SSB Install on a Boat with No Back Stay?

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Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

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Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
You don't even need the modem if you are not interested in high fidelity (read attachments and big files) email. if all you need is text then there are lots of ham only solutions that use a computer modem sound card and ham transceiver.
If you want to talk on the marine bands then you need a marine radio. The have to be certified and prayed over by the FCC and others so they cost more. Also, most ham radios can receive on the marine bands but have the transmitter locked out. Kinda useless if you need to use the marine frequencies. The only thing I can think of needing a marine freq for is buying parts while at sea. Cant do commercial transactions (mostly) on the ham bands. In an emergency you can use the ham bands to summon help. There are several dedicated nets for this purpose. This is not the case for the marine bands to my knowledge so the ham bands would seem to be the better safety item.
So it really depends on what you want to use the radio for.
 
RichH

RichH

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Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
"The only thing I can think of needing a marine freq for is buying parts while at sea."

If offshore ....
How about talking to marine weather routers? ... quite important when on passage and they're only on marine band SSB: such as Southbound II, Chris Parker / Caribb. Wx., and the GS routers, etc.
Ditto with all the SSB marine nets for 'follow the herd' travel and for 'local info', etc.
And then there's WeFax and Sitor-B / marine TTY for NavTex - Receive only; and, if you have the translators.
If you only have 'ham' youre definitely going to miss out on a lot of good marine SSB info and maritime 'boat talk'.
The Icom 802 does it 'all'.
 
windward54

windward54

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Mar 12, 2008
557
Jeanneau 49 DS San Pedro, CA
Bill Roosa said:
You don't even need the modem if you are not interested in high fidelity (read attachments and big files) email. if all you need is text then there are lots of ham only solutions that use a computer modem sound card and ham transceiver.
Click to expand
Winmor works well if all you need is a couple of lines of text of an email. Works well, but it is slow (somewhere between PACTOR 1 and 2 speed), and there isn't a large number of stations yet. But it is getting there.
 
Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

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Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
If you assume you are a ham and have ham friends the RTTY or PK31 nets also work. You could even set up a base station at the house and run an email service from there if you wanted. Its ham radio and there are not too many limitations on what the individual can do.
APRS can transmit your position on a google map (google APRS) with a line or two of text on current event. destination etc. All available to anyone with a internet connection and web browser. Only 1- way traffic though. If the shore side person wants to get in touch they can leave a message by phone (gasp and horror, phone? how 20th century!) on the maritime net and the next time you check in they will deliver the message.
There is ALWAYS more than one way to skin the cat in ham radio

KJ4LYH
 
Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

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Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
hey Rich
I've not seen anything on the marine net that is not also available on the ham nets. The ham nets tend to have more folks on them so it is easier to make contact.
The receive only weather fax and such are all doable by a ham radio and the "follow the herd" function can certainly be done. The hams will do it better than a bunch of novice marine band cruisers but that is a matter of taste and what you are willing to put up with. Kinda like 1500 in the afternoon on a nice Saturday on the VHF channels verses channel 21A where things are a little more structured and focused. leaves more time to chase the first mate around the cabin you know. A man has to have his priorities!!! ;)
 
RichH

RichH

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Feb 14, 2005
4,773
Tayana 37 cutter; I20/M20 SCOWS Worton Creek, MD
Bill Roosa said:
hey Rich
I've not seen anything on the marine net that is not also available on the ham nets. The ham nets tend to have more folks on them so it is easier to make contact.
The receive only weather fax and such are all doable by a ham radio and the "follow the herd" function can certainly be done. The hams will do it better than a bunch of novice marine band cruisers but that is a matter of taste and what you are willing to put up with. Kinda like 1500 in the afternoon on a nice Saturday on the VHF channels verses channel 21A where things are a little more structured and focused. leaves more time to chase the first mate around the cabin you know. A man has to have his priorities!!! ;)
Click to expand
HA! Come on! ... 99+% of the time all the hammies do is endlessly talk about their rigs!

At least the boaties on the marine SSB frequencies occasionally talk about 'boating', anchorages, locations for the cheapest booze & good eats, the least officious & friendlier check-in entry ports, and which port captains are the biggest crooks to avoid, etc.
:)))))))
 
Bowedtoothdoc

Bowedtoothdoc

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Oct 24, 2011
278
Hunter Passage 450 Lake Lanier, GA
Does anyone know if the KISS unit would interfere with a GPS receiver if installed to closely? I would consider running the unit across the back lazarette but my GPS puck is mounted at the back of the boat port side next to the transom shower.
 
windward54

windward54

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Mar 12, 2008
557
Jeanneau 49 DS San Pedro, CA
Good question. I know that your SSB antenna has to be kept away from the GPS receiver, but never heard this question before. I can't imagine that it would cause a problem, but the question might be one for the manufacturer. Carl at KISS-SSB is great about answering questions fast.

http://www.kiss-ssb.com/contact.html
 
Brian D

Brian D

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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
From what I have read, I understand the KISS-SSB actually cleans up the stray rf floating around the boat. With some grounding plates and copper foil grounds there is a lot of stray rf causing havoc to the GPS, autopilot, chart plotter, bilge pump alarm, and other things.

It was recommended that a 1:1 isolation balun be installed between the tuner and the rig to keep rf off the shield of the rf cable. And, use quality rf cable like RG-213.
 
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