Two Solutions for Getting Email at Sea

So, you’re planning to spend a long time at sea and are wondering how you’ll be able to get your email while you’re voyaging. While this still isn’t as easy as it is on land, it’s becoming easier each year, and this year there are several new or improved products on the market. We’ll take a look at how the tried and true method of sending email over a single-sideband radio has improved, and we’ll take a look at SkyMate — an alternative email system that’s quickly gaining popularity.

While it’s not the largest unit in this nav station, don’t be fooled about its capabilities. The Pactor HF radio modem (gray box at top right) can handle an impressive volume of text and data.
   Image Credit: Dan Piltch

The current era of HF/SSB email popularity can be traced to a single development in the late 1980s. Two German amateur radio operators, Hans-Peter Helfert (DL6MAA) and Ulrich Strate (DF4KV) invented a protocol that paved the way for faster transmittal of text via radio. Helfert and Strate named this new approach Pactor (Latin for mediator).

The first version of Pactor improved many aspects of transmission, but speeds were still in the 7- to 14-characters-per-second range. Strate moved on to other projects, but Helfert continued his work on Pactor, devising Pactor-II. This second version improved the protocol significantly and brought speeds up to about 100 characters per second — a truly revolutionary improvement, given that errors in data transmission were largely eliminated as well. Along with Pactor-II, a compression scheme was developed that allowed effective speeds of up to about 140 characters per second, depending on the data being transmitted and, perhaps more importantly, the quality of the radio connection at any given moment.
 

Unlike its predecessor, Pactor-II was kept as a proprietary standard and is available only by license from Helfert’s company, Special Communications Systems GmBh, in Germany. Despite its proprietary nature, Pactor-II became a de facto standard, beating out other competing protocols, such as G-TOR, Throb, Hell and other less provocatively named systems. Because SCS controlled Pactor-II privately, they were able to build a business selling modems licensed to use the Pactor-II protocol. The $699 PTC-IIex and the more powerful PTC-IIpro ($1,049) are the current generation of SCS modems.

In late 2001, Helfert again improved his protocol and created Pactor-III — capable of speeds as high as 640 characters per second (with compression). While these optimum speeds are achieved only under ideal radio operating conditions, they represent a significant improvement over earlier versions. Pactor-III is also a somewhat more robust protocol, able to maintain a radio link when the going gets tough on the SSB airwaves. For reasons like these, Pactor-III has emerged quickly as the protocol of choice among providers of SSB email services to voyagers.

The modem sits between your computer and your SSB radio — relegated to the task of encoding your email messages for transmission over the air and of decoding incoming signals back into text. The last piece of the puzzle for using email over SSB is the coast station or service provider.
 

HF/SSB email service providers

SSB email service providers are the companies and organizations who operate networks of coast stations to transfer your messages. There are a dozen or more of these operations spread around the globe — some are regional operations, while others aspire to truly worldwide coverage.

Winlink Those with a General Class (or better) amateur (ham) radio license can make use of the Winlink network of coast stations, which is generously operated by a worldwide network of amateur volunteers. Winlink is a free system — no sign-up fees, no monthly fees and no usage fees. Other than the ham license requirement, the only catch is that the system cannot be used for commercial purposes (you can’t use the system for profit-making ventures). This restriction arises from the way amateur radio operators are licensed, not Winlink.

In addition to plain-text email, the Winlink network offers other enticing benefits, including a catalog containing hundreds of weather products that can be requested via email — such as weatherfax charts, text forecasts and grib models from around the world. It is possible to send email attachments via Winlink, although there are some practical considerations, given the nature of the slow-speed connection. A position-reporting feature lets users file brief updates via email, which then plots the vessel’s time, position and a brief comment on a map that can be viewed on the Internet by anyone who knows the vessel’s amateur call sign.

