david36
Well-Known Member
Does anyone have experience of the HF Sailmail or Kiel Radio email service, especially in the Med, Atlantic and W Indies?Practical experiences would be welcome.
Sailmail
- Thread starter david36
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mdrifter
Well-Known Member
We've been using sailmail for about 3 years and it's excellent! Wife was more than a little perturbed at the cost of the modem but is now hooked to email from boat. Used Atlantic France, Spain & Portugal and up Western Med. Have friends in Eastern USA who are also very pleased. Good idea to keep up with updates to AirMail and SCS firmware upgrades. All ssb systems suffer from RFI generated locally by sm chargers and fridge/freexers - good idea to switch such on-board equipment off and use under battery power whilst close to land or within harbour/marina. Away from shore usually no such problems and access to weather info as well as being able to email anyone is wonderful and worth every penny of SailMail sub.
anglo_saxon
Well-Known Member
we have opted for sailmail and will watch this thread with interest.
Sea Devil
Well-Known Member
I used sailmail from Venezuela all the way back to La Rochelle via the Antipodes. Despite all the wonders of satellite communications and buying local cell phones I found it much better and absolutely the way to go as a primary communication method. Once it is up and running with the modem the annual cost is fixed $200 US per annum I think. It is so much cheaper and so efficient. There are some problems in marinas and as already posted sometimes you need to switch of things like the fridge but out at sea and on anchorage it works brilliantly. I think it is the system of choice for long distance cruising unless you have unlimited funds.
michael_w
Well-Known Member
A superb system. Only went wrong when I tipped a glass of wine into the laptop! Do remember it takes patience and a bit of practice to get the best out of HF radio.
davidbains
Well-Known Member
Anbody tried it using a Mac laptop!?
Paragon
Well-Known Member
Can only echo most other responses, found sailmail efficient and you can even pick it up from land based browser such as outlook over broadband so have the best of both worlds, one email address for shore & boat!
As mention HF usage requires patience and practice to get the best of it and also found the weather facility built in tremendous!
John
As mention HF usage requires patience and practice to get the best of it and also found the weather facility built in tremendous!
John
A
Anonymous
Guest
I concur with all the comments thus far but would add that if you have an electronics background you might find it quite easy to get a full amateur radio licence.
I took all my exams at the same time this time last year (after only a few days of self-study) and now have the choice of Sailmail which comes via the marine ssb or winlink (an identical service) which comes via the amateur network. The advantage of winlink is the large number of stations around the world compared with sailmail...and it is free. However, I do subscribe to Sailmail in any case.
If you don't have an degree or HND in electronics or physics, or are not a keen amateur electronics enthusiast, then you might find the amateur course challenging.
I took all my exams at the same time this time last year (after only a few days of self-study) and now have the choice of Sailmail which comes via the marine ssb or winlink (an identical service) which comes via the amateur network. The advantage of winlink is the large number of stations around the world compared with sailmail...and it is free. However, I do subscribe to Sailmail in any case.
If you don't have an degree or HND in electronics or physics, or are not a keen amateur electronics enthusiast, then you might find the amateur course challenging.
VicMallows
Well-Known Member
Re: Winlink
As a Radio Amateur who's been 'dormant' for many years now, I had not really paid much attention to Winlink and the like. Reading up on it has inspired me to get back into the hobby! I think some of my equipment (813 valves etc) might need updating a little!! (Oh well, better send the £15 off for another year ... hopefully the last if changes go the way we hope).
Vic G3TSM
As a Radio Amateur who's been 'dormant' for many years now, I had not really paid much attention to Winlink and the like. Reading up on it has inspired me to get back into the hobby! I think some of my equipment (813 valves etc) might need updating a little!! (Oh well, better send the £15 off for another year ... hopefully the last if changes go the way we hope).
Vic G3TSM
A
Anonymous
Guest
Re: Winlink
Many things are going to change, I think...lots of gloomy faces at the HF Conference at Crawley last year (where I sat my exams). Still, the world changes and we adapt. Is the idea that we will no longer have to re-validate the licence every year? I'm not very worried about the £15 considering the privileges it confers, but it is a pain, especially while we are cruising.
Many things are going to change, I think...lots of gloomy faces at the HF Conference at Crawley last year (where I sat my exams). Still, the world changes and we adapt. Is the idea that we will no longer have to re-validate the licence every year? I'm not very worried about the £15 considering the privileges it confers, but it is a pain, especially while we are cruising.
Benbow
Well-Known Member
Re: Winlink
There seem to be a bunch of radio amateurs on here. Anyone fancy arranging a sked with a 5Z4 station ? 20m is wildly up and down between Europe and here at the moment. PM me- I don't want to put my callsign on here as it provides too much information!!
There seem to be a bunch of radio amateurs on here. Anyone fancy arranging a sked with a 5Z4 station ? 20m is wildly up and down between Europe and here at the moment. PM me- I don't want to put my callsign on here as it provides too much information!!
slavkod
Well-Known Member
we have used sailmail up to Istanbul, Greece, Italy and Croatia. Great. Including weather forecast, grid files etc..
Slavko
Slavko
