I am thinking of adding a single side-band radio to my boat. Any comments about brands/models, suppliers, installation and operation would be very helpful.
Single Side Band Radio
- Thread starter Tsehum Pete
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Icom is a good choice
So are SEA (Stevens Engineering Associates). http://www.sea-dmi.com/marine/ Mine is a SEA-322. SGC has made them too and I have a virtually new one for sale with tuner. email me for details - e0550@comcast.net http://www.sgcworld.com/2000ProductPage.html Furuno is good too. http://www.hfradio.com/ I recommend that you get a radio which is both "Marine SSB" and ham capable. A tuning knob is a nice option so you do not have to use buttons for tuning. You can get ham radios which are capable of operation on commercial marine frequencies but that can get you in trouble if you use it that way (except in an emergency). For insulating the backstay, I have used the stayloc insulators and actually only found it necessary to insulate the top of the backstay. The bottom of the backstay can be protected from the crew by a length of plastic pipe to prevent it from being touched. The fiberglass hull will insulate the bottom. You must make sure that the stay is not bonded at the hull if you do this. Opinions and experiences will vary on this topic. Stayloc makes a variety of fittings and one of them allows you to attach an eye or fork directly to one side of the insulator using a threaded link. That saves making the upper link out of wire. There is some theory that you need to use several feet for that link but my experience is that it is not necessary for any sound discernable technical reason. The threaded link is much stronger, quicker and cheaper. I use wax in the Stayloc connection to keep out moisture but some use silicon. Wax is far easier to work with if you must disassemble the connection and use it again. The RF ground is very important and you will need to figure out a good system. You may (probably will) be able to use the keel if it is metal. Do not mix up RF ground, DC ground, AC ground, and or the bonding system. You can save yourself and your neighbors a lot of corrosion trouble by being careful about that. Consider using a capacitance isolator for your ground. Use copper foil to connect the RF ground to the tuner and radios. You will immediately notice all kinds of interfering radio noise when you first use the receiver. It comes from various electrical things on the boat such as inverters, chargers, refers, pumps, computers of various kinds, etc. You will need to chase these things away using filters of various kinds. Toroids are good and so are capacitors. It can be a long process to quiet things down and even when you have done your boat, the neighbors boat will become an issue. See the archives or other sites referenced. Are you a licensed ham operator? If not you should conseder becoming one. http://www.arrl.org/ http://www.eham.net/newham/ Ham radio on a boat forum - http://www.eham.net/forums/Elmers/24518 Are you planning to use digital modes? There are commercial as well as ham options. Is your communication personal or commercial? Ham radio is not for commercial use. Do you need to call the marine operator? Commercial marine radio (and that includes the marine operator)requires an FCC license for you and another one for your boat. These licenses are mostly there for the fees and any test is easy. Better have them if you have a commercial radio whether you use it or not especially in a foreign country. Coast Guard can issue tickets and so can the FCC and local and foreign governments. The FCC will know if you are using a ham radio improperly on commercial frequencies and will mail a ticket to your home. They are not cheap - in the $5k range per episode. Ham radio requires a different license involving a more difficult test for you and you should get one if you go to foreign countries with a ham only radio. They may seriously hassle you if you do not. Some countries charge fees and some may confiscate equipment. Lots more information in the archives.
So are SEA (Stevens Engineering Associates). http://www.sea-dmi.com/marine/ Mine is a SEA-322. SGC has made them too and I have a virtually new one for sale with tuner. email me for details - e0550@comcast.net http://www.sgcworld.com/2000ProductPage.html Furuno is good too. http://www.hfradio.com/ I recommend that you get a radio which is both "Marine SSB" and ham capable. A tuning knob is a nice option so you do not have to use buttons for tuning. You can get ham radios which are capable of operation on commercial marine frequencies but that can get you in trouble if you use it that way (except in an emergency). For insulating the backstay, I have used the stayloc insulators and actually only found it necessary to insulate the top of the backstay. The bottom of the backstay can be protected from the crew by a length of plastic pipe to prevent it from being touched. The fiberglass hull will insulate the bottom. You must make sure that the stay is not bonded at the hull if you do this. Opinions and experiences will vary on this topic. Stayloc makes a variety of fittings and one of them allows you to attach an eye or fork directly to one side of the insulator using a threaded link. That saves making the upper link out of wire. There is some theory that you need to use several feet for that link but my experience is that it is not necessary for any sound discernable technical reason. The threaded link is much stronger, quicker and cheaper. I use wax in the Stayloc connection to keep out moisture but some use silicon. Wax is far easier to work with if you must disassemble the connection and use it again. The RF ground is very important and you will need to figure out a good system. You may (probably will) be able to use the keel if it is metal. Do not mix up RF ground, DC ground, AC ground, and or the bonding system. You can save yourself and your neighbors a lot of corrosion trouble by being careful about that. Consider using a capacitance isolator for your ground. Use copper foil to connect the RF ground to the tuner and radios. You will immediately notice all kinds of interfering radio noise when you first use the receiver. It comes from various electrical things on the boat such as inverters, chargers, refers, pumps, computers of various kinds, etc. You will need to chase these things away using filters of various kinds. Toroids are good and so are capacitors. It can be a long process to quiet things down and even when you have done your boat, the neighbors boat will become an issue. See the archives or other sites referenced. Are you a licensed ham operator? If not you should conseder becoming one. http://www.arrl.org/ http://www.eham.net/newham/ Ham radio on a boat forum - http://www.eham.net/forums/Elmers/24518 Are you planning to use digital modes? There are commercial as well as ham options. Is your communication personal or commercial? Ham radio is not for commercial use. Do you need to call the marine operator? Commercial marine radio (and that includes the marine operator)requires an FCC license for you and another one for your boat. These licenses are mostly there for the fees and any test is easy. Better have them if you have a commercial radio whether you use it or not especially in a foreign country. Coast Guard can issue tickets and so can the FCC and local and foreign governments. The FCC will know if you are using a ham radio improperly on commercial frequencies and will mail a ticket to your home. They are not cheap - in the $5k range per episode. Ham radio requires a different license involving a more difficult test for you and you should get one if you go to foreign countries with a ham only radio. They may seriously hassle you if you do not. Some countries charge fees and some may confiscate equipment. Lots more information in the archives.
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