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Radio Email Solutions (Click Here to Enter the Radio Email Store at anytime) What if you don't want the expense of satellite. There is another way - on SSB radio. While we do have experience with both PinOak Digital and Globe Wireless GlobeMail, we don't feel either is a good choice. See our letter from July/August 1998 Ocean Navigator - "One way to measure the cost of offshore e-mail" - for the reason why. They just don't seem to do it right. The system we recommend is using the Winlink system on ham radio or using SailMail on marine SSB. There is no way that H.F. radio based e-mail is going to be as simple and reliable as a satellite system, but, bang-for-the buck, it is tough to beat. The first thing needed is a suitable radio, either a marine SSB like the Icom M-802 or M-710. Hands down, these have proven to be the best choice for H.F. e-mail. The SailMail system uses the M-710 for their shore stations. We also like the Furuno FS1503-EM as it is a well designed radio that is more "ham" radio friendly then the M-710, but not as friendly as the M-802. Next thing needed is a radio modem. This performs the same function between the radio and computer as a telephone modem does between the telephone line and computer. Don't be shocked by data rates of 4000 baud and under. The radio modem is working in a much more noisy and fluctuating environment than your telephone modem. H.F. Radio On Board only sells modems from Specialized Communications Systems in Germany. We have sold other modems, but the performance is so inferior that our customers were very dissatisfied with their systems, and they were harder to make work, use and were less reliable - not a good combination. The SCS PTCII-usb is truly the best radio modem money can buy. It employs proprietary Pactor II modulation for speeds up to 1200 baud with data compression, 800 baud without., and now PactorIII is an available option ($150) that increases that 3 - 5 times faster. The digital signal processing increases receive sensitivity by 18 dB - that like increasing the transmitter output of the distant station from 100 watts to over 6000 watts! Since the Sailmail and all the Winlink2000 stations now use PactorIII (they are still compatible with PactorII), you get the same effective increase on your signal. Signals that cannot be heard by the ear get through. It is the most amazing thing we have seen in over 40 years of transmitting data over radio. A modem without the PactorIII upgrade installed is a special order-only item. When used with Jim Corenman's AirMail software for H.F. e-mail, it doesn't get any better. If it weren't for Jim's program and the SCS modems, we would not be in the business of selling equipment for H.F. e-mail. Thank you Jim! Once we depart from the formula of the M802/AT140/PTCIIusb, M710/AT130/PTCIIusb (or FS1503/AT1503/PTCIIusb) with our cables, the chances for a reliable and successful installation rapidly become less. "I wish everything but the M-710 (and the PTCII) would vaporize!" said Corenman. As the author of AirMail, Jim has helped cruisers all over the world trouble shoot their e-mail systems. We have sold over 1000 of these systems. They are very reliable, and relatively easy for the user to install - something that is pretty much not typical of a SSB system. We are constantly asked by people who have purchased their equipment from other sources to help them with their installation. They thought, or were told, that it would be as easy as a VHF to install and operate. The exact opposite is true. If the had purchased their equipment from us, they would have known what they were about to undertake up front. In the end, they end up paying us about $300 or more for our help that we include at no extra charge with our systems. So that "bargain-store" radio wasn't such a bargain after all. So how much does a system cost? A turn-key package with the M802, AT140 tuner, cables from the tuner to the radio with all the RFI devices as specified on the Airmail website, Flush Mounting brackets, DSC Watch Antenna Kit, all material for our recommended grounding system, 20' of high-voltage wire for the AT140 to antenna element connection, the PactorII-usb modem with PactorIII ("life is too short to not have frequency control" was the statement by two of our customers after helping other with their PactorIIex), cables from the modem to the radio (color-coded as to where they connect), software for e-mail and weatherfax, our recommended grounding system and installation and setup instructions and support, is $4769.00. The same system with a M710 is $4139, (does not include flush mounting bracket or does it need a DSC Watch Antenna Kit). The same system with a M700pro is $3849 We do not cut any corners and we do not leave anything out - this is a COMPLETE system. We are also now essentially doing our ($85) performance certification to all components as we receive them and get them ready to put in stock for delivery, at no extra charge. This is a system ready to install in your infrastructure of and antenna element (insulated backstay or whip), RF ground system (our recommendation is 2 of the 3" x 12" grounding plates bolted to the outside of the hull below the waterline, with 3" x .011" copper strap from the mounting bolts inside the hull to the tuner - about $300 in material) and a 12 volt source that will provide up to 30 amps with less then 3% voltage drop. You will also need GTO-15 high voltage wire to go between the antenna tuner and antenna element. We typically include 20' with our systems - $17. We loaned the equipment to Jim to use at one of his seminars on H.F. e-mail at Pacific Sail Expo. When he saw the cables from the AT130 to the radio, and the modem to the radio, his comment was "These are beautiful!"
Note: Effective April 1, 2008 ALL our radio "systems" now include a RF Ground DC blocking capacitor. See http://sailmail.com/grounds.htm for more information.
