HAM Radio Set for marine use

[G12]

Hi guys,
I'm looking for recommendations of a HAM radio set that I could use aboard with a pactor modem for the normal ocean comms - WX, email, voice.
I'm not fussed about having the Icom 801/802 with their DSC functions, just a good compact HAM set that I could maybe get second hand that can be opened up to marine frequencies. I should add, before any HAMs try and slap me, I have no intention of hijacking HAM frequencies, I just want marine comms without paying the marine price tag if that makes sense.
I may be able to borrow a Yaesu FT757 but not sure if I can use this set with a modem or if it can be operated on marine frequencies, it's also quite porky by modern standards - All suggestions greatfully received.

PS, probably going to get an Iridium GO as well before anyone mentions satphones. I would like to join in on radio nets etc - A bit more social when single handing I think.

 

[GHA]

Do you have a LRC licnse & call sign?

Using a ham set is technically against the rules, they don't meet the spec for marine SSB and if you don't know what you're doing you could easily make a mess across the frequencies for everyone else, especially on digital modes.

As for good ham radios, the icom 706Mk3 is well regarded with many on ebay opened up already.

 

[Birdseye]

any ham set will work a modem- all you need is a sound output. As for the marine nets, I have never found the pure marine frequencies any real use. The useful nets are on ham frequencies though even then - and I am a licenced ham - I would use satellite coms if I was venturing offshore. SSB is old technology not much used for serious comms.

The only advantage of ssb over sat is tha ability to chat in a net ie social use.

One other thing worth mentioning. For receive only use for weather, you can use a plain wire strung up in the rigging and you dont need an ATU. To transmit, you need an ATU and a serious aerial and ground plane / earth. Setting that up requires a bit of knowledge

 

[G12]

any ham set will work a modem- all you need is a sound output. As for the marine nets, I have never found the pure marine frequencies any real use. The useful nets are on ham frequencies though even then - and I am a licenced ham - I would use satellite coms if I was venturing offshore. SSB is old technology not much used for serious comms.

The only advantage of ssb over sat is tha ability to chat in a net ie social use.

One other thing worth mentioning. For receive only use for weather, you can use a plain wire strung up in the rigging and you dont need an ATU. To transmit, you need an ATU and a serious aerial and ground plane / earth. Setting that up requires a bit of knowledge

I've just been researcing this a bit more tonight and find that the FT757 is according to the pactor modem people "Unsuitable for digital communication" - Maybe it could be modified though. I have a great little Tecsun world band radio that I can use to receive weatherfax on (long wire aerial). This is all I was going to take but the more I thought about it, the more I thought it'd be good to have the ability to speak to others.
I'm happy to fit insulators to the backstay and get an ATU - I'd be quite happy with a manual one. I've heard good things about the KISS groundplane - Was planning to test that rather than mess about with bronze plates etc.

Do you have a LRC licnse & call sign?

Using a ham set is technically against the rules, they don't meet the spec for marine SSB and if you don't know what you're doing you could easily make a mess across the frequencies for everyone else, especially on digital modes.

As for good ham radios, the icom 706Mk3 is well regarded with many on ebay opened up already.

I'm planning to sit the GMDSS GOC as soon as I can find a course that is happening when I'm not away working. That'll take care of the licence bit
Thanks for the radio suggestion, I'll check it out.

 

[jdc]

I'm not at all sure that amateur sets can be opened up for transmit on marine frequencies, although my Icom 801E marine set can certainly be opened up for use on Amateur frequencies.

When on an extended passage or far away from home we have a regular SSB schedule, talking to a friend in the UK. Of course it's mostly just chat, but occasionally he sends us faxes, for instance ice maps which are about 750kB and hence quite impossible top send via Iridium. The set up is:

Ship station:
Icom 801E plus ATU connected to the backstay
'Tigertronics' SignaLink sound card http://www.tigertronics.com/slusbmain.htm

Terrestrial station:
Icom 718, home-made ATU (but only suitable for 80, 40m and 20m bands)
400W Linear amp (but only used occasionally)
'Tigertronics' SignaLink sound card

Software:
RMS Express for Winmoor WL2k sessions (ie emails or file xfer between us)
Sea TTY for receiving faxes

I agree with Birdseye that marine frequencies have not proved useful: certainly we listen on them to broadcasts of eg weather, but we've never in 8 years of having the SSB used any marine frequencies for ship-ship. This is good for the OP since it means he can use an amateur set which can receive everywhere between 50kHz and 30MHz but need only transmit on the amateur bands (of which 7 and 14MHz are by far the most useful).

