Long-range communication - help!

[Amadis]

Hi, I 'm planning a cruise from UK - NZ in a 38' yacht and am getting very muddled trying to decide the best form of long-distance communications.: SSB, Inmarsat-C, Ham.......???

I want to be able to recieve weather, nav, and safety info - I have a laptop to connect up with. Maybe send/recieve e mails. Voice communication not a nessecity. I want a relatively simple, cost-effective system.

Previously I was planning on getting a SSB tranceiver - I am actually doing the long range cert course at the mo. I'm not too sure now how useful SSB is these days. I would certainly consider buying a receiver at least.

Would apprieciate any advice!

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[petery]

You can currently buy an Inmarsat-C outfit on E-bay for as little as £300. This gives you e-mail, deep sea forecasts and GMDSS distress facilities as well as an extra GPS. I bought a Trimble Galaxy outfit from the US via e-bay for about £350 freight and duty paid to the UK that connects to a cheap laptop running DOS.

Mind you, have only used it so far to e-mail Classic FM for a request while crossing the channel. I use Stratos in Canada as my accounting authority (?)

Search www.ebay.com for 'Inmarsat'

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[snowleopard]

once you head west, SSB becomes a must-have. it can receive weatherfax and voice forecasts. in the caribbean it will get you onto the safety and weather nets and for the crossings you can have radio schedules with others going the same way. you can do email via SSB but probably difficult in the pacific and not totally reliable.

inmarsat is reliable but expensive, especially useful for email

sat phones are expensive & difficult to set up for email.

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[Talbot]

Having looked at the relative costs, I have gone the SSB route, but plan to become a radio ham as well (Novice level only) as this opens up more options (especially on Email costs)

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[Sunnyseeker]

That was our biggest regret, wish we'd had SSB...the proper cert's weren't very common most people we met just bought one and then used them to recieve the weather, and keep in touch with friends they made on route...
We just had a reciever (NASA) which was great with a laptop and free french software (not the rubbish that comes with the radio) we would listen in to friends on their nets to get their weather etc...Keep your eyes open for the free map software circulating...we had back up world wide charts for emergencies...old but showed all the rocks from Penzance to Auckland!

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[hamish]

Hi

can you give any more inforation on this french software to use with the NASA

regards

Hamish

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[hamish]

Hi

stick with SSB have a look at www.sailmail.com for using SSB for email if you do get you HAM licencse can also use www.winkink.org/k4cjx/ which is a home page

regards

Hamish

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[Talbot]

Think there might be something wrong with your link as I cant find it.

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[hamish]

Hi Just try www.winlink.org and go from their, it works

good luck

Hamish

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[Amadis]

Free map software?! Sounds good. I am using the traditional paper charts but with a laptop on board back -up electronic charts can always be useful

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[Amadis]

Free map software?! Sounds good. I am using the traditional paper charts but with a laptop on board back -up electronic charts can always be useful

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[Amadis]

SSB does seem to be the best way. I am hoping to get a good secondhand one. In terms of instalation I have to replace a backstay anyhow so making the new one insulated shouldn't be too much extra hassle.
Any info on the best way to ground the arial on a wooden yacht? I am lucky in that I can get to the inside of the hull virtually everywhere - still building joinery inside!
Can Ham nets be picked up easily on SSB?

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