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Sonia Johal
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 89,
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Hello Team OCC,
Having investigated the potential cost of a marine SSB, I currently consider a new ICOM iridium product and ask for your experience to determine if it may save some expense.
Please would you clarify if an ICOM Sat100 ptt with VE-PG4 RoIP radio interface gateway, means I now only need a HAM SSB radio, as opposed to a full blown 150w with station tuner?
I understand the significantly lower “ICOM Sat100 ptt with VE-PG4 RoIP” price would certainly benefit my budget.
Grateful for your input,
Regards,
Sonia
SY Salacia
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Dick
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 932,
Visits: 1.3K
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+xHello Team OCC, Having investigated the potential cost of a marine SSB, I currently consider a new ICOM iridium product and ask for your experience to determine if it may save some expense. Please would you clarify if an ICOM Sat100 ptt with VE-PG4 RoIP radio interface gateway, means I now only need a HAM SSB radio, as opposed to a full blown 150w with station tuner? I understand the significantly lower “ICOM Sat100 ptt with VE-PG4 RoIP” price would certainly benefit my budget. Grateful for your input, Regards, Sonia SY Salacia Hi Sonia, Please find elsewhere in the Forum comments on SSB vs satcomm and comments on marine SSB and Ham SSB. Are you a Ham? If so, what is your call sign? Satcomm has come a long way this last decade or so with small devices doing quite a lot. I have cruised mostly using Ham and marine SSB for all my internet (mail), weather, social and entertainment (news on BBC etc.), so others can fill you in on the satcomm devices. It might help to specify what you hope to be able to achieve. My best, Dick Stevenson, KC2HKW, WCZ7717, s/v Alchemy
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Sonia Johal
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 89,
Visits: 1
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+x+xHello Team OCC, Having investigated the potential cost of a marine SSB, I currently consider a new ICOM iridium product and ask for your experience to determine if it may save some expense. Please would you clarify if an ICOM Sat100 ptt with VE-PG4 RoIP radio interface gateway, means I now only need a HAM SSB radio, as opposed to a full blown 150w with station tuner? I understand the significantly lower “ICOM Sat100 ptt with VE-PG4 RoIP” price would certainly benefit my budget. Grateful for your input, Regards, Sonia SY Salacia Hi Sonia, Please find elsewhere in the Forum comments on SSB vs satcomm and comments on marine SSB and Ham SSB. Are you a Ham? If so, what is your call sign? Satcomm has come a long way this last decade or so with small devices doing quite a lot. I have cruised mostly using Ham and marine SSB for all my internet (mail), weather, social and entertainment (news on BBC etc.), so others can fill you in on the satcomm devices. It might help to specify what you hope to be able to achieve. My best, Dick Stevenson, KC2HKW, WCZ7717, s/v Alchemy ——————————————— Thanks Dick, I appreciate your guidance and have now read some more of the SSB forum articles. To answer your question, I’m aiming for the following financial savings, safety features, use of my boat’s existing equipment and future proofed benefits; a) only having to purchase a substantially cheaper HF SSB HAM radio transceiver for multiple fellow sailor communications. Only using the ICOM VE-PG4 RoIP marine radio transceiver gateway for longer range SSB, Vhf and DSC emergency Iridium GEO GMDSS signal. As well as its GNSS positioning and VoIP phone connection, 4G LTE and weather messaging.  b) The satellite usage price for the ICOM Sat100 PTT using the Iridium network is also substantially cheaper than Iridium Go. c) my existing YB satellite dish using Iridium for backup tracking and daily short burst messaging with friends and a back up weather consultancy. Purchase of a Furuno FX-30 weather fax for my weather routing is obviously the cheapest option, especially in case of any signal delays, but I will feel the above ICOM combination capability is much safer. What do you think?. —————————- I ask OCC members to share your recommendations and opinions with regards to the feasibility of the above, more cost effective solutions, safer options and any disadvantages you may foresee? Grateful for your guidance, Regards, Sonia SY Salacia
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Sonia Johal
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 89,
Visits: 1
