They’re the stuff of dreams, legend, maritime lore: the Northwest Passage, the Drake Passage, Greenland, South Georgia Island, Cape Horn. Cruising these fabled waters requires a capable and prepared yacht, a seasoned and adventurous crew, the right communications and safety tools, and a pinch of luck. In this sense, the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca was right: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Satellite connectivity isn’t new. The first very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) satcom systems rolled out in the late 1970s, giving mariners the ability to send and receive information at sea. Contemporary VSAT systems typically operate on the Ka-frequency or Ku-frequency bands to offer high-speed performance and bandwidth.

The problem, however, is that VSAT networks typically concentrate their coverage beams on populated areas and commonly cruised waters. Moreover, these systems utilize high frequencies that often suffer from rain and snow fade when the weather sours.

Iridium’s Certus network doesn’t deliver the kinds of data-transfer speeds that enable video or social media streaming, but it does provide global connectivity that isn’t affected by weather. The largest Certus terminals are built with multi-element patched antennas that can simultaneously listen to—and evaluate the signal strength of—multiple satellites for trustworthy connectivity. Certus terminals also can be paired with a VSAT terminal, and long-range cellular and Wi-Fi antennas, to provide out-of-band management and lowest-cost routing. For adventurous cruisers, Certus’ connectivity improves the farther north (or south) from the equator one cruises.

Iridium began work on its Certus network in 2015. Today, the system is composed of 66 cross-linked low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites that circle the globe in near-polar orbits that are each roughly perpendicular to the equator. (Imagine the segments of a peeled orange coming together at either end.) At any given time, there are more LEO satellites concentrated at the north and south poles than at the equator. And Iridium’s LEO satellites operate on the L band (1 to 2 GHz), which is a much lower frequency than the Ka and Ku bands, and which isn’t frazzled by rain or snow.

As with all forms of satcom, orbiting Certus-enabled LEO satellites communicate with an onboard terminal. That terminal, in turn, is networked to a wireless router that makes the satcom signal available for all connected devices. While Iridium builds and maintains its LEO constellation, it partners with third-party hardware manufacturers—including Cobham, Intellian, Lars-Thrane and Thales—that build consumer-ready terminals.

While Iridium allows five terminals of different sizes to operate on its Certus network, 700-level terminals—with data-transfer uplink speeds of up to 352 kilobits per second and downlink speeds of up to 704 Kbps—offer Certus’ highest throughput speeds.

For example, Intellian’s C700 terminal is a solid-state device that uses a 12-element patch antenna. “It is then able to track multiple satellites and always select the strongest signal,” says Paul Comyns, Intellian’s senior director channel sales Americas. This setup, he adds, “avoids any issue of blockage, whether that be from onboard obstructions like a sail or mast, or if you happen to be cruising in a fjord where there are big mountains and trees.” Given that the C700 has a 12-element patch antenna, some are still likely seeing satellites even if others are blocked.

The 700-level terminals are monogamous, which means they only transmit and receive data to and from a single satellite at once. However, they’re opportunistic in that they’re often simultaneously auditioning two to four other satellites.

“Because each patch antenna is pointing in a different direction, it has the opportunity to pick up a signal from a different satellite,” Comyns says. “It’s always listening to different satellites and then picking which is the strongest signal and utilizing that one.”

During a 10-minute voice call, a 700-series terminal might change satellites several times. These transitions are nearly seamless to the end user, and the multiple data pathways mean that 700-level terminals on Iridium’s Certus network offer some of the highest reliability levels of any satcom solution.

Certus terminals also can be paired with VSAT systems to deliver an out-of-band management solution for the yacht’s primary satcom system. Additionally, third-party long-range cellular and Wi-Fi antennas can be added for lowest-cost data routing.

This ability to play nicely with others, coupled with Certus’ reliability and global coverage, makes these terminals ideal companions for high-latitude cruisers or for those transiting the South Pacific, where it might otherwise be impossible to download email, GRIB weather files and chart updates, or to transmit and receive emergency communications.

“If you want a reliable connection that’s going to get through whatever the weather, then Certus is a perfect solution,” Comyns says.

As with all technology, Certus service has its pros and cons. As mentioned, speeds aren’t fast enough to stream video or upload it to social media, and Certus is not the least-expensive form of satellite communications (see Iridium’s website for airtime costs). That said, the system is global, there are no moving internal components, and the equipment is relatively small and easy to fit aboard. Factor in Certus’ ability to provide out-of-band management and lowest-cost data routing, and the network presents itself as an intriguing communications solution for anyone who is interested in plying the dark spots on most VSAT coverage maps.

One doesn’t need to be an ancient philosopher to see how adding a Certus system might generate its own kind of luck.

