Where Is The Far Reach—Part II

[Sea Hunt Video]

For a Luddite you sure have a lot of electronic gizmos onboard.

[Steve Laume]

I bought a Grundig G3 a few years ago with hopes of receiving offshore weather. At the time, I did not realize that there would be none of those computer voice, forecasts that so easily put me sleep before my area comes around. I played with it at home a good bit and could pick up plenty of fax signals but didn't have a way to display them. I now have an I pad so maybe it is time to revisit this technology. I also didn't know I needed an app to display faxes. Aside from all of my ignorance, I should probably try to get this system working.

Can you describe what you did to create an external antenna? Is this a temporary arrangement that you haul up with a halyard? What length and type is the antenna wire and what are you using to connect the radio to the antennae?

Having current weather charts, while offshore, would be a great asset even if you couldn't do much about whatever it showed, Steve.

[Steve Laume]

Isn't there a speaker to microphone cable that would connect both devices without any interference? Now that you have this technology, you can act as the Volvo boats do and dash between the weather systems, Steve.

[John Stone]

For a Luddite you sure have a lot of electronic gizmos onboard.

Roberto, I like to keep people off guard. I’m just full of surprises.

[John Stone]

I bought a Grundig G3 a few years ago with hopes of receiving offshore weather. At the time, I did not realize that there would be none of those computer voice, forecasts that so easily put me sleep before my area comes around. I played with it at home a good bit and could pick up plenty of fax signals but didn't have a way to display them. I now have an I pad so maybe it is time to revisit this technology. I also didn't know I needed an app to display faxes. Aside from all of my ignorance, I should probably try to get this system working.

Can you describe what you did to create an external antenna? Is this a temporary arrangement that you haul up with a halyard? What length and type is the antenna wire and what are you using to connect the radio to the antennae?

Having current weather charts, while offshore, would be a great asset even if you couldn't do much about whatever it showed, Steve.

Hi Steve,
I was sure I had a complete post on my website about how to do this but alas I was mistaken. I guess I thought about it but failed to do it. I’ll put together a post when I get home. In the meantime....

Some of the info on the internet about SW reception is just flat wrong, e.g. there is no need to match the antenna length to frequency. That’s only necessary when transmitting. There is also not much on the internet about how to download wx fax on an HF only receiver. I did see a video about the direct feed data connection after I already got the system working with the earbuds but it helped show the way to a direct feed that I’m not sure I could have figured out without spending a lot of money. But the video lacked a couple important details. I’ll post the link to the video.

A longer antenna is better. You are essentially creating a basket to catch incoming radio waves. The antenna I am using now is about 40’ long. About 25’ is vertically hoisted and maybe 15’ runs across the deck and into the cabin to the radio. I would perhaps go longer but this was an experiment with a limit on how much time I could invest.

I soldered a 1/8 (3.5mm) mono jack onto Ancor 16AWG wire. The jack plugs into the external antenna port on my Sony SW7600GR. I took a long length of 1/4” Dyneema and put a brummel eye splice in both ends. Then I inserted the wire into the hollow core of the Dyneema near one eye splice and ran it up inside the Dyneema and used a whipping to secure it on the far end so it couldn’t come out. When not in use I coil the whole thing up and stow it a small sunbrella pouch Gayle sewed up for me.

I lashed a block on my backstay about 25’ up—high enough for the Dyneema to be stretched tight. To use the antenna I hoist the Dyneema up to the block and tie it off and hook the eye splice on the bottom end to a bronze snap-hook secured to the stanchion with a short length of shock cord. I run the loose end of the wire across the cockpit inside the cabin and plug it into the external antenna jack on the radio located at the chart table.

This was not intended to be a permanent set up. I didn’t really know how well it would work in real world conditions so I did not want to drill holes in the deck and run the wire below. I’d hoist it when I needed it which is what I did on the voyage down from NC to the VI. I ran it up every morning to listen to Chris Parker’s Wx forecast. Then took it down. But since I have been here I have left it up. I listen to the BBC and other interesting radio programs, etc so its convenient to have it up all the time. I have a guide to worldwide HF broadcasts. I keep a simple radio log of what stations, frequencies, work best for me.

