Entry Requirements for Many Countries and Islands

[Sonosailor]

I just found a magnificent site that, among other things, provides the entry and customs requirements for places all over the globe:

http://www.noonsite.com/

The site appears to be managed by the British traveller, journalist and author, Jimmy Cornell.

[exposure]

What I find cool about this site is the ability to get all the information as a text file via email. That's a great way to get the latest info via sailmail at sea. Try it at home before you go so you can load the help files and country lists on your computer ahead of time.

Woody

[Sonosailor]

I am just now taking a Ham radio course, with the hope to do the same as you wrt email. The course is coming along fabulously, but I still have a way to go. Would you describe your system of receiving email? What radio, prerequisites, antenna, modem, and do you rent the service?

Thanks

[exposure]

I don't have a system yet. My boat does have an Icom M600 marine SSB that is usable for HF email. I will need a modem and the wiring to complete the system.

There are several good sources on the net to learn about HF email. There is a free system that is used on the Ham radio frequencies called winlink. (winlink.org) As it is on the Ham frequencies, you are subject to the limitations of the license, such as no for profit business allowed. You have to get a license in most new countries you want to communicate from as you travel. This is mostly an exercise in paperwork and fees once you have a ticket from your home country.

You can use the same hardware on the marine HF frquencies. This requires a subscription of about $250 a year. (sailmail.com). It allows commercial use, and use from countries that allow use of marine SSBs.

There are a couple of other systems out there as well, but they all use the same hardware. See hfradio.com for more details on the radios you can use. The radio is like your phone line. And, like with a phone line, you also need a modem. In this case a pactor II modem (http://www.scs-ptc.com/). And of course you need a computer. Most use "airmail" as the email software.

Good luck with the ham ticket. I have been a ham for 28 years, since I was 12.

Woody - AA7HN