My name is Steve Mitchell and I write about marine electronics, technology, and internet connectivity. You can join my newsletter and get access to new articles and tidbits, check out my current boat Rendezvous, or just learn more about me and the site.
My latest articles are below, or you can check out my projects, read reviews, or investigate internet connectivity on the water. Let me know if you have any questions!
Latest Articles
Working remotely from the boat
Working remotely from the boat requires a good system with multiple connections and cellular plans, redundancy, and good WiFi.
Chasing M2 underwater ROV review
The Chasing M2 is an expensive ROV with some neat features, but still needs some additional improvements to be worth the rather high price.
Power conversion devices for networking and electronics
Various devices from Victron and Tycon that can help power sensitive electronics and power over ethernet (PoE) devices.
Recommended Internet Systems & Cellular Plans
Below are some of the current systems / hardware / plans I recommend. These are constantly changing, so check back often.
Starlink is not ready for your boat, yet…
Many folks are asking about whether Starlink is a viable alternative for internet connectivity on the boat. I'll cover what I know and link to some other useful bits of info.
Finding a cellular data plan for your boat
One of the biggest challenges with staying connected on the water is finding an appropriate cellular data plan. Before you embark on buying a new router, cabling, or anything else, start here – finding a plan can be challenging, and no amount of hardware will fix that.
Remotely accessing boat systems
Accessing your boat remotely is a common desire. Most people can access their home remotely, so it seems like it should be just as easy for your boat. But there are some limitations with the types of connectivity that most boaters have that make it a bit more challenging.
Set up Signal K and Grafana on Raspberry Pi with PICAN-M NMEA 2000 board
With the advent of streamlined Raspberry Pi + NMEA 2000 hardware, building a dedicated Signal K server has never been easier. This article walks you through the steps.
Fresh water system improvements
In the last couple of months, I've made some improvements to my fresh water system in a number of areas. It started with the toilet, and progressed into filtering, pumping, and the shower itself.
Teltonika RUTX11 LTE router
The Teltonika RUTX11 is a single category 6 LTE router with a ton of features, extra services and connectivity, and all for an inexpensive price.
T-Mobile 100GB internet data plan
T-Mobile is offering a decent hotspot / router plan again for $50/month that includes 100GB of data, roaming, and more!
Vesper Cortex after a few months
The Vesper Cortex is an AIS Class B+ SOTDMA transponder combined with VHF radio and remote monitoring. It shows amazing promise after the first few months of use.
Actisense smart universal terminators
Keep your NMEA 2000 network running smoothly with a universal terminator that has an LED showing bus voltage, and can be used easily at either end of the bus.
NMEA 2000 powered Raspberry Pi
Easy to install Raspberry Pi computer that gets its power from the NMEA 2000 bus. Great for SignalK, OpenCPN, and OpenPlotter.
Poynting OMNI-496 WiFi antenna
The Poynting OMNI-496 is an excellent dual band WiFi antenna built for the marine world.