Koeketiene
Well-known member
Don't need/want DSC and
Been advised by licensing authority that as long as I stick to the marine freq I'm covered by the LRC.
Is there a future for ssb?
- Thread starter Oscarpop
- Start date
Don't need/want DSC and
Been advised by licensing authority that as long as I stick to the marine freq I'm covered by the LRC.
lenseman
Active member
- Joined
- 3 Jun 2006
- Messages
- 7,077
- Location
- South East Coast - United Kingdom
Correct but that is only the operator which is covered to transmit on marine frequencies (and crew members under supervision).
I fully understand about it being capable of being modified to be opened up for marine frequencies BUT once modified, it then falls into the category of non compliance Type Approval for use on UK registered vessels. If you are going to modify this Icom to transmit on the marine frequencies, making it an illegal transceiver, you may as well purchase An Icom 802 which also is non-compliant but would give the greater output.
The maximum PEP from the IC-718 is 100 Watts compared to the 801E which is compliant and transmits 125 Watts.
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Chalker
Member
Icom started supplying the CE Approved 801E in 2007/8. I waited for it and bought it deliberately.
It is similar to the 802 but has some significant differences.
801E. Both the main unit and the remote head are waterproof boxes.
802. Is a bent metal unit that circulates external air through the internal components
I wanted to avoid damp salt laden air inside my transceiver.
801E meets the EU version of the DSC spec that requires two receive channels, one for user use the other for the DSC channels. The 802 has one receiver that is shared between the two jobs.
Most if not all cruising marine use can be satisfied by either version including Pactor.. Check with the Pactor site to see if other radios will satisfy their requirements, there is (or was) an issue of the time that the radio takes to change from Rx to Tx
It is similar to the 802 but has some significant differences.
801E. Both the main unit and the remote head are waterproof boxes.
802. Is a bent metal unit that circulates external air through the internal components
I wanted to avoid damp salt laden air inside my transceiver.
801E meets the EU version of the DSC spec that requires two receive channels, one for user use the other for the DSC channels. The 802 has one receiver that is shared between the two jobs.
Most if not all cruising marine use can be satisfied by either version including Pactor.. Check with the Pactor site to see if other radios will satisfy their requirements, there is (or was) an issue of the time that the radio takes to change from Rx to Tx
temptress
Well-known member
like the OP we considered SSb but decided against on the grounds of costs of the SSB and associated equipment combined with the falling cost of SAT phones. We have an iridium SATphone to get GRB files, MOAA/METOFRANCE forecasts, Weatherfaxes and send/receive e-mail when offshore. Also the set can be left on and any family needing to contact us can just phone. Until we lost the rudder in the Atlantic last week we never made any outgoing calls on the phone.
oldvarnish
Active member
Great blog, and good work!
temptress
Well-known member
thanks. Now for the repair....................
robmcg
Well-known member
I think there is a barrier to uptake of SSB in general which revolves around the cost of the equipment. You can't help thinking that if the hardware costs were half of what they are now, more people would be willing to invest in a set. Economics has artificially limited the market and the sat phone data capabilities are further eroding this market. Improved market access through more competitive pricing may be the way forward or possibly that ship has already sailed.
saltylegs
Active member
+1 good honest reporting, all the best with repairs
KellysEye
Active member
>We have an iridium SATphone
We had an SSB for the reasons I said (lifeblood of cruising) we also an Iridium satphone that lived in the grab bag and was recharged as needed.
We had an SSB for the reasons I said (lifeblood of cruising) we also an Iridium satphone that lived in the grab bag and was recharged as needed.
oldvarnish
Active member
There's a frequent discussion about SSB v Satphone - as if they did the same job. Two very different things, as you appreciate.
Ariadne
Active member
SSB is alive and well everywhere outside of the EU, all the cruisers there from outside of Europe have them and use them on their various nets in Europe! Worth the money, yes we use ours to the extent we sold our Iridium phone!
As for EU approval - who is going to come down to your and check it? Nobody that's who!
If you can find a good set 'abroad' and get it here, then fit it. We have an 801E and the only difference (apart from the many extra £s) is the case had to be waterproof in the EU, the rest of world set wasn't. As for marine frequencies - the 801 and 802 can be started up in an all frequency mode, which most people use in any case.
As for EU approval - who is going to come down to your and check it? Nobody that's who!
If you can find a good set 'abroad' and get it here, then fit it. We have an 801E and the only difference (apart from the many extra £s) is the case had to be waterproof in the EU, the rest of world set wasn't. As for marine frequencies - the 801 and 802 can be started up in an all frequency mode, which most people use in any case.
William_H
Well-known member
I wish forum members could see that the term "SSB " is not adequate to describe what you are talking about. I am sure poster knows what he has in mind but I don't think others do. As you might see from my previous post SSB is used a transmission mode on HF and MF frequencies. These frequencies are used for a variety of purposes or nets.
By international agreement both the operator and the station must be licenced. But these lcences will be for specific purposes. So licences might be for a boat for Marine radio communication with shore and other boats. Or as completely separate thing Amateur radio communication. Or any of the other uses I listed. Each requiring a sparate licence and call sign.
