| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 05:03:50
How much time do you spend surfing the web with a computer or cell phone on the boat?
After attempting to read the WiFi thread I got to wondering just how much everyone uses the internet on their boats. Compared to home I hardly use it at all. But when slipped I do check BE and email. |
| 36 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mixman |
Posted - Aug 03 2012 : 15:29:34
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll
It simpler terms the LTE network is performing above expectations something that is pretty rare in the Cellular Carrier world.
Bill
In even simpler terms; it's good to be a Verizon Wireless data customer right now :-)
|
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Aug 03 2012 : 09:45:47
what attention? They can not even detect when they are sending out $5b in fraudulent refunds. |
| In the know |
Posted - Aug 03 2012 : 09:42:21
quote:
Originally posted by gcolton
quote:
Originally posted by In the know
quote:
Originally posted by gcolton
quote:
Originally posted by Rick D
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer
This is an off topic question but...
Those of you that use your boat as an office (at least enough to take the sometimes extraodinary steps to stay connected), do you take a percentage tax deduction for your expenses the same as if it were an office?
I wouldn't even consider it as I would not want the unwelcome attention it would draw from the IRS. I don't even itemize my home office... which is were I work 40+ hours a week from.
Just my 2˘
--Rick
What is wrong with attention from the IRS as long as all of your deductions are legit. Even if not allowed and still legit there is nothing lost.
I was audited right after I purchsed two rental properties. No problem.
I would certainly deduct any legitimate expense and let the IRS tell me they will not allow it. Competition is bad enough without costing ourselves money.
George
Attention from the IRS, even if everything is legit, is akin to attention from TSA, even if everything is legit.
No matter what, you are ending up with your balls in a vice and it being welded shut.
I have no clue what you are trying to say.
Please explain how "attention" winds up with your "balls in a vice."
I have had attention from both and at the end of each contact we all parted our ways perfectly friendly and satisfied. In fact on the time I had major TSA attention we both got a good laugh out of it.
It is virtually how you personally set the tone of the meeting. If you come of confrontational then the meeting will be confrontational.
George
It is real simple. The benefit of the deduction does not outweigh the opportunity cost of going through an audit.
It is the same reason people pass on the home office deduction - the benefit is not worth the attention it brings. |
| Billylll |
Posted - Aug 03 2012 : 09:12:05
Verizon is turning on about 30 700MHz LTE sites a week. They are finding out they get more string on 700MHz then even their 800MHz B, B' & B" band holdings where the majority of their voice platform is in place (CDMA2000 1X-RTT).
Additionally with Adaptive modulation protocals used in LTE like SOFDMA and MIMO there is less data correction needed and twice the radio frequency pipe to allow for higher speeds with larger numbers of users then on CDMA EVDO Rev.Ae.
It simpler terms the LTE network is performing above expectations something that is pretty rare in the Cellular Carrier world.
Bill |
| walterv |
Posted - Jul 19 2012 : 18:55:30
Went to college in Bluefield WV, use to bang chicks in Beckly , have not heard that city name in 30 years :)
|
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 19 2012 : 18:19:30
Verizons latest updated 4G LTE markets
ALABAMA
Mobile
ARKANSAS
El Dorado-Magnolia
Russellville
CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles
Napa Valley-Sonoma
San Diego
COLORADO
Colorado Springs
CONNECTICUT
New London County
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, D.C.
FLORIDA
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Pierce-Vero Beach
Melbourne-Titusville
Miami
Sarasota-Bradenton
GEORGIA
Columbus
Rome
HAWAII
Honolulu
Maui County
Waimea
IDAHO
Burley
Idaho Falls-Rexburg
ILLINOIS
Mattoon
Peoria
INDIANA
Anderson
Indianapolis
Muncie
KANSAS
Manhattan-Junction City
McPherson
Wichita
LOUISIANA
Baton Rouge
Lafayette-New Iberia
MARYLAND
Baltimore
MISSOURI
Kansas City
St. Joseph
Springfield
MONTANA
Bozeman-Livingston
Kalispell
Missoula
NORTH CAROLINA
Goldsboro-Kinston
Roanoke Rapids
Rocky Mount-Wilson
OHIO
Akron
Cleveland
Columbus
Toledo
Zanesville
PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown-Bethlehem
DuBois-Clearfield
Harrisburg
Meadville
Punxsutawney
Scranton-Wilkes Barre
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia
Greenville-Spartanburg
Orangeburg
TEXAS
Sherman-Denison
UTAH
Cedar City
Logan
Nephi-Santaquin
Salt Lake City-Ogden
VERMONT
Rutland-Bennington
VIRGINIA
Fredericksburg
Lynchburg
Winchester
WASHINGTON
Bellingham
Seattle-Tacoma
WEST VIRGINIA
Beckley
|
| gcolton |
Posted - Jul 19 2012 : 05:43:14
quote:
Originally posted by In the know
quote:
Originally posted by gcolton
quote:
Originally posted by Rick D
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer
This is an off topic question but...
