where along the route. A lap top presents the problem
of
finding a phone jack to plug into (been there, done that). Using the
Cellular phone adds the requirement for a computer, special program,
special
cable and adapter and much more. Plus you have the fees for having an
internet server and when you get junk Email downloaded it eats up cellular
phone air time. Last but not least it is very slow, typically only about
10K, and when you can't get good cel phone reception you don't send and
receive Email.
With pocketmail you buy a small handheld device which for $100-150 and for
about $10 per month you have Email anywhere you can get to a phone. The
acoustical device is held up to the mouthpiece of the phone and sends and
receives Email to and from an 800 number. Only one downside, it strips
attachments off the Email. On second thought after all the junk Email I
get
with attachments, maybe that isn't a downside. It also works in Canada
and
the Bahamas. (Cel phone in the Bahamas is very expensive if available at
all) See Pocketmail at www.pocketmail.com
Bob
Skipper Bob Publications
Web page: Http://SkipperBob.home.att.net
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 08:50:14 -0500
From: Allen Johnson ajohnson@alormaria.com
Subject: Re: [TWGL] Wanted! Charts of the Great Lakes
To: dick masse dickmasse@sprintmail.com,
trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Reply-To: Allen Johnson ajohnson@alormaria.com
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While in Kingston, don't miss the "Haunted Walk" tour. Very informative
(and scary).
Al Johnson
34' Marine Trader "Angelina"
----- Original Message -----
From: dick masse
To: trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2002 2:13 PM
Subject: [TWGL] Wanted! Charts of the Great Lakes
Greetings! We are presently doing the Great Loop and are in need of
charts/chartbooks of the Great Lakes area. If anyone has any for sale
please let us know.
Dick/Carol
"Canopus" (Presently in Kingston, Ontario)
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Walk"
tour. Very informative (and scary).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Al Johnson</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>34' Marine Trader "Angelina"</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT:0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:dickmasse@sprintmail.com"
title=dickmasse@sprintmail.com>dick
masse</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A href="mailto:trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com"title=trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com>trawler-world-great-loop@li
sts.samurai.com</A>
the
Great Lakes</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greetings! We are presently doing the GreatLoop
and are in need of charts/chartbooks of the Great Lakes area. If
anyone
has any for sale please let us know.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dick/Carol</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Canopus" (Presently in Kingston, Ontario)</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>--Boundary_(ID_ZBtKyO1wXDh1qb7c5l6ikA)--
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 09:02:32 -0500
From: Allen Johnson ajohnson@alormaria.com
Subject: Re: [TWGL] Charter on the Erie Canal
To: Trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Reply-To: Allen Johnson ajohnson@alormaria.com
Don't miss stopping overnight at Chipman Point marina. It is just below
Fort
T. and is a good day's run up river from the last Champlain lock. The
political discussion at the marina store's "stoop" is worth the slip fee.
Use your dinghy to go around the bend to Fort T.
There is not much else around (thank God). At night, the stars are
magical.
Al Johnson
34' Marine Trader "Angelina"
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Reib" SkipperBob@worldnet.att.net
To: Trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 9:14 AM
Subject: [TWGL] Charter on the Erie Canal
David,
I have to agree with Dennis. I would take the one way trip north both
for
the reasons he mentioned and primarily because a week is simply not
enough
time to see and do much anyway. You certainly don't want to have to
backtrack to return the vessel.
Have a great trip. The last time we were on the Champlain Canal we
spent
a
week in Fort Edwards alone, walking the old feeder canal to Glens Falls.
Of
course when you live on a boat, you do tend to spend a lot of time at
places
where others would only spend a day or two.
Don't miss Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point Fort if you are a history
buff
or like old military forts as I do.
Bob
Skipper Bob Publications
Web page: Http://SkipperBob.home.att.net
Trawler-world-great-loop mailing list
Trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
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------
Message: 4
From: "Forrest Myers" femyers@attglobal.net
To: DRJOCO@aol.com, trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Subject: Re: [TWGL] communications?
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 09:13:09 -0500
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I've found over the years that the best and cheapest e-mail system for =
cruisers is via the Amateur Radio Winlink system. I've used cell phone =
e-mail and it's iffy and expensive. However, for calling home the cell =
phone works pretty good. You just have to be in an area where it will =
work. The beauty of the amateur radio winlink is that it will work =
anywhere in the world or even from space if need be.
