DockSide

DSR
by Sea-Tech Systems
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Revisions / Updates to:
The Sailors Quick-Start Guide to Sailmail / AirMail / Winlink2000
 

 

Errata to Sailors-Quick Start Guide
To
Sailmail, AirMail, and Winlink 2000

Sailmail/AirMail software is dynamic in nature, improving, evolving, and changing to meet current needs and technologies. Since publication, there have been changes to the setup values used in the Audio Tones section of the Guide, and the Weather FAX programs, GETFAX and VIEWFAX have been greatly improved. This errata sheet addresses these changes.

 

Pages 3 & 4 (Download GETFAX, VIEWFAX, and the ICEPAC Propagation Program)

Step 1: Download the Sailmail / AirMail Program 

Airmail is the client software that resides on the ships computer and communicates with the shore-side stations. If you are planning on only using the Sailmail system, download the Sailmail version of Airmail, www.sailmail.com. If you are planning on using the amateur radio e-mail system, Winlink2000 (WL2K), or you are planning on using both the Sailmail and WL2K systems, download the ham version of Airmail at www.airmail2000.com and the Sailmail add-on. Regardless of which site you download from, follow links to GetFAX, ViewFAX, and the propagation tool ITSHF, and download these programs as well.  

Install GetFAX, ViewFAX, and ITSHF applets after installing Airmail. To help ensure that AirMail is able to locate and use these applets, accept the default directories when installing all four programs.  

Pages 13 and 14:

Audio Tones: The audio tones section shown in Figure 3-3 is located in the lower left-hand section of the Connection Tab

Figure 3-3
Audio Tones
 

For both marine and ham radios alike, set the Center Frequency to 1500, and select USB. These settings are to be used on all frequencies on both the Marine (Sailmail), and Amateur Radio (Winlink2000) systems.  If you are using a marine radio, e.g. Icom M700/710/802, place a check mark in the Marine (FSK dial=center) box by clicking on it. 

The FSK and PSK settings are like a volume control for the transmitter, the higher the number the louder the transmitted signal. Adjust FSK and PSK amplitudes for a transmitted RF output of around 80-watts for the Icom series of Marine transceivers, and 50-watts output for ham radios. It is more important to have a clean, distortion-free signal, than it is to be loud, so it’s better to err by setting the FSK & PSK amplitude on the low side, rather than too high.
 

New Weather-FAX Section


 GetFAX Version 4.2.2: Receiving Weather Maps and Forecasts

The program GETFAX is an applet that turns your SSB/PTC-II system into a weather FAX receiver. When installed, GETFAX places an icon on the Airmail Message Screen toolbar, and on the desktop. GETFAX can be launched from either of these icons. Here are the steps for launching GETFAX from within Sailmail/AirMail.:

  1. Make certain that the Sailmail/AirMail terminal screen is closed. Both GetFAX & the Sailmail/AirMail terminal programs access the PTC-II through the same Com Port, and if left open you’ll get a COM Port conflict error message and the program won’t work. From the Sailmail/AirMail message screen, launch GetFAX by double clicking on the GetFAX Icon located on the Message Screen toolbar (see Figure 9-1). 

 

Figure 9-1
GetFAX Icon
 

  1.  In the GetFAX Toolbar select mode, fax.  GetFAX will now activate the two adjacent drop-down menu windows. From the leftmost menu window choose the weather station you wish to copy, and select the desired frequency from the other drop-down menu. 

 

Figure 9-2
GetFAX Toolbar

  1. If you are using a PTC-IIPro, it will automatically tune your radio to the appropriate receive frequency, and will copy a weather FAX when sent.         

  2. If your radio is not tuned by your computer, subtract 1.9 kHz from the number shown and tune your radio to the resultant frequency. For example, if the frequency shown is 8503.9 kHz, tune the radio to 8502.0 kHz.
    To begin receiving a weather FAX, go back to the GetFAX Toolbar and select mode, start. If a weather FAX is being transmitted, GetFAX will copy it line-by-line, and as you watch you will soon see a weather map taking shape.

  3. To begin receiving a weather FAX, go back to the GetFAX Toolbar and select mode, start. If a weather FAX is being transmitted, GetFAX will copy it line-by-line, and as you watch you will soon see a weather map taking shape.

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10/21/2003