HF SSB E mail/web portal

[Richard Hosking]

No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to the
web via HF SSB/data?
I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
several hundred km away
I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?

Thanks
Richard

[Rob Judd]

Richard Hosking wrote:
>
> No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to the
> web via HF SSB/data?
> I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
> no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
> several hundred km away
> I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
> What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?

Richard,

If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
The only legit way is via a WiPoP which is short range and would require
infrastructure in your area of interest. Skip it.

Rob

[Rob Judd]

Richard Hosking wrote:
>
> No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to the
> web via HF SSB/data?
> I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
> no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
> several hundred km away
> I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
> What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?

Richard,

If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
The only legit way is via a WiPoP which is short range and would require
infrastructure in your area of interest. Skip it.

Rob

[Z.Z.]

Rob Judd wrote:
>
> If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
> ...

Really? Please quote the reg that makes it illegal.

[Z.Z.]

Rob Judd wrote:
>
> If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
> ...

Really? Please quote the reg that makes it illegal.

[Rob Judd]

He said "interfacing to the web", pal. He did not specifically mention
passing email in a manner that doesn't contravene regulations.

See License Conditions Determination 1, 1997 Section 2 part 11.

Rob


Z.Z. wrote:
>
> Rob Judd wrote:
> >
> > If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
> > ...
>
> Really? Please quote the reg that makes it illegal.

[Rob Judd]

He said "interfacing to the web", pal. He did not specifically mention
passing email in a manner that doesn't contravene regulations.

See License Conditions Determination 1, 1997 Section 2 part 11.

Rob


Z.Z. wrote:
>
> Rob Judd wrote:
> >
> > If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
> > ...
>
> Really? Please quote the reg that makes it illegal.

[Rob Judd]

But of course, if you're in Tucson this doesn't apply. :)

There are FCC regs forbidding it too, but there are evidently loopholes
in the US. None here in Australia though, which is where the question
originated.

Rob


Z.Z. wrote:
>
> Rob Judd wrote:
> >
> > If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
> > ...
>
> Really? Please quote the reg that makes it illegal.

[Rob Judd]

But of course, if you're in Tucson this doesn't apply. :)

There are FCC regs forbidding it too, but there are evidently loopholes
in the US. None here in Australia though, which is where the question
originated.

Rob


Z.Z. wrote:
>
> Rob Judd wrote:
> >
> > If you knew the regs you'd know that this is illegal on the ham bands.
> > ...
>
> Really? Please quote the reg that makes it illegal.

[Richard Hosking]

The problems with a satellite solution are cost, weight and power. I want to
be able to carry the whole thing backpack for several hundred km and for it
to operate on battery power. There is a commercial HF SSB station in Sydney
for marine radio - it looks like I would be using this if I was in the
eastern states of Australia (ultimately I want to do an extended trek along
the Vic/NSW alpine trail). This is mainly remote mountainous country with
occasional 4WD tracks and roads and very few settlements. I have loked at
the SSB radio options - the best seems to be the SCS transceiver, but Rx
current is still> 100mA.
I would probably use a PalmPilot as the computer part with an interface to
this. Here in WA there doesnt seem to be any options (we are 3000km from the
eastern seaboard). All in all a big project!

Richard

Laura Halliday > wrote in message
om...
> "Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
>...
>
> > No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to
the
>
> > web via HF SSB/data?
>
> > I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack
with
>
> > no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could
be
>
> > several hundred km away
>
> > I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if
available.
>
> > What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
>
> This shoulds like a job for a satellite. If worst comes
> to worst, plug a modem in to a satellite phone and dial
> up your ISP...
>
> The first UoSATs were for exactly this sort of application:
> take a briefcase-sized station in to the field and send
> chitchat back to home base by satellite, completely
> independent of terrestrial infrastructure, which may not
> exist anyway.
>
> We have satellite Internet here in Canada. It isn't cheap.
>
> Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
> Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
> ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

[Richard Hosking]

The problems with a satellite solution are cost, weight and power. I want to
be able to carry the whole thing backpack for several hundred km and for it
to operate on battery power. There is a commercial HF SSB station in Sydney
for marine radio - it looks like I would be using this if I was in the
eastern states of Australia (ultimately I want to do an extended trek along
the Vic/NSW alpine trail). This is mainly remote mountainous country with
occasional 4WD tracks and roads and very few settlements. I have loked at
the SSB radio options - the best seems to be the SCS transceiver, but Rx
current is still> 100mA.
I would probably use a PalmPilot as the computer part with an interface to
this. Here in WA there doesnt seem to be any options (we are 3000km from the
eastern seaboard). All in all a big project!

