Long Range Radio

[frauboot]

I have been reading the discussion on getting a long range radio licence in another part of this forum. I was wondering about the alternatives to buying a Marine SSB Radio that seem very expensive up to 3000E.
Vaquero suggests a satellite phone is a better way to go. But a American called Herb does a very good discussion on the weather each day for all boats in the Atlantic and I would like to participate in that. However I don't want to spend a third of the cost of my boat on a radio.
How do you convert a normal long range radio to Marine SSB? Is it easy? Are the channels preset? What sort of amateur long range radio would be suitable?

 

[Noddy]

I was able to pick up SSB conversations on my sony shortwave. It has an SSB capability and I made the backstay into an ariel.

My understanding is that the ariel length is critical for transmitting but longer is better for receiving.

I was also able to recieve weatherfax images via the SSB and computer.

So if you only want to listen it doesn't have to be expensive.

(Note to self: keep radio dry)

P

 

[co256]

Would a NASA active antenna work with a SW radio like Noddy's sony or my roberts radio???

just a thought?!

 

[Chrusty1]

Weeeeeeeeeel!.......There are various CB type SSB radios around, if you know where to look, they are illegal to use in the UK, but out in the middle of the pond who gives a rats?

One that comes to mind that is very flexible in regard to fitting different frequencis is the Ham. Jumbo, will work very well with an Antron whip or a measured length wire antenna.

Any decent rig Doctor, worthy of the name will be able to fit it with whatever channels / frequencies you might require. Most of these radios are getting a bit long in the tooth now, but find one that's been looked after, and there is no reason why it wont go on for years.

If you want to talk home to mother, an amplifier / burner about 400 watts will do the trick from most places in the world, as long as the propagation is reasonable. You will probably need an SWR meter/tuner, to run with it though.

The stiff necked hams will fluff and blather at such a suggestion, but there you go, they have always been a bit like that, maybe not so bad these days, but at one time the ham radio fraternity were a bit like an old boys club, for ex private school boys! 10-4! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif