Many thanks for all the info received from my last associated post. Since there turned out to be such a depth of experience on this subject may I tap it again?
I previously purchased a small shortwave/SSB receiver and Corex software for a laptop. I worked with it at home over the winter of '99 before installing in our smaller CD. The ability to receive and print Weatherfaxes on the boat was great! I have now purchased the ARRL manuals and am studying for the Technician test. Would it be practical to purchase a rig intended for the boat but "install" it temporally at home until the boat is rebuilt. If so, what would be a suggested unit?
Thanks again.
Jim
jtstull@earthlink.net
SSB & HAM for boat
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Bill
Re: SSB & HAM for boat
Jim
There are many good radios on the market. I for one dont believe I would buy new, as there are plenty of good used ones around at nowhere near the price of a new radio. Size is the problem on my boat (25D). The alinco DX-70t, Icom 706 and the Yaseu (sp) Ft-100 are really small (and pricey) radios. The IC 706 even cover 2 meters which includes marine VHF frequencies (although not legal to transmit on those freqs). I am not sure about eht FT-100, but I had an Alinco DX-70. It was a neat little radio. Not much bigger (actually very little) than a new VHF radio. I have an IC 735 which is simple, and about the size of an old marine VHF.. they can be had for under $400 too. Considering you can talk to the world on these thats not too bad. I talked with the S/V Searay underway in the Pacific (from Oklahoma) and while I dont recall his lat/lon, I got it at the time and my gps show it to be about 4000 miles from point to point. That was just using a long wire antenna on the boat.
Buy the radio now and play with it. Its fun to talk to vessels underway and visit the maritime nets. And when the boat is ready, install the radio.
Bill
cd25d@rhapsodysails.com
There are many good radios on the market. I for one dont believe I would buy new, as there are plenty of good used ones around at nowhere near the price of a new radio. Size is the problem on my boat (25D). The alinco DX-70t, Icom 706 and the Yaseu (sp) Ft-100 are really small (and pricey) radios. The IC 706 even cover 2 meters which includes marine VHF frequencies (although not legal to transmit on those freqs). I am not sure about eht FT-100, but I had an Alinco DX-70. It was a neat little radio. Not much bigger (actually very little) than a new VHF radio. I have an IC 735 which is simple, and about the size of an old marine VHF.. they can be had for under $400 too. Considering you can talk to the world on these thats not too bad. I talked with the S/V Searay underway in the Pacific (from Oklahoma) and while I dont recall his lat/lon, I got it at the time and my gps show it to be about 4000 miles from point to point. That was just using a long wire antenna on the boat.
Buy the radio now and play with it. Its fun to talk to vessels underway and visit the maritime nets. And when the boat is ready, install the radio.
Bill
Jim Stull wrote: Many thanks for all the info received from my last associated post. Since there turned out to be such a depth of experience on this subject may I tap it again?
I previously purchased a small shortwave/SSB receiver and Corex software for a laptop. I worked with it at home over the winter of '99 before installing in our smaller CD. The ability to receive and print Weatherfaxes on the boat was great! I have now purchased the ARRL manuals and am studying for the Technician test. Would it be practical to purchase a rig intended for the boat but "install" it temporally at home until the boat is rebuilt. If so, what would be a suggested unit?
Thanks again.
Jim
cd25d@rhapsodysails.com
-
Bill
PS: Re: SSB & HAM for boat
Jim
Forgot to mention the Kenwood TS-50 and the yaseu (sp) FT-840. and that these radios are not marine-ized?
bill
cd25d@rhapsodysails.com
Forgot to mention the Kenwood TS-50 and the yaseu (sp) FT-840. and that these radios are not marine-ized?
bill
Bill wrote: Jim
There are many good radios on the market. I for one dont believe I would buy new, as there are plenty of good used ones around at nowhere near the price of a new radio. Size is the problem on my boat (25D). The alinco DX-70t, Icom 706 and the Yaseu (sp) Ft-100 are really small (and pricey) radios. The IC 706 even cover 2 meters which includes marine VHF frequencies (although not legal to transmit on those freqs). I am not sure about eht FT-100, but I had an Alinco DX-70. It was a neat little radio. Not much bigger (actually very little) than a new VHF radio. I have an IC 735 which is simple, and about the size of an old marine VHF.. they can be had for under $400 too. Considering you can talk to the world on these thats not too bad. I talked with the S/V Searay underway in the Pacific (from Oklahoma) and while I dont recall his lat/lon, I got it at the time and my gps show it to be about 4000 miles from point to point. That was just using a long wire antenna on the boat.