The post Iridium Keeps Boaters Connected Anywhere appeared first on Yachting.

Call it a first-world problem, but rain can cause performance issues for some satellite-communication frequencies. This isn’t because onboard satcom equipment is faulty or inadequate—it’s not. Rather, certain bands of radio-frequency energy physically attenuate as they travel through precipitation-streaked time and space.

Fortunately, not all satcom frequencies suffer from rain-fade issues, and hardware—including Intellian’s recently unveiled FB500 terminal—already exists to help leverage this bandwidth.

Supporting Intellian’s hardware is Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband (FBB) service, which delivers a near-global (99.9 percent availability) rain-fade-free service by harnessing the lower-frequency L-band (1 to 2 GHz) range. The trade-off, however, is speed: FBB delivers speeds—up and down—that are measured in kilobits per second (Kbps), a comparatively pedestrian pace that’s fine for most applications but still a long row home from VSAT’s metrics.

While Inmarsat debuted FBB service in 2007, and while Intellian has manufactured FBB terminals since 2010, the fourth-generation FB500 antenna ($15,800) has the company’s latest hardware innovations and refinements. This includes Inmarsat’s latest L-band modem, plus the ability to connect to shore-based 4G/5G/LTE cellular networks to deliver lowest-cost routing for coastal cruising.

With regard to equipment, an FB500 consists of a radome-enclosed antenna (called an abovedeck unit, or ADU) that’s stabilized across three axes and that delivers unlimited azimuth rotation, a belowdecks unit (a black box that is typically rack-mounted), coaxial cabling and a power cable (either DC or, if AC is required, via Intellian’s AC/DC power supply adapter) that powers the BDU.

A network operator’s SIM card slots into the back of the BDU, which broadcasts its connectivity to networked devices via a built-in Wi-Fi antenna. The system has an embedded and software-based Private Automatic Branch Exchange, which supports multiple telephone lines, as well as a firewall. Owners (or the yacht’s network operator) can configure their system using Intellian’s Aptus LX terminal-management software. This management tool delivers the ability, for example, to whitelist and blacklist individual wireless devices from leveraging L-band connectivity; furthermore, once a device has been greenlighted, owners (or admins) can assign data and quality caps and permissions (such as the ability to place phone or video calls) to each individual device.

“This all helps ensure that owners have control over their airtime,” says Paul Comyns, Intellian’s director of sales and business development.

Yachts, after all, are never democracies.

An FB500 connects to Inmarsat’s constellation of I-4 satellites, and the terminals play nicely with Inmarsat’s next-generation I-6 satellites, as well as Inmarsat’s upgraded L-band service, ELERA, as they come online.

FB500s can be employed in several ways. Each FB500 can be leveraged as a stand-alone L-band terminal for lower-bandwidth communications at speeds of up to 432 Kbps. “For yachts that have room for one antenna and less demand for such bandwidth-intensive applications, L-band is ideal,” says Comyns, adding that the FB500 “enables users to have high-quality voice and video calls, internet access and file transfers.”

Caveat emptor: 432 Kbps may be fast enough for downloading email or weather GRIB files, but it’s not quick enough for streaming Netflix (read at least 5 Mbps of downlink speed). When faster speeds are required, and when there’s more abovedecks and belowdecks space to work with, an FB500 can be paired with an Intellian-built GXNX-series VSAT system and a belowdecks Intellian GX Mediator, the latter of which determines which network and antenna to leverage and when,  to create a dual-antenna Fleet Xpress installation. Depending on the size of the antennas and the airtime provider involved, Fleet Xpress can deliver downlink and uplink speeds of up to 16 Mbps and 4 Mbps. However, 2 Mbps and 512 Kbps are more realistic metrics when airtime costs are considered.

In this situation, the VSAT terminal delivers high-speed service for high-bandwidth applications, while the FB500 adds reliability and helps populate the connectivity map. “When it comes to larger yachts and superyachts, L-band is more commonly installed as a VSAT backup,” Comyns says. “Configured in this way, the GX [antenna] can reliably fail over to the L-band terminal when environmental conditions severely impact the GX [terminal’s] Ka-band data connection.”

Installation depending, Comyns says, the FB500 can sometimes also serve as a back door for off-site  technicians to investigate, and possibly fix, onboard VSAT issues.

The FB500’s third operational mode is that of a safety tool. Thanks to the proven reliability of L-band frequencies, an FB500 can also act as an emergency safety tether that connects a well-equipped yacht with one of Inmarsat’s global Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres and—thanks to Inmarsat’s distress-priority chat feature—to multiple nearby vessels.

While the FB500 builds on previous generations of hardware and software refinements, it also introduces cellular connectivity to the picture. “Intellian’s L-band BDUs have a [wireless area network] port that can be configured to connect via a different network connection than the default satellite link,” Comyns says. “For example, a [third-party] LTE/5G modem that can provide a more cost-effective connection when in range.”

