 Check out the bookstore at IRBS.com |
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
Subject: RE: [worldcruising] Cruising radio (HF and Amateur)
From: Rick the Mouseherder (nh2f@XXX.XXX)
Date: Sat Mar 03 2001 - 08:47:08 EST
=
=Question 1
=
=Should we get an HF/SSB which can also work the amateur bands or should we
=get a separate ham set.
=
I'd go with a Ham set that had been altered to be able to transmit all band
for use in emergencies. Or, I'd get one of the dual use Ham and Marine SSB
that Icom makes. Gee, how much money do you have? Two $2k SSB units would
be overkill. Even if you can't transmit on Marine SSB, if you have an all
band rx ham rig you can listen to Herb on Southbound II (there is always
somebody pretty close to where you are and that way he can scoot through his
sked with out having to address each boat individually), rx marine M and HF
voice Wx, rx HF Sitor broadcasts, rx NAVTEX and rx WeFax. All of these
transmit in the Marine SSB spectrum, but don't require you to transmit
anyway. In fact, I've know people with just a good quality short-wave
reciever, a demodulator unit and a laptop to do perfectly well (actually,
I've know people with just the rx to cross oceans listening to the high seas
forecast and marking highs and lows and fronts on acetate laid over a chart.
This is what Lin and Larry Pardey do).
Caution! HF radio can be as addicting as the Internet in the fact that
there are so many information rich sources out there. Cruising neophytes
begin thinking that they must gather every piece of information to be
absolutely safe out there. So they join nets and catch all of the WeFax and
HF Sitor and HF voice broadcasts. But once you become a regular on a net,
people expect you to check in on a regular basis and worry about you when
you don't. Involve yourself with several nets and you'll be chained to the
radio instead of enjoying a free and easy lifestyle.
Something else to consider, ham is certainly better for e-mail as the
gateways to the internet are free and plentiful. You can run up several
hundred dollars a year in subscription and per character fees with the
Marine SSB services and their antenna and base station locations are few and
not particularly well placed.
=Question 2
=
=What equipment are people using (Make and Model) and what is your feeling
=about its reliability, efficiency etc.
=
=
I favor Kenwood and ICOM units for ham. Yeasu is probably third. TenTec is
at the bottom, it's a great rig, the Cadillac of the Ham World, but not
built for MM use and very difficult to service once you leave the US. SEA,
SGC and ICOM probably lead in the Marine SSB world. One of the S units, I
forget which, locks you into proprietary secondary equipment, like a TNC
(radio modem) that really runs up the price.
I'd look for good ham gear that is a little older. I use a Kenwood 440 S
AT. Don't be too set on getting too many buttons and bells and whistles.
Most have been set on my machine for years and only infrequently changed.
Rick
----------------------------------------------------------
Rick the Mouseherder - nh2f
Westsail 32 Xapic, Hull #438
Annapolis, MD
A small boat and a suitcase full of money
beats a 40 footer tied to the Bank.
Creative graphic solutions in vinyl for your boat lettering & designs
http://www.mouseherder.com
Visit our Westsail 32 Xapic
http://www.mouseherder.com/xapic
The Westsail Owners Assn. Homepage
http://www.westsail.org
=====================================
to unsubscribe email to: worldcruising-unsubscribe@onelist.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|