Buy the radio now and play with it. Its fun to talk to vessels underway and visit the maritime nets. And when the boat is ready, install the radio.
Bill
Jim Stull wrote: Many thanks for all the info received from my last associated post. Since there turned out to be such a depth of experience on this subject may I tap it again?
I previously purchased a small shortwave/SSB receiver and Corex software for a laptop. I worked with it at home over the winter of '99 before installing in our smaller CD. The ability to receive and print Weatherfaxes on the boat was great! I have now purchased the ARRL manuals and am studying for the Technician test. Would it be practical to purchase a rig intended for the boat but "install" it temporally at home until the boat is rebuilt. If so, what would be a suggested unit?
Thanks again.
Jim
cd25d@rhapsodysails.com
-
Lyn Heiges
Re: SSB & HAM for boat
Jim--
I concur with Bill's comments regarding the purchase of a previously owned radio. I have an ICOM 735 which I use at the home QTH (transmitting location) and can use on MOON CHILD our CD28. I had a CD27 which I also used the ICOM 735 and the CD27 is very similar to the CD25 inside.
DON'T leave the ham rig on the boat unless you are away from saltwater as they are not "marinized" in most cases and using it at home you can get more time "on the air". DO provide adequate ventilation around the radio as they do dissipate a lot of heat in transmit mode. Not as much as "tube-type" gear, but significant amounts!
The nice part of most of the solid-state ham gear is that it will work off 12 volts direct current (DC) which is readily available on the boat. You can either use a storage battery or a 12 volt DC power supply at home. Use of a 12 volt storage battery at home (without the charger ON during "hamming") gives you the optimal power source for "smoothness", since there is no alternating current (AC) ripple AND can give you some idea of the utilization while on the boat.
Most marine chargers are not as well filtered as the units built for the radios and being plugged into shore power at the dock and charging the battery while hamming may give you far less than desirable signal and your contacts may be annoying to the ham on the receiving end, thus, lessening your QSLs (contacts).
Good luck (73s)!
Lyn Heiges, WA3RRK
CD28 MOON CHILD
LynHeiges@cs.com
I concur with Bill's comments regarding the purchase of a previously owned radio. I have an ICOM 735 which I use at the home QTH (transmitting location) and can use on MOON CHILD our CD28. I had a CD27 which I also used the ICOM 735 and the CD27 is very similar to the CD25 inside.
DON'T leave the ham rig on the boat unless you are away from saltwater as they are not "marinized" in most cases and using it at home you can get more time "on the air". DO provide adequate ventilation around the radio as they do dissipate a lot of heat in transmit mode. Not as much as "tube-type" gear, but significant amounts!
The nice part of most of the solid-state ham gear is that it will work off 12 volts direct current (DC) which is readily available on the boat. You can either use a storage battery or a 12 volt DC power supply at home. Use of a 12 volt storage battery at home (without the charger ON during "hamming") gives you the optimal power source for "smoothness", since there is no alternating current (AC) ripple AND can give you some idea of the utilization while on the boat.
Most marine chargers are not as well filtered as the units built for the radios and being plugged into shore power at the dock and charging the battery while hamming may give you far less than desirable signal and your contacts may be annoying to the ham on the receiving end, thus, lessening your QSLs (contacts).
Good luck (73s)!
Lyn Heiges, WA3RRK
CD28 MOON CHILD
Jim Stull wrote: Many thanks for all the info received from my last associated post. Since there turned out to be such a depth of experience on this subject may I tap it again?
I previously purchased a small shortwave/SSB receiver and Corex software for a laptop. I worked with it at home over the winter of '99 before installing in our smaller CD. The ability to receive and print Weatherfaxes on the boat was great! I have now purchased the ARRL manuals and am studying for the Technician test. Would it be practical to purchase a rig intended for the boat but "install" it temporally at home until the boat is rebuilt. If so, what would be a suggested unit?
Thanks again.
