I'm a technology nerd that loves playing piano, playing with new electronics, being on the water, and solving new problems.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 is offering a decent hotspot / router plan again for $50/month that includes 100GB of data, roaming, and more!
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.
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.
Easy to install Raspberry Pi computer that gets its power from the NMEA 2000 bus. Great for SignalK, OpenCPN, and OpenPlotter.
The Poynting OMNI-496 is an excellent dual band WiFi antenna built for the marine world.
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.
