In 2019, I visited KVH’s headquarters in Middletown, Rhode Island, and was amazed by the network operations center. KVH manufactures cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite-communications equipment, and it manages and monitors a proprietary end-to-end network. Standing there, looking at the screens and maps, I could see every KVH-equipped vessel in the world, plus the operational status and performance metrics for each yacht’s KVH antennas.

Now, five years on, KVH is expanding its KVH One Hybrid Network by adding Eutelsat OneWeb’s constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites, giving yacht owners even more choices for how they want their systems to perform.

Satellite-communications systems have long leveraged geosynchronous (GEO) satellites that orbit around 26,200 miles above equatorial brine. These systems work fine, but they require a significant amount of power to bridge data across all those miles. The commute physically takes time, which is why satcom providers recently have been launching small low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites that orbit at elevations of 340 to 745 miles. They reduce power requirements and latency, and provide more satellites so that if a connection is lost, the equipment just finds the next passing LEO.

OneWeb isn’t the only LEO constellation aloft, but it’s the only one, as of this writing, with a hybrid solution involving GEO and LEO satellites. It also employs third-party antennas and guarantees speed, bandwidth and white-glove service.

Eutelsat OneWeb’s journey to low-Earth orbit began in 2012, when the company was formed with the goal of providing fast, low-cost connectivity to otherwise dark areas. In 2016, the London-based company partnered with Airbus to build satellites, and OneWeb’s first tranche of six LEOs attained orbit in February 2019.

The pandemic then stymied the company’s fundraising efforts. It declared bankruptcy in March 2020, but received support from the British government and Indian telecommunications giant Bharti Enterprises. In September 2023, the Paris-based GEO satcom provider Eutelsat merged with OneWeb. Bharti Enterprises, the British government and SoftBank remained significant stakeholders.

Eutelsat OneWeb’s network became operational in 2023, and it has 634 first-generation LEOs in polar orbit. Of these, 588 are active, and the remaining satellites are spares. Each OneWeb LEO operates in one of 12 synchronized orbital planes at an elevation of 745 miles above the equator.

“We’ve got coverage 35 degrees north, including the North and South Americas, and we recently had our coverage launched in Australia,” says Celeste Endrino-Cowley, Eutelsat OneWeb’s director for maritime and energy. “By the end of Q1 2024, we will also have live countries in Asia-Pacific. The remaining regions of the world will also be connected as soon as we complete the rollout of our ground stations and market access.”

Eutelsat OneWeb will offer a range of speeds. The basic option includes downlink and uplink speeds of 20-by-4 megabits per second, while the intermediate option yields speeds of 100-by-20 Mbps. High-end service delivers connectivity of 200-by-40 Mbps. By comparison, KVH’s GEO-based plans have downlink and uplink speeds ranging from 6-by-2 Mbps to 20-by-3 Mbps.

OneWeb also has maximum information rates (read: maximum data throughput) and committed information rates (read: guaranteed speeds). These prevent a tragedy of the data commons if, say, a cruise ship arrives at your anchorage.

As for latency, Endrino-Cowley says that data takes 70 milliseconds to make the one-way commute to or from a OneWeb LEO. By comparison, data typically spends 500 to 700 milliseconds traveling to or from a GEO.

Eutelsat also owns 35 GEOs, which it has integrated with its LEO fleet. Once Eutelsat OneWeb’s ground stations are complete, this integration will mean global, multiorbit, multifrequency coverage, and will allow Eutelsat OneWeb to move data along the most efficient routes. For example, bandwidth-intensive communications can be sent via GEOs, which offer higher throughput levels, while lower-bandwidth communications can travel via LEOs. This setup also opens the door to enabling higher- and lower-speed channels, such as for owners and crew.

Rather than building its own terminals, Eutelsat OneWeb partnered with terminal manufacturers Kymeta and Intellian, which build flat-panel antennas. Eutelsat OneWeb is also looking at antenna solutions through manufacturers that will be able to communicate with both GEO and LEO services. It also partners with companies such as KVH in the United States that resell antennas and airtime, and provide white-glove customer support.

“KVH One is our umbrella name for our multiple-orbit, multiple-channel network,” says Chris Watson, KVH’s vice president of marketing and communications. “The backbone of that has always been our [GEO] network, and then we brought in 5G, and we brought in Wi-Fi, and now we brought in Starlink, and now we’re bringing in OneWeb.”

