Plug the antenna cable into the apex box of this "Broadgun" antenna. Run the other end of the cable (other connector) to the radio and after the antenna has been erected plug and secure that connector into the antenna socket at the back of the radio.

Erect the "Broadgun" antenna with the pairs of legs being diametrically apposed and in line with each other on either side of the apex box at the top of the centre mast and with the pairs of legs forming an inverted V. It basically means pulling the antenna up into the Air. The pairs of legs must point East-West. The apex box at the top of the antenna mast must be around 9 meters high, with the ends of each pair of black wire legs (at insulators, where the white nylon ropes start), on either side, being about 2-3 meters above the ground (or higher is fine - if the ropes are tied to uprights) and roughly 3 meters apart. Each pair of black wire ends should ideally be at the same elevation above ground level. The antenna black wire legs should be free of leaves, tree growth etc.

Connect the power to the radio from a 12-Volt DC power source (12-Volt Battery or 13,8-Volt DC Power Supply). Once having plugged the power cable into the radio's power socket, the red wire goes to positive + on the battery or power supply. The modem also uses 12 Volts DC, which is from the same power source as the radio, but when using any of the following radios (item 4), you don't need to plug the 12-Volt DC power into the modem's power socket. That socket is located just to the right of the modem's ON/OFF switch. In the case of the following radios, the modem's 12-Volt DC power is carried in the actual cables of the following radio-to-modem interconnecting equipment and is sourced from the radio either internally or via a plug on the back of the radio.

Interconnect the Radio and the Modem. When using the Icom IC-78 radio, the modem gets its power and interface connections via the "radio-to-modem" cable. That cable is plugged into the 13-pin socket at the back of the radio and into the 8-pin "TRX Audio" socket on the modem. It only fits one way. With a Kenwood TK-80 or TRC-80 radio, the modem sources its power from a plug on the back of the radio. Starting from the DVCU (small black box), via two round black cables and a red and black paired cable, the 8-pin round plug goes into the "ACC2" socket on the back of the radio, the square plug on the end of the red/black paired cable goes into the radio's "AT" socket, which is to access the 12 Volts DC, and the 5-pin round plug goes into the "TRX Audio" socket on the modem itself.

When the modem power is switched on, all the red and green lights should come on and go off in a sequence and then finally a beep sound should be heard coming from the modem. Just one red light should scan from side to side.

Install the grey RS-232 serial cable between the modem's 9-pin Female socket ("RS232") and the Computer's 9-pin Male socket (Comport 1), or via a special 25-pin Female to 9-pin Male gender converter fitted to the 25-pin Male Comport-2 socket on the computer, or to the 9-pin Male socket of a "USB to 9-pin Comport" converter.

Make sure you have the Bushmail Data Frequencies programmed into the Radio.

Install the Bushmail software on the computer (pages 2 to 7 of the manual). First install sysinstall1.exe and then airmail3client.exe. If on a new computer, install in the default directory (folder). However, if adding to an existing bushmail computer, ensure that you alter the folder name to airmail3 (see Page 5 Figure 8 of the manual.)

Enter your callsign/username –which you get from Bushmail – e.g. JM01.

Now while you are in the Message Index Window and when clicking on the blue-ball button on the Toolbar, or keying F6 on the computer keyboard, and thus going from the Message Index Window to the Terminal Window, the following should occur: The modem should beep, all of its horizontal red lights should flicker in a row and the green "Connect" button (top left) in the Terminal Window should illuminate. If you get a message that communication with the modem has been lost, it may just need resetting or it may mean that the wrong comport has been assigned to the modem. To reset, go back to the Message Index Window, switch off the modem, wait one second and then switch on again. That's the "reset" option. Go back into the Terminal Window and see what happens. If communications are again lost, go back into the Message Index Window, click "Tools" on the menu bar, "Options" on the drop-down menu and on the "Connection" tab page, change the Comport to COM2. Click "OK", close down to Desktop to save the setting and then re-open the bushmail program. Go back into the Terminal Window. If COM2 is communicating with the modem OK, the modem should beep and all of the abovementioned should be correct. Try all the comports until the modem beeps when you go into the terminal window.

Once the antenna is set up 100%; the Bushmail frequency is correct; the software is installed with the correct callsign; the frequency is clear and you don’t hear data running (NB), you can then click once on the green "Connect" button. The connection will take place automatically.

Now go back to the Message Index page, click on the "white page" icon ("format a new message") on the Toolbar and send an Email to menu@bushmail.co.za with “Menu Index” in the subject line. You will receive an automated Email replay back. You are then free to send Email to any Email address in the world.

For more Detailed information get the latest Bushmail Manual or see
The www.bushmail.net website.
Or send an email to menu@bushmail.co.za with “Menu Index” in the Subject line in order to access the Self Help Service.