As for its target audience, the FB500 is aimed at any yacht that can accommodate its size (28.85 by 31.38 inches), heft (65 pounds for the ADU) and belowdecks equipment, and any yacht owner who wants to access email, data and voice calls, globally and irrespective of the weather. Factor in the FB500’s ability to provide L-band connectivity for a Fleet Xpress installation, and its capabilities for emergency communications, and the FB500 is ready for off-piste waters.

So if you’re a yachtsman seeking a global, durable communications setup and don’t mind L-band’s pedestrian-like pace, or if you want Fleet Xpress’ speed, bandwidth and L-band coverage, Intellian’s FB500 could be worth close attention. First-world problems like rain fade, after all, don’t really matter with a weather-proof satcom system.

Little Brother (is listening)

If the FB500’s radome exceeds the aesthetic or physical sensibilities of a yacht’s skyline, a smaller-ride option is Intellian’s FB250 terminal for L-band connectivity. The FB250’s ADU measures 11.5 by 11.6 inches, and it weighs a mere 11.6 pounds. The trade-off? Pace: The FB250 moves data at speeds of up to 284 Kbps.

The post Intellian’s Global Communicator: The FB500 appeared first on Yachting.

The past few years have been challenging. The good news, however, is that a nautical sabbatical can help. Whether it’s for a few days or a trip around the sun, some recently launched communications, navigation and networking equipment can boost situational awareness, lower stress and improve the onboard experience. 

Communications

VHF radios have long been the go-to technology for marine communications. But sometimes their user interfaces can feel clumsy when compared with touchscreens. Enter Icom’s M510 series (from $600). These fixed-mount VHF radios are the first from a mainstream manufacturer to give users command and control over systems using smartphones and a dedicated app. All M510 radios have built-in digital selective calling and NMEA 0183 compatibility; users can upgrade to NMEA 2000 compatibility with a CT-M500 black box. The IC-M510 AIS has a built-in AIS receiver.

The Intellian v45C is a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) antenna that employs an open contract. The v45C ($18,000) has a compact 45-centimeter antenna, making it Intellian’s smallest VSAT system. However, it offers data-transfer speeds typically found aboard a system with a 60-centimeter antenna. This smaller size (a v45C’s radome measures 24-by-24.6 inches) allows it to be fitted aboard yachts as small as 45 feet length overall. A single radio-frequency coaxial cable connects the v45C’s antenna with its belowdecks rack-mounted antenna control unit. A rack-mounted modem is also required, but this is supplied by one’s airtime provider. Each v45C uses three-axis stabilization to stay locked onto the right satellite in rough waters, and the open-contract structure lets owners choose airtime providers based on itineraries. As for speeds, a v45C that’s connected to, for example, an IntelsatOne Flex plan should deliver download speeds of 6 megabits per second and uplink speeds of 2 Mbps. Each v45C can support two or three cruisers and their paired devices.

KVH’s TracPhone V30 ($12,000) is a small, lightweight VSAT antenna that operates on an end-to-end network. The TracPhone V30’s radome measures 15.5-by-17.6 inches and contains a 37-centimeter antenna dish, with a ruggedized modem. The TracPhone V30’s radome weighs 23.4 pounds and uses 10 to 36 volts of DC power, making it suited for all-electric or DC-powered yachts (AC-to-DC converters are available). The TracPhone V30 is designed to operate exclusively on the company’s mini-VSAT BroadbandSM network, giving owners access to simultaneous tech support for hardware and network problems. The TracPhone V30 offers speeds up to 6 Mbps for downloads and 2 Mbps for uploads, and users can choose metered or unlimited airtime plans. Metered plans charge users only for the data they use at 50 cents per megabyte. Unlimited plans give owners a set amount of data at or near the network’s highest data-transfer speeds for a monthly fee (about $150 for 200 megabytes). Unlimited users aren’t charged for additional data use, but once they burn their monthly allotment, speeds are downthrottled.

Satcom systems work great, but the same ones and zeros can be transmitted for less cost via an onshore cellular network. KVH’s TracPhone LTE-1 Global ($1,700) allows users to connect to the internet in more than 150 countries from 20 nautical miles offshore, depending on their cellular coverage. The TracPhone LTE-1 Global’s high-gain dual LTE-A antenna arrays come bundled in a radome that measures 13.5-by-13.3 inches and weighs 6.5 pounds. As with all KVH products, customers buy airtime directly from KVH, providing one-call tech support.

