SSB

[Close hauled]

I've been looking for an SSB transceiver to fit on my British regiatered boat. The ICOM 710 is no longer in productipn and searches on ebay have come to nought. The ICOM802, which replaced the 710, has not got European type approval and according to ICOM is unlikely ever to have it and so it is ilegal to fit on a Britsh registered boat.

Consequently the only solution is to buy a commercial set but the costs are astronomic.

As I understand it all the boats on the ARC have got SSB, so what are they using?

Anyone have any ideas about a solution?


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[iona]

Try Mactrashop@lineone.net 01934 517288, they sell secondhand equipment

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[Koeketiene]

As I understand it all the boats on the ARC have got SSB, so what are they using?

You don't have to HAVE an SSB to do the ARC - if you have some sort of satcom (Iridium, Inmarsat,...) that's fine too.

If you still want to follow the SSB chater and capture weather forecastes you can get a cheap SSB receiver from NASA.

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[Sea Devil]

It is not illegal to fit a non conforming SSB - only to use it in British waters - order your Icom from West Marine. Fit it in the UK but do not use it till you leave or fit it in Gibraltar where it will arrive tax free and be even cheaper.

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time please visit my web site -
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.michaelbriant.com/sailing>http://www.michaelbriant.com/sailing</A>

 

[davidbains]

Pedro, just go ahead and fit the Icom 802. That's what most people use.
You won't need to use it in UK waters anyway.
Alternatively go the ham route. You can pick up a seconhand Icom 706
for under £500 and the licence is very easy to obtain now the morse
requirement has been dropped.
Read lots of info at www.hfradio.com
David

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[snowleopard]

<the licence is very easy to obtain now the morse requirement has been dropped>

not so sure about this- there are 3 levels of ham qualification and you need the highest for marine usage. ok, you don't need to have 12 wpm morse but it's not as trivial as you imply.

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[giraffehappy]

'go the ham route, it's easier now etc'

I am studying for the intermediate ham exam, and it is not 'easy'. I have a degree and did A level physics, and I am certainly having to concentrate on this quite a lot. Perhaps 'cos the grey matter is getting a little senior to be fair, but I would not describe it as easy, and the advanced course looks pretty scary.

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[davidbains]

I did the old City and Guilds Amateur radio theory course in one winter of once a week night school. Although I had done A level physics I was still slow on things like capacitance.
However the recent reforms are meant to make the whole thing easier otherwise frankly the hobby will die out. Half the course used to be the regulations which you could just memorise.
If you join the RSGB you will receive guidance. Teenagers have done it.
I found Morse the next winter much harder and put it on one side until it was abolished.


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[cliffb]

<If you join the RSGB you will receive guidance. Teenagers have done it.>

Yeah... but teenagers are flying aeroplanes these days... have you been on a Ryanair flight recently? I swear the pilots aren't even shaving yet!


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[kliever]

Also did old C&G quite a few years ago, never managed the morse was still working then and always too busy. Early this year whilst phoning to hurry up my ship license I enquired about the ham license, they said send in the C&G certs.
On the strength of those 10+ year old certs I now hold a full ham license, thing is I didn't find the study or exam to strenuous it was easily managed in a night school year.
John R

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[Mike_Martin]

Try the Barrett SSB, legal in Europe comes with an ICS DSC controller RRP is in the area of £1,700 GBP.

Website (with contact details) is here <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101>http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101

 

[Mike_Martin]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

there are 3 levels of ham qualification and you need the highest for marine usage. ok, you don't need to have 12 wpm morse but it's not as trivial as you imply

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Err the Ham qualifications are nothing to do with the Marine radio service. To use the marine service you need a minimum of the GMDSS Long Range Certificate.

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101>http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101</A>

 

[Mike_Martin]

Hi Michael,

Sorry but that is wrong.

To have the radio "available for use" (connected to power and antenna) you must have a valid WT Act Ship Radio Licence. To get the licence the equipment must be approved.

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101>http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101</A>

 

[snowleopard]

my info was provided by a ham on this forum. what i was referring to was using ham bands at sea.

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[Mike_Martin]

The requirements are pretty straight forward really. To use Amateur Radio anywhere, you must be a qualified Amateur and have a callsign issued from the administration to which you are subject. This is issued with the Radio Amateur licence and should be used during all transmissions.

Once you have that all squared away, all you need is permission from the Master/ Skipper (easy if it's your own boat) of the vessel to use the kit

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101>http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing_numbering/radiocomms/maritime_licensing/?a=87101</A>

 

[Sea Devil]

and what mike (really nice guy) is saying - buy an Icom 710 from west marine or similar and just use it... It is a legal set outside the UK... Once you are in the caribbean or beyond nobody gives a damm... Frankly an SSB only become useful crossing the atlantic - cariobbean/usa waters and south pacific onwards.

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time please visit my web site -
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.michaelbriant.com/sailing>http://www.michaelbriant.com/sailing</A>

 

[Uisteach]

Hi, Can I just check that out. A previous thread seemed to come to the conclusion that regs regarding what SSB you can use are decided by the flag nation, not where the radio is used. That is, the regulations you have to follow are, in this case, those set by the UK. It was said (before - think it might have been Ships-Cat, but may be wrong there) that if you fail to follow the regs of the flagging nation (ie the UK) then you are breaking the law, and officials of any other state could take action against you. So, my understanding was that a UK flagged boat cannot anywhere fit an 802. (Of course in practice no one may bother to take action.)

Did I get that wrong?

Also, I believe that with a ham radio licence you can only talk to other ham radio users. As someone else has said, you need the Long Range GMDSS to use marine channels.

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[Gunfleet]

<<I believe that with a ham radio licence you can only talk to other ham radio users. As someon e else has said, you need the Long Range GMDSS to use marine channels.>> You do. However, if you want to stay within the law you can't just use 'marine channels' you have to use them via a device which delivers them as channels... ie you can't use a regular ham type ssb. These rules are simply in disarray

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[snowleopard]

'delivers them as channels' - what does that mean?

on an icom 710 (the commonest set out there) you program send & receive frequencies and mode into a memory slot and can pick any combination. i know that for a time the sets were sold in the uk with the programmable memory slots disabled which made the sets almost useless, fortunately they dropped that idea.

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[Gunfleet]

<< 'delivers them as channels' - what does that mean?>>
Well they are just frequencies. It's the set that calls them channel this or channel that. Same as on VHF (I know you probably know this, I'm just adding it for people who might not).

Do you have an LRC? If so read the terms of the licence. The LRC excludes 'all manual adjustment of frequency elements', in other words it requires you to use a set which has the frequencies as channels. So if your set doesn't have the programmable memory slots disabled, it doesn't and can't comply. Like you, I think that's daft, but it's what's required. Very little yacht ssb equipment is now made that complies. In fact, I'm not sure that anything icom make now complies with the British set up. No doubt they'll leap in and tell us if I'm wrong! I imagine it's why Mike Martin was recommending a £1700 VAT ssb by an almost unheard of make. It's a bit like the department of transport insisting we all drive Indian Ambassadors. If one of their inspectors finds you with a VW golf they'll confiscate it.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by JohnM on 26/11/2004 14:03 (server time).</FONT></P>