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Thanks for your feedback Dick, I have absolutely checked previous forum SSB articles, but couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. To answer your question, this ICOM sat100 PTT & VE-PG4 radio gateway seems to have the benefits of being cheaper, while also integrating with my boat’s existing systems and providing satellite data. So, I attach a couple of photos to clarify;   Grateful for all guidance, input and feedback, Best wishes, Sonia
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Dick
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Group: Forum Members
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+xThanks for your feedback Dick, I have absolutely checked previous forum SSB articles, but couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. To answer your question, this ICOM sat100 PTT & VE-PG4 radio gateway seems to have the benefits of being cheaper, while also integrating with my boat’s existing systems and providing satellite data. So, I attach a couple of photos to clarify; Grateful for all guidance, input and feedback, Best wishes, Sonia Hi Sonia, Most of that is above my pay grade. When in the higher lats, I did use a sat-phone with a link to my computer for verbal comm and for weather and emails. It worked quite well, but was not an unexpensive solution, although pretty appreciated. What do you hope for with the system you are designing: email?, weather (text and/or surface analysis’s?, verbal conversation?, position reporting?, emergency reporting/consultation?, surfing the internet?, etc. A comprehensive list of what you wish to accomplish should be helpful at narrowing the choices. Whatever you choose: use it at sea before your trip. There are too often surprises that are impossible to deal with without support. My best, Dick
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Sonia Johal
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 89,
Visits: 1
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Thanks Again Dick,
I appreciate your generous time and kind consideration. To answer your question, I’m trying to integrate my existing systems, reduce the installation expense and ongoing usage cost, while gaining the following features out at sea without a mobile signal;
BACKUP COMMS;
I already have a YB tracker for position reporting with short burst messaging for texts, social media, emergency and SMS weather via a consultancy for backup
LOCAL COMMS;
I already have a 5G phone, VHf DSC radio, emergency vhf aerial and a 5G signal booster router/aerial onboard. I also intend to purchase class B AIS with DSC, an entry level HAM SSB radio and second vhf aerial.
LONG RANGE BLUEWATER COMMS;
I would like to benefit from using the cost effectiveness of the local radio comms with the option of longer range satellite vhf and SSB RoIP (Radio over IP) Voice calls over IP, PredictWind weather routing analysis and satellite emergency DSC over GEO/GMDSS.
BONUS COMMS;
Emergency software downloads, remote equipment repairs, file sharing, browsing, social media and photos.
I hope this answers your question and helps to clarify the suitability of the ICOM sat100 & VE-PG4 gateway repeater solution from Iridium versus another way.
Grateful for your consideration and guidance.
Regards,
Sonia
SY Salacia
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Simon Currin
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Group: Administrators
Posts: 957,
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Sonia,
An interesting discussion about kit I had never heard of. I’m sorry I have no experience of the ICOM sat100 PTT & VE-PG4 radio gateway.
There’s a whole new generation of sat coms emerging with Ordinary mobile phone handsets able to send emergency messages via the various low Earth orbit constellations. Again, I’ve only read the headlines on this but phone operators such as 3 are, I believe, giving access to globalstar.
We have now been successfully using Starlink (RV version) whilst cruising with very fast broadband access though it will become more patchy offshore. It is, however, cheaper than Iridium airtime when compared with the IridiumGO unlimited data package. But that’s not one to many as is the case with the ICOM sat100 PTT & VE-PG4 radio gateway.
We too have SSB which is now working reasonably well but I’m not sure I’d spend the money on a full SSB installation were it not already on the boat.
Simon
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Sonia Johal
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 89,
Visits: 1
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Many thanks Simon,
That certainly answers my SSB side of the question… I guess I’m trying to weigh up the necessity to buy a minimum spec SSB.
I am also in discussions with Ed W at mailasail and will also double-check everything with my OCC mentor in advance of any purchase.
Grateful for your kind feedback and generous support.
Fair winds,
Sonia
SY Salacia
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