The SSB of choice today?

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Jamesuk

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We have been looking for a 150W SSB no less no more. It must be 150W system.

Anyone for any suggestions for UK companies based on the south coast to supply and install the SSB?

We have looked at the Sailor 6610 HF/MF and a unit from Furuno. Any other units to consider?

Thanks

James

Edit: quite right 150 Watt I don't know what came over me, lack of regular experience in radio usage. Hopefully this will change with a new SSB :-)
 
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Wonder if you mean something other than a "150MHz SSB"?
150 MHz is nearly the marine VHF band, where the usual mode is FM, not SSB

Maybe you meant 150 Watts? SSB? (your "no less no more suggests an amount of something other than Hertz)

If you meant watts, then why 150W. I doubt that under most conditions anyone would be able to tell the difference between say 100 and 150W.

How about a Yaesu FT857? (Thats what I use, though its only 100 Watts, not 150W)
 
Jamesuk said:
We have been looking for a 150Mhz SSB no less no more. It must be 150Mhz system.

Anyone for any suggestions for UK companies based on the south coast to supply and install the SSB?

We have looked at the Sailor 6610 HF/MF and a unit from Furuno. Any other units to consider?

Thanks

James
Click to expand...

I think you have got your numbers and letters mixed up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suspect you are looking for a 150 watt radio as 150 MHZ is not a marine radio and is VHF.

The world is your Oyster if looking at the Sailor as this is made for commercial GMDSS installations
and you might not see much change out of £7000 once you have fitted your Pactor modem etc.
The 150 Watt unit is the 6310. The distributors may conform if this can be set up to operate on
frequencies outside the Marine Band.

The equivelant of these at a lower price would have been the Icom M802 however as you may have
seen in recent threads this does not carry UK Approval. This however has not stopped them being
installed on many boats. The Icom 802 is 150 Watts and also can be made to operate on the Ham
bands.

http://comsatsolutions.com/products/cobham-thrane-sailor/mf-hf/mf-hf+150w+series/
 
Yes 150watt (I have not used the SSB and feel the LRC license I hold is a bit of paper that is literally a bit of paper. Not used the SSB to make a call in the 7 years I've been on yachts.

Now saying that in the ARC we had the most powerful SSB in the fleet (150W) and we always had great reception as well as being heard (excellent installation no doubt) I kept on top of the connection between back stay and tuner to limit any loss (I was told) in comms.

We are having a like for like replacement so 150w is the only option. The new Sailor 6310 looks great, we also had a look at the Furuno 1570 which looks pretty good.

I was just interested if there was the iPhone equivalent of SSBs at 150W

(Wow some expensive things on that link http://comsatsolutions.com/products/cobham-thrane-sailor/mf-hf/mf-hf+150w+series/)
 
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Do you want to do it cheaply or expensively?

If expensive, plenty of dealers/installers.

But if you have the time and want to save money, ICOM SSBs come up on ebay, plus the ATUs, and there are endless sources of instruction on installation.
 
I would have a long hard think about the 150 watt 'necessity'. If a radio came up that was cheap and it was 100 watts, then provided your antenna and ground connection was good, then I will stake a large rum punch that you wouldn't notice the difference.

You might notice a slight difference between 100 Watts and 200 watts, but its not that big a deal. (200 watts to 100 watts is 3db and the losses in the transmission path vary by MUCH more than 3db…)
 
oldvarnish said:
Do you want to do it cheaply or expensively?

If expensive, plenty of dealers/installers.

But if you have the time and want to save money, ICOM SSBs come up on ebay, plus the ATUs, and there are endless sources of instruction on installation.
Click to expand...

I would agree with oldvarnish. If money is no object then go for Sailor, it is excellent equipment (I have used it many times) and excellent back up. If you are on a budget then Icom will do the job, whichever one you go for make sure you have a good ground plate.
 
I agree with Joh Morris... Worry less about the power rating... and more about a good power supply, good connections, good ground plane, good aerial... these factors will have a far bigger impact...
 
The Sailor system certainly seems to be designed for the commercial ship operator communicating with government marine radio stations using DSC. It seems you can add a guard receiver to check for other distress calls or stations calling you. Yes ideal for the ocean sailor. I think the system would be quite oK for use on ham bands on specific net frequencies.
I do however agree that 150watts is not a reasonable requirement. As said the difference bewween 100w and 150w is very small in actual performance. This difference can be made or lost easily in earthing or antenna arrangements. Of course 150 w will be harder to supply battery power to than 100w. Incidentally I am not sur e that Sailor system is available in 12v supply the specs mention 24v supply at one point. good luck with the decision olewill
 
BERT T said:
I would agree with oldvarnish. If money is no object then go for Sailor, it is excellent equipment (I have used it many times) and excellent back up. If you are on a budget then Icom will do the job, whichever one you go for make sure you have a good ground plate.
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Ah, i have a largish rectangular plate with bevelled edges on Storyline's hull. I have never known what it was (some kind of anode) but seeing your post just made me think 'ground plate'. Any possibility ?
Apols to o/p
 
Storyline said:
Ah, i have a largish rectangular plate with bevelled edges on Storyline's hull. I have never known what it was (some kind of anode) but seeing your post just made me think 'ground plate'. Any possibility ?
Apols to o/p
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Sounds like its very probably a ground plane. What's it made of? Where is it on the hull? Is it/was is connected to anything? Is it painted?

PS do you want to sell it - I might be interested!
 
john_morris_uk said:
Sounds like its very probably a ground plane. What's it made of? Where is it on the hull? Is it/was is connected to anything? Is it painted?

PS do you want to sell it - I might be interested!
Click to expand...
n
It is on port just aft of the rear edge of the keel on the turn of the bilge. It has been antifouled, does that cause damage ? I have not checked for any internal connections. I think I will leave it where it is just in case we ever take off into the wide blue yonder and need SSB (assuming that a ground plane is relevant). Are they particularly expensive ? It would have been of reasonable quality as Storyline was once owned by the Sea Scouts and all work was done to a high standard.

Edit: I have found something similar called a Dynaplate made from sintered bronze. I have also read that they are not very good !
Apols again to the op
 
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