"Lloyd Bonafide" wrote:
Do you have an amateur radio license? If not, you can't transmit on the ham
bands.


Yep
No morse code required any more. I know it's a shameful decline in
moral standards. We volunteered to learn morse code anyway.




Option 1- install a ham tranceiver and modify it to broadcast on
marine SSB channels. This has the benefit of being the cheapest option
but the downside is that it's illegal. Also ham gear is often finicky.

Do you have an FCC license to modify the rig? Today's ham gear is not
finicky at all if installed properly.


As I understand it, there is no such thing as a license to modify a
transmitter. If modified it is no longer under the type approval
issued to the manufacturer and thus is illegal.

I don't have much experience with ham radios yet, but from what I have
seen & heard a lot of people are actually proud of how difficult it is
to make & work contacts. More sporting that way, I guess. And I'm not
saying that's bad, just that we are interested in clear & easy
communication, not bragging rights.



The radio side is simple. It's the antenna/tuner you should be worrying
about. You are looking at covering a wide range of frequencies but haven't
given any thought to the antenna and how you are going to get a signal into
it.


What makes you think so? Actually I have read up a good deal on the
subject and have a few ideas on what should work best. I have also had
a good chance to look at a few marine installations that work well.
Basically I am going to copy them!


Are you going to use 12 volts to power it?


Yes.

Have you looked at Rockwell/Collins for radios?


No but I will.

Look at a used Kenwood TS140 and have it modified for marine use. Get a
cheap marine VHF unit for the other band. Use 2 antenna. Use a sleeve dipole
backstay on HF (no ground needed) and a tuner.


We are going to use a 23' whip, and definitely a tuner. One thing I am
not settled on yet is the ground/counterpoise.

Thanks for the advice, it is especially valuable coming from a genuine
Korean War vet

Regards
Doug King