Has anyone tried out Iridium Go yet? PredictWind has a special package on offer.

The all new Iridium GO! will change the way you communicate offshore. Wirelessly connect up to 5 devices; smartphones, tablets and computers to the satellite unit to make calls, get forecast updates, email and even use social media. Watch the video for a brief overview:

Unlimited Data!
With Iridium 's Unlimited plan for only US$125/month you can forget about counting data and spend more time using it!

WiFi Connectivity
Connect up to 5 tablets, computers and smartphones using WiFi.

SOS Emergency Alert
Set an emergency phone number that can be contacted even without a device connected.


Integrates with the PredictWind Offshore App
•   Certified by Iridium
•   Download and View GRIB files
•   Run PredictWind Weather Routing
•   Receive GMDSS forecasts
•   View Satellite Imagery

Purchase the Iridium GO! Marine Package from PredictWind today and save 22% off the retail price. Included in the package is a wall mount, passive antenna, antenna adaptor and cable. This is unbeatable value for coastal and offshore sailors.

http://www.predictwind.com/iridium-go/

Vice Commodore, OCC 

Simon,
There aren 't any deals to be had on the airtime; the rates seem to be fixed, across the various suppliers of the Iridium Go. However, it 's a monthly contract, so I 'll start at a low rate, while I 'm getting used to the thing, and perhaps upgrade later when it should, I hope, be my only means of (very basic) communication offshore and away from Wifi and 3G/4G.

Daria,
I received delivery yesterday. First impressions are:
[ol]
[li]It 's a well-made piece of kit.[/li]
[li]It needs to be mounted on a horizontal surface, under a window, to get a good GPS signal, so the instructions say. The external antenna only supplies the Iridium component of the signal, not the GPS. I can manage this, having windows at a shallow slope at the forward end of my pilot house, over the chart table. When I first switched on with the Go on the chart table, it acquired a GPS position almost instantaneously.[/li]
[li]The cable to the external antenna is extremely thick and stiff. I can 't immediately see why it needs to be so, as it 's only coax. It 's going to be difficult for me to route it, either from the horizontal bar across the davits, where my other antennae are, or from the deck just forward of the hatch, another option. The Go is not acquiring an Iridium signal from inside the boat, so the external antenna is essential.[/li]


[/ol]