Internet "On-Boat" Whitsundays?

[Salty_Dog]

Trying to help a mate with his new new boat out of Airlie Beach... He has asked me about the possibility of Internet for Weather Reports/Maps and alike while on the water.

It's a 40ft vessel, so it has enough room to fit some gear.

First i thought Telstra Next G with a good External Antenna and Amplifier

The other option, all be it expensive would be VSAT (Satellite Internet), would rather not go down this road.

So i guess i am asking if anyone has experience with Telstra Next G in the Whitsunday area?

He also wants to have Internet while out at the reef, although i am guessing Telstra Next G will not be found at that range??? But i really have no idea, any suggestions fellas?



Judging by the Telstra Next G coverage map above, seems you are confined to anywhere West of the Islands and in line of sight of the mainland.

Thank You

[Noelm]

we had no trouble with a wireless laptop (via telstra) throughout most of the Whitsundays, and also most of the coast all the way to Sydney, but I am sure there would be plenty of "dead" spots, that we didn't find, just like your mobile phone.

[Salty_Dog]

Thanks Noelm, i have since spoke to a friend in Tassie that got his Telstra Next G working up to 40mile offshore and behind Maria Island using a 6.1dBi antenna.

He seems to suggest that anything up to 18mile is a sinch and after that an antenna and a bit of luck will get you connected a fair distance out.

Seems he was using this antenna below and strongly suggested against using any kind of in-line amp (as it made more problems than it fixed)

MADB Deck Mount Multiband NEXT G and GSM Mobile Phone Antenna, 6.2 dBi


Other antennas of a slightly higher gain were also found on this page.
http://www.zcg.com.au/marine_antennas_mobile_phone.htm

Not sure if we can use the 8.1dBi antennas for Next G data of if they are for mainly phone use only?

[Salty_Dog]

These quote some pretty amazing figures... 140Ks / 87 miles from a base station!!



http://www.marinedirect.com.au/catalogue/c1979/p155634

Not to be Sold or Used in Australia though....

I have also been suggested one of these.



http://www.marinedirect.com.au/catalogue/c1979/p155631

[whatscracken]

Telstra is the only one to use in the Whitsundays for internet and mobile coverage. I have friends who live there and everyone in town is with them for that reason.

[Salty_Dog]

Thanks for the heads up on that one whatscracken

Always good to get the local word.

[NEWBY]

I was up there last year and used the next g card on a laptop. Some dead spots behind the hillsbut manly ok. No extension areals used.

[Salty_Dog]

Thanks NEWBY, that makes it sound a lot more promising.
Might get an ext. antenna though, after all, they are boats, you are meant to spend money on them

But great to know you can get away without having one.

[Noelm]

an external antenna must be an advantage I would reckon, but our laptop on our boat did not have any external one at all, and we found it more than just OK, but as I said, I guess if you wanted to use it all the time, there would be heaps of dead spots.

[Salty_Dog]

Thanks Noelm, my thoughts come from the scenario that we are out past the Islands and wishing to spend a few days out on the Reef, or even wide of the reef (Chasing some Blue Marlin perhaps)

I guess having a better range for checking weather details on the net prevents us from coming right back in to normal Next G range.

I guess there is also other ways to get a weather check while out there.
Judging by the current forecasts we will be well with in range anyway

Another friend fitted such an item as pictured above on a Pleasure Cruiser down in Tassie and they got some amazing range, even when shadowed behind islands.
The client was able to still place his bets while they were 40mile offshore.

Surprisingly i thought finding info about long range marine internet would be fairly common place, but it doesn't to be as big a thing as thought it might be.