Installing SSB Antenna

[Neil_Y]

I tried the crocodile clip to backstay, but this then picked up more interference from the laptop/other electronics autohelm etc as you have then connected your aerial to lots of metal that runs inside the boat like shroud fittings.

When the aerial was seperated as much as possible and kept as a simple wire using backstay for support reception improved, we played around with a few options and this worked best for us. Also a clip and sea water may mean the connection resistance may vary with corossion which could mess up your weather fax just when you need it.

Have a good trip

 

[bbg]

Thanks Neil,

I think I will prepare the independent wire - sheathed coax until it exits the deck - but also have a separate wire + crocodile clips and see how that works first.

Now I've got to figure out how the radio works, and when and which frequencies for Wx forecasts.

 

[Strathglass]

There are several things which have not been stated yet.

Height is important even with sea all around more height will give you greater range.

If you connect an aerial directly to the aerial terminal of some modern recievers with wide open front ends and there is a very powerful signal being recieved then this signal can crossmodulate all the weeker signals and make reception virtualiy imposible. This is where an aerial tuner comes into it's own for reception. Recieve only ATU's are relatively innexpensive and light. They will lift week signals out of a mush of background noises.

An earth wire to some large metal object may well improve reception.

I would say that a thin piece of insulated wire hoisted when needed (ie when the radio with it's own aerial can't get your signals) to the spreaders with a plastic tie wrap at the top as an insulator with a recieving ATU between it and the reciever would give you a good compromise of range and low weight.

Iain

 

[Conachair]

I did Atlantic east - west with some wire wrapped around sprayhood and west - east using the AM/FM radio masthead aerial, both with good enough reception. used a degen 1103, cheap and well up to the job. Biggest problem was forgetting to turn the fridge back on

Coming back was New orealns, boston, northwood. Could only just get herb some days but he seemed mostly to be talking to US boats heading back west.

Fax schedule here - http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/rfax.pdf

Also it's worth checking out weather satellites. I can just get an image tied up in London from NOAA sats., recieving on an icom 706mk11. very cool when it works.

Free prog here http://www.wxtoimg.com/

 

[MM5AHO]

"They will lift week signals out of a ..."

This type of signal only last for 7 days.