KVH’s goal, he says, is for different communication channels to create a unified and stress-free user experience. Various costs will be involved. Starlink’s high-performance flat-panel antenna, for instance, fetches roughly half the expected retail price of Intellian’s yet-to-be-released OneWeb-ready flat panel.

“We’re going to be coming to market with OneWeb terminals and airtime pricing that will be competitive in the LEO space,” Watson says. “It’s going to be: What flavor do you like best? The functionality, the capability and the speeds are going to be very comparable.”

Watson also notes that Amazon and Telesat are building LEO networks: “It’s going to become a very robust ecosystem for LEO services in the next couple of years.”

Overall, the future looks bright for low-cost, high-speed LEO communications, especially when each network can serve as a spoke in the greater KVH One communications ecosystem. Based on what I saw during my visit to Rhode Island, KVH’s network can solve connectivity problems before boaters notice them. For yachtsmen seeking smooth data communications, few gloves are whiter than invisible ones.

Have It All

LEO networks are fast, but each has pros and cons. Modest costs mean that yacht owners can spec OneWeb and Starlink panels. For KVH One customers, a network’s bundled Wi-Fi, cellular and GEO-based satcom become a unified option.

Intellian is building OneWeb-ready parabolic antennas. Some of these antennas will be able to communicate with GEO and LEO satellites, while others will require discrete hardware for hybrid-constellation connectivity.

The post KVH Expands Its Hybrid Network with OneWeb’s LEO Satellites appeared first on Yachting.

KVH is adding an airtime plan and services in response to boaters’ demand for Starlink—which is now the fastest-growing service in KVH’s company history.

The company, founded in 1982, says it has activated more than 1,000 Starlink terminals since the start of 2024 alone. The new airtime plan and services are intended to make this maritime connectivity option more flexible for leisure boats and commercial vessels alike. 

“Starlink is an exciting part of our multi-orbit, multi-channel portfolio, one that offers outstanding communications to commercial crews and leisure boaters worldwide,” Brent C. Bruun, KVH’s chief executive officer, stated in a press release. “We’re thrilled to make Starlink available with expanded data plans and valuable supporting services, such as VoIP calling, global VSAT companion service, KVH’s advanced CommBox Edge Communications Gateway, and our premier 24/7/365 live airtime and technical support.”

The new KVH monthly data plans are structured in 100 GB, 300 GB, 600 GB and 2,500 GB packages. They expand the choices that boaters and fleet operators have to match the vessel and crew needs with the boat owner’s budget.

These plans are in addition to existing Starlink Mobile Priority Plans (50 GB, 1 TB, 5 TB, 10 TB, and 15 TB) that KVH also supports. 

At the same time, KVH is also offering voice calling via Starlink with its global VoIP service, which can outfit any Starlink-equipped vessel with two voice lines plus as many as 10 virtual local numbers. This type of technology means that calls to the vessel avoid long-distance charges.

“Owners of leisure yachts and commercial operators appreciate the breadth and quality of our integrated solutions and support,” Bruun added. “The result is the fastest growth of any connectivity service in our history, with more than 1,000 new Starlink terminal activations for new and existing customers since the start of the year.”

What other products does KVH offer? The company has TracNet, TracPhone and TracVision product lines, along with the KVH One OpenNet Program for non-KVH antennas, AgilePlans Connectivity as a Service, and the KVH Link crew wellbeing content service.

Where to learn more about Starlink: The company, which is a separate entity from KVH, has multiple plans that are designated for marine use. They start at $150 a month and are intended for regional as well as ocean cruising. Billing is one month at a time, so occasional cruisers don’t have to lock in for a whole year.

The post KVH Expands Starlink Maritime Options appeared first on Yachting.

If you love nautical yarns, David Grann’s The Wager is a must-read. The nonfiction work details the account of The Wager, a sixth-rate Royal Navy square-rigger that carried 28 guns and 120 sailors. The 123-footer was part of an eight-vessel armada that, in 1741, sailed west around Cape Horn in winter, pursuing plunder. The Wager got separated. In a navigational blunder, the vessel turned north before it banked enough west. It didn’t go well.

Anyone interested in learning about how the great east-west navigation problem was finally solved should read Dava Sobel’s Longitude. Anyone interested in ensuring their own navigational accuracy, however, should cruise with a dedicated Global Navigation Satellite System sensor.