Those of you that use your boat as an office (at least enough to take the sometimes extraodinary steps to stay connected), do you take a percentage tax deduction for your expenses the same as if it were an office?
I wouldn't even consider it as I would not want the unwelcome attention it would draw from the IRS. I don't even itemize my home office... which is were I work 40+ hours a week from.
Just my 2˘
--Rick
What is wrong with attention from the IRS as long as all of your deductions are legit. Even if not allowed and still legit there is nothing lost.
I was audited right after I purchsed two rental properties. No problem.
I would certainly deduct any legitimate expense and let the IRS tell me they will not allow it. Competition is bad enough without costing ourselves money.
George
Attention from the IRS, even if everything is legit, is akin to attention from TSA, even if everything is legit.
No matter what, you are ending up with your balls in a vice and it being welded shut.
I have no clue what you are trying to say.
Please explain how "attention" winds up with your "balls in a vice."
I have had attention from both and at the end of each contact we all parted our ways perfectly friendly and satisfied. In fact on the time I had major TSA attention we both got a good laugh out of it.
It is virtually how you personally set the tone of the meeting. If you come of confrontational then the meeting will be confrontational.
George |
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 17:27:25
I don't use or try the home office deduction either because I own and use the commercial property I run my main office from. I would prefer income over deductions anyday lately income is down and expenses and deductions are up. Not the greatest combination but I do see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Bill |
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 16:56:33
quote:
Originally posted by In the know
quote:
Originally posted by gcolton
quote:
Originally posted by Rick D
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer
This is an off topic question but...
Those of you that use your boat as an office (at least enough to take the sometimes extraodinary steps to stay connected), do you take a percentage tax deduction for your expenses the same as if it were an office?
I wouldn't even consider it as I would not want the unwelcome attention it would draw from the IRS. I don't even itemize my home office... which is were I work 40+ hours a week from.
Just my 2˘
--Rick
What is wrong with attention from the IRS as long as all of your deductions are legit. Even if not allowed and still legit there is nothing lost.
I was audited right after I purchsed two rental properties. No problem.
I would certainly deduct any legitimate expense and let the IRS tell me they will not allow it. Competition is bad enough without costing ourselves money.
George
Attention from the IRS, even if everything is legit, is akin to attention from TSA, even if everything is legit.
No matter what, you are ending up with your balls in a vice and it being welded shut.
While I do admit the audits were an inconvenience, there is no way I was going to let them intimidate me into giving them more money than I owed. It does suck that we have to go through that occasionally but personally I pay to much as it is to just freely give them more. |
| PascalG |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 16:42:20
Bill you are right but for most folks, myself included, a high power set up is an overkill especially since you are often relying on poorly set up APs on the shore side
|
| In the know |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 16:26:52
quote:
Originally posted by gcolton
quote:
Originally posted by Rick D
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer
This is an off topic question but...
Those of you that use your boat as an office (at least enough to take the sometimes extraodinary steps to stay connected), do you take a percentage tax deduction for your expenses the same as if it were an office?
I wouldn't even consider it as I would not want the unwelcome attention it would draw from the IRS. I don't even itemize my home office... which is were I work 40+ hours a week from.
Just my 2˘
--Rick
What is wrong with attention from the IRS as long as all of your deductions are legit. Even if not allowed and still legit there is nothing lost.
I was audited right after I purchsed two rental properties. No problem.
I would certainly deduct any legitimate expense and let the IRS tell me they will not allow it. Competition is bad enough without costing ourselves money.
George
Attention from the IRS, even if everything is legit, is akin to attention from TSA, even if everything is legit.
No matter what, you are ending up with your balls in a vice and it being welded shut.
|
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 16:23:05
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG
"The people with Blackberries and Smartphones would really reduce their airtime data charges depending their rate plans/ data usage and have better performance if they used an external WiFi bridge router to connect to when using data when anchored."
That sounds good in theory but in the real world I find that in 90% of the anchorages you will not get a reliable fast wifi connection even with the wave / external antenna setup we have.