Now of recent years things have changed in this area. Once upon a time HF radio frequencies were finite and jealously guarded. International conferences were convened often to thrash out who could use what frequency just to avoid interference. HF (shortwave broadcasting was one big demand.) Transceivers tended to have discreet crystals for each frequency so there was a natural limitation on what you did witha transceiver.
Technology has come along and chages so much. On the one hand satelite broadcasting and communication has relieved the pressure on frequencies. HF tramsceivers are now built with phase locked loop technology that makes dial up frequency the norm. This wide range of frequencies available makes these radios a nightmre for the authorities trying to fullfill international requirments. Hence some radios are banned because they will do all frequencies in some countries. The manufacturer thne must fit software (firmware) to limit frequencies available.
So here in Oz (at least it used to be) that your station was inspected for a station licence and callsign. Your station will be licenced for specific purposes. ie marine safety or ham radio being the ones applicable to this forum.
Ham radio is (or was) a licence to experiment. Hence the technical examination and previous requirments for morse code profficiency. Ham radio has undergone huge changes of receent years. Equipment is now bought rather than built. Experimenters are definiteluy in the minority. The internet and email have reduced the worth of simply talking to people. Once it was difficult to find a free slot in the narrow ham bands of 20 metres so you could talk.Now the bands are very quiet. Technology has leapt ahead so much that us ordinary folk can not comprehend or eperiment any more. So we have the situation where ham radio is used to a great degree for ocean cruisers. It seems to me we should have a whole new category and net for ocean cruisers but that is not going to happen. I am pleased that the old ham bands are getting some good use.
Back to my original beef. Posters need to specify what they have in mind when using the term SSB. If it is amateur radio operation then say so. If it is for serious communication with government shore stations then say so. Please be aware that you can not simply fit a radio and start talking without an appropriate call sign. You also need an approriately licensed operator on board. Be it ham licence or long range certificate for marine safety commmunication. olewill
I should add that with less scrutiny of this whole industry and reality changing so rapidly my opinion may be in practice worthless in the face of what is actually done. ie ilegal as the norm. Our Oz government has stepped back from pleasure boating safety which includes radio nets and left it to volunteers. So I suspect from cost cutting they have little interest in radio spectrum and usage.
By international agreement both the operator and the station must be licenced. But these lcences will be for specific purposes. So licences might be for a boat for Marine radio communication with shore and other boats. Or as completely separate thing Amateur radio communication. Or any of the other uses I listed. Each requiring a sparate licence and call sign.
Now of recent years things have changed in this area. Once upon a time HF radio frequencies were finite and jealously guarded. International conferences were convened often to thrash out who could use what frequency just to avoid interference. HF (shortwave broadcasting was one big demand.) Transceivers tended to have discreet crystals for each frequency so there was a natural limitation on what you did witha transceiver.
Technology has come along and chages so much. On the one hand satelite broadcasting and communication has relieved the pressure on frequencies. HF tramsceivers are now built with phase locked loop technology that makes dial up frequency the norm. This wide range of frequencies available makes these radios a nightmre for the authorities trying to fullfill international requirments. Hence some radios are banned because they will do all frequencies in some countries. The manufacturer thne must fit software (firmware) to limit frequencies available.
So here in Oz (at least it used to be) that your station was inspected for a station licence and callsign. Your station will be licenced for specific purposes. ie marine safety or ham radio being the ones applicable to this forum.
Ham radio is (or was) a licence to experiment. Hence the technical examination and previous requirments for morse code profficiency. Ham radio has undergone huge changes of receent years. Equipment is now bought rather than built. Experimenters are definiteluy in the minority. The internet and email have reduced the worth of simply talking to people. Once it was difficult to find a free slot in the narrow ham bands of 20 metres so you could talk.Now the bands are very quiet. Technology has leapt ahead so much that us ordinary folk can not comprehend or eperiment any more. So we have the situation where ham radio is used to a great degree for ocean cruisers. It seems to me we should have a whole new category and net for ocean cruisers but that is not going to happen. I am pleased that the old ham bands are getting some good use.
Back to my original beef. Posters need to specify what they have in mind when using the term SSB. If it is amateur radio operation then say so. If it is for serious communication with government shore stations then say so. Please be aware that you can not simply fit a radio and start talking without an appropriate call sign. You also need an approriately licensed operator on board. Be it ham licence or long range certificate for marine safety commmunication. olewill
I should add that with less scrutiny of this whole industry and reality changing so rapidly my opinion may be in practice worthless in the face of what is actually done. ie ilegal as the norm. Our Oz government has stepped back from pleasure boating safety which includes radio nets and left it to volunteers. So I suspect from cost cutting they have little interest in radio spectrum and usage.
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GHA
Well-known member
You are right it could be more specific, but in general in Europe and it seems much of the sailing world, SSB on a sailing boat is commonly taken to mean Marine SSB, the "marine" bit has just been left out. Not as precise as it could be but most people know what it means.
As for ham being g quiet, not so round these parts, lots of voice on the popular bands plus the digital modes are always busy, psk31 especially. The building technology may have made more sophisticated radios readily available but there's lots on interest in other areas, for instance qrp with programs like http://wsprnet.org/drupal/ paving the way for tweaking to get a 1w signal half way round the world. And the guys at the club where I did my license said that cw (that's morse code for the rest of you
) was actually more active since the license requirement was dropped. So sorry to hear if ham is loosing popularity where you are but up here it's very much alive and well