Satellite-based navigation began evolving in the 1960s. The US-built Global Positioning System—the first of its kind—went live in 1993. Today, the international Global Navigation Satellite System consists of four global satellite constellations (including GPS), plus two regional ones. While GPS continues to provide world-class service, GNSS receivers can capture this information along with data from other satellites. The best part? You probably already own several.

Navigational satellites work by broadcasting information about their identification, position, orbit and health status, along with a hyper-accurate time stamp. Receivers derive their position by triangulating with at least three satellites, with stronger (or more numerous) signals often equating to higher accuracy. Precision matters. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, if a clock aboard a GPS satellite is off by one-thousandth of a second, then the corresponding measurement error would be 1,616 nautical miles.

While there are differences between the various constellations, each system employs three distinct segments: control, user and space.

The control segment consists of one or more master land-based control stations and a global network of supporting stations. These stations monitor each satellite’s reported positions and compare reports with predictive models. If needed, operators can alter a satellite’s orbit to ensure baseline accuracy or avoid debris.

The user segment refers to any receivers listening for signals, while the space segment refers to orbiting assets.

Each of the GNSS’ four main navigation constellations contain different numbers of satellites that operate at different elevations and across different orbital planes. The US-built GPS constellation involves 31 satellites that operate at an elevation of 10,900 nautical miles above sea level. GPS satellites orbit on six different planes, and they maintain a 55-degree orbital inclination (relative to the equator).

Russia’s GLONASS constellation, which has been active since 1995, involves 24 satellites that operate at 10,315 nautical miles and orbit on three planes at 64.8 degrees of orbital inclination. China’s BeiDou constellation, which went live in 2011, consists of 35 satellites. Of these, eight are either geosynchronous or inclined geosynchronous satellites that operate at 19,325 nautical miles, while the other 27 operate at 11,625 nautical miles. BeiDou satellites orbit the planet on six planes, and they maintain an orbital inclination of 55.5 degrees.

Finally, the European Union’s Galileo constellation, which became operational in 2018, will (when complete) consist of 30 satellites that operate at 12,540 nautical miles. Galileo satellites orbit across three planes, and they maintain a 56-degree orbital inclination.

GNSS receivers are generally accurate from 6.5 feet to 13 feet globally; however, some countries use a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that improves accuracy by broadcasting correction information. In the United States, this is called the wide-area augmentation system (WAAS). In early 2023, the European Union’s Galileo constellation began delivering free high-accuracy service information that’s precise to roughly 8 inches.

Celestial navigation, this is not.

Satellite-navigation receivers have existed in different forms for years. Depending on the manufacturer and design, these receivers (and their antennas) can be embedded into multifunction displays, or incorporated into abovedecks sensors that share satellite-navigation data with other networked equipment (or both).

Alternatively, yacht owners can sometimes buy an abovedecks listen-only antenna, which shares its improved signal strength and reception with a belowdecks GNSS-enabled multifunction display.

Some satellite-navigation receivers favor GPS signals, while others can also listen to data from some of the other GNSS constellations. Full GNSS receivers can access the four main constellations, plus the regional Japanese and Indian constellations. These receivers sometimes include nine-axis compasses or attitude-heading reference systems. These sensors, which don’t add much cost, provide accurate heading information in addition to GPS and GNSS data.

Finally, satellite compasses are the best option for serious navigation. Depending on their design, these instruments employ multiple GNSS receivers, which provide heading information that isn’t contingent on Earth’s magnetic field (read: high-latitude cruising). Eric Kunz, Furuno’s senior product manager, says the company’s SCX20/21 satellite compasses use four GNSS receivers, allowing them to achieve 1-degree heading accuracy.

While some people say GPS alone is plenty robust for their needs, many marine-electronics manufacturers have been quick to embrace GNSS. “With more satellites available to track and pull into calculations, the GNSS-enabled receivers offer enhanced accuracy,” says Jim McGowan, Raymarine’s Americas marketing manager.

He’s not alone in this assessment. “A GNSS antenna provides more redundancy and higher accuracy than GPS-only receivers,” says Dave Dunn, Garmin’s senior director of marine and RV sales. “Some parts of the world may have better coverage at certain times of day with some constellations than others.”

McGowan says GNSS is especially useful for high-latitude navigators because these receivers can track GLONASS satellites: “Those satellites are in a higher orbit inclination than GPS satellites, which allows the GNSS receiver to get a better tracking angle and duration on those satellites.”

