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From: grant harris (no email)
Date: Thu May 17 2007 - 21:34:21 EDT
thanks Chris, that was a good reply. A balanced, middle of the road, workable solution without extremes.
Fair winds,
Grant
Chris Harris <> wrote: Low
> cost to acquire but there is a cost per minute usage.
>:-(
>
>
>
> Anyone else have some thoughts? Maybe a new thread?
Yea I have thoughts on cost... Cost to aquire is a good
point you can probably buy a satphone lets say Iridium for
£800 i(1600USD)f you shop around. A good HF rig and tuner
will cost as much or more.
However the killer for many cruisers if the operating
cost. HF is free. Satphone is expensive however you look
at it.
As for the discussion on HF antennas. The price of those
backstay insulators are ridiculous! better to hoist a
wire, it shouldn't be hard to find a way to hoist a wire
that can be used underway. Almost anything will do hoisted
over salt water where you have such a good ground plane.
Sintered copper plates and stuff.. also expensive. Just
chuck a wire over the side or use a through hull or
annode, or the keel bolts.. It'll be fine and work.
The engineers ( I am a radio engineer ) will have you
chasing the last .1dB of signal etc.. for HF it'll work or
it won't. If conditions are good you will get through on
wet string, if they are bad wait until the conditions are
good.
Me - I'd fiddle around and get the best antenna that I
could achieve but without getting anal about it, the
difference isn't worth it. beware of the salesman!
Cheers
Chris aka VP8BKF
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