While onboard Wi-Fi networks allow crewmembers and guests to connect to the internet with their personal devices, each connected smartphone, tablet and laptop represents a point of possible intrusion for a hacker. Firewalla Gold ($430) is a combination firewall, virtual private network, multi-gigabit router and network-monitoring tool for protecting data. It can also be used to block advertisements, provide network segmentation, and leverage administrative or parental controls.

Navigation

It’s always wise to pack ample lumens when navigating at night. ACR’s fixed-mount RCL-50 LED Searchlight (from $1,110) has a six-LED array that generates more than 100,000 candelas at peak luminosity. The RCL-50 has a 10-degree beam angle, and it can rotate through 360 degrees of azimuth and plus or minus 20 degrees of elevation. The searchlight measures 8.4 by 6 by 8 inches, weighs 7.72 pounds, and comes packaged in a marine-grade aluminum housing that’s triple-primed and sealed, making it ideal for tenders or for smaller to medium-size rides. Operators can control the searchlight via its remote control Point Pad.

For cruisers planning on wending through tightly packed archipelagos or rocky passages, confidence in positional accuracy is key. Garmin’s GPS 24xd ($300) has a multiband receiver that lets the sensor leverage the full global navigation satellite system, including the US-built GPS, the Russian-built GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo constellations. The GPS 24xd reportedly provides positional accuracy to 3.28 feet, as well as azimuth information accurate to 3 degrees. The sensor is NMEA 2000-compatible and built to IPX7 standards. It updates at 10 Hertz and has multi-SBAS (satellite-based augmentation system) compatibility that allows the sensor to automatically correct for signal-measurement errors while giving users real-time insight into the accuracy and availability of incoming signals.

Vessels ranging from 35 to 120 feet length overall that are equipped with a Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System can add the company’s Assisted Docking system. Assisted Docking doesn’t require any external sensors. It instead uses Volvo Penta’s GPS-based dynamic positioning system antenna; the vessel’s IPS drive, steering, transmission and networked engine data; and a navigation system that supports Volvo Penta’s Glass Cockpit system. A human operator dictates the yacht’s speed and direction via the IPS joystick, and the system moves the yacht in a straight line as commanded. If a user releases the joystick, Assisted Docking holds the yacht in situ. Assisted Docking accounts for externalities such as wind, current and tide by updating the yacht’s position and heading several times per second. This information is fed to Volvo Penta’s electronic vessel control system, which fine-tunes the IPS direction and thrust. A banner on the yacht’s Glass Cockpit gives operators real-time information, including GPS signal strength, how much assisted power is being applied and a digital compass that displays direction lines. The system’s Side Push feature lets operators apply lateral force when docking side-to.

Operations

BEP’s Smart Battery Hub (starting at $2,000) monitors individual batteries’ real-time voltages and the full house bank’s state of charge, then shares this data with other networked instrumentation via NMEA 2000 connectivity. BEP makes the Smart Battery Hub for twin- and triple-engine rides. Both versions are compatible with 12- and 24-volt systems, and come with IPX7 water-ingress ratings and the ability to network with and be controlled by CZone digital-switching systems.

Few weather-forecasting apps are as powerful as those offered by PredictWind. These include PredictWind’s standard and Offshore apps, the latter of which works with satellite or SSB connections. Both apps give users access to different global and regional weather models, as well as PredictWind’s proprietary forecasts, rain and isobar maps, and weather-routing and departure-planning tools.

SiriusXM’s Fish Mapping can help anglers get on the fish faster and with less fuel expenditure. This subscription service requires a vessel to have a satellite-communications receiver and a compatible multifunction display. The system then provides a wealth of angling information, including fishing recommendations, sea-surface-temperature contours, plankton-concentration contours and plankton-front strengths.

Backup Navigation

Garmin’s GPSMap 79s ($300) comes with a global base map, while the GPSMap 79sc ($350) carries Garmin’s BlueChart g3 cartography. Both have screens that are 1.5 by 2.5 inches (200-by-400 resolution) and use AA batteries for up to 19 hours of navigation time.

Snorkeling with Smartphones

SeaLife’s underwater SportDiver housing ($300) allows Apple and Android smartphones to capture imagery down to 130 feet below the waterline. The housing has large buttons, and its built-in moisture sensor and companion app let users test the integrity of the housing’s seal.

The post Tech Talk: Electronics That Will Improve Onboard Experience appeared first on Yachting.

I’ll admit to feeling a pang of jealousy when I see a yacht cruise past my neighborhood park in Bellingham, Washington. The bow is pointed toward the nearby majestic San Juan Islands, and its satellite-communications antennas punctuate the skyline. These yacht owners remain comfortably connected while being able to enjoy forays to explore Pacific Northwest beaches and parks, or hikes up Orcas Island’s Mount Constitution, rather than remaining tethered to their at-home internet connections.

