SeaBits

Working remotely from the boat

Having a reliable internet setup is key to staying connected while on the water, but being able to work from the boat adds some additional challenges. I've done it for years, and have found a number of things that help make it easy to do while providing a quality experience.

Reviews

Chasing M2 underwater ROV review

I've had a few ROVs in the last 5+ years and have really enjoyed being able to see what is below the surface. After a couple of failed systems that required more work than enjoyment, I've found the Chasing M2 ROV. Careful! My ROV has had multiple major failures since

Internet

Power conversion devices for networking and electronics

There are a lot of bits of equipment aboard a boat that seem to require voltages and types of power that aren't as easy generate. In particular, power over ethernet devices and voltage sensitive items require a bit of special attention when using them aboard. This article covers some of

Internet

Recommended Internet Systems & Cellular Plans

Below are some of the current systems / hardware / plans I recommend. These are constantly changing, so check back often. Affiliate links help support my site! SeaBits is reader-supported and I only recommend products I would use myself. When you buy through links on the site, I may earn an affiliate

Internet

Starlink is not ready for your boat, yet...

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. What is Starlink? Starlink is a satellite-based internet solution being created by SpaceX which has been in beta test

Internet

Finding a cellular data plan for your boat

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. What is a

Internet

Remotely accessing boat systems

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. Remote

Projects

Set up Signal K and Grafana on Raspberry Pi with PICAN-M NMEA 2000 board

With the advent of streamlined Raspberry Pi + NMEA 2000 hardware, building a dedicated Signal K server has never been easier. Signal K is very powerful, but most people I talk to want to go a step further and have Grafana graphs and dashboards, along with other plugins and features. This

Projects

Fresh water system improvements

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. Bidet A few years ago on Grace, the crew's favorite upgrade was the electric Raritan push-button

Reviews

Teltonika RUTX11 LTE router

If you're looking for a fast, inexpensive single LTE radio router with an excellent user interface, the Teltonika RUTX11 might be for you. In the last few years, there have been a lot of new, affordable LTE routers showing up in the market. Many of the manufacturers have had products

Internet

T-Mobile 100GB internet data plan

T-Mobile has been disappointing this year for a number of reasons, mainly their big change to how they handled category 18 modems, but also with their acquisition of Sprint and other bumps in the road. There is a new plan that was just released that redeems some of that disappointment,

AIS

Vesper Cortex after a few months

The Vesper Cortex has been one of the most anticipated devices in the marine world for over a year. I've had one for a couple of months now, and have had the opportunity to use it daily while out cruising. This is a huge product, combining mini-chart plotter, VHF radio,

Actisense

Actisense smart universal terminators

NMEA 2000 networks can be frustrating as evidenced by the amount of times I help troubleshoot them. Actisense has come out with a small piece of hardware that is a new take on something old, and adds the utility of being universal. The two most common issues I see with

Reviews

NMEA 2000 powered Raspberry Pi

Running a Raspberry Pi aboard a boat has been a popular thing to do for a number of years. I’ve had them on every boat since the Pi first came out. Connecting them to a NMEA 2000 network, and powering them off a DC battery bank has required a

Internet

Poynting OMNI-496 WiFi antenna

I’ve been searching for a long time for a dual-band, high performance, marine-grade WiFi antenna that I could use for grabbing remote WiFi signals while on the boat. The Poynting OMNI-496 has proven to be a great performer for this exact purpose. If you want to see where I

Furuno

Furuno SCX-20 Satellite Compass

I’ve been using the new Furuno SCX-20 Satellite Compass for about a month, and I’m really impressed. For just under $1000, you get a super accurate GPS, compass, roll/pitch/yaw, and all in a tiny package. Combine it with a Furuno DRS-series radar, and you have an

Internet

Rendezvous Internet Setup for 2020

I am constantly making updates and changes to my internet system on board Rendezvous, but I do usually settle on a stable system that I go back to when I am not testing, or when I have guests aboard. This is that system for 2020. For the last few years,

engine

Engine and power dashboards

I have discussed my weather dashboard before in Real-time weather from the boat, but I have always wanted more visibility into other areas. I have a couple of new dashboards for engine performance and the electrical system which are detailed below. Earlier this week, I participated in a webinar hosted

power

Isolating AC power

Hi there, You may notice that this article is quite short. After a few comments (scroll down) and a number of email discussions on the side, I decided to remove the content of this article and replace it with this info. There are serious concerns over the way this

Internet

Problems with T-Mobile voice+data plans and Peplink CAT18

I’ve been testing a lot lately with the newer category 18 versions of the Peplink MAX Transit and Peplink MAX HD1 Dome. Those devices use the newer Telit LM960 modem, which is a data-only modem. After a week or so of problems with connections using my T-Mobile SIM, I

Internet

Peplink MAX HD1 Dome

The MAX series of LTE products from Peplink has a number of different forms, including the MAX Transit, HD switch-style, outdoor, and the HD1 and HD2 domes. I finally was able to get a MAX HD1 Dome with Category 18 modems, and am very excited to be testing it

Cradlepoint

More router testing and initial results on the OMNI-496

I have been testing a lot of different router and antenna combinations this year, some of which I covered in New routers & antennas under test. There are more choices for routers and antennas than ever before, which is a good thing. Here’s a quick update on some existing and

Internet

GL-X1200 Amarok Dual LTE router

GL.iNet is a company that has made a number of OpenWRT based routers that seem to be very popular. Commenter Owen Anderson suggested I check out some of their newer hardware, and I have been testing the GL-X1200 “Amarok” router and am pretty pleased with the results. I ordered

Cradlepoint

New routers & antennas under test

There has been a lot going on lately, and I wanted to provide an update on what I am working on and testing. My primary focus has been on internet connectivity aboard which has become even more important with the current world situation. I have spent a lot of time

happy hour

Virtual Happy Hour & Tech Talk

I think we are all missing the social aspect of owning a boat – chatting with other boat owners about projects, harrowing adventures, and everything in between. While we can’t all get together like we normally would, I’m going to try a virtual version, hoping that you will join