HAM ADVICE

[lindsay]

Several decades ago I passed the full amateur radio operators thing and have kept up the subscriptions ever since, but have never actually practised. I now, finally, want to take up the hobby but am in the position I have forget literally everything except the Morse code, which I understand is not much use now.

Is there a "black box' set suitable for a Med based 28 foot yacht that I could buy and start up immediately "hamming" with say a whip aerial?I am willing to spend the time to improve an aerial system but would prefer to not know much about what goes on inside the black box...as an excuse for such laziness I am nearer 70 than 60!

Advice appreciated

 

[mdrifter]

It depends what you want to do with the "black-box" - use it as a ham rig or have a "marine" rig on board for other non-hams to use? My preference would be for a marine rig since it is much simpler for other non-hams to use. Most Marine rigs can be broadbanded for ham use - but of course they then become non-approved as a marine rig...what a can of worms that lot is! I understand that there may be a type approved Icom M801E available soon...the same as the M802 but CE approved whereas the 802 is "only" FCC approved. If I remember correctly the 802 has the ham bands already accessible, but I don't know about the proposed 801E. These Icom sets are 12V and modularised unlike the M710 - so, much easier to install. I think all these Icom sets can run indefinitely at 100% duty cycle - which means as long as your 12V supply can produce 25-30A! If only folk would appreciate that if you can't get through on 15W you probably wont on 150W. If you want to run SailMail/AirMail/WinLink2k for email and wx info using a lap-top and SCS PTC "radio" modem then Icom pre-dominates in this field although I'm using a Kenwood TS570 for these uses at home. Would I use the Kenwood on board - No - since there is not enough room available for me to mount it although it is used as a mobile rig in vehicles and possibly on the water. On board I use an Icom M710RT, the modularised version of the 710 which is no longer in production. This is a rig which has been made "ham" capable by www.hfradio.com whose website has loads of info. Icom 706 are also used aboard as well as Alinco and other Kenwood models - quite often available second hand - don't see many marine ssb's available that way?
On a yacht I think an Automatic Antenna Tuner or Coupler is essential although others would disagree and stick with a manual "EzMatch" or similar. I'd go for the SGC230 which only requires a 12V feed and will couple your back-stay or other long wire to your rig. This ATU has a long and excellent track record and so far I'm really impressed with its performance at home and aboard. It is said to perform better than the Icom produced models...Good grounding is essential to either ground-plates connected using 3"-4" copper strip; SGC and others recommend tying in all available metal surfaces such as engine, guard rails, stanchions and SS fuel-tank/water tank to RF ground; if you have an iron keel and accessible keel bolts then use the copper strip to connect to a "tapped" keel bolt - capacative ground even if keel is anti-fouled and/or epoxied. The need is to maximise the metal ground area seen by the ATU. Make the connection from the ATU to ground as short as possible and do the same for the connection to the backstay - not 2m up the backstay - immediately above your bottom insulator which can be at deck level and use tinned insulated wire such as GTO15 from Atu to backstay - why is it that most UK marine wire is stranded copper - the tinned stuff not readily off-the-shelf? I'm sure this has all been posted before and look forward to other opinions...good info also on www.sailmail.com & www.airmail2000.com

 

[davidbains]

drifter has covered it prety well.
HFRadio on board will do almost everything foe you if you don't mind ordering from
the US with possible import duties.
However there's not a huge amount of room in a 28ft boat for a complete bells and whistles installation.
I know quite a few hams now just buy an Icom 706 and a mobile aerial, or even a whip
for whichever band you want to concentrate on. You can hear them on 14303 at 8.00am
GMT sometimes.
However you must be serious about the earthing.
I understand the current Med net is on 8122 at 0530Z
Apparently also some activity on 4417 in Greece/Turkey

 

[SailingDoc]

Although it's many years ago now, I carried a Yeasu FT101 on our boat doing an Atlantic crossing (and back) - giving access not only to the Maritime Amateur nets but also to general 'hamming' with worldwide contacts. I was advised by someone who had done it all before, not to bother with ATU's and such, taking up space on board. The best form of tuning consisted of a small SWR meter and a pair of scissors, applied to an ordinary length of wire hoisted up on a spare halyard. I simply cut the wire until I got a nice SWR at the frequency of the net (at that time based in Morocco). I made plenty of world-wide contacts while rolling gently down the trade-winds.
There are plenty of sets of this type, in the ads in RadCom.

Brian (G3SGK)

 

[snowleopard]

icom sets

icon make both marine and ham sets, costing around £1600 and £2000 respectively. each has software blocking out the other's frequency bands e.g. with my marine set i can listen but not transmit on a ham frequency, academic really as hams won't talk to you unless you have a ham callsign, except in emergencies.

if you have ham only you'll miss out on being able to talk to most other boats.

i'm told it's possible to remove the frequency blocking by removing a chip but i've no idea if it's true.

for your money you get the radio and atu. you'll then need an earth plate and an antenna. they will set you back another £500. you must also have 30 amp capability from your batteries .

 

[VMALLOWS]

Lindsay,

Probably like you I qualified around 1965 (G3TSM). I've kept up the license ever since but in reality never used it since about 1972. I keep thinking that one day I'll go off in the boat and want a HAM SSB. But will I? The fascination then was building the equipment...then proving it worked. Now we talk on keyboards!.

 

[Strathglass]

Frightening Vic isn't it.

I have got one step nearer and actually built my Kenwood and manual ATU into the yacht I am building but have looked at the cost of 8mm rigging insulators for the backstay.
The ham rig is at home just now and the yacht is almost finished.
Will I fit it back in the hole? I don't know, it doesn't have a general coverage RX. It was quiet different in the old days. Homebrew was the norm but technology moves at such a pace.
Within ten years sat phone may be down to more realistic prices.

73 Iain GM3YND

 

[Bergman]

Re: icom sets

Perhaps try Yaesu

My FT757 will give general coverage on TX by simply operating a switch inside.

Good set for boat - not much bigger than car stereo - memories so you can set up semi duplex channels for marine type SSB working.

Not made any more but lots about 2nd hand around £400

Will need ATU, preferably auto, as it won't work into mismatched aerial.

 

[lindsay]

THanks for all the advice. To VM Mallows, yup, that's my vintage. I could go all modern on the internet of course but do not have access to a telephone line, and currently spend a fortune at Cybercafes.

 

[Boatman]

You could also try Yeasu FT100 which is the size of a car stereo, 150w output compatible ATU also available, along with a detachable front panel for remote mounting can be programed for all Marine frequencies by re chipping (cost about £25. pounds) Only downside is that there are too many functions per knob but is perfect for installation on a boat.