The trouble is, open-contract VSAT antennas historically haven’t come in small packages. Now, for smaller-yacht owners who have wanted that option, things have changed.

Marine-based VSAT (very small aperture terminal) antennas evolved in the 1980s, giving mariners dependable satellite-communication connections that improved as airtime providers developed better satellite constellations with greater throughput speeds.

But there was a catch: size. Until now, open-contract (think unlocked cellphones) VSAT systems for the recreational marine market typically employed antennas that were 60 centimeters or larger. Once inside its protective radome, even a “small” 60-centimeter antenna usually requires 60 feet of waterline to avoid overwhelming the yacht’s aesthetics.

Unlike its bigger brothers, Intellian’s v45C ($18,000; the C stands for “compact”) has a 45-centimeter antenna that’s opening new cruising and work-aboard possibilities for owners of more modest-size rides who want their choice of airtime providers. Intellian’s smallest VSAT antenna operates on Ku-band frequencies (10.7 to 14.5 gigahertz) and delivers speeds that were once the province of larger antennas.

“It used to be that small antennas were limited on their throughput, which meant 60-centimeter antennas [were needed],” says Paul Comyns, Intellian’s vice president of global marketing. Now, “performance enhancements in radio-frequency technology and satellite performance means higher throughput speeds on smaller antennas.”

To make these antennas, Comyns says, Intellian scaled down its radio-frequency componentry from the larger NX-series antennas and reduced the v45C’s component count.

A v45C system consists of a deck-mounted antenna fitted inside a radome that measures 24-by-24.6 inches and weighs 50.7 pounds; a rack-mounted antenna control unit; and a single RF coaxial cable connecting the hardware. Additionally, the system requires a modem (also typically rack-mounted) that is provided by a customer’s airtime provider and connects to the antenna control unit, as well as a wireless router.

As with land-based internet, data flows from a networked wireless device or PC to the yacht’s wireless router, to the modem, to the v45C’s antenna control unit and antenna, and then up to the airtime provider’s satellite. All received data follows the inverse route.

“The antenna control unit [governs] the antenna,” Comyns says. “The v45C isn’t concerned with [transmitted-data] traffic. It’s only concerned with pointing at the satellite and maintaining its connection.”

The v45C maintains that connection via three-axis stabilization, to keep its antenna trained at the correct satellite as a yacht pitches, rolls and heaves. “It uses stepper motors and Kevlar-reinforced belts to drive its elevation, azimuth and cross-level [trim],” Comyns says.

North America-based v45C users have a choice of airtime providers, each with their own coverage footprints and throughput speeds.

“[Speed] really depends on the airtime provider’s high-throughput beams,” Comyns says, adding that a v45C tethered to an IntelsatOne Flex plan, for example, should be able to deliver download speeds of 6 megabits per second and uplink speeds of 2 Mbps. “All [popular] cruising areas have good throughput, so the yachting world is generally covered. But if you’re outside of this [coverage], you’ll be on a slower beam.”

In addition to popular cruising haunts such as the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and New England, cruisers will likely find good coverage on regularly plied shipping and commercial-airliner routes. But, as with any airtime contract, it’s important to compare your cruising itinerary with each service provider’s coverage map, data plan and airtime rates.

Given its tidy size and weight, Intellian’s v45C can be installed aboard a range of yachts. “It’s really for the boats that are going farther afield, and for owners who are staying aboard longer and who are living and working from the boat,” Comyns says, adding that enterprise software works on VSAT. “Based on its style, a v45C would work aboard trawlers that are 40 feet and up and aboard faster yachts that are 45 feet and up. It can work on a 26-footer, but it would look out of place.”

Complementary aesthetics are a consideration for any yacht owner, and Intellian’s matching i5 TVRO antenna lets yachtsmen mount a v45C on one side of the radar arch, with the i5 on the other side. The setup allows fast satellite communications and high-definition-TV service in a favorite anchorage.

As mentioned, the v45C uses only a single RF coaxial cable, which should make for easy installation. Commissioning is done using a laptop and Intellian’s Aptus NX antenna-management and -diagnostics software wizard.

In addition to serving as the primary satellite-communications system aboard 40- and 50-footers, the v45C’s size makes it a candidate as a backup system aboard a larger yacht that carries one or more bigger antennas.

As with any antenna, smaller VSAT systems don’t deliver the same gain or throughput speeds as contemporary systems with larger-diameter reflectors, so cruisers headed to off-piste locales may need a bigger antenna or one that operates on different frequencies to stay connected. Bandwidth is also a consideration.

“More users place more demand on the [information] pipe, just like in a hotel,” says Comyns, who advises that a v45C can comfortably support two or three people and their networked devices. Likewise, v45C customers can expect more issues with rain or snow fade than owners of larger antennas. “If you’re stuck in a snowstorm on the Bering Sea, a v45C will be slow while a 60-centimeter antenna will stay connected longer.”

