What SSB do you have?

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Oscarpop

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For those who have transceivers on board. What have you opted for?

There seem to be a lot of ICOM 801/802's about. But as these are no longer manufactured, I am looking elsewhere.

I have seen blog photos with what look like much smaller Yaesu rigs or even smaller Icom rigs.

Can you please let me know what you have, and whether it needed modifying for marine SSB use.

Cheers
 
The ICOM M801E, Totally legal and one of the best there is!! Shame there really isn't a proper Mednet and therefore anyone to talk to in the med. Perhaps those of us with SSB could start another net and / or get YBWF to create a seperate SSB sub-forum.
 
I'm using an Icom 706 Mk11 obtained from Ebay. It is quite popular on boats, altho actually a Ham set.
Obviously you need to do some studying to get a Ham licence but it's easier than it was (no Morse now).
You can only listen in on Marine SSB, but I have heard of people making adjustments......!
 
tri39 said:
I'm using an Icom 706 Mk11 obtained from Ebay. It is quite popular on boats, altho actually a Ham set.
Obviously you need to do some studying to get a Ham licence but it's easier than it was (no Morse now).
You can only listen in on Marine SSB, but I have heard of people making adjustments......!
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You can listen in to what ever you like, just not transmit. We have a ham radio that has been ''tweeked' :D
 
You can listen in to what ever you like, just not transmit. We have a ham radio that has been ''tweeked'
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Not sure that is correct.

If you have an "old" VHF license and the SSB is on your "ships" list I suspect you are quite entitled to transmit on the marine bands (not the ham bands). Some say this is no longer the case with more recent licenses which require the inclusion of a marine long range certificate. There would still seem to be some uncertainty.
 
Transatlantic radio nets.

Can anyone crossing from the Canaries this season share whatever radio nets schedules they'll be listening to.
I have a large aerial on the roof here in Brighton and I'd like to listen in. Given the propagation I could even
transmit while looking at synoptic charts!
 
We have an ALINCO DX-SR8, modified to transmit on marine frequencies (MARS mod), into a Shakespear marine HF vertical via an EDX-2 autotuner and a KISS counterpoise system. Complete set up for well under £1000. Two radio amateurs on board, so primarily used for ham radio with the ability for marine comms if required.
 
>Me too with an M700.

We also had one of those, the beauty of it was you could tune it to any frequency. In the Canaries we were asked to help a boat with an 800 series which had pre-tuned frequencies and it was difficult to work out how to tune to frequencies that weren't pre-tuned.
 
I operate the not-for-profit SailMail service that covers SE Asia, the NW Pacific and eastern/northern Indian Ocean. I have seen the consequences of many HF/SSB radio adaptations and received emails and voice calls from people when they are looking for assistance. This is my simple advice for people who plan to sail beyond the excellent VHF marine (DSC) systems - with supporting RNLI lifeboats, Coast Guard cutters etc - of Europe, the UK and parts of North America, into those less populated and far more attractive cruising areas, or indeed to circumnavigate:

1. Install a proper marine HF/SSB radio with DSC capability. This allows you to tap into the existing marine safety network based on DSC calling. Almost all MRCCs in the world, and most commercial shipping, now only monitor for DSC alerts. Very few MRCCs or commercial vessels maintain an open speaker HF/SSB radio listening watch for voice Distress or General calls. Like all the recreational yacht owners without DSC in their HF/SSB radio - who either turn down the volume or switch off the radio - they don't like listening to the background noise and unrelated conversations either.

2. Think about other mariners. The age-old principle is that all of us on the sea must look out for the others, and be willing to provide assistance and come to each other's aid if needed. In the open oceans, around the exotic Pacific islands, and most of the world's attractive cruising destinations beyond Europe and the UK, there are no immediate response, professional, S&R services on 24/7 standby.

3. A lot of evidence from past incidents points to the fact that a nearby vessel is the most likely and timely source of advice, information, tow or rescue. The HF/SSB radio with DSC provides the means for all mariners to make themselves available to assist each other. And to alert other mariners to get their assistance.