Leigh Armstrong, Simrad’s product manager of digital systems, agrees: “This allows for better maintenance of accuracy in areas with less satellite coverage.”

The inverse, of course, is that BeiDou, Galileo and GPS satellites likely provide better fixes closer to the equator.

While GNSS data is critical for navigation, it can also help bolster the accuracy of other networked devices. Here, Dunn points to automatic identification system (AIS) position and speed data, autopilot performance, and radar target-tracking features.

Looking ahead, autonomous docking systems and vessels need precise position, speed and other navigational information to negotiate harbors, follow autopilot-driven courses, and safely dock. It’s expected that GNSS (with SBAS) will fill this niche.

The Wager’s crew experienced unspeakable horrors, but GNSS receivers and satellite compasses likely mean none of today’s boaters will have to dodge scurvy.

Belts and Suspenders

While the ancient mariner would have paid handsomely for a chronometer, contemporary smartwatches carry GNSS sensors. Most smartphones have GNSS receivers, as do some handheld VHF radios. These are all important backups should a vessel experience low voltage or power loss. 

The post Global Navigation Satellite System Offers Waypoint Accuracy appeared first on Yachting.

KVH and GOST are two of the best-known brand names in marine electronics and security. KVH provides connectivity solutions ranging from maritime VSAT to Starlink, while GOST products allow for wireless security, monitoring, satellite tracking and more on board.

Now, the two companies are teaming up to offer exclusive superyacht packages for security, access control and video surveillance. At the recent Palm Beach International Boat Show, KVH and GOST announced that the packages combine GOST Apparition and GOST Watch HD with the KVH CommBox Edge Communications Gateway.

“The combination of award-winning security technology with world-class network and bandwidth management offers a versatile and powerful solution for yacht owners and crews,” Jim George, vice president of global leisure sales at KVH, stated in a press release. “Our new CommBox Edge Communications Gateway delivers seamless integration and control, consolidating GOST’s proprietary security technology with all external and local communication networks on the vessel.”

Brian Kane, chief technology officer at GOST, stated in the press release that the “Superyacht Security Packages include everything needed to remotely monitor all activities on board the vessel from anywhere in the world via computer or smartphone.”

According to the companies, the benefits are that yacht owners, captains and crew can use these Superyacht Security Packages to watch live video of the yacht as it leaves the harbor, or to view activities in the salon, staterooms or engine room, all via the GOST iPhone and Android apps.

Cameras can be set to record clips on motion detection. The security system will send push notices globally via KVH communication channels. At the same time, the CommBox Edge Cloud Portal and mobile application offer real-time control and reporting on yacht data usage, network activity and status of connectivity.

Can the Superyacht Security Packages be ordered with other services? Yes. Value-added services in addition to the Superyacht Security Packages include KVH Elite unlimited streaming. It has no overage or usage limits for streaming HD-quality entertainment anywhere on board. The KVH Elite service is available as a fixed weekly or monthly subscription, with daily extensions available and reservations extending beyond seven days. This service is compatible with all KVH 60 cm and 1 m hybrid and VSAT terminals, as well as with all KVH OpenNet terminals 60 cm and larger with no modifications necessary.

What about additional products from GOST? Its systems can focus on monitoring against everything from theft, fire and smoke to high water, low voltage, loss of shore power and intrusion.

Take the next step: click over to kvh.com or gostglobal.com

The post Security Packages for Superyachts appeared first on Yachting.

John Blackburn’s soon-to-be employers likely had little idea that he was aboard his Jeanneau 44 when they interviewed him for a C-suite position. Blackburn donned a jacket, blurred his background and used his Starlink Roam satellite-communications system to interview with two organizations while cruising Lake Superior’s remote Apostle Islands.

“I was able to connect with 110 percent confidence,” he says, adding that Wi-Fi and cellular communications weren’t dependable at his favorite anchorages. “I couldn’t have done that before.”

True market disruptions are rare. These days, they often involve Elon Musk, who has invested in everything from Tesla and OpenAI to SpaceX. With Starlink, Musk’s ever-growing constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites (LEOs) combines with a supporting network and flat-panel dishes to give boaters faster connection speeds, lower latency and much lower costs than previous VSAT options.

Starlink’s origin story includes the date May 23, 2019, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket released the first tranche of 60 Starlink LEOs. Today, Starlink has more than 4,500 LEOs aloft. The company plans to create a mega-constellation involving upwards of 42,000 LEOs.