While the Bering Sea in winter may pose some connectivity issues for a v45C—not to mention for small yachts—cruisers with the system in more hospitable places aren’t likely to experience these challenges.

For yachtsmen seeking a capable, open-contract satellite-communications system to facilitate longer-term cruising aboard a 40- or 50-footer, Intellian’s v45C could be an option. I’m already bracing myself for additional envy at my local park as more San Juan Islands-bound yachts can now function as their owners’ private information islands.

The post Intellian Offers Compact v45C VSAT Radome appeared first on Yachting.

Many aspects of life changed in 2020, and one trend that accelerated rapidly is working remotely. For yacht owners and charterers, remote work can mean working from on board while casting off the dock lines. This alluring option provides prized social distancing and family time, but it also hinges on fast, seamless connectivity at sea.

While personal computers, printers and smart devices are all part of the floating-office ecosystem, the more important prerequisites for creating a robust onboard office are satcom systems. These systems rely on two ingredients: equipment that is mounted (such as an antenna) and housed belowdecks and the network of satellites this equipment uses to send and receive data. Owners can invest in an open system, buying equipment from one vendor and airtime service from a third-party provider, or can install an end-to-end system, with equipment and airtime from the same company.

Both options have merits. Open systems let yachtsmen hand-pick airtime providers when cruising to areas where one might deliver better coverage than another, while end-to-end systems offer seamlessness and a single contact if issues arise. There are numerous hardware players afield, especially in the open-system market. Intellian is a leading manufacturer of network-agnostic equipment, while KVH is a leading end-to-end manufacturer with a proprietary satcom network.

“It’s all about data throughput,” says Paul Comyns, Intellian’s vice president of global marketing, pointing to the company’s V65 and V100NX as options for floating-office antennas. “Uplink and downlink speeds are determined by the airtime provider and how much the customer wants to pay. If you just want to send email or make voice calls, slower-speed connectivity works. But if you want to take Zoom meetings, make video calls, or attend or host webinars, this requires greater bandwidth.”

Generally speaking, an airtime plan that delivers minimum speeds of 2 megabits per second for both uplink and downlink data is enough to support email, enterprise-level software such as Salesforce, and videoconferencing. As a reference, Apple’s FaceTime and Skype both require speeds of 1 to 4 Mbps.

Andrew Bush, KVH’s superyacht group sales director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, says another way to think about speeds is that if a boater is just sending and receiving email, he can use the same internet connections from five or six years ago. Sending and receiving large attachments or videos, and participating in videoconferencing, requires faster connections.

Bush points to KVH’s TracPhone V7-HTS, which delivers speeds up to 10/3 Mbps (downlink and uplink), or the TracPhone V11-HTS, which delivers speeds up to 20/3 Mbps, on KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network. With video calls and videoconferencing, Bush says, “You can get away with a slow connection, but it’s not quality. It gets compressed. It’s the difference between standard TV and high-definition.”

Comyns says two kinds of open-system airtime contracts are available. With unmetered plans, owners pay for a committed information rate and can stream unlimited amounts of data; the only limiting factor is the size of the CIR data pipeline. With metered plans, owners buy monthly (or weekly, for charterers) data allotments and then purchase additional megabytes of data once the allotted pool is depleted, similar to early cellphone plans.

Overall, if an owner or charterer needs high-quality videoconferencing and the ability to access enterprise software, Comyns says, they “want a CIR. There are no data overages, and they get unlimited access, just like at home.”

Alternatively, KVH’s V7-HTS and V11-HTS systems provide dual channels: a high-speed metered connection and a slower but unlimited-use channel. Here, Bush says, owners or charterers can reserve the fast-connection channel for their business needs, while reserving the unlimited channel for family and crew use. This latter point is especially important when wireless devices are involved. Smartphones, Bush says, use a lot of background data.

KVH’s mini-VSAT Manager can also help to manage data use. “Owners and captains can see what data is being used, and they can restrict certain types of data so the crew isn’t using all the bandwidth,” says Steve Gorman, KVH’s superyacht group field engineer. Additionally, KVH’s in-house team monitors data use and can recommend different plans if they notice significant data-use spikes.

Cost is an obvious consideration for any satcom customer, but Comyns says there are occasional disconnects between the equipment’s purchase price and its long-term airtime costs.

“A 1-meter antenna is the optimum size,” Comyns says, because “the cost of bandwidth is less for the same speed compared with a 60- or 70-centimeter antenna.” It’s more expensive for airtime providers to send signals to smaller antennas; Comyns and Gorman say owners are wise to select the largest antenna their yacht can accommodate.