SailMail SailMail is an alternative to Winlink for the non-ham sailing community. This is a nonprofit organization, founded by sailors, that uses its annual dues ($250 per member) to fund the operation of its network of about 15 stations around the world. No amateur license is necessary to join, though you must have a proper ship station license and call sign. In the United States, this comes from the Federal Communications Commission. No test is required to obtain the license, but you do need to fill out the forms and send in appropriate payment. SailMail users are limited to 10 minutes of use per day — more than adequate for recreational email use.

SailMail users can use an associated service, SailDocs, to retrieve text weather forecasts. Email attachments are not supported, with the exception of small grib weather files. Both the Winlink and SailMail systems use PC-based AirMail software as the email client. Written by veteran cruiser Jim Corenman, AirMail is straightforward to install and use, and can be downloaded from the Internet at no cost at www.airmail2000.com.

There are other service providers, including WLO Radio in Mobile, Ala., and CruiseEmail in Florida. The stations operated by Florida-based MarineNet radio were off the air as of publication, but service may resume in the future. A comparison chart on our website at www.marinecomputer.com summarizes the capabilities of most of the North American service providers.

Satellite email

A rising star in the world of email at sea is Virginia-based SkyMate. Led by former Orbcomm Chief Technology Officer John Tandler, SkyMate is a satellite-based, rather than HF/SSB-based, email system. The hardware consists of a silver box dubbed the SkyMate Communicator (about the size of a small paperback book), a 38-inch stainless-steel whip antenna, and your own computer. The $929 purchase price, includes everything you’ll need to get up and running — except of course the computer, which you provide.

In addition to the standard text emails that SkyMate features, you also have access to a significant amount of weather information (including text forecasts, real-time weather buoy information, radar imagery, as well as weather charts from the National Weather Service). Other features are the voice and fax capabilities. These are both one-way services that enable you to create a text-based message, which is then either faxed to the number you designate or read in a computer-generated voice to whoever picks up the phone after dialing the number you specify.

Once you have the unit installed, you’ll need to sign up for one of three service plans (silver, gold or platinum) ranging from $16 to $70 per month. Service is billed according to the number of characters transmitted and received in a given month. Each plan includes a certain amount of free characters and a charge per 1,000 characters transmitted or received beyond the free allotment. Plans can be changed at will each month, and your account can be set aside for inactive months by switching to a Dry-Dock plan ($4.99 per month), which maintains your email address (and the ability to check it using the Web-based interface) until you decide to reactivate.

A popular feature of SkyMate is its position-reporting ability. By hooking up your vessel’s GPS into the SkyMate Communicator, you can generate position reports, which are sent to an email address (or several addresses) of your choosing. You can also designate the frequency with which these position reports are sent — perhaps once a day or once an hour, depending on how anxious your shoreside followers are. With an ID and password, they’re able to view your location on a Maptech chart via the Internet.
 

SkyMate’s software (included in each of the above packages) is a testament to thoughtfully designed, easy-to-use interfaces. The screens feature large buttons with clear functions. It’s very difficult to “break” the software. This is one of only a few marine software packages that is easy to learn, even for a novice computer user.

Most problems we’ve seen with SkyMate systems can be traced to the antenna system. Improvements have been made from a larger fiberglass whip — which was susceptible to internal damage when bent — to the now-standard stainless-steel whip, which seems to be more rugged. A loose connector on the antenna cable can have serious consequences, with messages not being delivered as intended. Fortunately, this is easy to diagnose and easy to fix. The software includes a system statistics screen that indicates how well the system is communicating with the satellites overhead — a boon to troubleshooting antenna problems.

SkyMate uses a store-and-forward messaging scheme, meaning that messages may not be transmitted instantaneously when you press the send button. Rather they’re stored in the memory of the SkyMate box until an appropriate satellite is in view — the message is then sent on to the satellite for onward delivery. Inbound messages are similarly routed to appropriate satellites. For most of SkyMate’s coverage area (most of the world except for the South Pacific and waters near southern Africa) a satellite would be in view within five to 20 minutes.

