ssb short wave radio

[c_roff]

I am researching ssb radio for long distance cruising (uk to s pacific) next year. It seems that to get the equipment bought, installed and get qualified to use it is not going to give much change from £3000. Is it worth it? Is it worth linking in a PC for metfax & email and how reliable is an ordinary laptop likley to be for 12 months at sea? Any advice from anyone with first hand experience will be much appreciated. My boat is a 35ft GRP long keel ketch.

whistler

 

[Guest]

I've just bought an Icom ic - M710 ssb radio and have just completed a 3 day course in Southampton in order to get the license you need to operate it. The course was run by Yachtcom (yachtcom.co.uk) and the tutor, Bob Smith is very knowledgable. The web site is also worth a visit. The icom 710 was about £1600 including the separate tuner. You also need an antenna - either an insulated backstay (will cost about £300 to achieve) or a whip antenna - again about £300).

The Icom 710 is GMDSS approved (but is not GMDSS) if that sounds like a contradiction you need to gen up on GMDSS and DSC! But it is enormous!!! (weighs 8kg), not very easy to find a convenient place for it in a 35' boat.

If you can cope with a non-approved "ham" ssb radio there are much more compact models

 

[HaraldS]

Is it worth it? I cannot tell you yet, but hopefully soon. I figured it must be, since it is the only way to communicate between boats of friends once you are out of VHF range, and that alone is nice for a bluewater cruiser.

Another use is SSB E-mail. I figured I'll give it a shot and I'm just baout to install a PTC unit and I have signed up with a new HF-mail provider, who is also using the new Pactor-III mode, which allows transmission speeds up to about 2700 baud. About the same as most satellite comms (Iridium 2400, Mini-M 2400,..). The good news with HF-Mail may be that it is flat rate for about €300 a year.

The question whether to go the HAM radio route or wheher to have an ITU marine set, is more difficult, it seems good to have both options, and in theory you can cover both with one rig. The problem is they will only give you a ship license if you register an approved marine unit. So you might have to be a bit creative.

As was pointed out, HAM radios are smaller, cheaper and more versatile, maybe not as robust. I too have an Icom-710, but one with remote control head, so that my heavy box is fitted near the antenna tuner near the backstay and at the chart table there is just the small control head. And if you get the open version you can also use it for HAM frequencies.

Inversely an IC-706mk2 would do all that as well and is much smaller and cheaper and gives you VHF in addition, the later allows you to receive pictures directly from the weather satellites, if you havee a PTC controller.

Heading from the uk to the south pacific, approximately my plan too, I wouldn't do without an SBB rig. The further you go, the more you will need it, just to be connected with other cruising friends. Drop me a private mail and I'll tell you what I would be doing now that I have learned some more about this topic.

 

[numenius]

Have you tried U.S prices? I'll bet they are an AWFUL lot cheaper, and as your going international I don't suppose the set will be subject to the UK type approval rip off that VHF sets are (though you might want to check that if its an issue for you).

http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm

 

[NDG]

I have been wrestling with this question myself. In the end i have decided to go for an SSB receiver, with weatherfax capability (I will also get a cheap laptop). I decided that the cost of the kit and the course (hassle factor also!) on a small boat was simply too much to bear for something that I will probably use to receive on every day but transmit on very, very occasionally. Power consumtion is massive also.

My SSB receiver has cost me £200. The rest of the cash I have spent on a radar, new GPS and new ICS NAvtex, which I reckon is money better spent. Taken together all this comes to about £1400 - considerably less than the cost of a SSB tranciever plus course/licence. I reckon I will probably also get an EPIRB for safety purposes - I have heard too many stories of mayday calls on SSB going unanswered to consider relying on it for safety.

We are going transatlantic later this year, so not as far as you. Its frightening how much money you can spend on this stuff.

 

[ccscott49]

I would be tempted to go for satelite comunications, instead of SSB, The mini "m" or "c" or even the new handheld thing, I can never remember the name!! Might be more useful, but boat to boat long distance, it has to be SSB.

 

[c_roff]

Thank you for your response. I think I am slowly coming to the same conclusion that the money can be better spent elsewhere! I have heard that it can be a bit frustrating hearing people on ssb and not being able to join in the conversation! Better though to be able to hear what's going on than not.

It is indeed frightening at how much money you can start spending and there are plenty of scare-mongers around to tell you that you must have every last bit of "safety equipment". I am trying to hold to my original values of keep it simple and equip the boat with good quality preventative kit such as good sails, ground tackle etc.

I believe that too much emphasis, these days, is put on safety kit to deal with calling for help and dealing with a disaster, rather than on self sufficiency and preventing the disaster occouring in the first place!

Chris.

whistler