Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (pmellen) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:03:51 GMT

I just want to pass on to Rodney and all of the others who provided me advice on a SSB radio installation that my radio is in and working great. I just need to learn how to use it to its full potential. For me the hardest thing was putting the insulator on the back stay. I had assumed that the end of the stay at the top of the mast would have an eye with a pin through it. Finding a ball and socket arrangement through me for a "loop". I ended up puting on a Norseman style...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (Dave Bolding) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:27:17 GMT

Colin, I agree, I installed the Icom 718 2 years ago in preparation for cruising Mexico. We used the A4 tuner along with the GAM backstay antenna. I took the radio to Gordon West to program 100 channels into the radio,( this can be done very easily). He really liked the radio and tested it against the 802 and the 718 put out a stronger signal. While in Mexico the system preformed great. Don Anderson (west coast weather guru,transmitting out of So. Calif.) could be heard in all locations....

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (symandalay) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 04:48:27 GMT

Lots of good information in this thread......

If you want a simpler radio at much lower cost which is much more user friendly, you may want to consider an Icom 718 ham radio. There are lots of complaints about the complexity and difficulty of changing to unprogrammed frequencies with the high end marine SSBs.

Colin

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (pmellen) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:14:40 GMT

Thanks much for the list. I haven't started the project yet and this will go a long way to make it easier.

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (sashay567) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:08:31 GMT

I promised to list the additional items needed for a successful SSB install. This list assumes that you are installing a SCS TNC to use with Sailmail or Winlink.

In addition to the SSB radio, tuner, and tuner control cable, you will need:

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (sashay567) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:13:53 GMT

Paul,

In my experience installing ham & SSB radios onboard boats, I would not recommend connecting anything but the tuner to to the copper groundplane/counterpoise. Doing so is likely to establish "ground loops" which are essentially multiple paths for signals to ground. Some people even advocate not connecting the grounding wire from the tuner (included in the tuner control cable) to the tranciever though in practice, I have found the cable ground doesn't seem to...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (pmellen) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:27:09 GMT

Earlier this year I received an excellent tutorial on the installation of the grounding system for a SSB radio, primarily from Rodney #567 and Roger #493. Now that I have the radio I have some additional questions before I start this project that hopefully can be answered. The instructions that came with the radio suggest that both the tuner and the raido itself (along with wind & speed instruments, GPS, VHF, etc - the instructions imply that by including these other items into the...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (svzephyr44) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:10:18 GMT

Since this topic is still open let me add one additional comment. One of the reasons that I mounted the transceiver in the stern rather than in the main cabin was that I have an Autohelm "core" autopilot computer. In fact I have a new one! One possible reason - Autohelm computers do not like to be near RF. In one of my "breadboard" implementations I had coax running along the top of the cabin (2 stateroom) from the chart table over the power panel (inside of the power...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (captrick) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 07:21:35 GMT

I have an Icom 706 with the original SCS modem with P3 mod, grounded to the strut, a gound plate and the pushpit as described. I agree with all the comments posted but would add 1 more issue. I was eating zincs on the strut and found a small DC offset between the tuner and ground plate, probably from the voltage drop in the power wiring to the radio. I added an isolation capacitor in the copper strap befor attaching it to the strut and ground plate. It's a special design that I found on...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (sashay567) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:24:21 GMT

All,

I have tested for RF "bites" from the lifelines, stern pushpit, etc., while transmitting with an Icom M-802 at full power (150 watts) by grabbing bare metal with my hands. I experienced no bites or burns - at least at the frequencies I tested. I would think that the lifelines being attached to a good sea water ground would minimize that effect. That being said, there could possibly be some combination of frequency and tuner state that could create a "bite"...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (pmellen) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:58:59 GMT

Roger, many thanks for an excellent tutorial. I'll probably stick with a marine SSB but I do intend to check out the real differences, as far as capabilities and ease of use between an Icom M802 and M700 Pro. The M802 will be easier to install at the Nav station and have a more professional built in look as opposed to the more intrusive M700. The installation suggestions for the ground plane and radio installation will make it a much easier project. Thanks to all who have commented....

