Installing an SSB radio on a Hunter 466?

Don S/V ILLusion · May 19, 2014

The common options are using a side stay or upper. Alternatively, a separate vertical element. As I don't know your knowledge base regarding different alternatives, I am unsure how much detail you want.

RHUMB RUNNER · May 19, 2014

I used a Commander SSB 17-6 on my Hunter 420. It mounts on the stern with a base plate and a stand off bracket to the stern rail. It worked great with my Icom. Talked from Cabo to Ventura Calif. with no problems. I put a dinaplate under the boat as a ground plane. The radio was a Icom 802 with antenna tuner.

Velero49 · Jun 30, 2014

I created a dummy backstay by using the rope antenna (not affiliated with them). If you are handy you can make your own soft antenna. Use 3/8 line, leave about 4-5 of the core at the top of the antenna Icom recommends. Pull the core/center of the line on one end and attach 14 or 12 g wire to the core at the other end. Use wire ties or glue to make sure the wire does not slide down the line. In order to keep the line/antenna soft (not part of rigging) use a more elastic" line from bottom of antenna to the attachment point on the stern. The connection point from tuner to antenna is about 3 ft above the arch. Most recommend 23 ft of wire for antenna, you could use more but I would contact your local ham radio club to get other lengths appropriate for SSB and ham bands.

Do you have a ticket?

Sailvayu · Jun 30, 2014

Many in your situation use the "rope antenna" and this is a good alternative. The drawback being you have to hoist it to use it but I do not see that as a major drawback. I would still make the connection aft so that when hoisted the antenna is away from the mast as the mast will affect it. This is also why you would not want to use a side stay, the mast will absorb some of the output and could cause issues with other electronics aboard. I like the KISS ground radials for a ground plain although I know there are those out there that say it does not work. For me it does and I have talked to stations in Germany from my slip in NC. Make sure the wire in the rope is at least 23 feet long and try to stop it 10 feet short of the top of the mast to keep it away from the mast. And yes get a Ham license you will get much more out of the radio and it is not hard to get. Good luck

KJ4WXF

RHUMB RUNNER · Jul 11, 2014

rlamb said:
Hello. I am leaning towards the whip antenna like you did. Do you happen to have any pictures I could look at?
Rgds,
Roger

This is the best pic I have. There is a base plate that the whip screws into, the back of the seat rail I had an insulted mount it's about 4ft up from the base, and was enough support for the 17ft whip. The whip comes in two sections so you could unscrew the top half and store below if needed. The mount should be ready available, may have gotten them at WM or my local Marine electronics shop. The ground plane I used was a dinaplate mounted under the hull, There our ground planes that you can put on the inside of the hull. Not sure which ones work best.

snows · Jul 12, 2014

Ground Plane

The Icom M802 installation instructions suggest, as an alternative, using copper foil connected to a keel bolt. Icom has a very good writeup at the end of their manual related to antennas and ground planes. The manual can be downloaded at http://www.icomamerica.com/en/downloads/default.aspx?category=232. I've had very good luck with the GAM Split Lead antenna and a copper foil connected to a keel bolt. You can see what I did at http://www.svctime.blogspot.com/p/port.html.

Good luck,

Daniel
s/v C-Time
http://svctime.blogspot.com

realkoalat · Jul 19, 2014

We installed an SSB antenna on our Hunter 466

We have the same model boat as you, also in Alameda, and had KKMI install a "dummy backstay" to which the SSB antenna is attached. Works fine.

Installing an SSB radio on a Hunter 466?

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