T&T: Offshore Internet Access

[Wayne Beardsley]

There are two options for sending and receiving EMAIL via HF/SSB
radio, one that requires a ham license, and one that does not.  Both
options use the same hardware:  a modem like device known as a Pactor
Terminal Node Controller (TNC) which interfaces a personal computer to
a SSB radio such as the ICOM M-802.

The option *not* requiring a ham license is called Sailmail.  There is
a modest annual fee for using Sailmail, and weather information can be
downloaded in addition to EMAIL.  Additional information can be found
here:   http://www.sailmail.com/

If you do have a ham license, you can use Winlink.  Winlink and
Sailmail are very similar except that Winlink is free, requires a ham
license, and supports position reporting:

http://www.winlink.org/

Both Winlink and Sailmail use the same software called "Airmail" which is free:

http://www.siriuscyber.net/ham/

The Airmail user interface looks a lot like Microsoft Outlook and is
fairly easy to use once it is configured.  I recommend that
non-techical users get some initial help with both the hardware and
software installation.  One source of help is Gary at Dockside Radio
but there are others:

http://www.docksideradio.com/

The previously mentioned position reporting feature is available to
Winlink users and is a very useful tool for keeping friends and
relative up to date on where you are, and where you are heading next.
We use it a lot when we are cruising, and it also serves as a more or
less permanent log of your trip, available online.  Here are some
examples using my ham radio call sign, W2TLI:

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=W2TLI&terra=1

If you convert the Google map image to the satellite view and zoom in
all the way, you will see the red "X" positioned right over our
trawler at the dock.  Positions can be entered automatically via a GPS
interface cable or entered manually.  You can also post a brief note
with your position report.

For a track of your latest trip(s), you can use the following:

http://shiptrak.org/

Plug in my call sign, W2TLI, on the Shiptrak site and hit enter.  You
can see everywhere we've been for the last two years on Google maps.

Regards,

Wayne B
Grand Banks 49 Long Legged Lady


>From: "Faure, Marin" <marin.faure@boeing.com>
>Subject: T&T:  Offshore Internet Access
>To: <jmlejets@gmail.com>
.
>If the issue is e-mail you can do what friends of ours have done who are
>off on a multi-year round the world sail.  The wife got her ham license
>and they have installed a ham radio on their boat.  Using an internet
>URL and their call sign, they can send and receive e-mails via the ham
>radio.
,
,
>An interesting feature of this is that they have a GPS tied into the
>signal somehow.  There is another internet URL the rest of us can
>access, and by entering their ham call sign on the site we get a map
>showing the exact location of their boat the last time they made a
>transmission.