Be very careful of ever listening to Larry...he is often a technical
idiot...but not always. So listen to him only when you well understand the
turf...he has a gem once in a while but not for the newby.

PSK is a toy mode for rag chewing. It is nice. I use it and recommend it.
But it is not for any even semi-serious conversation. It is a different
version of operating AM on the long wave bands. Fine for hobbyist but not
really practical. Good CW for the Morse defective.

Serious boat stuff is done in PACTOR for email and similar or good old SSB
for position stuff or various nets. The email systems are actually pretty
sophisticated and involve a lot more than Pactor. But Pactor is pretty well
required.

Ideally one goes with some combo like an ICOM 710 and 706. The 710 is an
SSB receiver that will work on the ham bands while the 706 is an amateur
radio that will work on the marine HF bands. Non-emergency use of the 706
on marine bands is illegal but works quite well. I would however consider
it an emergency any time I needed to work on marine HF and did not have a
legal marine radio available. YMMV.

Jim Donohue KO6MH

wrote in message
...
If you get your shore stations also setup with PSK31, you'll have
reliable
text comms from any point on the planet. I worked a Japanese station that
was running a 20 meter dipole and 10 watts! PSK stations will raise hell
with you if you hog the bandwidth with big powerful transmitters. It is
simply amazing how far down in the noise the computer running this
software
can copy.....a station you can't even hear!

As it's free.....give it a try!

73, and welcome back to ham radio

DE Larry W4CSC

Very cool!

Will definitely check it out

Any rigs your recommend buying to use the above?

Serious boat stuff is done in PACTOR for email and similar or good old SSB
for position stuff or various nets. The email systems are actually pretty
sophisticated and involve a lot more than Pactor. But Pactor is pretty well
required.

I see

But is it correct that pactor is a proprietary format?

wrote in message
...
Serious boat stuff is done in PACTOR for email and similar or good old
SSB
for position stuff or various nets. The email systems are actually pretty
sophisticated and involve a lot more than Pactor. But Pactor is pretty
well
required.

I see

But is it correct that pactor is a proprietary format?

Proprietary inasmuch as only SCS makes TNCs for it. PACTOR I is available
on many TNCs but PACTOR II and III are only available via the SCS TNCs.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

Proprietary inasmuch as only SCS makes TNCs for it. PACTOR I is available
on many TNCs but PACTOR II and III are only available via the SCS TNCs.

Is it worth having equip that uses Pactor 2 and 3?

Absolutely! I know that Winlink has stopped supporting PACTOR I and I
suspect
that Sailmail has too or will soon. PACTOR I is 100 bits per second.
PACTOR-II
is 200 bits per second. PACTOR III can go much higher and is adaptive. I
generally
connectd at around 3400 BPS but it can go a bit higher with a really good
signal.

Doug

wrote in message
...
Proprietary inasmuch as only SCS makes TNCs for it. PACTOR I is available
on many TNCs but PACTOR II and III are only available via the SCS TNCs.

Is it worth having equip that uses Pactor 2 and 3?

Is it worth having equip that uses Pactor 2 and 3?


Absolutely! PACTOR III can go much higher and is adaptive. I

Well then this begs the question should I go straight
for Pactor 3 and forget abt Pactor 2 even?

wrote in message
...

Is it worth having equip that uses Pactor 2 and 3?


Absolutely! PACTOR III can go much higher and is adaptive. I

Well then this begs the question should I go straight
for Pactor 3 and forget abt Pactor 2 even?

I would. You can't actually forget about PACTOR II. All connections
to Winlink (and I believe Sailmail now) are made using PACTOR II. Once
established, it switches to PACTOR III assuming it has determined that the
other end is PACTOR III capable.

If you want to be able to dowload weatherfax product and such you really
want
PACTOR III. Other users appreciate it as well since you will spend alot less
time on the air.

Doug

The 710 is an
SSB receiver that will work on the ham bands while the 706 is an amateur
radio that will work on the marine HF bands.

So which direction would you go above?

wrote in message
news
The 710 is an
SSB receiver that will work on the ham bands while the 706 is an amateur
radio that will work on the marine HF bands.

So which direction would you go above?

The trade offs are as follows"

HAM
Must have a General Class license.
Must have a radio that will do the ham bands.
email is free, but absolutely no commercial traffic.

Marine SSB
Must have a marine SSB rig.
Musr have a Ships Station License for the rig.
Must have a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit for yourself.
Sailmail is $250/yr but you can do commercial traffic.

I went with both. An ICOM-M710 enabled for the ham bands. And I had
both Winlink (ham email) and Sailmail. The M710 is one of the few rigs that
can do the digital modes, such as PACTOR, at full power.

Doug, k3qt
s/v Callista

I went with both. An ICOM-M710 enabled for the ham bands. And I had
both Winlink (ham email) and Sailmail. The M710 is one of the few rigs that
can do the digital modes, such as PACTOR, at full power.

OK Doug thanks

When I asked the question "what direction would you go"
..... I meant which rig would you go for.... i.e. a
ham rig that can do marine bands.... or a marine rig
that can do ham bands

I already have my general class ham license..... juts
not active for years

So.... Im trying to decide what equip to go hence the
question abt a ham rig w/marine bands vs the other