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 wifi antenna - again		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts
Initially Posted - 02/02/2007 :  18:08:57  Show Profile
After much research, I've decided to give this antenna a try.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/wireless-marine-antenna.php

claims a mile or more - and for $169 that might be well worth it.

Martha's Vineyard has wifi in the public library for example, and the mooring field is just under one mile away according to my mapping software - so it might pay for itself!

sten
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Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts
Response Posted - 02/02/2007 :  19:11:21  Show Profile  Visit Ben - FL's Homepage
Please keep us informed. I've been thinking about trying the Sprint high speed cellular card. There is some ClearWire around our area but it is not on the outskirts of town where Chick-a-pea is moored.
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Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts
Response Posted - 02/02/2007 :  20:03:15  Show Profile
Ben,
I have the Sprint card for my work computer, works great!
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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts
Response Posted - 02/02/2007 :  20:39:17  Show Profile
My Dad runs the Verizon wireless card and when I have one bar on my Verizon phone with no service to speak of, that card still works.
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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts
Response Posted - 02/02/2007 :  20:59:28  Show Profile
wireless cards generally require long-term contracts. Here in new England, our season runs from June to Mid October generally... Yes, you can get thrown in earlier and stay in later, but you won't do anything with that time because of the weather.

My Sprint PPC 6700 (crackberry like phone) gets email and web via cellular anywhere I have a signal, so I can peg out the three line sentence while underway, or google something if I need to. But cost-effective general access for that time period still eludes me. Sprint wants $40 for 40 megs??? My graphic designers routinely send me 15 or 20 meg files or more...

Wireless cards are cool, but cost prohibitive on a 2 year contract for a couple of months worth of usage.

Flexible Data Plan $39.99/month - 40MB
Flexible Data Plan
The Flexible Data Plan $39.99/month is for customers whose data usage varies month-to-month. The $39.99/month plan includes 40MB of total usage.
Additional usage beyond the allotted 40 MB is billed at $.001 per Kilobyte. The Maximum Month Usage Charge is $99.99.
After reaching $99.99 Maximum Monthly Usage Charge. All additional usage billed at $0.000 per kilobyte. Minimum two-year Sprint wireless agreement required.

sten
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dmattlin
1st Mate

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USA
39 Posts
Response Posted - 02/02/2007 :  21:30:44  Show Profile  Visit dmattlin's Homepage
I have tried taking my laptop to the boat to get a little work done. Because there are typicaly hotels, conference centers etc close to our marina I was picking up all sorts of Wireless accress points, none of witch I could gain access to :-(

I also have a Verizon broadband card which works well from the boat. How ever I did find that trying to be productive while on the boat was very difficult. All I could think about was "I should be out sailing"..!!

If your boat is a place of Solice, some place you go to get away from it all and a place to relax I would NOT recomend taking your laptop on board.

Having said that I think that having the wireless access while running a GPS software would be a great way to track my sailing adventures and a great way for people to log on see what I have been up to.

Thats all...

Dave
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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts
Response Posted - 02/03/2007 :  10:19:09  Show Profile
About one year from now this whole conversation will look pretty silly!
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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts
Response Posted - 02/03/2007 :  10:54:21  Show Profile
I was thinking along those lines myself Dave...but then I still have an eight track hi fi

Val on the hard DAGNABIT,#3936, Patchogue, N.Y.
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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts
Response Posted - 02/05/2007 :  08:53:14  Show Profile
I own a publishing and graphic arts company and regularly do office hours onboard between 8 am and say noon. I figured out that last year I was on "vacation" over 16 weeks total that way. So while I am not as productive as i might be in my office, i find that my boat office space works quite well provided I have some sort of connection to the cubicle creatures I have to deal with.

sten
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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts
Response Posted - 02/05/2007 :  11:11:12  Show Profile
<font color="red">"...I have some sort of connection to the cubicle creatures I have to deal with."</font id="red">


Hey! I resemble that remark!
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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts
Response Posted - 02/05/2007 :  11:27:16  Show Profile
I eliminated cubes several years ago after seeing this.... http://www.accoutrements.com/cubes.html

the guy that invented them apologized http://www.sploid.com/news/2006/03/cubicle_invento.php

sten
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roberoo
Navigator

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USA
182 Posts
Response Posted - 02/07/2007 :  02:01:04  Show Profile  Visit roberoo's Homepage
For Verizon Users:

BlackBerry 8703e(There are other phones that will do this also)
Data plan 40.00 + Phone service
Tethering Service 15.00 Tethering lets you connect the phone and use it as a high speed modem (using EVDO). I am completely impressed. I have service that allows me to be in Canada and the US and use the Phone and the Tethering service.

I have used every type of service there is and this is the one that has been least troublesome.

Though i do not like verizons regular customer service . I did find a workaround I use the verizon Onstar customer service and they are excellent. All of this is a little pricey but if you need it is there and works.
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