Over the past few years I found that wifi service from marinas has improved but not when on the hook
For the type of usage most boaters do, the typical smartphone data plan works fine and provides reliable fast connections, especially underway when you need it for radar and weather data
Now indeed the best setup is to have a good wifi booster to supplement your data plan but that's an overkill for most
As to low speed, i know how slow Sprint is but I sometimes use low end dsl and it a fine for most tasks. In some Areas I can just get EDGE service, and it s ok for weather email and casual browsing.
Unless you have an EC high power unit the ROGUE-WAVE or ROGUE PRO while good can not be compared to the quality of service that comes from a good shore based commercial AP with a Wave EC-HP. At 2 to 3 miles I have almost identical speeds as when in the marina. I have better then DSL quality at 5 miles anchored. While I like the ROGUE it is not fair to compare it's performance to the Wave EC-HP.
Bill |
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 15:53:52
No tax deductions and no write off on the equipment I use for the boat's office. In fact I take -0- write off's on the boat.
Now my data aircards are used in and out of the boat the business legitamately pays for the usage.
Bill |
| gcolton |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 13:20:29
quote:
Originally posted by Rick D
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer
This is an off topic question but...
Those of you that use your boat as an office (at least enough to take the sometimes extraodinary steps to stay connected), do you take a percentage tax deduction for your expenses the same as if it were an office?
I wouldn't even consider it as I would not want the unwelcome attention it would draw from the IRS. I don't even itemize my home office... which is were I work 40+ hours a week from.
Just my 2˘
--Rick
What is wrong with attention from the IRS as long as all of your deductions are legit. Even if not allowed and still legit there is nothing lost.
I was audited right after I purchsed two rental properties. No problem.
I would certainly deduct any legitimate expense and let the IRS tell me they will not allow it. Competition is bad enough without costing ourselves money.
George |
| PascalG |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 11:45:13
"The people with Blackberries and Smartphones would really reduce their airtime data charges depending their rate plans/ data usage and have better performance if they used an external WiFi bridge router to connect to when using data when anchored."
That sounds good in theory but in the real world I find that in 90% of the anchorages you will not get a reliable fast wifi connection even with the wave / external antenna setup we have.
Over the past few years I found that wifi service from marinas has improved but not when on the hook
For the type of usage most boaters do, the typical smartphone data plan works fine and provides reliable fast connections, especially underway when you need it for radar and weather data
Now indeed the best setup is to have a good wifi booster to supplement your data plan but that's an overkill for most
As to low speed, i know how slow Sprint is but I sometimes use low end dsl and it a fine for most tasks. In some Areas I can just get EDGE service, and it s ok for weather email and casual browsing.
|
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 11:01:28
Rick - There is nothing wrong with taking legal deductions. I was audited (randomly) three of my first five years in business. The same auditor. She did not consider photography a business. I asked if I had to pay income tax on my sales and she said yes but it was still a hobby. The third audit I requested an arbitrator review the case prior to the audit. He sat with my CPA and her. The first two audits I received and additional check for $23 and $7. The third one I received a check for $418(forgot to add a new camera purchase). Never hear from them again. I was in business another 7 years.
No one should fear the IRS if they are following the rules. I never have understood the "afraid of unwanted attention" but can understand that people do feel that way. |
| Rick D |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 10:53:26
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer
This is an off topic question but...
Those of you that use your boat as an office (at least enough to take the sometimes extraodinary steps to stay connected), do you take a percentage tax deduction for your expenses the same as if it were an office?
I wouldn't even consider it as I would not want the unwelcome attention it would draw from the IRS. I don't even itemize my home office... which is were I work 40+ hours a week from.
Just my 2˘
--Rick
|
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 10:08:44
This is an off topic question but...
Those of you that use your boat as an office (at least enough to take the sometimes extraodinary steps to stay connected), do you take a percentage tax deduction for your expenses the same as if it were an office?
I know when I was traveling shooting races every weekend I had a motorhome. Since it was a work vehicle that was used for nothing but, it was 100% deducted. In retirement I have considered some form of home business that could also be done from a boat a few days a week. Do you have or take a tax advantage? |
| JVM225 |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 09:00:56
I often wish I had WiFi on the boat so that I can go down to it and do some work at the dock instead of at home.
But, most times I'm glad I don't have it because it would be a distraction from what I have the boat for. |
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 08:13:38
The people with Blackberries and Smartphones would really reduce their airtime data charges depending their rate plans/ data usage and have better performance if they used an external WiFi bridge router to connect to when using data when anchored. They could still use the phone section for voice traffic but their data performance would be greatly ehanced once anchored or at the dock. I am not against Smartphones or Blackberries but the marriage of them and an enclosed boat in anything but populated areas affects their performance.
