Email via Ham Radio
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The daily position reports and log file were sent by email from Meriah via a ham radio system to my son Peter in Toronto.
The email goes from a laptop on Meriah via ham HF radio to a shore based ham radio operator with a link to the internet. Instead of a modem I use a device called a Terminal Node Controller (TNC) which sends the digital information in a form called Pactor II. The TNC is a PTCIIe. The shore based ham has a radio/computer system which runs continuously and links to the internet using a system called Winlink. The Winlink system provides hams with a free worldwide e-mail system for boats, RV's etc. Anyone can send an e-mail to a ham via their normal internet connection but only a licensed ham can send an email back to the internet.
The system has some limitations compared with a regular internet connection.
1) Connections depend on HF radio propagation which varies with position, time of day etc,
2) Bandwidth is limited so messages should be short.
3) Attachments are possible but should be kept under about 25k.