SSB shortwave radio email systems offer a low cost alternative to mobile and satellite phone systems and offers near global coverage. Most SSB email system work on an annual subscription, 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 IC-M710 or ICOM M801, a radio modem and a computer running Mircosoft Windows 95 or above operating system.
Once you have your SSB radio to the correct frequency and connected up to your PACTOR modem, sending SSB email is as easy as sending email via your telephone line or mobile phone.


Frequencies & licensingThe 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 to work on these frequencies.

SSB radio Modem and Transmission Media
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-III transmission speeds of 2.8 kbits per second or sometimes faster (3.6k max) can be achieved. For more information on PACTOR visit WWW.PACTOR.INFO

Click here for details on price
and ordering details of PACTOR modems

There are several SSB email service providers these are:-

www.sailmail.com
Global Link Network (GLN)
Kiel Radio - member of part of GLN

WinLink - Amateur radio email service

Sailmail is a USA organization offering SSB email service to yachtsmen for just $250 year. Sailmail used 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 M801 will need to be modificated. For the M801 this is a simple software change, at YachtCom we have the software and tools and can do this for you.

The best modem to use with Sailmail is the SCS PTC-IIusb with PACTOR III. Using the SCS PTC-IIusb modem with the Sailmail software allows for remote tuning of your ICOMM710 or M801 transceiver.

SSB Email frequencies for SailMail European Station

Station callsign: OSY Location: Brugge, Belgium
Ship station dial receive frequencies in kHz.			Ship station dial transmit frequencies in kHz.	Channel ID (Callsign given in morse code)	Status
6329.0			6329.0	OSY	ON AIR
8420.0			8420.5	OSY	ONAIR
12579.0			12579.0	OY	ON AIR
16806.5			16806.5	OSY	ON AIR

For further details on Sailmail visit
www.sailmail.com.

For further details on Airmail client software visit
www.airmail2000.com

SailCom Marine can provide you with the SCS PACTOR 3 modem configured to work with SailMail including connecting leads to your SSB transceiver, click here for details.

Kiel Radio is Europe's leading marine SSB email provider.

• Global Link Network SSB services includes:-
  • 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.
  • Kiel Radio works with SCS PTC-IIe PACTOR modem using professional version of PACTOR III.
  • Secure link, Kiel Radio uses the professional version of PACTOR III which offers users security when sending or receiving messages.

Click here to visit the Kiel Radio web site

Germany, Kiel	DAO	5 Channels on air
Switzerland, Bern	HEB	7 Channels on air
Philipines, Manila	DZO	3 Channels on air
USA, Washington	KKL	1 Channel on air