Jim
LynHeiges@cs.com
-
Jim Stull
Re: SSB & HAM for boat
Thanks Bill @ Lyn for the advise.
I hadn't thought of going the used gear route but that makes sense. I appreciate the mention of specific models as I am starting from total zero on this subject.
I will have to contact one of the local amature groups for the exam and they probably can provide leads on used gear. I will check out e-bay also.
We will continue sailing our CD25 during the summer and will probably take 2 winters to do the rebuild of the 27. Everthing is coming off the boat and I will have the opportunity to fit a unit corectly. We spent the winter of 2000 in the Fl. Keys on the 25 but were not brave enough to cross the Gulf stream, thus the move to the 27 and the communication gear.
Thanks
Jim
jtstull@earthlink.net
I hadn't thought of going the used gear route but that makes sense. I appreciate the mention of specific models as I am starting from total zero on this subject.
I will have to contact one of the local amature groups for the exam and they probably can provide leads on used gear. I will check out e-bay also.
We will continue sailing our CD25 during the summer and will probably take 2 winters to do the rebuild of the 27. Everthing is coming off the boat and I will have the opportunity to fit a unit corectly. We spent the winter of 2000 in the Fl. Keys on the 25 but were not brave enough to cross the Gulf stream, thus the move to the 27 and the communication gear.
Thanks
Jim
jtstull@earthlink.net
-
Lyn Heiges
Re: SSB & HAM for boat
Jim--
You can find the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) site on the web which is the primary representative organization to the world from the U.S.A. for amateur radio. The website is www.arrl.org They should have information regarding sources and clubs in your area and information regarding licensing.
I am a Life Member of ARRL and have been involved with ham radio since 1954. There are some ham sites on the web which you could search for with Yahoo or another search engine and most of the stores are on line. Ham Radio Outlet is one of the largest and nationwide suppliers and sells reliable used equipment. Hamfests (swapmeets) are a lot of fun and you can often get great bargains, but unless you are knowledgeable on the equipment, you may get "stung". Most hams are honest and will try to help you, but sometimes if you don't ask the correct question, they won't tell you that the unit is no longer applicable or otherwise outdated or unsupported. Here on the CCDOA site we get a lot of support, comments and leads, which are beyond the call of duty, but not as much is available with ham gear unless you have some close friends and persons who are mentors called "Elmers".
If you get a line on something, we'll try to help you out, but we don't know it all and unless we can evaluate the unit up front, we can get snookered too.
Good Luck!
Lyn Heiges
LynHeiges@cs.com
You can find the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) site on the web which is the primary representative organization to the world from the U.S.A. for amateur radio. The website is www.arrl.org They should have information regarding sources and clubs in your area and information regarding licensing.
I am a Life Member of ARRL and have been involved with ham radio since 1954. There are some ham sites on the web which you could search for with Yahoo or another search engine and most of the stores are on line. Ham Radio Outlet is one of the largest and nationwide suppliers and sells reliable used equipment. Hamfests (swapmeets) are a lot of fun and you can often get great bargains, but unless you are knowledgeable on the equipment, you may get "stung". Most hams are honest and will try to help you, but sometimes if you don't ask the correct question, they won't tell you that the unit is no longer applicable or otherwise outdated or unsupported. Here on the CCDOA site we get a lot of support, comments and leads, which are beyond the call of duty, but not as much is available with ham gear unless you have some close friends and persons who are mentors called "Elmers".
If you get a line on something, we'll try to help you out, but we don't know it all and unless we can evaluate the unit up front, we can get snookered too.
Good Luck!
Lyn Heiges
Jim Stull wrote: Thanks Bill @ Lyn for the advise.
I hadn't thought of going the used gear route but that makes sense. I appreciate the mention of specific models as I am starting from total zero on this subject.
I will have to contact one of the local amature groups for the exam and they probably can provide leads on used gear. I will check out e-bay also.
We will continue sailing our CD25 during the summer and will probably take 2 winters to do the rebuild of the 27. Everthing is coming off the boat and I will have the opportunity to fit a unit corectly. We spent the winter of 2000 in the Fl. Keys on the 25 but were not brave enough to cross the Gulf stream, thus the move to the 27 and the communication gear.
Thanks
Jim
LynHeiges@cs.com