GL: Broadband air cards

[John & Judy Gill]

Ed,

We are Loopers who completed the America's Great Loop Cruise in
2004.  However, we have been monitoring the Americas Great Loop
Cruisers Association email subscriber list as well as the great loop
list samurai for many years.  Verizon has been the provider of choice
for those actually cruising on the entire loop.  There are dead spots
on all of the providers to be sure, particularly on the Heartland
Rivers from Chicago to Mobile.

The one thing to make double sure about regardless of the provider is
that you get "Canada NO Roaming" on the plan you sign up for.
Several people have rung upwards of $800 + dollar bills due to
roaming charges!!!

We spent two weeks chartering a trawler on the North Channel of Lake
Huron last Summer and actually had 3 bar Verizon air card service in
many of the ports of call -- other places had free Wi-Fi, so I would
recommend a Wi-Fi card for your laptop as well.

I now have a Verizon Blackberry so I can send and receive Emails
almost anywhere I can get a cell phone signal on the Blackberry or
the Laptop.  Note that some of the newer laptops use a USB Port for
an "aircard" and the Blackberry can be used in place of an aircard
(can't send or receive phone calls when being used as the air card).

Note:  The article on our website regarding Wireless Communications
and Running a Business on Your Boat is a bit out of date regarding
the vast improvements in the last year or so!  Go to a real Verizon
store, not a kiosk in a mall or discount store.

John and Judy Gill
Two Js V
Sassafras Harbor Marina, Georgetown, MD
AGLCA Loopers

Email:  < jjgill at twojscom.com >
Website:  <http://homepage.mac.com/twojscom/GreatLoop/>

===============================================

On Feb 6, 2009, at 6:43 AM, ed wrote:

> The cost of the card is insignificant compared to the cost of monthly
> service. Has anyone done the loop with one of the cheaper plans like
> T-Mobile? cheap isn't any good if it doesn't work as needed. But
> expensive
> isn't necessarily best either. I'd like to hear from recent east coast
> cruisers with T-mobile or other inexpensive data plan users. I just
> got a
> quote for my Verizon Treo of $75/month for a data plan plus
> tethering. Last
> summer it was $60.
>
> Ed K
> _______________________________________________
> http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop
>
> To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address,
> unsubscribe, etc.) go to: http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/options/
> great-loop