| April 2005
- Traditionally HF SSB (high frequency
single sideband) radio has been widely used for long distance
communication by boat owners. This has allowed boat to
boat and (via commercial shore stations) expensive boat
to land telephone calls. The equipment was also used for
receiving voice weather forecasts and (in conjunction
with a computer) weather facsimile pictures.
Nowadays boaters are turning more
and more to email for communication. Close to land this
has not been difficult but offshore email has either
been difficult or expensive. The advent of Pactor (invented
by SCS GMBH) has changed all that. Pactor is the name
of the system by which the digital data of the email
is converted to modulation of the SSB signal for transmission
over long distances. The device that does this is called
a Pactor modem.
For boaters who already have SSB onboard,
they simply need to purchase a Pactor modem to hook
up between their computer and the SSB. They can then
send email via HF radio to a number of shore stations,
who then feed the messages into the internet and on
to their destination.
The most popular shore side provider
is Sailmail (www.sailmail.com). For around $200 per
year this not for profit organization will provide the
shore side facilities to send and receive email via
SSB. Licensed radio amateurs are able to use a network
run by other radio hams for free.
Pactor modems are now available at
Budget Marine stores. More details:
http://WWW.SCS-PTC.COM
http://WWW.PACTOR.INFO
http://WWW.SAILMAIL.COM
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