About Pactor Modems

Simple e-mail, Weather FAX, and NAVTEX on your boat

Whether underway, at the dock, or anchored out, stay in touch with friends, relatives, and fellow cruisers by having DockSide Radio bring e-mail onboard. Add a Pactor-II/III radio modem to your existing marine SSB system and begin sending & receiving e-mail from your boat:

* No more searching for a local Internet Cafe.* No more searching for a local Internet Cafe.
* No more hassling with unstable/intermittent WIFI connections.
* No more searching out a pay phone only to find it's not working.
* Add e-mail capability to your existing SSB radio system and:

- Keep in touch with friends and family.
- Request weather charts & information via SailMail or Winlink
- Receive NAVTEX weather and marine hazard transmissions.
- Receive Weather FAX transmissions directly off-the-air.
- Order ships parts.
- Make/confirm slip reservations.
- Send & receive position reports.

Your
Radio

Your e-mail

DockSide Radiois a stocking dealer of the SCS Pactor radio modems, the new PTC-IIusb, PTC-IIPro & PTC-IIex. The PTC-IIusb sells for $1248 with Pactor-III, the PTC-IIPro with Pactor-III sells for $1448, & the PTC-IIex with Pactor-III is priced at $998. After reading the brief discussion below, send us an e-mail or call us at 941.661.4498 with your questions. If you want to purchase a PTC-IIex or PTC-IIPro Pactor radio modem, go to the Order Products page, look over the product offering and order over the Internet, or order by phone (941.661.4498) if you're paying by credit card.

Which Radio Modem to Buy
There are three models of Pactor II/III Radio Modems from which to choose; The SCS PTC-IIusb, PTC-IIPro, and the PTC-IIex. From a Sailmail or WinLink viewpoint, the primary differences between these three are:

The PTC-IIusb connects directly to a computer's USB port and gives you computer-controlled frequency selection.

The PTC-IIpro connects to a computers serial port and gives you computer-controlled frequency selection.

The PTC-IIex does not provide for computer-controlled frequency selection. Note: Computer-controlled frequency selection can be provided to some radio/computer combinations through specially constructed cables (ask DockSide Radio).

All three modems incorporate the same digital signal processing circuitry and have the same uncanny ability to deliver 100% e-mail copy when you cant even hear the signal.

Frequency Control via Computer - How Important is it?
Currently there are sixteen shore-side Sailmail stations worldwide with which one can connect. Each of these stations scans from five to twelve frequencies, making a maximum total of around 115 frequencies to be monitored. So just how important is the ability to control the radio with your computer? The short answer is it's really important - Here's why:

The transmitting frequency and station call sign must be associated with each other in order for radio-based e-mail to work. AirMail must send a connect request to a Sailmail network station using both the correct station call and frequency. Radio memory is organized serially, beginning at location 00 and counting up, so the programmed list of frequencies becomes one long onerous series of frequencies.
The Pactor II/III Radio Modem/SSB system makes an excellent weather FAX (WEFAX) receiving system using the GetFAX/ViewFAX applets that run under Sailmail/AirMail. GetFAX supports 59 additional frequencies for 14 WEFAX stations worldwide, This, added to the 88 Sailmail frequencies, makes a total of about 123 Sailmail & WEFAX frequencies to keep current and access.
For safety while underway, it is important to keep the ships systems as simple to use as practical while maintaining necessary functionality. Pushing one single computer key (up/down arrow), to select a station and a frequency is both easier and more error-free than finding the radio channel guide, looking up the correct radio channel, and turning channel selector knobs to the appropriate channel number. If the desired station can't be heard on the selected frequency, then the whole lookup process must be repeated again, and again, until a station is heard. Yes, the manual look-up system can be used, but it's a "pain", and with any kind of sea running it's totally impractical.

The Solution
Computer control of the radio can be achieved with all three modem models. Controlling a radio through the PTC-IIusb or PTC-IIPro using the Airmail program is simple two-step process; plug in a cable, configure the Airmail program... you're done.

If the SCS PTC-IIex is chosen, computer control of the radio can be done directly through a computer serial port and a serial cable if you have an Icom M802, or a specially made cable if you have an Icom M700Pro or M710. Most cruisers, however, have a laptop computer on board, and most laptop computers sold today have only USB ports, no serial port. The PTC-IIex radio control solution requires that your computer have two serial ports be available; one to connect to the SCS PTC-IIex, and one to connect to the radio. It's possible to add one or two serial ports by purchasing a USB to serial adaptor (DockSide Radio occasionally has USB/Serial adaptors for sale). If a second serial port is available, a custom cable can be fabricated to control the Icom M-700Pro, M710, & M710RT. An Icom M-802 can be controlled with a standard off-the-shelf serial cable available from most computer stores.

Pactor-III (P-III) - What is it and why do I need it:
Pactor-III is a real-world 4x* increase in throughput over Pactor-II. Weather maps that take 7-8 minutes to download with a modem only licensed to operate in the Pactor-II mode, take two minutes or less to download with P-III - saving time and battery power. The speed increase of P-III is permanently unlocked with a license key entered into the modem at the time of purchase ($150), or for $170 at a later date.

* Realized throughput may fluctuate as a result of propagation and atmospheric noise conditions.

Conclusion - The choice depends on your situation:
DockSide Radio recommends the PTC-IIusb Pactor-II modem with the Pactor-III license. The PTC-IIusb plugs directly into any USB connector on your computer, (NO USB TO SERIAL ADAPTOR REQUIRED), and is priced $200 less than the PTC-IIPro.

If, you are on a tight budget and you have a spare serial port (two serial ports minimum), buy the PTC-IIex, and if you're computer and electronics savvy, make your own frequency control cable.

Why Buy from DockSide Radio - Three simple words...Support... Support ... Support.

Experience - DockSide Radio has current real-world cruising experience and knows what it's like to use today's radios while underway.
Training - DockSide Radio is trained in the art of training, and has real-world corporate-level training experience.
Expertise - DockSide Radio has over forty years radio and electronics experience, holds a FCC GRO license and an Amateur Radio Extra Class License, and is the author of the Sailors' Quick-Start Guide to Sailmail / AirMail / Winlink 2000.
Accessibility - Problems, questions? Dockside Radio expects you to call or e-mail us with questions.
Service - Same-day shipment and frequent follow-up until your system is running properly and you're successfully sending/receiving e-mail.