Like all satellites, Starlink’s LEOs relay information to and from ground stations. Unlike most other satellites, however, these LEOs carry optical lasers that relay data among themselves, without ground stations.

Distance further differentiates Starlink from legacy VSAT networks, which typically use geostationary (GEO) satellites to ferry data. GEOs orbit 22,236 miles above the brine, which is almost 22,000 miles farther from the closest Starbucks than any LEO. This matters, in terms of latency: Starlink can purportedly send 70 round-trip transmissions in the time required for a single round-trip transmission to a GEO satellite. As of this writing, Starlink is advertising download speeds of 40 to 220 megabits per second and upload speeds of 2 to 25 Mbps, with less than 90 milliseconds of latency.

Unlike radome-enclosed antennas, Starlink uses flat-panel dishes composed of many individual elements. Each dish has an embedded GPS receiver and a gyro, which it uses to track orbiting LEOs. The dish electronically adjusts the power and phase of each element to steer its radio beam at the LEO. Losing satellite contact isn’t a big deal with Starlink, since the constellation’s architecture creates redundancy and resilience.

Starlink offers two plans that boaters have adopted. Starlink Roam costs $600 for a Standard flat-panel antenna, with airtime plans starting at $150 per month. Starlink Maritime costs $2,500 for a Flat High Performance dish, with airtime plans starting at $250 per month.

While Roam’s pricing is enticing, its motorized and self-orienting dish is tripod-mounted and is only designed for stationary use. Also, Starlink’s coverage map limits where users can operate their Roam systems. Bad actors can face penalties.

Starlink Maritime involves a larger, wedge-mounted antenna that’s motorless and designed to be used while underway. Starlink Maritime’s coverage map canvases large swaths of saline, and this coverage only improves with each new tranche of Starlink LEOs. Maritime systems are more expensive, but customers can expect high-performance connectivity almost anywhere.

Boaters say the system works. Blackburn, who landed a job over a Starlink connection, and Randal Briggs, who owns a Cruisers 445 Express that he keeps in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have Roam systems, while Robert McNeill installed a Maritime dish aboard Safari, his 72-foot Viking sport-fish yacht.

“It’s the same service as VSAT but at a better price point,” says McNeill, adding that before Starlink, he fished using an Iridium GO! hotspot. “People didn’t care about satcoms before.”

While Safari often operates 60 nautical miles offshore, McNeill says he hasn’t found any dead spots yet, and he usually can’t tell much difference between his Starlink service and his at-home connection. “When we’re around other boats with Starlink, the speeds slow a little bit, but it has no effect on what we’re doing,” he says. For him, Starlink earns its keep during offshore fishing tournaments, where before, he had to listen through VHF radio chatter to learn the tournament results. “Now, we know where we stand.”

McNeill calls his Maritime service “a fair value proposition,” but he admits there’s always a tipping point. “I hope they won’t change their pricing. It opens the door for a lot of people to have connectivity.”

Unlike with McNeill’s plan, Roam customers need to ensure that their usage areas parallel places where RVs roam. “It’s ideal where we are,” Blackburn says of the Apostle Islands. “I could be in a campground.”

Much of Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay are also covered; however, there are dead spots in New York’s Long Island Sound and the Chesapeake Bay. The Gulf of Maine, the Bay of Fundy in Canada, and the Gulf of Mexico are also problematic. The Great Lakes region is expected to be available before 2024.

Network performance and dependability matter to Briggs, who is an electrical engineer at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, which assessed Starlink from a security perspective for the government. “I sat in on that,” he says, “and then I went out and bought a Starlink that weekend.”

Briggs says that he and his wife aim to complete the Great Loop on their retirement cruise and that they like to remain within sight of land. For them, he says, Roam is a good solution. However, he recently found that Starlink had “upgraded” his service from $135 per month to $150. “That was a little bit aggressive,” he says, adding that prospective customers also need to be comfortable with Starlink’s largely self-help customer support. “I never talked to a human,” he says, explaining that he uses Starlink’s FAQ page and Google searches.

Overall, boaters interested in giving Starlink a try can visit the company’s website (there are no stores). It’s now possible for most boaters to don a jacket, blur the background and land a remote job from a remote anchorage.

The post Starlink Improves Boater Connectivity Anywhere appeared first on Yachting.