 

[GHA]

I'm planning to sit the GMDSS GOC as soon as I can find a course that is happening when I'm not away working (Heading towards my M200 if you're wondering why I don't just do the cheaper LRC). That'll take care of the licence bit

.... inquiring on a public forum how to use a radio not type approved to transmit on marine ssb frequencies might not be the best starting point...

That aside, marine SSB seems to be all but silent in Europe & this side of the pond, very different across the other side & the pacific where it's an integral part of the cruising scene, in the USA there ins't even an exam to get on the SSB airwaves, just apply for a call sign. Good job the radios are designed to be a bit idiot proof

I'm not at all sure that amateur sets can be opened up for transmit on marine frequencies

I think most can, either with a minor internal mod or some maybe with just a keypress sequence. My icom IC7000 is opened up for all MF frequencies.

And also with signalink for email on winlink with RMS. One of the few bits of software which needs windows

 

[G12]

.... inquiring on a public forum how to use a radio not type approved to transmit on marine ssb frequencies might not be the best starting point...

Yes I know it's a bit naughty but it's what the budget dictates in this case. The M802 isn't type approved either! Anyway, I haven't done the course and maybe they'll show me the errors of my ways

 

[G12]

When on an extended passage or far away from home we have a regular SSB schedule, talking to a friend in the UK. Of course it's mostly just chat, but occasionally he sends us faxes, for instance ice maps which are about 750kB and hence quite impossible top send via Iridium. The set up is:

What kind of transfer rates are you getting with that? Looks interesting.....

 

[jdc]

... i haven't done the course and maybe they'll show me the errors of my ways

It won't. Quite the worst course I've ever been on (and I went to a good university, so believe me I've attended some quite extraordinarily poor lectures) was the LRC. It was designed to get people to pass but in no way to understand. I passed - I gather the pass rate is nigh 100% as a result of this method - but it is of the VW approach to testing.

 

[jdc]

What kind of transfer rates are you getting with that? Looks interesting.....

The Winlink was rather poor, about 0.5 to 1k bits per sec. I think that is because at my end I couldn't entirely blank my microphone and the 801 'mixes' the mic input with the modem's output.

Faxes are better, possibly because one is receiving only. You don't get a choice of speeds, but I think they have all been at 120 lines per minute.

 

[GHA]

It won't. Quite the worst course I've ever been on (and I went to a good university, so believe me I've attended some quite extraordinarily poor lectures) was the LRC.

Think he's looking at the GOC

I'm planning to sit the GMDSS GOC

Anyway, I'm very glad I made the effort to get the advanced ham license, learned huge amounts and didn't cost much.

 

[GHA]

BTW, if anyone on windows fancies a listen then this is free, take your pick from receivers round the world...

http://sdr-radio.com/Software

 

[MM5AHO]

Yaesu FT857 is a good radio for this application.
I have one aboard and use it for all manner of things, including as a reserve VHF (though a bit tricky converting channels to frequency quickly).
Secondhand market is good and plentiful. You'll need an ATU and an antenna (I use backstay). The "expensive" groundplane things are not very necessary. Counterpoise wires in my hull do well for mine.
Like others, marine ship to ship isn't much used here, but the amateur bands are.

 

[G12]

Thanks for everything guys, there's some good info here (particularly that there is much more activity in the amateur bands) which has enabled me to go off and do some more research.
I have to say the Icom and Yaesu sets mentioned both look like just the ticket so I'll see which I can get cheapest.....Not in a mega rush with this so I can wait until something turns up at a good price.

 

[MM5AHO]

Watch out with the Icom 706. A Mk3 is a different radio to the Mk1 and Mk2. Only Mk3 is worth buying.

 

[snowleopard]

Beware when buying an Icom set. From time to time they have done some funny things with the software. My SSB set has 150 programmable user channels but some people who bought theirs after me found that the user channels were fixed so if the frequency you want isn't pre-programmed you couldn't use it.

 

[KellysEye]

The Icom M700 has both Marine and Ham frequencies, as it's old it should be cheap. You need a Long Range Certificate to use the marine band and a Ham licence if you want use those frequencies. A modem is not required but and Automatic Tuning Unit is and that must be connected to a backstay with insulators to get the ranges on the different frequencies 150 NM to 25,000 NM is typical. Bear in mind 50% of the aerial is made up by the earth so it must be earthed properly.