Richard

Laura Halliday > wrote in message
om...
> "Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
>...
>
> > No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to
the
>
> > web via HF SSB/data?
>
> > I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack
with
>
> > no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could
be
>
> > several hundred km away
>
> > I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if
available.
>
> > What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
>
> This shoulds like a job for a satellite. If worst comes
> to worst, plug a modem in to a satellite phone and dial
> up your ISP...
>
> The first UoSATs were for exactly this sort of application:
> take a briefcase-sized station in to the field and send
> chitchat back to home base by satellite, completely
> independent of terrestrial infrastructure, which may not
> exist anyway.
>
> We have satellite Internet here in Canada. It isn't cheap.
>
> Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
> Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
> ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

[Roger Conroy]

"Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
. au...
> No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to
the
> web via HF SSB/data?
> I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
> no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
> several hundred km away
> I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
> What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
> Thanks
> Richard
>
>

I'm aware of a service that provides e-mail on commercial HF frequencies to
safari camps in Botswana from a base in Johannesburg in South Africa. AFAIK
they use Pactor. Many of these camps are several hundred miles from the
nearest phone line.
(My cousin worked in some of the camps)

73 Roger ZR3RC

[Roger Conroy]

"Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
. au...
> No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to
the
> web via HF SSB/data?
> I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
> no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
> several hundred km away
> I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
> What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
> Thanks
> Richard
>
>

I'm aware of a service that provides e-mail on commercial HF frequencies to
safari camps in Botswana from a base in Johannesburg in South Africa. AFAIK
they use Pactor. Many of these camps are several hundred miles from the
nearest phone line.
(My cousin worked in some of the camps)

73 Roger ZR3RC

[WB3FUP \(Mike Hall\)]

Have you considered adding a solar cell or two the station. I am using a
much smaller radio, but a 15 watt cell has me battery independent. A 1.4
watt cell maintained enough charge on the gel-cell for me to operate field
day weekend.

--
73 es cul

wb3fup
a Salty Bear

"Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
. au...
> The problems with a satellite solution are cost, weight and power. I want
to
> be able to carry the whole thing backpack for several hundred km and for
it
> to operate on battery power. There is a commercial HF SSB station in
Sydney
> for marine radio - it looks like I would be using this if I was in the
> eastern states of Australia (ultimately I want to do an extended trek
along
> the Vic/NSW alpine trail). This is mainly remote mountainous country with
> occasional 4WD tracks and roads and very few settlements. I have loked at
> the SSB radio options - the best seems to be the SCS transceiver, but Rx
> current is still> 100mA.
> I would probably use a PalmPilot as the computer part with an interface
to
> this. Here in WA there doesnt seem to be any options (we are 3000km from
the
> eastern seaboard). All in all a big project!
>
> Richard
>
> Laura Halliday > wrote in message
> om...
> > "Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
> >...
> >
> > > No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing
to
> the
> >
> > > web via HF SSB/data?
> >
> > > I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack
> with
> >
> > > no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure
could
> be
> >
> > > several hundred km away
> >
> > > I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if
> available.
> >
> > > What would be the data format and where would I get more info on
this?
> >
> >
> > This shoulds like a job for a satellite. If worst comes
> > to worst, plug a modem in to a satellite phone and dial
> > up your ISP...
> >
> > The first UoSATs were for exactly this sort of application:
> > take a briefcase-sized station in to the field and send
> > chitchat back to home base by satellite, completely
> > independent of terrestrial infrastructure, which may not
> > exist anyway.
> >
> > We have satellite Internet here in Canada. It isn't cheap.
> >
> > Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
> > Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
> > ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte
>
>

[WB3FUP \(Mike Hall\)]

Have you considered adding a solar cell or two the station. I am using a
much smaller radio, but a 15 watt cell has me battery independent. A 1.4
watt cell maintained enough charge on the gel-cell for me to operate field
day weekend.

--
73 es cul

wb3fup
a Salty Bear

"Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
. au...
> The problems with a satellite solution are cost, weight and power. I want
to
> be able to carry the whole thing backpack for several hundred km and for
it
> to operate on battery power. There is a commercial HF SSB station in
Sydney
> for marine radio - it looks like I would be using this if I was in the
> eastern states of Australia (ultimately I want to do an extended trek
along
> the Vic/NSW alpine trail). This is mainly remote mountainous country with
> occasional 4WD tracks and roads and very few settlements. I have loked at
> the SSB radio options - the best seems to be the SCS transceiver, but Rx
> current is still> 100mA.
> I would probably use a PalmPilot as the computer part with an interface
to
> this. Here in WA there doesnt seem to be any options (we are 3000km from
the
> eastern seaboard). All in all a big project!
>
> Richard
>
> Laura Halliday > wrote in message
> om...
> > "Richard Hosking" > wrote in message
> >...
> >
> > > No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing
to
> the
> >
> > > web via HF SSB/data?
> >
> > > I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack
> with
> >
> > > no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure
could
> be
> >
> > > several hundred km away
> >
> > > I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if
> available.
> >
> > > What would be the data format and where would I get more info on
this?
> >
> >
> > This shoulds like a job for a satellite. If worst comes
> > to worst, plug a modem in to a satellite phone and dial
> > up your ISP...
> >
> > The first UoSATs were for exactly this sort of application:
> > take a briefcase-sized station in to the field and send
> > chitchat back to home base by satellite, completely
> > independent of terrestrial infrastructure, which may not
> > exist anyway.
> >
> > We have satellite Internet here in Canada. It isn't cheap.
> >
> > Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
> > Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
> > ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte
>
>

