ICOM IC-78 HF SSB RADIO

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by KP44

A lot of uneducated opinions abound. Thanks for pointing out that this was your observation and speculation.

And consider the rapid advancements in electronics today.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

If it was truly CB, that guy has an amp and the FCC will go after them if reported.

Or else he was VERY close the TV/CB.

Harmonics from the CB bands fall into the TV spectrum...this has been a war for decades. You can usually solve this issue with ferrites on your cable/antenna/power connections to the receiving TV/radio.

I once put up a very large dipole and the feedpoint ended up above the house. Worked great, but I could trip the alarm system mounted in the attic if I used too much power. I moved the antennas further away from the house.

To much power sounds like an RF amplifier, illegal on the CB freqs!

[stimpsonjcat]

Originally Posted by Cadence

To much power sounds like an RF amplifier, illegal on the CB freqs!

The dipole and power comments were regarding my HF bands radio. I don't have any 11m rigs!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

The dipole and power comments were regarding my HF bands radio. I don't have any 11m rigs!

My misunderstanding, sorry.

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by Brian.D

Basically the same is true with the HAM radio. Manufactures of Marine radios spend large amounts of money to meet the standards and they want that money back. They have a market for that Marine radio in the commercial shipping industry. Why push that down to us the casual sailor/boater?

Simple economics. The reason why most marine equipment is outrageously expensive is due to a shortage of demand. Let's take anchors for example. They are relatively simple to mass produce which would bring the price down considerably. However, they are not mass produced because no manufacturer in their right mind would produce 100,000 anchors if they only sold 20,000 units a year. It's just poor business to have a warehouse filled with inventory. Now...with marine electronics it's even worse....most people will buy 1 VHF radio and it will last the life of the boat..probably even longer. I have upgraded my VHF, but my old Furuno 1715 is fantastic. It's damn near 20 years old, I can still (tediously) integrate it using NMEA 0183 outputs, and I don't really need color.

Originally Posted by Brian.D

The Marine radio cannot do 1/8th of what a "high end" amateur radio can do at the same price cap. Apples and oranges. Marine radios are basically "dumb" radios with really tight circuitry. An equivalent new "dumb" amateur radio is maybe 1/4 the cost of a new "dumb" marine radio. However, this is not a good enough radio to negate getting a legal radio for Marine use.

There is the assumption that if one has only an amateur radio on their boat that they are using it on Marine bands. If the FCC wanted to tag you for that then you will lose in a court of law unless you can prove that you never transmitted on any Marine frequency. Good luck.
Again, JMHO

Generally agree....but,

At the same price point of the M-802 is the Icom IC 7300. That's a great little ham rig, but certainly not a "high end" radio. "High end" radios at the low end of the price spectrum might include the IC 7610, Elecraft K3, Kenwood TS-890, etc. starting around $3K and at the high end of cost around $12K (IC-7851). The IC 718 is 1/3 the cost of the M-802, and is a great little rig although it doesn't have robust filtering options.

The M-802 will do just about everything any ham radio will do; although with limitations. I use mine for marine band SSB, ham nets, and even CW. I played with RTTY a bit just to try it...but I haven't tried FT-8...yet.

I do agree with you; comparing the M-802 with the IC 7300 (for example) is like comparing a radish to an apple. Comparing it to the IC-718...the M-802 comes out on top.

As an aside...a well maintained ship's radio log would stand up in court (unless they caught you red-handed.) I log every HF contact, and every VHF contact with a commercial vessel.

Other than cost....I wonder if are there ulterior motives for the OP's desire for the IC-78, or is he just stirring the pot of discontent?

[s/v Jedi]

Here’s an actual experience in comparing the two: I have an Icom 710 Marine SSB and a Kenwood 480 HAM rig (200W version). The Kenwood has all the optional crystal filters as well as DSP filters. When there is a net that is impossible to copy, working with the filtering, I can pull it off and follow the net successfully.

At the same time, I can copy the net without all the work with filters on the 710 so yes, the Marine SSB is better. The Kenwood is just much more convenient for HAM use.