The software-defined wide-area network from Videoworks is a way of combining various technologies to link yachts to the internet with a signal similar to the one at home or in an office. SD-WAN uses several third-party-built connections—including 4G/5G cellular, Starlink or OneWeb, VSAT-GEO and shore-based Wi-Fi—to yield fast, stable, reliable and cost-effective data transmissions.

SD-WAN uses two software-based virtual machines (one is yacht-based; the other is cloud-based) to create a two-way communications tunnel with the internet. SD-WAN also can bond discrete protocols to yield a georeferenced connection with increased bandwidth and stability.

Alessio Musetti, Videoworks’ yachting sales manager, says the company faced numerous challenges while creating SD-WAN. These include combining different connectivity technologies that have different bandwidths in different regions, optimizing cloud services, guaranteeing 24/7/365 service and creating an at-home-like internet experience aboard yachts at sea.

While these hurdles were high, Musetti says Videoworks cleared them by creating a platform that harnesses the best connectivity technologies afloat, including virtual machines, the Linux OS and various web interfaces.

Behind the Connection

SD-WAN can channel-bond discrete communicators’ protocols with similar latencies (such as 5G and Starlink) by splitting internet packages across all connections and then reaggregating them on the opposite end. On the back end, Videoworks maintains a network-operations center that allows it to monitor and improve the network. The SD-WAN is flexible, and, because it’s software, it’s easily upgradable by Videoworks.

Take the next step: videoworksgroup.com

The post Videoworks’ SD-WAN Reliably Connects Boaters appeared first on Yachting.

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.

My friend recently posited that if forced to choose, he’d rather lose his wallet than his iPhone.

After pondering, I had to agree. Communication is key everywhere, and, at least ashore, the smartphone has become the most important nexus of modern culture’s holy trinity (wallet, phone, keys).

On board, however, the argument changes, especially when cruising outside of cellular coverage. At that point, the VHF radio and its ability to communicate with multiple nearby vessels and shore stations juggernauts its technology to the top of the importance pyramid. While there’s no question that a fixed-mount VHF radio is a must-have for every helm, few electronic tools are a better universal fit than a reliable and fully featured handheld.

Marine-band VHF communications arrived in the 1950s, giving mariners the ability to talk, either ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore, over line-of-sight distances using radio-frequency transmissions. The first VHF radios were fixed-mount systems. As technology improved and demand grew, handhelds arrived. Recent years have seen new features, such as embedded automatic identification system, digital selective calling and GPS receivers.

Marine VHF is a tightly regulated technology; in the United States, it’s overseen by the Federal Communications Commission. Fixed-mount systems are limited to 25 watts of transmitting power, and handhelds to 6 watts. Depending on how they’re spec’d, marine VHF radios can use more than 40 channels that fall between 156.050 and 157.425 megahertz, and 161.6 and 162.550 MHz. As with all RF communications, transmitting power and antenna height equate to greater range.

The comparatively simple handhelds of the 1990s allowed for voice communications over distances of about 3 to 5 nautical miles. Their rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries delivered good performance for the era, but they were prone to discharging if they were left unused. Worse, they could develop chemical memories that made recharging complicated. Screens were small and tough to read in direct sunlight, and user interfaces involved hard, tactile keys, dedicated volume knobs and awkward software.

Today, while the frequencies and power outputs are unchanged, modern handhelds are far more sophisticated than even a decade ago. Integration has been key. Higher-end handhelds now have built-in DSC, GPS and AIS receivers.

“DSC is the biggest advancement,” says Hans Rooker, Standard Horizon’s national sales manager. “It delivers the capability of position-sharing, poling and distress-calling.”

Provided that owners properly register for—and program—their nine-digit identification number (called a maritime mobile service identity), all receiving parties can ascertain information that’s valuable and possibly lifesaving. “The combination of the DSC and GPS tells first responders like the Coast Guard vital information on who you are, what type of boat and where you are located,” says Ray Novak, Icom America’s senior sales manager.

DSC also has nonemergency features, most notably the ability to create buddy lists and directly call friends via their MMSI. Provided that the vessels are in range, this technique often saves time and allows users to treat their radios much like they do their smartphones ashore.

While fixed-mount radios have long sported AIS (listen-only receivers as well as listen-and-transmit transceivers), Icom’s flagship M94D is the first and only handheld to offer a built-in AIS receiver. AIS data is shown on the handheld’s display, atop a simplified navigation system. This adds a new level of functionality in handhelds, Novak says: “Not only can you see AIS traffic around you; you can make direct calls to vessels in the area, if there is an issue.”