Already have a radio and need just the modem? First, let's discuss which radios we support and we KNOW will work for e-mail. Except where noted, we recommend the PactorIIusb modem because frequency control from Airmail software is crucial in ease of operation - you will be a lot happier with how your system works. Icom M802, M710, M710RT, M700PRO. The Icom M800/810 radio will also work but does not have the ability for frequency control from an external device, so it is the ONLY radio for which we recommend the PactorIIex modem. We do not support the M700 or M600 for e-mail as there is no off-the-shelf connection for the modem to the radio, and we will not perform the modifications necessary to hook one up. If you have a rare M700TY, we will support that radio with the PactorIIex. All Icom ham radios except IC701, 720, 730, 740, 745, 751 & 751A. Some of these may work, but again, there is no off-the-shelf connection available. Additionally, the Icom 706 series, and the 718 both require an additional adapter ($45) to use with our cable and support kit. The Furuno FS1503EM. The original FS1503, and the FS1502 will work, and both support frequency control, but there is not normally a connection for the modem. It is an available accessory that consist of a jack and a "daughter board" that requires disassembly of the radio and soldering it into the main board. The cost of this modification to your radio is $245 for the 1503 & $270 for the 1502. We have never interfaced a 1501, and though it may work (Furuno says no), $270 is a lot to pay to find out. Other radios are SGC2000, SEA 235, Kenwood TS450, 570, 850, 870, 2000. In the case of Kenwood radios, we would prefer to have the radio in our hands as there are several pitfalls in setting up Kenwood radios correctly. We do not support any other SEA radios, the TS440, TS50 or TKM707, nor do we support ANY Yaesu or Alinco radios. We are NOT saying that all the radios we don't support won't necessarily work, they may indeed, but it may require modifications, performance may be marginal, or they just may not be straight forward enough for us to be able to provide the support you may need in getting them operating properly. That is one reason why we like Icom radios - EVERY one of the Icom radios we support interfaces almost exactly the same. The main reason we DON'T support Yaesu (and I own 2 Yaesu radios) is that nearly every one is different, and I simply don't have the time to re-engineer the wheel for every new model they introduce. The SCS PTCIIusb has a control output for controlling the frequency of most radios. AirMail uses this output with the built in database of the Winlink2000 or Sailmail station's operating frequencies. This feature makes connecting to a Sailmail a simple point and click operation. This is the main difference between the PTCIIusb and the PTCIIex. The IIex does not have the circuitry built in to control the frequency of radios supported by Airmail. While this may not sound like a big deal, it certainly makes a big difference in getting your system operational, and operation a snap. For frequency control without the PTCIIusb modem, additional hardware must be added to the computer, at a cost of about $250 for a notebook computer adapter, along with possibly additional hardware between the new com port and radio. By the time you add the cost of frequency control convenience on top of the less expensive PTCIIex modem, the additional complexity in the system is not worth the savings of $200 or less. Now... with Pactor III The upgrade to PactorIII is $169. On new modems from us, it is already installed and licensed. If you already have a modem, we will provide you with the upgrade license, firmware and installation instructions. We also provide a CD-Rom with the latest versions of Airmail software - the same CD that we provide with our modem cable and support package. If you purchased your modem from us, we will be happy to install the upgrade at no charge, but it is a pretty simple procedure using Airmail software with the package we provide. In order to obtain the upgrade license we require the following: For PactorIIpro, PactorIIex and newer PactorIIe modems (WITH the bar-code serial number sticker on the bottom) we need the LAST 16 digits of the serial number. For PactorII and OLDER PactorIIe modems (WITHOUT the bar-code serial number sticker on the bottom) you will need to return your modem to us to have an electronic serial number installed - $140 in addition to the $169 PactorIII license fee. Plug and Play? Hardly. In purchasing the PactorIIusb or IIex modem, you have two choices - you can purchase it from us, and we will make up the cables for your radio, provide the software, setup and installation information for an additional charge. We label all the cables as to where the plug into the radio and modem, and also color code the connections for the Icom radios we sell, making it hard to get it wrong. We provide all the ferrite beads recommended for fighting the almost inevitable interference from the transmitter to the modem and computer. And we will also provide the technical support and expertise of years of data transmission experience to get you up and running. This cable and support package is $215 for the PTCIIusb to most Icom, Furuno, SEA & SGC radios. Certain other radios are supported at slightly higher pricing. The same package for the PTCIIex is $150. If you are using the PactorIIusb with a M802, M710, M710RT or M700Pro and AT140/AT130 system, or Furuno FS1503EM system, from us, we discount the cable and support kit $100 as we don't have to provide as much support. In fact, over half the time, we don't get any request for support. As long as you read and follow the instructions, it just plugs together and works! It will cost about $1700 - $1900 to add e-mail to your existing Icom M802, M710, M710/RT M700PRO or most Icom ham rigs with matching automatic tuner, SGC2000, SEA235 or Furuno FS1503EM (call for non-EM versions). If it is a radio purchased from us, deduct about $250 from that cost. The other choice is to buy the PTCIIusb w/PT3 for $1248 (or the IIex w/PT3 for $988) without our cable and support package, and be on your own! Keep in mind that there is a very steep learning curve with data over radio. It took us many hours to get our first PactorII modem properly configured. Its up to you. One thing to be aware of is that this is NOT like using a telephone for e-mail. The station may be busy on another frequency that you can't hear it or the station using it. The station may be temporarily off the air for some technical reason. Or there may be some solar activity negatively affecting propagation. But it does work and it is relatively reliable. Several of the boats on the Pacific Cup Race used it to communicate with the folks back home, and it was the primary means of contact between the communications vessel and the race committee in Hawaii. Give the new service - SailMail - a try. Started by Stan Honey and Jim Corenman for the 1998 Pacific Cup race, it appears as if SailMail will remain on the air for sometime. SailMail now has thirteen stations and has been working very reliably. Our thanks to Stan and Jim for their tireless efforts with the SailMail system. It is truly the ONLY system geared toward cruisers (other than Winlink) that can claim Global coverage.
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