4. Yacht crews have a diversity of backgrounds and an incredible depth of knowledge and experience which can be useful to help other mariners, and especially other yacht crews; if they can be contacted. Maintaining a 24/7 watch for DSC calls is very easy to do on a yacht. These modern, smart, DSC radios do the work for you. There is no need to listen to the pesky noise from an open radio speaker in order to comply with the 24/7 standby obligations in ship station radios licences or the radio operators license we all take. Enjoy the sunset, serenity of the open ocean, or a beautiful tropical anchorage, but still maintain that 24/7 watch for Distress and General calls, by getting the DSC equipped HF/SSB radio to do the work quietly, with the speaker muted. It only makes a noise if it receives an alert. If all recreational vessels maintained a 24/7 watch for DSC Distress calls, all mariners would be a lot safer, and yacht crews could get the sort of helpful advice and assistance they often need.

5. Sure, there are cheaper alternatives to get a HF/SSB radio capability on-board, including the illegal doctoring of a HAM radio, or a cheap old non-DSC radio, or just a HF/SSB receiver. But a doctored HAM radio is no longer licensable as a HAM radio (illegally modified), and never can be legal to use on the marine service; because HAM radios create interference on the marine bands by using a much wider bandwith than the marine HF/SSB service. If you can listen only, you can get the advantages of what other people are contributing - such as broadcasting weather information or anchorage waypoints - but you can't do your side of the job; provide reciprocal support to other mariners who might also need your knowledge, assistance, advice, or rescue.

6. Sure, the modern DSC equipped HF/SSB radios costs more, but consider it to be part of your contribution to the community of mariners; the same people you expect to come to your assistance if you need help. And it's also a very cheap, one-off, insurance premium. The cost of boat repairs is much higher, as is the cost of an official or opportunistic tow when you need it. A tow from another friendly yacht owner - who understands your predicament and expects you will do the same if they are in need - will likely be FOC.

7. Sure, a satphone is cheaper to buy, and convenient to take into the liferaft, or to use as a backup if the on-board power system or HF/SSB radio has a fault. But the satphone has two very major disadvantages. One is you will not know the satphone numbers of the commercial, government or recreational vessels which happen to be in your vicinity, anchored on the other side of the same island or fishing offshore etc, at the moment you suddenly need their advice or assistance. Secondly, the satphone needs lots of money to operate. This becomes especially critical in an emergency, when the satphone can stop working because of a lack of credit or payment. And it places budget constrained mariners in the difficult predicament of deciding how much they can afford to pay to help another mariner. The modern, DSC equipped HF/SSB radio addresses these problems. It broadcasts it's distress alert and subsequent voice conversations, so everyone who maintains a watch can hear and determine how best they can help. And all those conversations to assist another mariner in Distress are totally free. There is no money limit on how much advice, friendly support and information you can provide.


Just last November I received yet another email (via SailMail) from a yacht in difficulty asking for information about how to contact a regional MRCC. The yacht had a HF/SSB radio, but no DSC capability. So they could not initiate contact with the MRCC, or with any nearby commercial vessels.

The experience of operating Brunei Bay Radio since 2001 has given me the information - and knowledge of incidents - to confidently recommend that if you plan to sail beyond the range of coastal VHF marine services, and/or the excellent S&R facilities around Europe, the UK and parts of North America, you will need to rely on other mariners, and especially on other like-minded yachts owners. Modern, DSC equipped, HF/SSB radios are the official, and cheapest option with the proven capabilities to create a 24/7 safety and support network; without waiting for skeds. Save yourself, your family, MRCCs and other mariners a lot of expense and disruption; don't leave home without one.
 
miyagimoon said:
The ICOM M801E, Totally legal and one of the best there is!! Shame there really isn't a proper Mednet and therefore anyone to talk to in the med. Perhaps those of us with SSB could start another net and / or get YBWF to create a seperate SSB sub-forum.
Click to expand...


we are an american boat with an 802 and i have my ham license -- i would be willing to be a net controller this spring and summer if someone wants to start up a net -- we would be willing to help
 
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