SSB Question

[DeeGee]

How important is a SSB transceiver. I know it can be used for inter-ship, free comms / receiving weather faxes (with a PC) / weather broadcasts from specialist weather gurus... but how important to YOU?

And, if I were shopping around for a good SSB transceiver, second-hand, how much would be a good target price, and what are the favoured sets?

We intend starting our 'live-aboard life' next March, with no clear boundaries, nor fixed intentions yet. Probably the Med for a while, but maybe Westward ho toward the end of the year. Won't have much money then, so trying to cover most angles now.


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[ccscott49]

I have a SSB receiver, find it useful for weatherfax and broadcasts. I wouldn't bother with a SSB transciever if you are thinking about the meddy for a few years. Wait, mobile phiones work almost all over the meddy for communicating with home etc and most liveaboards have one nowadays. If considering heading across the pond later, you can consider one then, although the price of sattelite comunications are dropping all the time, rapidly, I personally am going to wait and see what transpires in the next couple of years. All this is of course IMHO.

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[jeanne]

We spent a couple of years doing an Atlantic circuit, with a ham ssb which was a distinct asset, with three main uses.
1 The ham nets for your cruising ground gave a lot of support, with weather, up to date port information, and a group of people happy to help in an emergency.
2 We had a regular schedule with a friend in the UK, who was in touch with our families. Third party messages are not allowed on a Ham licence, but every time we talked [about routine matters], we knew that the absence of 'Please 'phone home' messages meant that all was well at both ends.
3 We spent a long while 'cruising in company' with another couple [ a great thing to do, by the way] who also had a ham ssb. When it suited us, we could seperate, to pick up guests for instance, and stay in touch over the ssb, so that we could rejoin each other later.
It also provided a certain amount of entertainment, talking to non-sailing Hams in the night watches.
I think you get most value from an ssb in the more remote areas [we were in South America for a year], I don't know how important it might be in the Med. and I don't know how useful a non ham set is.

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[warrior40]

Although mobile phones are making more people not consider an SSB, more fool them I say, because an SSB is absolutely invaluable for keeping in touch with mates on other boats, info on anchorages, weather and safety nets when doing a passage. I notice a lot of boats doing the ARC these days aren't bothering with SSB, what a shame, they will miss out on so much, and so will we, because they will not be able to share any of their thoughts, concerns, highs and lows with the rest of the fleet out cruising. Althgough the initial cost is a bit high, you will never regret it.
If buying second hand, remember that you will need an ATU aswell.

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[elenya]

ssb are pretty useful in many respects. we have lbeen cruising since 93 and find the ssb good to keep in touch with other freinds on boats around us , get the weather, or just listen to the news. we have one which is capable on the ham bands also which gives us more coverage and quietr channels also email for free.
we are in the pacific which dont have alot of cell phone coverage!! if you want cheap communications then once you have the set its about $40 nz ayear for a licence. cruised for a bit without it but now we prefer to have it , we can always switch it off!!

good cruising

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[ccscott49]

I still say SSB transceivers are not really neccessary in the Meddy, but as you say cruising further afield it would be a desirable option, to keep inj touch but I would wait before buying, as sattelite becomes cheaper and more popular, you might find some bargains in the SSB market. I can think of a lot more useful kit for the money for the med, like solar panels etc. Just an opinion, it depends where your intended cruising grounds are and when.

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[DeeGee]

Well, I have a chance at a Kenwood TS50S, c/w tuner, for about £550 - don't know if that is a good set, good price?

Looking in my various bits of sailing drivel, I find that I will have to have my uninsulated backstay converted to insulated, to use it as an aerial, and in addition, there seems to be some doubt about ground-plate.

More answers, please, I have found the replies so far helpful.

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[ccscott49]

Isn't that a Ham set? If so it may not be legal for use as a marine SSB and you also have to do a Ham exam etc. If it isn't a ham set, disregard all previous. But you will have to do the SSB ticket for a marine set, which is not cheap. The Ham one is even more difficult and probably expensive aswell, you will need some kind of antenna and a ground plate, more expense, are you sure you really need one, right now?

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[snowleopard]

a) if you're going across the pond an ssb is very useful. the ham/marine issue is an emotive one but to talk to other cruisers you need to be able to tx on the marine bands. if you are already a ham you won't want to talk to us plebs ;-)

b) you won't get any power out of your antenna without a proper ground (plate or other approved device), connected to the ATU by a copper strip at least 2" wide.