SkyMate was approved recently for commercial fishery use in four U.S. regions. This significant burst of activity in an already growing company suggests that SkyMate is here to stay.

Though based on very different technologies, SkyMate and the Pactor/SSB systems offer similar pricing and similar functionality. SkyMate would be a good choice for a beginning computer user or technophobe, while the Pactor solution is ideal for ham radio users or those who enjoy getting a little hands-on with technology. Both have proven to be reliable and cost-effective means for getting email at sea.

 

The first version of Pactor improved many aspects of transmission, but speeds were still in the 7- to 14-characters-per-second range. Strate moved on to other projects, but Helfert continued his work on Pactor, devising Pactor-II. This second version improved the protocol significantly and brought speeds up to about 100 characters per second &mdash a truly revolutionary improvement, given that errors in data transmission were largely eliminated as well. Along with Pactor-II, a compression scheme was developed that allowed effective speeds of up to about 140 characters per second, depending on the data being transmitted and, perhaps more importantly, the quality of the radio connection at any given moment.

Unlike its predecessor, Pactor-II was kept as a proprietary standard and is available only by license from Helfert's company, Special Communications Systems GmBh, in Germany. Despite its proprietary nature, Pactor-II became a de facto standard, beating out other competing protocols, such as G-TOR, Throb, Hell and other less provocatively named systems. Because SCS controlled Pactor-II privately, they were able to build a business selling modems licensed to use the Pactor-II protocol. The $699 PTC-IIex and the more powerful PTC-IIpro ($1,049) are the current generation of SCS modems.

In late 2001, Helfert again improved his protocol and created Pactor-III &mdash capable of speeds as high as 640 characters per second (with compression). While these optimum speeds are achieved only under ideal radio operating conditions, they represent a significant improvement over earlier versions. Pactor-III is also a somewhat more robust protocol, able to maintain a radio link when the going gets tough on the SSB airwaves. For reasons like these, Pactor-III has emerged quickly as the protocol of choice among providers of SSB email services to voyagers.

The modem sits between your computer and your SSB radio &mdash relegated to the task of encoding your email messages for transmission over the air and of decoding incoming signals back into text. The last piece of the puzzle for using email over SSB is the coast station or service provider.

HF/SSB email service providers

SSB email service providers are the companies and organizations who operate networks of coast stations to transfer your messages. There are a dozen or more of these operations spread around the globe &mdash some are regional operations, while others aspire to truly worldwide coverage.

Winlink Those with a General Class (or better) amateur (ham) radio license can make use of the Winlink network of coast stations, which is generously operated by a worldwide network of amateur volunteers. Winlink is a free system &mdash no sign-up fees, no monthly fees and no usage fees. Other than the ham license requirement, the only catch is that the system cannot be used for commercial purposes (you can't use the system for profit-making ventures). This restriction arises from the way amateur radio operators are licensed, not Winlink.

In addition to plain-text email, the Winlink network offers other enticing benefits, including a catalog containing hundreds of weather products that can be requested via email &mdash such as weatherfax charts, text forecasts and grib models from around the world. It is possible to send email attachments via Winlink, although there are some practical considerations, given the nature of the slow-speed connection. A position-reporting feature lets users file brief updates via email, which then plots the vessel's time, position and a brief comment on a map that can be viewed on the Internet by anyone who knows the vessel's amateur call sign.

SailMail SailMail is an alternative to Winlink for the non-ham sailing community. This is a nonprofit organization, founded by sailors, that uses its annual dues ($250 per member) to fund the operation of its network of about 15 stations around the world. No amateur license is necessary to join, though you must have a proper ship station license and call sign. In the United States, this comes from the Federal Communications Commission. No test is required to obtain the license, but you do need to fill out the forms and send in appropriate payment. SailMail users are limited to 10 minutes of use per day &mdash more than adequate for recreational email use.