BTW, I believe that one does not have to prove anything when a HAM radio that is opened up for marine bands is found aboard. It is the FCC or whoever that will have to prove you used it on marine bands for non emergency traffic.

[Brian.D]

If you feel my comments were wrong, that is OK with me. As I stated, it was just my humble opinion. It was not my intent to state other opinion are wrong. That is the best part about debating the merits of what kind of radio to use. I hope the OP gets his IC-78.

[Pizzazz]

I am not really sure why people need to transmit on marine frequencies anymore. Most nets are in the ham bands. There are plenty of Winlink/ham stations with Vara or Pactor, just pick your preference. There are so many cool protocols to communicate with other hams. Most of the useful marine services are receive only (weather). There is no radiotelephone anymore. Telex is useless relative to the faster ham protocols.

So basically, we are left with a couple of marine voice nets and DSC. If you are really worried about voice spurious emissions, you can just reduce your transmit bandwidth to 2kHz and I bet you will then be in compliance. If you use software DSC with a bandwidth of 500 Hz you are unlikely to exceed any limits. So what is the big deal about this discussion? If you are price sensitive, study for the ham exam and get a solid $300 radio. Nothing dramatic will happen if you use it on the marine frequencies every now and then.

SV Pizzazz
Amateur Extra / SEA-235

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

I am not really sure why people need to transmit on marine frequencies anymore. Most nets are in the ham bands. There are plenty of Winlink/ham stations with Vara or Pactor, just pick your preference. There are so many cool protocols to communicate with other hams. Most of the useful marine services are receive only (weather). There is no radiotelephone anymore. Telex is useless relative to the faster ham protocols.

So basically, we are left with a couple of marine voice nets and DSC. If you are really worried about voice spurious emissions, you can just reduce your transmit bandwidth to 2kHz and I bet you will then be in compliance. If you use software DSC with a bandwidth of 500 Hz you are unlikely to exceed any limits. So what is the big deal about this discussion? If you are price sensitive, study for the ham exam and get a solid $300 radio. Nothing dramatic will happen if you use it on the marine frequencies every now and then.

SV Pizzazz
Amateur Extra / SEA-235

Laws and regulations and rules are not there just so we have something to bend or break or get away with if we can. They are always there for a reason. Sometimes a misguided reason, yeah, but a reason. If the rule book sucks, maybe you should try to change it, instead of recommending others ignore it because they can probably get away with it. There is some truth in what you say but you are encouraging scofflaw behavior.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

So basically, we are left with a couple of marine voice nets and DSC. If you are really worried about voice spurious emissions, you can just reduce your transmit bandwidth to 2kHz and I bet you will then be in compliance. If you use software DSC with a bandwidth of 500 Hz you are unlikely to exceed any limits. So what is the big deal about this discussion? If you are price sensitive, study for the ham exam and get a solid $300 radio. Nothing dramatic will happen if you use it on the marine frequencies every now and then.

SV Pizzazz
Amateur Extra / SEA-235

Very few are aware of telephone (voice) "spurious emissions", so not "really worried" about such. Software DSC with 500Hz bandwidth? Mariners will use their VHF with DSC as it comes out of the box.
One of my examiners said he was a little miffed when I passed all three elements; it took him over 20 years. Not everyone loves amateur radio enough to learn what you know.

If we encourage well-meaning but under-educated people to "use it on the marine frequencies every now and then", we are violating our own integrity. Because >you< do not see any need for marine frequencies does not mean they should abandoned or disregarded.

[CaptWho]

Originally Posted by Discovery 15797

Modifying the IC-718 for proper operation on MARS ops or marine channels requires a bit more than simply removing a diode.

Are any of these radios even rated for marine use?



I have an IC-7300. The MARS mod was a simple snip of a diode and Gigaparts saved me the hassle of doing it myself.


7300s are really coming down in price. I've seen them advertised in the $800 range lately. I was planning on taking my radio on the boat even though it's not rated for marine use, just because having an SDR is so much nicer than a standard superhet.