SSB shortwave radio email systems offer a low cost alternative to mobile and satellite phone systems and offers near global coverage. Most SSB email service providers work on an annual subscription basis, so there are no line-time or number of bits transfer charges as with mobile phone or satellite systems.

To use SSB Email you require an SSB radio such as the ICOM M710 or ICOM M801, a radio modem and a computer running Mircosoft Windows.

Using SSB email is as easy as sending email via your telephone line or mobile phone.

Setting up Pactor Modem with Icom M801E

You MUST configure the M801E before connecting a pactor modem to a Icom M801E.
To do this you need to put the Icom M801E into 'Initial set mode', see page 43 of Icom M801E manual.
Once in 'Initial set mode' make the follow changes:-
Rotate [GRP] and select REMOTE IF, rotate [CH] and select NMEA.
Rotate [GRP] and select ACC out, rotate [CH] and select ON.
Switch Icom M801E OFF and then Back ON.
The Icom M801E is now ready to except a pactor modem.

Frequencies & licencing

The frequencies used, in the main, are within marine allocated frequency bands and hence your ship's radio licence covers you for transmitting on these frequencies. Some USA stations do use private frequencies which may not be covered by your ships radio licence and you may find that your marine SSB transceiver will not transmit on some of the privately used frequencies.
SailCom Marine can re-program the ICOM M710 or ICOM M801E to work on these frequencies.

You need to have a special radio modem to send and receive email via SSB. Most SSB email services providers transmit using a transmission media call PACTOR. PACTOR modems are manufactured by SCS in Germany.
Using PACTOR-3 transmission speeds of 2722 bits per second without data compression can be achieved.
PACTOR-4 transmission speeds of 5512 bps without data compression can be achieved. For more information on PACTOR-4 visit p4Dragon

SCS P4-Dragon Pactor 4 modem

Pactor 4 is over twice the speed of Pactor 3 >Click here to order your pactor 4 modem<

SCS PTC-IIusb Pactor 3 modems front panel:

SCS PTC-IIusb with Bluetooth pactor modems back panel view:

The pactor modem provides the interface between the computer and the SSB transceiver.
The pactor modem controls the the flow of data across the SSB connection.
Data is sent in short bursts called packets, each packet set is acknowled by the other station.
If there is an error or corrupted data than the packet of data is re-transmitted until the other station acknowledge that it as been received correctly.

Inside SCS PTC-IIusb with Bluetooth pactor modems:

Click here for modem pricing information

Data speeds are very slow over HF radio and some satellite and mobile services.
To cope with this slow speeds there are a number of email compression services and software, compression helps speed up the throughput of data and reduces cost of satellite connections.
Compression removes unwanted data, the level of compression will depend on the data type. JPEG & GIF pictures are already compressed and GRIB files are in a binary format and do not compress very well, plan text messages compress a lot better.

Service providers like SailMail and WinLink use a software package called Airmail 3.
The Airmail 3 software offer many features:

• Email compression
• Send and receive email with attachments
• Request and download weather data and grib files
• GPS input for automatic position reporting via email
• Shadow mail allows you to monitor other POP3 email accounts.
• Update blog pages and position on SailBolgs
• Built in radio propagation program
• Supports connectivity via Pactor modem, Internet or satellite phone
• Controls SSB transceiver including setting the station and frequencies.

Click here for PDF file on setting up Sailmail access via Iridium

Airmail works with MS Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Runing Airmail 3 under Unbutu (Linux)
If you have wine installed on a computer running Unbuntu then there are very few problems using Airmail3!

MS Windows used COM ports and Linux does not, so you have to map the USB port to a COM port.

Plug the USB modem into a USB port on your Unbuntu computer.

In terminal get a list of devices by typing ls /dev/ttyUSB*
This will list all USB ports being used, if no other USB being used then it should just list the one port /dev/ttyUSB0
Now move to the Wine dosdevices directory, type cd .wine/dosdevices
Then type sudo ln -s /dev/ttyUSB0 com1
You will then need to enter to route password.

Thats it, close terminal

Now in the Airmail3 software under options select comm port COM1

Sailmail is a USA organization offering SSB email service to yachtsmen for just $250 year. Sailmail uses a client software package called Airmail which is available free of charge. Sailmail coverage is very good, with a global network of stations, including a station here in Europe and the Red Sea.

Sailmail operates on a mixture of private and marine frequencies so do make sure that your marine SSB transceiver has been modified to cover the frequencies operated by Sailmail. The European version of the ICOM M710 and M801 will need to be modified.

The best modem to use with Sailmail is the SCS PTC-IIusb with PACTOR III or the new P4dragon which uses PACTOR 4. Either modems with the Airmail software and suitable SSB transceiver allows for remote tuning to the correct SailMail station and frequency

SailMail Web site

AirMail Web site

Brunei Bay Radio providing low cost HF SSB radio communications and HF radio (SSB) and e-mail services for yachts, charter vessels and small-craft in the North West Pacific, Asia and Indian Ocean.

The service area extends in a roughly 4000nm radius from BRUNEI BAY RADIO's base, located at approximately 5 degrees North, and 115 degrees East.

For further details on Brunei Bay Radio visit Brunei Bay Radio.

To use the Winlink 2000 SSB email system, you must hold an Amateur Radio licence or be a member of a supported organization or agency. Use of the system and all software is free of charge for those who qualify.
Winlink 2000 is very similar to SailMail and uses the same Airmail software. Basically Winlink is SailMail but over amateur radio frequencies where SailMail uses marine frequencies.
For further details on free SSB email visit winlink 2000 web site.

The Global Link Network offers its clients a multitude of services in the field of maritime communications via a worldwide net of service partners. Global Link Network SSB services include:-

• Receiving and sending email, up to 10 Mbs per year.
• Receive weather information and send position reports.
• Operates on marine allocated frequencies.
• Software used is standard e-mail and web browser software such as Microsoft Outlook Express and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
• Secure link, GLN uses the professional version of PACTOR III which offers users security when sending or receiving messages.

For further details on the Global Link Network web site