SailMail users can use an associated service, SailDocs, to retrieve text weather forecasts. Email attachments are not supported, with the exception of small grib weather files. Both the Winlink and SailMail systems use PC-based AirMail software as the email client. Written by veteran cruiser Jim Corenman, AirMail is straightforward to install and use, and can be downloaded from the Internet at no cost at www.airmail2000.com.

There are other service providers, including WLO Radio in Mobile, Ala., and CruiseEmail in Florida. The stations operated by Florida-based MarineNet radio were off the air as of publication, but service may resume in the future. A comparison chart on our website at www.marinecomputer.com summarizes the capabilities of most of the North American service providers.

Satellite email

A rising star in the world of email at sea is Virginia-based SkyMate. Led by former Orbcomm Chief Technology Officer John Tandler, SkyMate is a satellite-based, rather than HF/SSB-based, email system. The hardware consists of a silver box dubbed the SkyMate Communicator (about the size of a small paperback book), a 38-inch stainless-steel whip antenna, and your own computer. The $929 purchase price, includes everything you'll need to get up and running &mdash except of course the computer, which you provide.

In addition to the standard text emails that SkyMate features, you also have access to a significant amount of weather information (including text forecasts, real-time weather buoy information, radar imagery, as well as weather charts from the National Weather Service). Other features are the voice and fax capabilities. These are both one-way services that enable you to create a text-based message, which is then either faxed to the number you designate or read in a computer-generated voice to whoever picks up the phone after dialing the number you specify.

Once you have the unit installed, you'll need to sign up for one of three service plans (silver, gold or platinum) ranging from $16 to $70 per month. Service is billed according to the number of characters transmitted and received in a given month. Each plan includes a certain amount of free characters and a charge per 1,000 characters transmitted or received beyond the free allotment. Plans can be changed at will each month, and your account can be set aside for inactive months by switching to a Dry-Dock plan ($4.99 per month), which maintains your email address (and the ability to check it using the Web-based interface) until you decide to reactivate.

A popular feature of SkyMate is its position-reporting ability. By hooking up your vessel's GPS into the SkyMate Communicator, you can generate position reports, which are sent to an email address (or several addresses) of your choosing. You can also designate the frequency with which these position reports are sent &mdash perhaps once a day or once an hour, depending on how anxious your shoreside followers are. With an ID and password, they're able to view your location on a Maptech chart via the Internet.

SkyMate's software (included in each of the above packages) is a testament to thoughtfully designed, easy-to-use interfaces. The screens feature large buttons with clear functions. It's very difficult to "break" the software. This is one of only a few marine software packages that is easy to learn, even for a novice computer user.

Most problems we've seen with SkyMate systems can be traced to the antenna system. Improvements have been made from a larger fiberglass whip &mdash which was susceptible to internal damage when bent &mdash to the now-standard stainless-steel whip, which seems to be more rugged. A loose connector on the antenna cable can have serious consequences, with messages not being delivered as intended. Fortunately, this is easy to diagnose and easy to fix. The software includes a system statistics screen that indicates how well the system is communicating with the satellites overhead &mdash a boon to troubleshooting antenna problems.

SkyMate uses a store-and-forward messaging scheme, meaning that messages may not be transmitted instantaneously when you press the send button. Rather they're stored in the memory of the SkyMate box until an appropriate satellite is in view &mdash the message is then sent on to the satellite for onward delivery. Inbound messages are similarly routed to appropriate satellites. For most of SkyMate's coverage area (most of the world except for the South Pacific and waters near southern Africa) a satellite would be in view within five to 20 minutes.

SkyMate was approved recently for commercial fishery use in four U.S. regions. This significant burst of activity in an already growing company suggests that SkyMate is here to stay.

Though based on very different technologies, SkyMate and the Pactor/SSB systems offer similar pricing and similar functionality. SkyMate would be a good choice for a beginning computer user or technophobe, while the Pactor solution is ideal for ham radio users or those who enjoy getting a little hands-on with technology. Both have proven to be reliable and cost-effective means for getting email at sea.

By Ocean Navigator