|
Onboard Wireless sounds
great–particularly for PC-oriented boaters–but there may be
a rub in U.S. GSM coverage. While this digital-cellular service type is
dominant in Europe and Asia, it’s been slow coming to our country,
and it’s darn hard to get straight answers from any cellular provider
about exact coverage areas. I found my best source to be a stock analyst
who covers the wireless world; he reports that all U.S. GSM licenses have
been sold and will eventually go live, and he guesses that a user cruising
the U.S. coasts would find that about 70 percent of the areas are now
actually covered. So the drawback (for the time being) with the Onboard
Wireless system is dead spots. Note, however, that it can be integrated
with a boat’s existing satellite communications hardware, and the
company plans to add its own inexpensive satellite capability next year.
Another unique marine
cellular device is Garmin’s NavTalk, a combination mapping GPS and
analog cellphone. It’s a little bulky by cellphone standards, but
it’s also waterproof and tough–useful for dinghy exploration,
perhaps even survival situations–and has become a desirable gizmo
for certain "techy" boaters. Garmin recently introduced a slimmed-down
(though no longer waterproof) GSM NavTalk–with sophisticated mapping
and data synching functions–in Europe and Asia. The company also
has a new Pilot NavTalk that becomes a fixed unit in a plane. Clearly
Garmin is focusing design energy on cellular, so it seems likely it will
come up with new and innovative marine phones.
Most boaters–especially
cruisers–could make use of any one of these appealing products, but
imagine putting them all together. Picture Raymarine’s dexterous
voice network combined with Onboard Wireless’ speedy PC interface
and a rack of mobiles–one of them a Garmin mapping marine unit–ready
to take your SIM card. Now that’s boat phone nirvana.
Ben Ellison has been
a delivery captain and navigational instructor for nearly 30 years and
was recently editor of Reed’s Nautical Almanacs.
Garmin International
Phone: (800) 800-1020. Fax: (913) 397-8282. www.garmin.com.
MariTEL Phone:
(212) 532-9300. Fax: (212) 532-2677. www.maritelusa.com.
Onboard Wireless Phone: (866) 451-7820.
Fax: (206) 826-1008. www.onboardwireless.com.
Raymarine Phone: (800) 539-5539
or (603) 881-5200. Fax: (603) 864-4756. www.raymarine.com.
Previous
page > Saltwater Cellular II continued
> Page 1, 2,
3
|