Geography is the last major consideration. Years ago, as vessels traveled globally, crewmembers had to swap out each antenna’s radio-frequency component module so the system could employ regional signals. Those days, fortunately, are astern.

“One antenna will work around the world without any change,” Comyns says, adding that satcom systems are GPS-enabled and know which satellites to track. Gorman agrees: “You can cruise around the world, and it’s all done for you.”

Latitude, however, remains a hurdle. Because satellite communications are line of sight, and because geostationary satellites are situated above the equator, yachts cruising to high-latitude zones need to point their antennas toward the far southern horizon. Fortunately, Comyns says, most airtime providers give multiple satellite options. He cites the example of a yacht berthed in Juneau, Alaska: “If a cruise ship arrives, it could block your signal.” The solution is to switch satellites or, as a last resort, reposition the yacht.

Blockage can also occur much closer to the equator. For example, sky-scratching hotels, cruise ships or even a yacht’s own superstructure can block signals. Because of this problem, many yachts have dual satellite-communications antennas. If one gets blocked, the other remains online.

Overall, to equip a yacht as a floating office, consider buying the biggest antenna that fits, and tether it to an airtime plan with ample data. Or while chartering, insist on a properly equipped yacht. The turnkey costs aren’t trivial, but the ability to work from the boat is priceless.

The post The Onboard Office appeared first on Yachting.

Intellian has released the latest model in its NX Series of VSAT antennas. It’s called the v130NX, and it’s being marketed as the world’s first Ku-Ka convertible VSAT terminal with a 1.25-meter reflector.

The Intellian v130NX is designed for superyachts and other vessels that cruise offshore. In addition to supporting Ku- and Ka-band networks, it is compatible with GEO, MEO and LEO satellite constellations.

Installation is intended to be easy, with a single cable that combines Tx, Rx and DC power. A new AptusNX interface lets the antenna connect to any network, and provides remote access.

“With lower total cost of ownership and incredible performance, the v130NX offers the quality and reliability that our customers demand for better crew and guest connectivity, as well as digital vessel operations and fleet management,” Eric Sung, CEO of Intellian, stated in a press release.

What else is new at Intellian? The company unveiled a matching dome concept that lets yachts with NX Series antennas of any size fit the same dome to their Intellian satellite TV antennas, for better aesthetic symmetry.

For more information, visit: intelliantech.com

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Intellian has been named the newest manufacturer of Iridium CertusTM maritime terminals.

The C700 terminal will reportedly enable a variety of applications, including safety, bridge and crew welfare communications, connected ship IoT capabilities such as engine monitoring and remote diagnostics, as well as situational awareness reports.

Using Iridium’s global network, the C700 will reportedly deliver up to 352 Kbps transmission and 704 Kbps reception speeds.

“Iridium and Intellian have worked closely together to develop our C700 Iridium Certus antenna, and we are proud to now reveal this product to the world,” Eric Sung, CEO of Intellian, stated in a press release. “We expect that the new C700 will provide enhanced safety and communications services at sea, delivering added value to our customers.”

Is the C700 terminal only for yachts? No. It’s also robust enough for use on tankers, container ships and ferries.

For more information, visit: iridium.com

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i5 Antenna

When it comes to ensuring satellite-television signal reception, the bigger the antenna, the better. Intellian’s 20-inch, television-receive-only (TVRO) i5 antenna ($5,995) was designed to let boaters cruise farther afield without worrying about missing the big game or season finale.

Much like Intellian’s other i-Series TVRO antennas, the i5 has two-axis stabilization, allowing the antenna to track and receive signals in rough seas. Better still, the i5 offers Intellian’s Wide Range Search algorithm, helping the antenna find its signal quickly. Proprietary technology called Dynamic Beam Tilting provides instant beam analysis that helps the antenna avoid skips or loss of service while mitigating noise by reducing the amount of time the antenna’s motors need to run.

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A mere  decade  ago, a coffee shop commanded attention if it offered Wi-Fi for its ­tech-savvy customers; today, this same business would be long-since shuttered if it failed to ­offer this basic ingredient of the digital age for all of its patrons — not just the geeks. The same now goes for marinas, yacht clubs and charter yachts, as today’s boaters increasingly demand more connectivity and higher bandwidth for online uses ranging from social media updates to streaming cloud-based media to making Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone calls and videoconferencing. Yet while most consumer-facing businesses now provide Wi-Fi, ensuring fast, reliable service on a globe-­girdling yacht is far more complex than simply plugging in a modem and wireless router.

