Hi am looking for a good source for insulated backstay supliers or to
have mine done. Anyone had good luck with this process?

"lynn" wrote in message
...
Hi am looking for a good source for insulated backstay supliers or to have
mine done. Anyone had good luck with this process?

Most outfitters carry them like West Marine, etc. You can probably get a
better deal buying then online. Any rigger can install them for you and will
also obtain them as well. They will even come to your boat and remove
the backstay and reinstall it when finished. You can generally save some
money if you take the backstay to them.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote in
:

Most outfitters carry them like West Marine, etc. You can probably get
a better deal buying then online. Any rigger can install them for you
and will also obtain them as well. They will even come to your boat
and remove the backstay and reinstall it when finished. You can
generally save some money if you take the backstay to them.

Doug
s/v Callista


I'd think the experienced rigger would know which insulators were best that
would keep his customers happy and out of court, wouldn't you?

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote in
:

Most outfitters carry them like West Marine, etc. You can probably get
a better deal buying then online. Any rigger can install them for you
and will also obtain them as well. They will even come to your boat
and remove the backstay and reinstall it when finished. You can
generally save some money if you take the backstay to them.

Doug
s/v Callista


I'd think the experienced rigger would know which insulators were best
that
would keep his customers happy and out of court, wouldn't you?

I would hope so. Not sure how the courts figure into it though.

You might want to check the following out from Gam. It is a SSB antenna
system that clips on to the backstay, eliminating the need for expensive
insulators and fittings. We just installed one and it worked great, 1/2 hour
job!

http://gamelectronicsinc.com/ssb.htm

Andy



"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote in message
...

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
"Doug Dotson" dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote in
:

Most outfitters carry them like West Marine, etc. You can probably get
a better deal buying then online. Any rigger can install them for you
and will also obtain them as well. They will even come to your boat
and remove the backstay and reinstall it when finished. You can
generally save some money if you take the backstay to them.

Doug
s/v Callista


I'd think the experienced rigger would know which insulators were best
that
would keep his customers happy and out of court, wouldn't you?

I would hope so. Not sure how the courts figure into it though.

I have been keeping an eye on that thing. It looks like a very interesting
solution considering that a pair of insulators with Norseman fittings cost
considerably more. It has prompted some lively debates on several web
forums but the theory sounds good. I have yet to see any propagation
diagrams or signal reports though.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"jon doe" wrote in message
...
You might want to check the following out from Gam. It is a SSB antenna
system that clips on to the backstay, eliminating the need for expensive
insulators and fittings. We just installed one and it worked great, 1/2
hour
job!

http://gamelectronicsinc.com/ssb.htm

Just to throw some fuel on the fire, you should know that:


1. To the extent that the device couples RF energy into your backstay,
the backstay will be as "hot" with RF as if it were attached directly.
In other words, if the backstay itself is not "hot" then the device is
not going to be effective. RF can travel through insulators and air and
even a vacuum (thankfully).

2. It is possible (though not particularly common, and thus of sparsely
documented efficacy) to simply connect the tuner directly to the
backstay without any special devices. The backstay is almost always in
more or less direct electrical contact with the mast at one end and may
be grounded or attached to a chainplate on the fiberglass. It is more
difficult to analyze this arrangement since often the mast, stays,
shrouds, etc. are all a part of the antenna. Many would argue that
because of their proximity even to an insulated backstay, they are all
effectively (or not) a part of the antenna anyway. But however one
chooses to view this arrangement analytically, the fact remains that the
device under discussion electrically connects your tuner to your
uninsulated backstay, mast, forestay, shrouds, etc., etc., without
providing any safety increment (other than that obtained by reducing
energy supplied to the backstay) over a direct connection. SGC for one
explicitly discusses this as an option for use with their automatic tuners.

3. A simple, informative test can be made by simply connecting your
antenna tuner directly to the base of your backstay, providing the
backstay is not grounded there. If you're not happy with the results,
the device is not likely to help. If you're concerned about safety,
which a different issue, you had better stick with the insulators, while
hoping that the uninsulated portion of the backstay that is accessible
to human contact is not of a length likely to act as an antenna and be
hot itself!

My apologies if all of this has been covered elsewhere.

Good luck!

Chuck

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 13:59:19 GMT, chuck wrote:

Just to throw some fuel on the fire, you should know that:


1. To the extent that the device couples RF energy into your backstay,
the backstay will be as "hot" with RF as if it were attached directly.
In other words, if the backstay itself is not "hot" then the device is
not going to be effective. RF can travel through insulators and air and
even a vacuum (thankfully).

2. It is possible (though not particularly common, and thus of sparsely
documented efficacy) to simply connect the tuner directly to the
backstay without any special devices. The backstay is almost always in
more or less direct electrical contact with the mast at one end and may
be grounded or attached to a chainplate on the fiberglass. It is more
difficult to analyze this arrangement since often the mast, stays,
shrouds, etc. are all a part of the antenna. Many would argue that
because of their proximity even to an insulated backstay, they are all
effectively (or not) a part of the antenna anyway. But however one
chooses to view this arrangement analytically, the fact remains that the
device under discussion electrically connects your tuner to your
uninsulated backstay, mast, forestay, shrouds, etc., etc., without
providing any safety increment (other than that obtained by reducing
energy supplied to the backstay) over a direct connection. SGC for one
explicitly discusses this as an option for use with their automatic tuners.

3. A simple, informative test can be made by simply connecting your
antenna tuner directly to the base of your backstay, providing the
backstay is not grounded there. If you're not happy with the results,
the device is not likely to help. If you're concerned about safety,
which a different issue, you had better stick with the insulators, while
hoping that the uninsulated portion of the backstay that is accessible
to human contact is not of a length likely to act as an antenna and be
hot itself!

My apologies if all of this has been covered elsewhere.

Good luck!

Chuck

Good points Chuck!
I was going to say that a small hose clamp to connect your tuner wire
to the bottom of the back stay and a piece of split rubber hose to
slip over the back stay would buy you about the same thing.

Regards
Gary

Hello Gary!

The rubber hose would address the safety issue and the wire from the
tuner could be attached under the deck so there are no visible, exposed
parts. It doesn't even have to be the backstay: could be the shrouds,
for example.

Chuck










Good points Chuck!
I was going to say that a small hose clamp to connect your tuner wire
to the bottom of the back stay and a piece of split rubber hose to
slip over the back stay would buy you about the same thing.

Regards
Gary