A small but important point. For wx fax and most all two-way stations (like Parker’s weather broadcasts) you set your radio to upper SSB. For almost all one-way HF broadcast stations (like the BBC) you set the radio to HF and not SSB. Not all the portable SW receivers have SSB or external antenna capabilities.

When I am not listening to broadcasts I coil up the length of wire not inside the Dyneema and put it in the aft dorade cowl. I leave the dyneema portion of the antenna hoisted. It seems to keep in the aft dorade just fine. Then, when needed I just snake the wire across the cockpit and below to the radio.

I have been very pleased with the antenna performance. But, I’d also like to make it permanent. So when I get home I might change the arrangement a bit and run the antenna through a deck gland and route it below deck directly to the chart table so I can plug the antenna in whenever I use the radio. This is not a sure thing. I like the performance of the system but I also tend to avoid permanent installed systems. I don’t like to complicate the boat. But the value of the portable shortwave radio and the external antenna is winning me over. So we shall see.

An interesting side note—I tried clamping the wire to my standing rigging and various other techniques I read about. It was not effective for me. The vertical hoisted external antenna has worked best of the various techniques I tested.

Regarding a direct feed to the iPad. Yes, I have one. You need a couple things not easy to get as you have to cobble it together and none are purpose made for this use. I failed to get it to work—but I was running out of time so I just went with what did work—the external earbuds. iPads are funny. You can’t just plug into them. You need a camera adapter with lightening fittings on one end and USB on the other. The camera adapter is suppose to allow that one input port on the iPad to activate said port as a path to the internal microphone system. Then, you need a little device that has a 3.5mm female port on one end (you plug the antenna into that) and on the other end a USB male adapter to plug into the female USB port on the camera adapter. This little device needs a sound card too. So antenna to device with sound card to iPad camera adapter to iPad. That is supposed to be a direct data feed. But like I said it did not work for me. One of my components is not the correct one. I’ll play with it some more when I get home. I’m sure it will work. A direct feed would be much better as there would be no external noise interference.

That’s a long answer to your questions. But I think that should be enough to get you started.

[John Stone]

I was below deck yesterday with part of the walnut cabin-sole up wiping off the tops of the water tanks...(yes, I know, pathetic). Anyway, I heard a roaring engine right next to the Far Reach on the port side and raced topside. A 40’+ dark blue Barvarian sloop was gunning the engine and trying to turn hard to oort to avoid T-boning the Far Reach. He and his wife had a wild eyed “Oh Sh#t” grimaces on their faces and as he swung past his starboard stern quarter missed the boat by a couple feet. It was broad daylight. The sun was out. The wind was about 6-8 kts. The mooring field was completely uncroweded. There was gobs of room. My heart had almost ripped out of my chest. I was astounded someone could be so foolishly irresponsible. He did a lousy job of anchoring nearby in the mooring field afterwards and I had to tell him he was too damn close. He moved a bit further over. I maintained my composure and said little though I was thinking a lot.

He came over in his dinghy a bit later and said he was sorrry and then went on chatting like nothing ever happened. It was clear to me that despite the fact he had a nice well maintained boat he was not very experienced and I don’t think he had very good sense either. There is all kind of room to anchor here but he had too anchor right next to me. Why do people do that? Had I almost hit someone I would have gone back and apologized then gone off and hid somewhere....

Anyway, I went back to my chores but I was rattled for the rest of the day. I took solace once again that fortune and some luck protected us.

[tjr818]

Keep that Black Box full! It seems as though you have been. To think that all of your hard work and preparation could have been destroyed, except for Luck.