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[davidbains]

Navigate to http://www.hfradio.com/
for much reading on this subject.
The YW Arc survey also has a section on SSB.
I would think almost every cruiser has a HF receiver
but a fewer carry a transceiver.
Most marine transceivers are ICOM's although there is a new Furuno.
They can be modified by an expert to transmit on Ham bands as well but you
need to take your ham licence which is time consuming.
The installation needs alot of attention to get right and alot of power to run.
I suggest you start with a good receiver, I use a LoweHF Marine and if you get
into it you can fit a transceiver when you know more about it.
I have cruised the med for many years with a Lowe HF receiver and a mobile
plus visits to internet cafes. If you cruise Atlantic and Pacific a transceiver
becomes much more desirable.

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[elenya]

ham licenes are not always expensive or difficult. we joined an american examination group ( found wherever their is a group of american yachts). it cost us $40 for the exam. we studied the list of questions from www.aarrl.com and downloaded a free morse program for the computer. 2 weeks later 2 general ham licences.
Fitting a ham radio and using it on your boat without a licenec is illegal only if you transmit on ham bands ( a small 'adjustment' and they will transmit on marine bands, dependent on the type of radio!!) so it may be a good reciever until you get alicence. all great but it is not marinised and liable to salt corrosion and it doesnt have a '2 tone alarm' which is useful in area that are not dsc 9 which is a lot!!).
buy good, buy wise, buy when know you want it, and sat coms will get cheaper, as will ssb.

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[johnskit]

No such web site as www.aarrl.com Can you correct it?

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[Roberto]

[url]www.arrl.org[/url] (nm)

nm

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[Roberto]

The TS50 is a very good basic set, which should be more than enough for your intended use, if interested read

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/411

it is a amateur radio set so to be legal you should have an amateur licence before transmitting with it. For a licence in the uk, additional info under

http://www.radio.gov.uk/topics/amateur/amateur-index.htm#docs

and

www.rsgb.org

As for installation (esp antenna), there are various possible options worth investigating before installing insulators in the backstay and ground plates. This system usually works but i.it is expensive ii.install a text book ground is very time consuming iii.quite often better results can be had in a simpler way.
There are quite a few different antenna setups that can be successfully used in marine environment, for the very basic all you need is a length of electric cable: you test it, if it does not work then try the following step, until you feel confortable with the results.

In any case, imho a bit of study is necessary: ssb/ham is not a "just push the button" mean of communication (mobiles or satellite phones waaaays ahead), and a bit of technical information will help a long way in getting the best out of your equipment, marine or amateur bands alike.

the above sites may be a starting point

roberto
m0ita

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[FerrymanR]

arrl (Amateur Radio Relay League)

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[davidbains]

Roberto,
When you say that there are alternative antennae arrangements to
insulating you backstay. Please tell us more. Can these alternative
antennas be used at sea or are they only practical at anchor!?
Are you referring to wire dipoles pulled up the mast?

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[Roberto]

David,

insulated backstays are a very common setup and people are usually happy with it.
However, some people are worried by the insulators strength, or cost; before fitting them one could try dipoles, as you mention: easy to build, very efficient, no need for ground, but need one for each band and have to hoist them every time..

For a radio with coupler: i) you can hoist a wire from one corner of the pushpit to a sail batten fitted on the masthead, with two £1 insulators, the batten will keep away the wire from the rig and provide some shock absorption. Although funny looking, this system can be made permanent, just replace the wire every one or two years; or ii)insert the wire inside a fishing rod secured to the pushpit;
iii)if the backstay is not grounded/bonded, you can connect the coupler antenna exit to it and use the entire stay+mast as your antenna; iv)do a google search for EH antenna: they are very compact (a few feet of pvc pipe), easy to make, stay comfortably aside near the pushpit, they can work as well as an insulated backstay, if they do not then it is only a few pounds..
I am by no means an expert, by have tried these various systems in different boats and got very good reports; again, as an insulated backstay can work, these systems can too

Some experimenting can be made with ground too: before destroying bulkheads and expoxying kilometers of copper foil, simply connect a wire to the ground post of the coupler and throw it in the water, when I bring my radio in someone else boat it is usually the simplest way to start, if it does not work then upgrade the system step by step.

hope this helps

rob, m0ita

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[ccscott49]

Does a sintered bronze plate on the outsid e of the hull, connected with cable to the set, antenna tuner work? or does it have to be copper strip to connect them to the bronze plate?

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[Roberto]

Well, try it! If you can talk to a station a few thousands km away then why change it ?
Theory would suggest copper foil connected to large metal plates in or outside the hull (keel, tanks, rudder, etc), sintered bronze plates seem less efficient at HF: I had one left over from an old loran and tried to use it at 7 and 14MHz but signal report was rather (really) bad, the plate was in the boat already, I would not install one for hf
imho, fwiw, etc etc

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[FerrymanR]

I notice you mention copper foil. I wonder if anyone knows a good source of 3" or 4" foil? I am getting by on 1" wide 22 swg tape at present, not ideal but it came free!
Richard

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