Anybody out there have a marine/ham radio? Any recommendations on
equipment and installation? We are preparing to install one on the
tugboat and have gotten a lot of conflicting advice. We want a radio
that will allow us to communicate on both ham and marine SSB
frequencies, receive weatherfax, email, etc etc.

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.

Option 2- marine SSB/ham tranceiver that will transmit on any
allowable band, hopefully including 10 meters which ARES is re-
equipping to utilize. The Icom 802 is one possible unit but does not
cover 10 meters, another is the Furuno. The radios that cover 10
meters are SEA and SGC which are said to be great radios but difficult
to find service.

Option 3- give up and get two radios.

Option 4- postpone making a decision since it really isn't critical.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

wrote in message
oups.com...
Anybody out there have a marine/ham radio? Any recommendations on
equipment and installation? We are preparing to install one on the
tugboat and have gotten a lot of conflicting advice. We want a radio
that will allow us to communicate on both ham and marine SSB
frequencies, receive weatherfax, email, etc etc.

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.

Option 2- marine SSB/ham tranceiver that will transmit on any
allowable band, hopefully including 10 meters which ARES is re-
equipping to utilize. The Icom 802 is one possible unit but does not
cover 10 meters, another is the Furuno. The radios that cover 10
meters are SEA and SGC which are said to be great radios but difficult
to find service.

Option 3- give up and get two radios.

Option 4- postpone making a decision since it really isn't critical.


Option 5 - forget all about it. You never get out of cell phone range
cruising up and down the coast or the Intracoastal Waterway. A SSB or
HAM radio for you would be about as worthwhile as a spinnaker.

Wilbur Hubbard

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote:
Option 5 - forget all about it. You never get out of cell phone range
cruising up and down the coast or the Intracoastal Waterway. A SSB or
HAM radio for you would be about as worthwhile as a spinnaker.


From your point of view, having no knowledge of how to employ either
one, that is probably true.

However, it is easy to get out of cell phone coverage on the ICW. You
should try cruising some time and you can see these things for
yourself.

And a spinnaker on the tugboat would be worthwhile, might save us a
couple gallons of fuel. I happen to have one we can try out. Thanks.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in
message ...


Option 5 - I installed a CB radio on my boat.
I talk to the truckers on I-95.
10-4 good buddy.
WH


Get many dates that way?

SBV

On Mar 27, 7:10 pm, wrote:
Anybody out there have a marine/ham radio? Any recommendations on
equipment and installation? We are preparing to install one on the
tugboat and have gotten a lot of conflicting advice. We want a radio
that will allow us to communicate on both ham and marine SSB
frequencies, receive weatherfax, email, etc etc.

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.

Option 2- marine SSB/ham tranceiver that will transmit on any
allowable band, hopefully including 10 meters which ARES is re-
equipping to utilize. The Icom 802 is one possible unit but does not
cover 10 meters, another is the Furuno. The radios that cover 10
meters are SEA and SGC which are said to be great radios but difficult
to find service.

Option 3- give up and get two radios.

Option 4- postpone making a decision since it really isn't critical.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Check this out Doug
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-ecr200.html

Joe

On Mar 28, 12:07 pm, "Joe" wrote:
On Mar 27, 7:10 pm, wrote:





Anybody out there have a marine/ham radio? Any recommendations on
equipment and installation? We are preparing to install one on the
tugboat and have gotten a lot of conflicting advice. We want a radio
that will allow us to communicate on both ham and marine SSB
frequencies, receive weatherfax, email, etc etc.

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.

Option 2- marine SSB/ham tranceiver that will transmit on any
allowable band, hopefully including 10 meters which ARES is re-
equipping to utilize. The Icom 802 is one possible unit but does not
cover 10 meters, another is the Furuno. The radios that cover 10
meters are SEA and SGC which are said to be great radios but difficult
to find service.

Option 3- give up and get two radios.

Option 4- postpone making a decision since it really isn't critical.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Check this out Doughttp://www.landfallnavigation.com/-ecr200.html

Joe- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh you want to talk too huh? Never mind

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Mar 28, 12:07 pm, "Joe" wrote:
On Mar 27, 7:10 pm, wrote:





Anybody out there have a marine/ham radio? Any recommendations on
equipment and installation? We are preparing to install one on the
tugboat and have gotten a lot of conflicting advice. We want a
radio
that will allow us to communicate on both ham and marine SSB
frequencies, receive weatherfax, email, etc etc.

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.

Option 2- marine SSB/ham tranceiver that will transmit on any
allowable band, hopefully including 10 meters which ARES is re-
equipping to utilize. The Icom 802 is one possible unit but does
not
cover 10 meters, another is the Furuno. The radios that cover 10
meters are SEA and SGC which are said to be great radios but
difficult
to find service.

Option 3- give up and get two radios.

Option 4- postpone making a decision since it really isn't
critical.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Check this out Doughttp://www.landfallnavigation.com/-ecr200.html

Joe- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh you want to talk too huh? Never mind


Doug would die faster if he stopped talking than if he stopped
breathing. . . What a freaking wind bag that man is.

Wilbur Hubbard

wrote in message
oups.com...
Anybody out there have a marine/ham radio? Any recommendations on
equipment and installation? We are preparing to install one on the
tugboat and have gotten a lot of conflicting advice. We want a radio
that will allow us to communicate on both ham and marine SSB
frequencies, receive weatherfax, email, etc etc.

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



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.


Option 2- marine SSB/ham tranceiver that will transmit on any
allowable band, hopefully including 10 meters which ARES is re-
equipping to utilize. The Icom 802 is one possible unit but does not
cover 10 meters, another is the Furuno. The radios that cover 10
meters are SEA and SGC which are said to be great radios but difficult
to find service.

Option 3- give up and get two radios.

Option 4- postpone making a decision since it really isn't critical.

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.

Are you going to use 12 volts to power it?

Have you looked at Rockwell/Collins for radios?

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.

Lloyd


Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"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

wrote in message
ups.com...
"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.

Hams can build and operate their own rigs. FCC type approval is for selling
radios. Ham radio is a "loophole" in the FCC regs. You can modify the rig
but it cannot cause interference and must operate within the regulations.



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.


If you work exotic propagation methods (moon bounce, meteor scatter
coldfronts, satellite, people's heads etc) it is fun.




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?

You say below you are not settled on the ground/counterpoise. That is the
other half of an antenna. A counterpoise is a tuned "ground".

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!


The fun just flew out the door!


Are you going to use 12 volts to power it?


Yes.

Have you looked at Rockwell/Collins for radios?


No but I will.


Look but don't buy. They cost more than your boat.


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.

Is it a commercial whip? Many of those multiband verticals required tuned
grounds. What tuner? Do you have a link for the whip?

Those radio direction finding loops make neat antennas. It will make your
boat look like a Soviet "trawler".

The sticky thing with most antennas is the feed point, especially if you are
running a single wire from a tuner and using a ground. My personal
preference is to use balanced antennas at these frequencies. You will have
much less noise induced in the receiver, the installation can be cleaner and
the tuner should have a much better defined range of impedances to match to.

Radio ground plates should be larger than and seperate from those other
ground plates. Dragging a wire behind the boat will make a good ground too,
but will not give and isotropic radiation pattern.

Take a gander at these antenna:

http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/serv...cvips&gifs=yes

http://www.n0lx.com/mm_ila.html

http://www.wireservices.com/n9zrt/ila/ila.html

http://www.n0lx.com/ila.html

http://www.n0lx.com/ila_ground.html

http://www.n0lx.com/ila_dipole.html




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

Thank you, not many appreciate Korean War Veterans.


Regards
Doug King