[Jim Walsh]

I was below deck yesterday with part of the walnut cabin-sole up wiping off the tops of the water tanks...(yes, I know, pathetic). Anyway, I heard a roaring engine right next to the Far Reach on the port side and raced topside. A 40’+ dark blue Barvarian sloop was gunning the engine and trying to turn hard to oort to avoid T-boning the Far Reach. He and his wife had a wild eyed “Oh Sh#t” grimaces on their faces and as he swung past his starboard stern quarter missed the boat by a couple feet. It was broad daylight. The sun was out. The wind was about 6-8 kts. The mooring field was completely uncroweded. There was gobs of room. My heart had almost ripped out of my chest. I was astounded someone could be so foolishly irresponsible. He did a lousy job of anchoring nearby in the mooring field afterwards and I had to tell him he was too damn close. He moved a bit further over. I maintained my composure and said little though I was thinking a lot.

He came over in his dinghy a bit later and said he was sorrry and then went on chatting like nothing ever happened. It was clear to me that despite the fact he had a nice well maintained boat he was not very experienced and I don’t think he had very good sense either. There is all kind of room to anchor here but he had too anchor right next to me. Why do people do that? Had I almost hit someone I would have gone back and apologized then gone off and hid somewhere....

Anyway, I went back to my chores but I was rattled for the rest of the day. I took solace once again that fortune and some luck protected us.

Steve Laume has something on Raven which acts as a pheromone and attracts catamarans. They all seem to want to anchor right on top of him.

[John Stone]

Keep that Black Box full! It seems as though you have been. To think that all of your hard work and preparation could have been destroyed, except for Luck.

Tim
Concur. I’m a big believer in Vigor’s Black Box Theory. Whenever I get lazy I remember it and think “let’s keep it topped off” and so I get up and do whatever it is that prudent seamanship demands.

[John Stone]

This morning I awoke to morning rain in Elephant Bay, US Virgin Islands.

[Sea Hunt Video]

I was below deck yesterday with part of the walnut cabin-sole up wiping off the tops of the water tanks...(yes, I know, pathetic). Anyway, I heard a roaring engine right next to the Far Reach on the port side and raced topside. A 40’+ dark blue Barvarian sloop was gunning the engine and trying to turn hard to oort to avoid T-boning the Far Reach. He and his wife had a wild eyed “Oh Sh#t” grimaces on their faces and as he swung past his starboard stern quarter missed the boat by a couple feet. It was broad daylight. The sun was out. The wind was about 6-8 kts. The mooring field was completely uncroweded. There was gobs of room. My heart had almost ripped out of my chest. I was astounded someone could be so foolishly irresponsible. He did a lousy job of anchoring nearby in the mooring field afterwards and I had to tell him he was too damn close. He moved a bit further over. I maintained my composure and said little though I was thinking a lot.

He came over in his dinghy a bit later and said he was sorrry and then went on chatting like nothing ever happened. It was clear to me that despite the fact he had a nice well maintained boat he was not very experienced and I don’t think he had very good sense either. There is all kind of room to anchor here but he had too anchor right next to me. Why do people do that? Had I almost hit someone I would have gone back and apologized then gone off and hid somewhere....

Anyway, I went back to my chores but I was rattled for the rest of the day. I took solace once again that fortune and some luck protected us.

John:

Did you really not have the time to take pictures

[John Stone]

John:

Did you really not have the time to take pictures

No pictures. Preventing a heart attack was at the top of my priority list at the moment.

Probably just as well Roberto. The next morning they came back and just missed hitting my starboard bow! Seriously, I am not making this up. Never seen anything like it. Dude is a public menace. I was told last night they purchased a mooring from a friend of mine on the opposite end of the mooring field. I am so ready to get to sea.

Been helping my friend Ed (the baker that was featured in the May issue of Cruising World) with rebuilding his mooring. Made a couple splices yesterday for his mooring bridle.

TTFN

[tjr818]

Love that 3 strand. That is what I grew up on. Love the feel of 3 strand Dacron.

[John Stone]

Making ready for sea. Loading ice. Topping off water tanks. Taking on fresh provisions. Prepping
Sweet Pea for being hauled up, inverted, and strapped down.

[csoule13]

Safe passage, John. It's been wildly entertaining reading along with this thread even if I didn't chime in.