I have been procrastinating purchasing satellite communication equipment because the technology is evolving rapidly. The main use I will have for the equipment is obtaining up-to-date weather forecasts. I have been using PredictWind for the past year and I am convinced this is the forecasting tool I will use. While in principle, I can download PredictWind via Starlink, I do not consider that platform reliable. It’s hard to say when Musk will burn it to the ground and the Starlink offshore data rates have gone up markedly in recent months. Furthermore, the system runs on AC, so if the inverter fails, I will not have access to Starlink. Perhaps most importantly, it is not designed for saltwater/sailing environment. The antenna is subject to damage and the electronics look fragile. Finally, it uses a large amount of power. I do not have the resources to access Starlink when it is cloudy/storming, which is exactly when you most need weather forecasts.
I just purchased an Iridium Go Exec. While the technology is dated, it is reliable. Further, the partnership with PredictWind allows seamless integration. The Iridium Go Exec offers several advantages of Starlink, including it’s stand-alone, it uses much lower power (5% of StarLink), it has battery backup, it is compact, it is rugged, and the data plans are much less expensive. While it retails for $1,600, I found a new one on eBay for the $750. I also bought the DataHub ($300), which allows me to GPS-track the boat, log data, and it allows me to extend the AIS data I receive to 300 NM.