[Rob Judd]

Laura Halliday wrote:
>
> "Richard Hosking" > wrote in message >...
>
> > No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to the
>
> > web via HF SSB/data?
>
> > I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
>
> > no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
>
> > several hundred km away
>
> > I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
>
> > What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
> This shoulds like a job for a satellite. If worst comes
> to worst, plug a modem in to a satellite phone and dial
> up your ISP...
>
> The first UoSATs were for exactly this sort of application:
> take a briefcase-sized station in to the field and send
> chitchat back to home base by satellite, completely
> independent of terrestrial infrastructure, which may not
> exist anyway.
>
> We have satellite Internet here in Canada. It isn't cheap.

Laura,

We can only get a sat downlink here easily. The uplink is almost always
a dialup.

Rob

[Rob Judd]

Laura Halliday wrote:
>
> "Richard Hosking" > wrote in message >...
>
> > No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to the
>
> > web via HF SSB/data?
>
> > I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
>
> > no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
>
> > several hundred km away
>
> > I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
>
> > What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
> This shoulds like a job for a satellite. If worst comes
> to worst, plug a modem in to a satellite phone and dial
> up your ISP...
>
> The first UoSATs were for exactly this sort of application:
> take a briefcase-sized station in to the field and send
> chitchat back to home base by satellite, completely
> independent of terrestrial infrastructure, which may not
> exist anyway.
>
> We have satellite Internet here in Canada. It isn't cheap.

Laura,

We can only get a sat downlink here easily. The uplink is almost always
a dialup.

Rob

[Williams]

Richard,

I don't know if you ever got the response you needed on this. In my
quick scan of the responses, I did not see any references to the very
common use of HF/SSB as a transport for E-Mail in the maritime
services. Of course, I'm not sure how picky they are about your station
being on a floating platform, so that may be a problem. That said, I
believe INMARSAT started out as a tool for the high seas and is now used
by everyone and everywhere. If that does not work, check out the
available equipment and perhaps seek an experimental license to explore
and invent a new service.

You might try the following:

http://www.marinenet.net/

http://www.cruiseemail.com/locations.html

http://www.sailmail.com/

http://www.yachtcom.co.uk/SSB-email/

http://www.shipcom.com/email.htm

http://www.hfradio.com/

http://www.rodgersmarine.com/links.htm

http://www.globewireless.com/

These are a few URLs that may point you in the right direction. Much of
this is aimed at the casual sailor on a small sailboat or yacht with
modest power (100-250 Watts) and a vertical whip antenna, so it is
pretty basic stuff.

73, Dave

Dave Williams - K7HMP

= = = = = = = = = =

Richard Hosking wrote:
>
> No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to the
> web via HF SSB/data?
> I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
> no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
> several hundred km away
> I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
> What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
> Thanks
> Richard

[Williams]

Richard,

I don't know if you ever got the response you needed on this. In my
quick scan of the responses, I did not see any references to the very
common use of HF/SSB as a transport for E-Mail in the maritime
services. Of course, I'm not sure how picky they are about your station
being on a floating platform, so that may be a problem. That said, I
believe INMARSAT started out as a tool for the high seas and is now used
by everyone and everywhere. If that does not work, check out the
available equipment and perhaps seek an experimental license to explore
and invent a new service.

You might try the following:

http://www.marinenet.net/

http://www.cruiseemail.com/locations.html

http://www.sailmail.com/

http://www.yachtcom.co.uk/SSB-email/

http://www.shipcom.com/email.htm

http://www.hfradio.com/

http://www.rodgersmarine.com/links.htm

http://www.globewireless.com/

These are a few URLs that may point you in the right direction. Much of
this is aimed at the casual sailor on a small sailboat or yacht with
modest power (100-250 Watts) and a vertical whip antenna, so it is
pretty basic stuff.

73, Dave

Dave Williams - K7HMP

= = = = = = = = = =

Richard Hosking wrote:
>
> No doubt this is an easy question, but is there a way of interfacing to the
> web via HF SSB/data?
> I want to be able to do this from a remote location portable/backpack with
> no mobile phone access and low power. The nearest infrastructure could be
> several hundred km away
> I could use amateur bands or possibly a commercial solution if available.
> What would be the data format and where would I get more info on this?
>
> Thanks
> Richard