Internet

New Verizon data plans

Verizon has added new data only plans to their lineup for both pre-paid and post-paid customers. This is great news for those folks needing VZW coverage.

Internet

Working remotely from the boat

Working remotely from the boat requires a good system with multiple connections and cellular plans, redundancy, and good WiFi.

Reviews

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.

Internet

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.

Internet

Recommended Internet Systems & Cellular Plans

Below are some of the current systems / hardware / plans I recommend. These are constantly changing, so check back often.

Internet

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.

Internet

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.

Internet

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.

Projects

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.

Projects

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.

Internet

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.

Internet

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!

Reviews

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.

Reviews

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.

Internet

Poynting OMNI-496 WiFi antenna

The Poynting OMNI-496 is an excellent dual band WiFi antenna built for the marine world.

Reviews

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.

Reviews

Furuno SCX-20 Satellite Compass

I've been using the Furuno SCX-20 Satellite Compass and am impressed. It has a super accurate GPS, compass, roll/pitch/yaw, and all in a tiny package.

Internet

Rendezvous Internet Setup for 2020

This is my Peplink and Poynting based internet system for 2020 aboard Rendezvous using LTE and WiFi sources, and marine grade components

Projects

Engine and power dashboards

I have discussed my weather dashboard before in Real-time weather from the boat, but I have always wanted more visibility into other areas. I have a couple of new dashboards for engine performance and the electrical system.

Reviews

Isolating AC power

You may notice that this article is quite short. After a few comments (scroll down) and a number of email discussions on the side, I decided to remove the content of this article and replace it with this info.

Internet

Problems with T-Mobile voice+data plans and Peplink CAT18

T-Mobile have apparently blocked the T-Mobile One lines that have both data and voice from using a Peplink CAT18 router with the Telit LM960 modem.

Internet

Peplink MAX HD1 Dome

I am testing the CAT18 version of the Peplink MAX HD1 Dome and SIM Injector against the MAX Transit with Poynting OMNI-402 antennas, and recorded an overview video as well.

Internet

More router testing and initial results on the OMNI-496

I have been testing a lot of different LTE router and antenna combinations this year from Peplink, MikroTik, Teltonika, Poynting and more.

Internet

GL-X1200 Amarok Dual LTE router

The GL.iNet GL-X1200 Amarok router is a great dual-LTE device with lots of hardware, dual-band WiFi, and OpenWRT-inspired software.

Internet

New routers & antennas under test

There has been a lot going on lately, and I wanted to provide an update on what I am working on and testing. My primary focus has been on internet connectivity aboard which has become even more important with the current world situation.