SSB Licence + Email

[Guest]

I am at the start of the long road of buying and equpping a boat for a three year circumnavigation. One of my questions is with regard to communication. I want to be able to send and receive e-mail from anywhere.

Is Iridium the only option or does SSB e-mail really work? I have seen the earlier post on the subject and have visited the SailMail website. I would value further opionion on the Sat Phone vs SSB argument.

I also need to know what licence i need to use SSB and how I go about getting it.

Thanks in Advance

Will Welbourn

 

[snowleopard]

re the licence issue, you need to get a long range certificate which is usually done via a 4-day course though i expect you could just take the exam if you have experience. the syllabus covers ssb, vhf, dsc, navtex and (optionally) inmarsat-c. once you have the certificate for yourself you need a licence for the boat, it's the same one as you have for the vhf set with the extra gear listed.

sailmail apparently works ok but only if you are in reasonable range ie not worldwide.

 

[Guest]

Another possibility is the Amateur Radio Net. You would need to buy a SSB radio which includes the amateur bands but, more importantly, you would need an Amateur Radio certificate which involves quite intensive studying (unless you have an electronics background) and examinations. Their e-mail system is called winlink and informatio can be obtained from K4CJX@winlink.org. There are other advantages in being able to use the amateur radio nets, such as weather forecasting nets when out of range of navtex.

 

[summerwind]

I have just completed the course and obtained the long range licence. Don't try to pass the exam without the course, as suggested above, the syllabus is very wide and doesn't just cover the SSB.

SSB e-mail definitely works, I have seen it. I have also read a lot of reports of cruisers using the Sail Mail network happily as well as Keil Radio. The latter is good for Europe and the Atlantic but I understand not so good once through the Panama canal.

You can, with the correct software, get weatherfax via the SSB.

Of course, there are weather routing nets you can join which will help you with avoiding bad weather on ocean crossings.

If you want to go the sattelite route, SatnavC will give you what you want. I understand that it costs about £4,000 to install. An advantage is that you have GMDSS with this system if, God forbid, you get into serious trouble.

 

[Danthegorrila]

We have just been through the same delema.

We have opted for the SSB, local mobile phone pay as you go card and cyber cafes. Obviously we don't know if it will work yet but here are some of the reasons we came to this conclusion.

Word is SSB and SSb e-mail works and is cheap, once bought.
The SSB weather information looks good and effective.

Iridium is very expensive at the moment $2 per min and very expensive to call from the UK -over £3 per min ( they don't tell you that bit) Iridium is an option for the future I could see us do this in several years when it come down in cost.

Immarsat seems to have its days numbered due to Iridium, everyone seems to suggest that this is going to become a BetaMax Video.

I have found SSB LRC licence courses only near Southampton, they last 4 days and cost £200 = 75 for the exam I am going with Yachtcom, but there are others, I'm going in November I will report on the course later, unless I se you there!

Yachtcom also supply all the softwear that is very expensive.

PB

 

[Guest]

I suspect that you will find the amateur radio license more use, because it gives access to the amateur radio marine nets for things like weather routing. many radio hams will not respond to an unlicenced caller on the ham frequencies, but the license is now quite easy to get.
the requirements are the simple technical exam and 5 wpm morse - a level which is easy to get to, unlike the old 12 wpm level.

 

[ean_p]

do you mean the foundation licence here Howard??

 

[Danthegorrila]

any idea where you can get a amateur licence? is it just a test or a course.

I am told mairne SSB can easily ( possibly ilegally) adapted to do both ham and marine, any information?



PB

 

[Spacewaist]

The LRC SSB/Inmarsat etc course is available in a number of south coast locations. When I did mine (1996) I was pointed at John Finch (I think RT Training) who advertises regularly in YM. I was steered away from the others although YotCom didnt trade then - at least not under that name. His was a good course at the weekend in Soton (need extra day if you are doing Sat Com too).

Some SSB Receivers can be jury rigged to civilians bands but - as you say - it is illegal.

D'ya've a gd weekend?
We're through the worst of it now.....Oh!Gybe Ohhhhh..!

 

[Dallas]

Just a thought but a colleague bought an Ericsson Satellite phone some time ago which has a built in modem for sending and receiving email etc. As far as I remember it works on the Globalstar network and only with a Vodaphone SIM card

Its one of the older – and larger – models and I think it’s been discontinued. I will try to find out more info because the thing that sticks in my mind was the incredibly cheap price. But before I go putting both feet in it I will find out more info and post later.


Dallas

 

[Dallas]

More information, as promised

The phone is an Ericsson R290 GSM/Satellite phone. It has a built in modem and infra red port so emails can be sent and received. It works as a standard GSM phone on any network (not sure about Orange) but only Vodaphone support the Globalstar Satellite system so only they can update (for free) the SIM so you can make and receive satellite calls. The phone will first look for a GSM cell, if it can’t find one it switches automatically to Satellite. There is a lot more to them than I can write here and my colleague is over the moon with it. It cost him £175 including delivery and VAT and is contract free.

Don’t know if this is a viable alternative to SSB or Iridium but it’s got to be worth investigating if only for the price.


Dallas