But if you are a casual user then tether away which on most plans is considered using the phone as a modem and costs more data units per month. Please let's leave Sprint 3G and WiMAX out of the discussion. The recent 3G speeds on Sprint in major areas isn't much better then the worst DSL service and WiMAX has very limited coverage areas not good for traveling any distance from the towers in the 70 markets they currently have service in.
Bill |
| gcolton |
Posted - Jul 18 2012 : 07:51:17
I carry a cell phone on the boat. Nothing else. This is an "old fashioned" cell phone that is only capable of speach use.
George |
| mintregila |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 20:56:10
Blackberry, Android 4g tablet and laptop with air card if necessary.
The Blackberry is always on me so email is a constant. I use the tablet for mail plus reading the paper online.
|
| caltexfla |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 19:54:39
Not every spare moment by any means, but I use a number of connections: Blackberry, Aircard, wi-fi. Cellular data allows us to go cruising and conduct business too, my boat has an office set up. We live on board 90% of the time, so that skews things. |
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 18:11:52
John the added benefit in addition to having a real office in my boat is when I start cruising especially if with friends. I can and will through my latest piece of Wave equipment a connection manager/ failover router provide access for the boats traveling with me. I doubt I would share the current Fleet Broadband connection because it's too slow and costly. However I can support up to 50 users or devices if needed through either my 2.4GHz or 5GHz AP that I chose be it LTE/ AT&T HSPA+, Sprint 3G or 4G if WiMAX is available or rebroadcasting my Wave EC-HP bridge router. My boat is a rolling Hotspot. I can even assign WPA-2, shared keys or just leave it open like I currently do when I am onboard. When rebroadcasting on 5GHz or 802.11A my range is pretty limited by design.
About Smartphones the people using them might think they are great when tethered and used similar to a MiFi or Access Point but in reality the speeds are generally pretty poor unless you are near a cellular tower and have either LTE or WiMAX. LTE has far more range and performance then the current provider of WiMAX does. Your UL is limited to 1mbps on Clear or Clearwire/Sprint. You will only see those speeds if your recieved RSSI is -72dbm or better and the CINR is 17 or better. DL speeds can be as high as 6 to 8mbps. If you are in an enclosed boat this means you have to be within 1 to 1.5 miles from the tower for optimized speeds.
A smartphone connected to an external antenna will help but there are -0- Smartphones that have external hidden antenna jacks. Internet speed with any signaling format be it LTE/WiMAX,WiFi/HSPA+/EVDO or GPRS is directly related to signal strength and good signal to noise ratios. When turning on the tethering mode in a Smartphone you add the noise from the WiFi chipset because the device is so small it is impossible to get the physical components seperation needed for real performance, in other words the performance one would get using an external cellular antenna, a stand alone cellular modem connected to a stand alone WiFi router/access point. In addition when trying to use a stand alone Smartphone for WiFi reception they are very limited in range due to the internal WiFi chipset transmit power being limited to 30mw and a very small WiFi circuit borad antenna due to size, performance constraints and extending battery life. While a Smartphone is ideal for many professionals in the workplace, on the go or from home it is less then ideal when used in a boat for tethered Cellular data over WiFi or to connect to Hotspots at any real distance.
As far as cellular booster amplifiers I am pretty much against all but a few specific direct connect types. This rules out using a Smartphone because they don't have a direct antenna connection and all of the current 4G Smartphones operate on 3 or more frequency bands and the common cell boosters only operate on 2 bands 800MHz A&B cellular and the 1900MHz PCS A thru F bands.
As someone who spends a great deal of their waking hours designing systems to give cellular users quality in_building coverage the boat is in some ways harder to accomplish correctly then enhancing cellular coverage in a building. With a commercial building you have higher isolation, you have room for the equipment, stable AC power is available and the building doesn't move in relation to the cellular sites around it. In a boat it eventually moves so your coverage changes and boats can generate a fair amount of noise that affects cellular handset performance from switching solar arrays, battery charging systems, microwave ovens, Radar, other vessels communications systems and there are generally not many cellular towers built in the Ocean. In fact in the unpopulated areas the string between the tin can's is stretched by the cellular carriers. If you have populated barrier islands that helps convince cellular companies that there will be a return on investment so they will and have built towers which help "the boating community".