AIS also lets users set up proximity alerts and receive notifications, if other vessels with AIS transceivers enter their designated watch area.

One of the biggest pitfalls involving DSC and AIS transceivers and fixed-mount VHF radios occurs when users fail to properly network their vessel’s GPS with their radio. “Seventy-six percent of the unanswered DSC calls are due to no GPS coordinates being transmitted,” Novak says. While handhelds don’t have the same punch as fixed-mount versions, one inherent advantage of all AIS- and DSC-enabled handhelds—and their hard-wired GPS receivers—is that they’re self-contained, so all AIS or DSC transmissions always include real-time GPS information.

It might seem obvious in hindsight, but the first floating handheld (Icom’s M34) didn’t arrive until 2007. Today, all reputable handhelds float (some face-up) and offer some water-ingress protection. Many contemporary radios also have a water-activated light or strobe that simplifies retrieval missions, and most have a water-shedding feature to protect their speakers. Other newer features include voice scramblers for making private calls, and scanning features that can monitor multiple channels for incoming RF waves.

Today’s flagship handhelds—Icom’s M94D and Standard Horizon’s HX890—have large backlit screens and intuitive user interfaces. Today’s budget-conscious radios also have easy-to-read displays and intuitive software, even if the tactile buttons have yet to be replaced by touchscreens.

As with all electronics, most handhelds now also employ compact, lightweight lithium-ion batteries that recharge quickly, sans memory issues.

And in terms of pricing, the difference in cost between high-end and entry-level offerings is minimal, especially compared with the electronics normally discussed in these pages. Case in point: Standard Horizon’s entry-level HX210 costs $100, while its top-of-the-line HX890 fetches $200. Icom’s M94D, at $350, is the outlier, but the added benefits of AIS can justify its costs.

Given the features of today’s handhelds relative to their affordability, there’s zero reason to cling to an old clunker. Size is a fair argument, especially for portable electronics, and the flagship handhelds from Standard Horizon and Icom are admittedly bigger (especially the M94D) than pared-down offerings. That said, most good foul-weather jackets have large pockets for a reason.

So, while I don’t plan to deep-six any member of my holy trinity anytime soon, a lifetime of sailing has demonstrated the value of my trusty handheld VHF radio, especially as that last bar of cellular connectivity vanishes.  

There’s an App for That

While today’s economies of scale (or lack thereof) discourage manufacturers from innovating touchscreen-driven handheld VHF radios, owners of Icom’s fixed-mount IC-M510 radio can turn their smartphone into a wireless CommandMic via Icom’s free RS-M500 app. It lets smartphones broadcast at 25 watts and leverage the yacht’s main VHF antenna too.

The post Safer Boating with Handheld VHF Radios 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.

It’s not every day that you see a ship hovering above the sea. Of course, it’s also not every day that you find yourself sailing from Ketchikan, Alaska, to Seattle under warm and sunny solstice skies—but there I was. And there was the gravity-defying ship.

Just as I began to question my watch-standing skills, Erden, my friend and shipmate, explained that fata morgana is an atmospherically triggered optical illusion that can make distant objects appear to hover. We checked the AIS, and our mirage was an actual ship plying actual brine.

Given that we had hundreds of miles to go, there was time aplenty to ponder whether AIS could also experience situational-awareness hiccups. The answer is yes, and the solution is already being developed. The VHF Data Exchange System (VDES), once operational, should make boating a better, safer and even more information-rich experience than it is today.

To understand why, we need to start with AIS. On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez found the bricks in Alaska’s Prince Williams Sound, triggering one of history’s worst environmental disasters. A year later, as part of the Oil Pollution Act, lawmakers tasked the U.S Coast Guard with creating a vessel-tracking system (VTS) for tankers operating in the U.S Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service in Alaska. The resulting system was based on VHF radio communications, as well as shore-based monitoring and polling systems.

This system evolved into what became global AIS. By 2000, the International Maritime Organization began mandating that most sea-bound ships carry Class A AIS transmitters for collision-avoidance purposes and as a VTS tool. These transmitters broadcast information—including the vessel’s name, position, course, speed, navigational status and unique MMSI number—on dedicated VHF channels 87B and 88B every two to 10 seconds, depending on vessel speed, while also listening for incoming AIS transmissions.