Forrest Myers
MV Trident
Willard 36' Aft Pilot House
AG4ND
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 09:47:24 -0500
From: Allen Johnson ajohnson@alormaria.com
Subject: Re: [TWGL] communications?
To: Forrest Myers femyers@attglobal.net, DRJOCO@aol.com,
trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Reply-To: Allen Johnson ajohnson@alormaria.com
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I found walking into public libraries and asking to use their facilities
was cheaper and easier. Got to see some great libraries, met some nice
people (and one not so nice) and got some exercise. IMHO email shouldn't be
a priority on a cruise (neither is snail mail).
Al Johnson
34' Marine Trader "Angelina"
----- Original Message -----
From: Forrest Myers
To: DRJOCO@aol.com ; trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 9:13 AM
Subject: Re: [TWGL] communications?
I've found over the years that the best and cheapest e-mail system for
cruisers is via the Amateur Radio Winlink system. I've used cell phone
e-mail and it's iffy and expensive. However, for calling home the cell phone
works pretty good. You just have to be in an area where it will work. The
beauty of the amateur radio winlink is that it will work anywhere in the
world or even from space if need be.
Forrest Myers
MV Trident
Willard 36' Aft Pilot House
AG4ND
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asking to
use their facilities was cheaper and easier. Got to see some great
libraries,
met some nice people (and one not so nice) and got some exercise. IMHO
shouldn't be a priority on a cruise (neither is snail mail). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Al Johnson</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>34' Marine Trader "Angelina"</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT:0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:femyers@attglobal.net"
title=femyers@attglobal.net>Forrest
Myers</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A href="mailto:DRJOCO@aol.com" title=DRJOCO@aol.com>DRJOCO@aol.com</A> ; <A href="mailto:trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com"title=trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com>trawler-world-great-loop@li
sts.samurai.com</A>
communications?</DIV>
for
cruisers is via the Amateur Radio Winlink system. I've used cell phone
and it's iffy and expensive. However, for calling home the cell phone
works
pretty good. You just have to be in an area where it will work. The
beauty of
the amateur radio winlink is that it will work anywhere in the world or
even
from space if need be.</DIV>
<DIV>Forrest Myers</DIV> <DIV>MV Trident</DIV> <DIV>Willard 36' Aft Pilot House</DIV> <DIV>AG4ND</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>--Boundary_(ID_jVuzODeCegYoC1OwjHUEyA)--
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Message: 6
From: "David Perdue" perduedw@bellatlantic.net
To: trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 10:53:56 -0500
Subject: [TWGL] Canal Charter
Thanks to all for your suggestions and advice. Much to mull over and
consider. And my apologies that my original message was not in plain text.
David
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Message: 7
From: "Ted Brustowicz" capnspirit@earthlink.net
To: "TWL Great Loop" Trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 11:25:38 -0500
Subject: [TWGL] Cellphone in the Bahamas
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I tried Verizon and they said they are not offering Bahamas Service.
Is anyone successfully using as cellphone in the Bahamas, if so whose?
Thanks
Ted
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Message: 8
From: "Robert Reib" SkipperBob@worldnet.att.net
To: Trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 12:34:35 -0500
Subject: [TWGL] Cellphone in the Bahamas
Ted,
In order for your cellphone to work in the Bahamas, your provider must
have
a written agreement with BATELCO (Bahamas Telephone Company) for
reimbursement of charges. I have a list of some 48 companies that now
have
agreements.
That said, there are plenty of problems. First, just because your
cellphone
provider has an agreement with BATELCO does not mean your cellphone will
work in the Bahamas. In some cases, the providers network was never
turned
on and thus none of their customers can use their cellphone in the
Bahamas.
Even if your network is turned on in the Bahamas, it does not mean your
cellphone will work. The antenna network is not complete and their are a
lot of dead areas in the Bahamas. Just as bad, some of the existing
towers
are down for maintenance and not working. (Just like their lighted
channel
markers - at any given time it is estimated that 50% of the lighted
navigation markers in the Bahamas are not working)
Plain and simple, cellphone coverage in the Bahamas is not very reliable
and
is quite expensive when it works. If you feel you must have a cellphone,
you might want to try signing up with BATLECO and use their network. The
deposit is substantial and the problems of poor coverage and towers that
don't work still exist for their own network.