Mariners have been using Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology to send and receive data communications via satellite since the late-1970s, and these constellations have evolved with each successive generation. While early “satcom” services focused their coverage on near-coastal and terrestrial zones (VSAT primarily facilitates land-based needs like credit-card transactions), service providers began aiming their satellite beams offshore roughly 10 to 15 years ago, considerably expanding their global coverage. VSAT satcom networks use various radio-frequency bands (i.e., Ku-band) to provide different coverage footprints, network capacity and levels of performance, the latter of which is measured as uplink (transmit) and downlink (receive) speeds and notated as kilobytes or megabytes per second (kBps or mBps).

Recent decades have seen an evolution of technologies and maritime frequency bands, starting with C-band (4 to 8 GHz) and progressing through L-band (1 to 2 GHz) and Ku-band (12 to 18 GHz) service, which offers sufficient bandwidth for data and VoIP calls, but which is sluggish when compared to at-home broadband Internet speeds. Now, British mobile satcom giant Inmarsat reports that it will be helping to close this yawning crevasse when its brand-new, $1.6 billion, Ka-band (26.5 to 40 GHz) Global Xpress (GX) constellation — and its mariner-­specific Fleet Xpress service — comes online sometime in mid-2015.

“GX will be the first, and only, global Ka-band high-speed broadband network,” said Peter Broadhurst, Inmarsat’s vice president, about the new service that’s specifically being built for nonstationary users (e.g., maritime and aviation). “GX is designed to deliver seamless, real-time communications between vessels at sea and their offices on land, and enhanced communications and entertainment options” for crew members. Inmarsat’s published goal is to deliver GX uplink/downlink speeds of up to 5 mBps/50 mBps respectively — a considerable advancement over Inmarsat’s current FleetBroadband L-band service, which delivers uplink/downlink speeds of 150 to 432 kBps, depending on the size of the terminal (industry parlance for antennas) being used, with larger antennas delivering the faster speeds.

The GX constellation, which is solely owned and managed by Inmarsat, will consist of three geostationary Boeing 702HP satellites that will operate on the new Ka-frequency band. “Inmarsat-5 F1” was launched on Dec. 8, 2013, in Kazakhstan and entered regional service — supplying Ka-band coverage to Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East as part of the interim FleetBroadband Xtra service (Ka- and L-band service), which is a temporary GX/FX placeholder — on July 1, 2014. Two additional I-5s are expected to be operational shortly, and Broadhurst anticipates that GX service will be online by late summer or early fall. A fourth satellite will serve as a spare in the event of a launch failure, or as a means of potentially increasing network capacity and coverage. While the GX program has suffered some setbacks, most notably the May 2014 launch failure of a Russian-built Proton rocket, Inmarsat is confident that GX’s projected upsides — including higher-speed performance through smaller-size and less-expensive terminals — outweigh the delay. (GX terminals are currently offered in 60-centimeter and 1-meter sizes, Broadhurst said; 1-meter antennas will deliver twice the committed information rate for the same service fee as 60-centimeter terminals.)

Additionally, the new constellation will be supported by six GX-specific satellite access stations (SAS), which are in Canada, the United States, Italy, Greece and New Zealand (which will host two SAS installations). “Each SAS delivers full ground-­segment redundancy for GX services, [providing] high-quality resiliency, reliability and availability, for example at times of adverse weather, and [offers] a powerful differentiator to traditional regional Ku-band networks,” Broadhurst said.

For mariners, Inmarsat will introduce Fleet Xpress (FX), which is a managed maritime service services to provide high-speed global coverage (sans extreme polar regions). Broadhurst said FX will provide uplink/downlink speeds of 4 mBps/16 mBps, with bespoke options available. Additionally, FX will give customers access to marine-specific content and applications (e.g., chart downloads and weather-routing services) from a centralized source, which is ideal for charter services or organized events. “Telemedicine, safety updates, remote access, media access and vessel monitoring will become effective services,” Broadhurst said.

Here it is important to understand GX’s capabilities, as well as its challenges. For example, Ka-band signals are prone to rain-induced attentuation issues, which can hamper GX speeds and reliability, especially in the tropics or other areas with extreme precipitation. Also, each geostationary Inmarsat-5 GX satellite will be equipped with 89 spot beams, of which 72 beams can be powered at any given time. Because of both the rain attenuation concern and the fact that at any given point 81 percent of the spot beams are active, Inmarsat offers mariners FX service that bundles FleetBroadband signals to fill in potential coverage gaps. This setup requires that users carry both GX and FleetBroadband systems.

Still, GX and FX should provide quicker speeds than Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband service, albeit for a premium price, making it initially suited to the superyacht, charter and Internet-junkie crowds. Moreover, GX and FX were designed to provide seamless service as users transition from one coverage beam (or satellite) to the next, enabling constant connectivity — a crucial digital salve for crew members, guests and owners, and a vital lure for information-starved millennials.

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