Hi there.
Does anyone have a good working experience with Iridium Go? Seems like a great system and I think I'll get one.
My question, is it necessary to buy and install the extra aerial installation kit or does the system connect fine if used in the cockpit?
Thanks
>Vernon
Yep, I brought one a couple of years back and was very happy with the purchase. I got the external aerial but never tried using it from the cockpit with just the flip up aerial.
It is just a modem that your iPad, Laptop or Phone can connect too. Phone conversations were just like talking via the locate land based system. The App you download on you phone that allows you to connect to the Iridium Go, also connects to your normal phone contacts. I had a plan that gave me 150mins of talk time a month.
For emails, you download another App on your iPad and it works well. I mostly used it for text but it will do photo but takes a lot longer. My plan was for unlimited data.
But the biggest benefit was getting grib files to use on the PredictWind Offshore App. It was worth every cent I paid for it when I was over in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. I brought mine through PredictWind and they provided great backup service for any issue or questions I had. They even had me trialling newer versions of the Offshore App to give feedback before they were released to the public.
Excellent product and is capable of having Firmware up dates to be able to take advantage of the faster data coming in the near future.
You can also buy it through the Island Cruising Association. There could be a further discount involved with them.
I'm thinking about getting one too. It seems like the biggest complaint is the 1980s era data rate - 2400 bits per second!
I'm guessing it's not that practical for general web browsing but I suppose for GRIB data files and text messages it is fine.
Supposedly Iridium is launching a new constellation of satellites this year and Go will get a lot faster.
The reviews mention a firmware upgrade that is coming real soon now that will enable 3G speeds.
Crusoe, have you head anything about that?
I'm looking at this too,
I am on the verge of signing up for the Pivotel Thuraya Casual.
$15 month connection fee, calls are $0.99/min and data is $5/MB.
Download speeds of 60kbps, up to 444kbps with expensive terminals ( $5-10K +)
For reference.
www.pivotel.com.au/thuraya-call-rates/
Thanks Crusoe. I agree that weather (PredictWind) and comms are the killer apps. Anything else is icing on the cake.
I'm sold, and have just ordered one via PredictWind 
