Offshore Communications

SSB Radios are Dinosaurs

Satellite telephones are less expensive, more reliable and more useful (you can't call your wife or your job on a SSB to tell them you are going to be late unless they also have a SSB and are monitoring it all the time).

Here's one example. Globalstar sells the Qualcomm GSP-1600 for only $475. The price plan for service is based upon the number of free minutes you want each month. You can get away as low as around $40 a month.

Here's the link;

Affordable Satellite Phone

Why Satellite Phones are Better...

Before you spend all that money on a SSB, think about these points...

[*]A satellite phone is portable. You can take it with you on the life raft. A SSB will go down with the vessel. You can also take the phone with you if you are a guest on another boat.

[*]A satellite phone works on its own power supply. It is very common for a boat to lose power when it takes on water. A SSB is useless without power.

[*]The phone has its own antenna. Remember what happened to the antenna in the movie The Perfect Storm? The threat of loosing your antennas to wind or heavy seas is very real. But it's not a factor with a satellite phone.