In 2006, the AIS standards committee released specifications for a Class B-CS AIS system, which is a “polite” system that’s interoperable with Class A AIS on a non-interference basis, for voluntary users. The Class B-CS employs the same two VHF channels, but it broadcasts every 30 seconds.

In 2013, Class B-SO transmitters arrived. These operate on the same self-organizing bandwidth scheme as Class A systems; however, they transmit every five to 30 seconds.

Overall, while there are many differences between Class A and Class B AIS transmitters, all AIS transmissions operate on just the two VHF channels: 87B and 88B. Given the amount of critical data that flows across these channels on crowded waters, bandwidth emerges as AIS’ limiting factor.

Enter VDES. The VHF Data Exchange System bundles existing technologies into one communications hub.

VDES is composed of four key components: AIS, VDE Satellite, VDE Terrestrial and ASM channels. Much like modern smartphones that seamlessly tackle roaming and multiple frequencies, an onboard VDES box (once the system is operational, circa 2025 to 2035) should be able to listen to 12 different frequencies. These include two frequencies for satellite-based long-range AIS, two frequencies for sending and receiving AIS-based messages, six channels for receiving terrestrial or satellite-based data, and six channels for transmitting satellite data.

“The goal with VDES is to move non-ship-to-ship traffic off AIS so that AIS is primarily for collision avoidance, and for other marine-safety information to migrate to the other VDES channels,” says Jorge Arroyo, a U.S Coast Guard program-and-management analyst. While all AIS devices will continue to work, unchanged, the overall system will be more efficient, robust and broader. “What I’m talking about today will hopefully be seamless in the future,” he adds.

While the ability to send updated navigational chart corrections or certain marine safety notifications via VDES offers a glimpse at the future, Arroyo envisions bigger dividends. “Real-time weather could be the killer app,” he says, adding that he hopes ships will share real-time weather information with other VDES users on the high seas via mesh networks that also share the information with satellites.

Dave Dunn, Garmin’s senior director of marine sales, says, “VDES is in the stratosphere, but it will trickle down.” And there’s less freeboard to this drop than one might think. In 2019, Vesper Marine, a New Zealand-based AIS company, unveiled its Cortex communications hub, which bundles AIS, cellular, digital-selective calling (DSC), VHF and Wi-Fi communications into a single hub. In early 2022, Garmin acquired Vesper Marine.

“As it stands, with no changes, we can receive and decode eight channels in parallel; we are currently using five, so there are three in reserve,” says Carl Omundsen, Garmin’s engineering manager of marine communications. “In 10 years, no one will know or care about AIS. It will just be cool functionality, along with VHF, DSC and VDES. It will just work.”

And VDES is a two-way communications system that should allow vessels, satellites and terrestrial-based shore stations to send and receive far more data than current AIS receivers and transmitters can deliver. “This will open up the killer apps,” Omundsen says. “It’s not just weather, search-and-rescue and for ships coming into ports; it’s also about data that’s on the ship.”

If this sounds like the kind of big data that’s currently transmitted via a sat-comms system, or if you’re pondering future autonomous vessels, you’re on the right tack.

Given that VDES will be employed on domestic and international waters, numerous international agencies are regulating the system. All parties seem to want the technology to thrive.

“The market will always drive the technology faster than we can on the regulatory side,” Arroyo says, adding that regulations provide the framework, while individual companies create the innovations.

All expectations are that, for instance, ships and commercial operators will have access to updated navigation and ice charts, while yachts plying the Northwest Passage or some other high-latitude waters will also get up-to-date cartography and ice alerts. Moreover, while traditional AIS is limited to line-of-sight communications (ballpark 5 to 20 nautical miles), VDES’s satellite antennas will extend this range a hundredfold. Factor in the coming ability to cloud-load systems data, and Arroyo’s vision for sharing real-time weather information, and it’s obvious that VDES will do much more than prevent collisions.

For yachtsmen thinking about upgrades: Garmin’s Cortex will eventually be able to support VDES, with an expected software update; and Saab and Kongsberg have pre-VDES upgradable systems available for commercial marine use.

Greener Pastures

Supporting two-way communications is among the strongest attributes of VDES and will be especially important as autonomous navigation systems and autonomous vessels come online. VDES information is expected to help human operators optimize marine traffic patterns, which should help lower ships’ emissions and fuel-consumption rates.

The post All-In-One Comms: the VHF Data Exchange System appeared first on Yachting.