The public pay phone system works fairly well in the Bahamas. Virtually
every community has one or more pay phones. You buy a prepaid card and at
a
dollar a minute you can call anywhere in the US.
You say, you are concerned about wanting to make a call from a remote
location with no pay phone. Well guess what, the towers used to provide
the
pay phones are the same ones used to provide cellular phones. If you are
in
an area without pay phones there is a good possibility that your cellphone
will not work either.
The long and the short of it, is that cellphone usage in the Bahamas is
chancy at best. For my money I wouldn't even consider it. Most of the
people I know have their cellphones put on "vacation" while in the Bahamas
and then turn them back on when they get back to the states.
In reference to the above information I am referring to the more remote
locations and not Nassau and Freeport. Of course coverage is good there,
but then there are thousands of payphones there as well.
Bob
Skipper Bob Publications
Web page: Http://SkipperBob.home.att.net
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Message: 9
From: BillEGates@aol.com
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 15:59:22 EST
To: trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Subject: [TWGL] Re: Trawler-world-great-loop digest, Vol 1 #158 - 5 msgs
In a message dated 03/25/2002 12:02:18 AM,
trawler-world-great-loop-request@lists.samurai.com writes:
<< SSB vs cellular vs sat phone?? which is best for Loop? ICW? for daily
email
and calls home >>
Cell phones work just about everywhere. If your going into Canada you can
usually upgrade your plan and avoid the extra roaming charges. James
Clausen,
MV Summer School.
For more information see our personal great loop website @
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Message: 10
Reply-To: letson@scottsboro.org
From: "Louis Letson" letson@scottsboro.org
To: trawler-world-great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2002 18:39:25 -0600
Subject: [TWGL] neat trawler for sale
There is a great cruising trawler for sale in our marina which may be of
interest to subscribers of this list.
The present owners have cruised extensively and are now ready to put down
on
terra firma again.
Take a look at:
www.ece.purdue.edu/~andy/potolo
I have no financial or other interest in this boat, but it appears to be a
well cared for trawler.
LL
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End of Trawler-world-great-loop Digest
Ken wrote, "Yea, Just went through researching this. Cell Phone- VeriZon is
available now, almost anywhere on the loop in Digital, which is req'd for
Laptop Download of E-Mail."
Some phones will also provide analog data access, but it is even slower.
If you plan to use your phone in or near Canada, you might be better off
using AT&T Wireless. AT&T Wireless has "AT&T Canada Calling", which they
describe as follows, "With AT&T Canada Calling, you won't pay roaming and
long distance charges for all wireless calls within Canada and between
Canada and the U.S. So every call is like a local call."
You can add the Canada calling service when you get close to the border and
drop it when you leave.
I think you will find the coverage on the inland rivers disappointing. I
have talked to several people that have confirmed this for all carriers and
the coverage maps show it as well (careful of Verizon's "coverage map", the
fine print says it isn't a real coverage map, but just a roaming map". I
called and confirmed this and I was told they do not have/provide coverage
maps. "Maybe they are still mapping it? "Can you hear me now?", "Can you
hear me now?", ...). The users I talked to they scheduled the phone usage
around Interstate (aka Freeway) overpasses where there was coverage.
To maximize your coverage get, I recommend getting a cell phone booster amp
and external antenna. One source is
http://www.boatantenna.com/cellular/booster.html This booster plugs into
your existing phone and amplifies the send and receive signals to the FCC
allowable limit in both analog and digital modes. This can be up to a 500%
power increase for some handsets. The makers, Digital Antenna
www.digitalantenna.com , claim 50 to 70 mile range to the cell phone tower
over water. Your mileage may vary.
For more info, you can check out our web site www.portager.info and click on
"Wireless Internet" or go to
http://www.prudentvoyager.com/Email_files/frame.htm and see the presentation
that we gave at Trawler Fest in Melbourne (but it only works in Internet
Explorer).
I have no financial interest in Verizon, AT&T Wireless, Digital Antenna or
Boat Antenna.
Communicatively;
Mike Schooley
Designing "Portager" a 36' trailerable trawler