Amateur Radio - to get weather info, access mail etc?

[Marc Heusser]

I am an electrical engineer and could quite easily get a licence for
amateur radio.
Does it pay off if I'd do that to access weather charts etc on a boat -
this year in Europe, both on inland waterways in France and in the
eastern North sea (between Germany, Denmark and Sweden)?

Apart from a transceiver I have a Mac that should decode the signals
without any extra hardware with MultiMode
(http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/multimode.html).

Or are other options better?

TIA

Marc

 

[Marc Heusser]

....
Amateur licenses are worth another look at now. The morse code
requirement has been swept away, and there are just three available
classes - tech, general and extra.
Tests are held regularly in local areas, and an ARRL license Manual
will get you there - not to mention the several sites offering
practice tests at all three levels.

Thanks for the info - actually in Switzerland it is even easier if you
have a degree in electrical engineering: The only part you have to pass
is knowing the Radio Rules (20 minutes of multiple choice questions).
So it boils down to whether I'll actually use the amateur bands to
access the internet via RF (to download GRIB weather files eg), or to
receive weather faxes etc.

Marc

 

[Bruce in Bangkok]

I am an electrical engineer and could quite easily get a licence for
amateur radio.
Does it pay off if I'd do that to access weather charts etc on a boat -
this year in Europe, both on inland waterways in France and in the
eastern North sea (between Germany, Denmark and Sweden)?

Apart from a transceiver I have a Mac that should decode the signals
without any extra hardware with MultiMode
(http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/multimode.html).

Or are other options better?

TIA

Marc

A friend that does a lot of open ocean passages gets weather reports
vis SailMail, if I'm not wrong. I can email him and get more details
if you are interested.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

 

[Glenn Ashmore]

The code tests went away last March so it is fairly easy to get a General
now.

With all the alternatives available these days the main reasons to get a
license is the camaraderie of the several nets working on the amateur bands
and the use of Airmail.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

 

[Larry]

Just remember that you need at least a general license (which requires
code)to utilize AirMail.

There is no more code testing in the USA...or most other countries on the
planet, in spite of the American Radio Relay League doing its best to try
to prevent code testing's demise. ALL amateur radio licenses, and there
are only 3 classes any more, are CODE TEST FREE.

 

[Marc Heusser]

The original poster is in Switzerland however which may have different
license requirements.

Yes: We get a full CEPT license without morse code nowadays, and as an
electrical engineer it is just the radio rules I have to pass, no
technical tests at all.

Thank you all for the information - very useful.

How do you access internet as a ham? (low bandwidth) ie where do you
find gateways (or which are the protocols, nets etc to look for)?

The other options are like INMARSAT, Iridium and GSM networks, all of
them quite costly. (from 1 USD/minute upwards)

TIA

Marc