For WiFi it's not fair to say it is terrible or you can't see any Hotspots if all you have ever used is a Smartphone or a standard laptop's aircard. Installing an external WiFi antenna with low loss cable and a bridge router or even a router in infastructure mode with WDS/ DDRT-WRT will help. However not everyone wants too or has the time to be a TCP/IP basic programmer hence many of the commercial WiFi units converted for boaters or RV's work extremely well when compared to a stand alone Smartphone using WiFi to find Hotspots.
So how do I use my Smartphone in my boat? I am using it to run marine applications, control my new Fusion IP-700 sound system and soon I will be able to monitor most devices on my NMEA2000 network. The phone is turned off I only use it in WiFi mode. It's biggest job is giving me an audio alert when an e-mail comes in.
Bill |
| HarlenW |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 18:06:11
I just got back from a 48 day cruise in the San Juan Islands, using my iPad for the first time. I found it very useful for weather information, anchor alarm, and a second navigation program with Navionics. The real advantage is to be able to access the boating related info on the Internet while cruising or anchored and not near a marina WiFi connection.
My wife and I are heading out again next week (we only returned because she had a dental issue) and will cruise the Canadian Gulf Islands for another 4 to 6 weeks. I won’t have the iPad connection there because even the special plans are too expensive but will be able to access some of the information using my 3G Kindle which is free to use internationally. The Kindle browser is pretty primitive but it worked in many situations when I was out last year. |
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 16:20:10
I did not think that the smartphone cat would be the highest. |
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 16:18:40
I do have Sirius/xm and could sign up for Xm weather. Don't have the need right now though. For those that have there own business and can work from their boat (should have made that a category), I would be jumping through the same hoops if I could the same. I have worked from the boat editing reports or even doing a web ex but that has been at the dock. |
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 15:23:02
Well in my case it's spend 6 days a week behind a desk looking at a coworker and constantly being bothered by telemarketers or spend 6 days a week on the boat with beautiful views, and all the comforts of home or the office. It's a fairly easy choice for me I'll take working from the boat 6 days a week and stopping by the office unannounced to check on employees. I'm much more productive here away from the other employees in the office.
Pascal good points on weather data and entertainment over WiFi or through Cellular data. Since I bang every 3, 355 & 4G cellular connections limit I use each month WiFi is used as my primary data connection when at the marina or anchoring out.
Bill |
| Rick D |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 15:22:08
I've got just a regular old cell phone that does have unlimited data for $12 per month. I can connect my Mac Book Pro to via blue tooth and access the net at 3g speeds if I want. Having said that, I rarely ever do unless I need to work while on the boat.
--Rick
|
| robedney |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 11:17:15
I use an Android 4G smartphone for most stuff, but also bring along a Blackberry Playbook which I can tether to the phone via WiFi if needed. |
| Tim Bromund |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 11:07:16
Ok there is that also, I do check the weather radar on the water with my phone if it looks like storms rolling in (don't have radar on the boat).
Tim |
| PascalG |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 09:48:00
There are 3 uses for an Internet connection on the water
1)- boat operation: being able to access Wx radar, wind data and other wx related information is very important to me and enough to have reliable data service (3G) on board. Being able to track a squall line or cell without interfering with the MFDs settings makes operations safer
Second part of boat operations maybe to review marina and anchorage into via google earth or the web. When picking or coming in an unknown marina or anchorage I often check GOogle earth to see the layout and what s around
2)- business stuff. While some folks get on the water to get away, sometimes you need to stay in touch for business reasons. In that case, once a gain, $60 a month for data is well worth it
3)- entertainment: wifi is just fine for that when available... |
| Tim Bromund |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 09:30:10
I've got the iphone on the boat, but if we are out on the water in it, we are fishing, so no time for, or interest in surfing while on the water.
Tim |
| Billylll |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 08:25:37
Since I have been spending most of my time on board and I own an operate a high paced wireless design and installation company I need to be connected 24/7. I use a variety of wireless paths to the internet. Voice traffic isn't as importent to me as e-mail and the ability to VPN into my office. It can be very stressful for me not having a connection. I however don't spend every second surfing the .net I spend more time being alerted that there is e-mail traffic for me. I check BE often for enjoyment.
Bill |
| jmeirhofer |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 08:17:21
Dave - That is about the same for me. I have the Motorola Xoom and my wife has the IPad and they are wifi only. We both have IPhones too. I will get on the net in the evenings or early morning most days if we have wifi but if not it is no problem for me either. |
| Audrey II |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 06:22:18
I have and Ipad Smartphone and a laptop on board I have internet access on all but I don't spend much time on line while on the boat (mostly BE). |
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