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (yorkrose) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:30:04 GMT

Roger,

1. I would wire it exactly as you suggest. As you know, there is no such thing as a "one-sided" antenna. A conventional dipole puts both parts in the air. A long wire is only half of the complete antenna system; the other half is the counterpoise. On a boat this counterpoise is generally some direct or capacitive connection to the water. One creative solution noted above is the use of lifelines as a counterpoise. I would not do that for safety reasons, since one...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (svzephyr44) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:27:02 GMT

Gene:

1. I was under the impression that the built in antenna tuner on an SAT could not feed a long wire. If that is incorrect I am curious how I would wire it? Center to long wire, shield to counterpoise?

2. You are correct, it is not type accepted. I have not found any occasion to use the Marine bands. Perhaps some races require it, I don't know. In an emergency I know I can use any mode and any band and any transmitter so it has not be a major concern.

...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (yorkrose) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 07:38:18 GMT

Roger,

Nice discussion, but I have two quibbles.

* Virtually any built-in antenna tuner will be unbalanced. I am not aware of a single transceiver made by anyone that has a built-in balanced tuner. There are very few external balanced tuners available. Depending on the range of adjustment in the TS-480SAT and the exact length of the antenna, the tuner should work as well as an external tuner.

* This radio does not appear to be certified or type-accepted for Part...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (svzephyr44) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:07:17 GMT

The quick reply if you want to go no further:

Icom IC-M802 about $1,799.99 (150 watts - with DSC)
Kenwood TS-480SAT about $ 964.99 (100 watts - no DSC)
Kenwood TS-480HX about $1069.99 (200 watts - no DSC)

You essentially need two parts to make this work - a transceiver and an antenna tuner. Although antenna tuners can be "matched" with transceivers so you can purchase off the shelf interconnection cables an antenna tuner is, for the most part, an...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (pmellen) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:12:29 GMT

Roger, a second follow-up. you mentioned that you decided on the Kenwood instead of the ICOM M802. I am interested in your reasons as my practical experience is limited to just a couple of types of radios. I want to get this right the first time, if at all possible.

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (pmellen) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:45:56 GMT

Thanks to all for such good information. The info on the ground plane as well as the other aspects involved with the radio installation are sure to save me a great amount of aggravation and time. This is my Winter project and I'll let you know how it comes out. One final question, is there any great difference in the working capabilities and characteristic between the ICOM M802 and the ICOM M700 Pro other than the 802 has the separate control head? Again, many thanks for taking the...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (svzephyr44) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 06:27:11 GMT

We ran the ground strap from both the antenna tuner (an SEA) and the rig (a Kenwood TS-480HX) to the stern most keel bolt. A hose clamp holds the strap to the bolt. It works fine, we get excellent signal reports. The SEA is in the starboard stern lazarette on the shelf, the radio is on the back wall of the aft cabin (we have a two cabin model.) I wanted the radio where it was very easy to get to in the event of an emergency or a wiring problem. This also makes access to the RS-232 connector...

Re: SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (lakandjc) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:42:07 GMT

Paul:

FWIW, I second Rodney's comments about copper grounding. On White Star, #450, 2 cabin I installed a ICOM 710. We used copper between the tuner, which was under the swimstep, and the strut. This gave us a strong signal, so good that I was frequently asked to be net control for the HF nets in Mexico as I could usually be heard and could also hear weak stations.

The lead from the tuner to the backstay was thru the hull about a foot up from the floor of the swimstep...

SSB Radio Installation

feeds@yuku.com (pmellen) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:43:06 GMT

I am interest in any details for SSB radio installation on a 2-cabin model. How did you install the ground plane and how many feet of copper grounding foil was used? Where did you mount the antenna tuner and how did you run the antenna wire to the radio? Did you do anything special to your backstay antenna? As for the radio itself, I am considering a ICOM M802 with the remote control head which would be mounted at the nav station. If you have a similar model radio where did you mount the...