OK, I am HF certified... now what?

[ka4wja]

I really need to go...But....

Ping, et al,

Fact #1:
Most "12vdc" radios are of course designed to work at 13.6vdc to 13.8vdc, regulated...(is it any wonder that so many people hate us "tech guys"

Fact #2:
When operating most (99%+) "12vdc" ham rigs at voltages of 12.2vdc (a fully charged "12v battery" minus a 3% voltage drop), and many even at voltages thought of as "normal" by us sailors like 12.6vdc, they always produce poor spectral purity transmissions (interfere with other stations), their output drops considerably, they draw more current and produce more heat, and are pronce to component failure, and especially internal interconnection intermittents....

And also manifest a host of other problems...such as:
a) produce seriously distorted audio...
b) begin to "fm"...meaning the radio's oscillators change frequency as you talk, as the voltage changes and other component values are effected....and the SSB signal sounds a bit like "frequency modulation"...
c) shut down the transmitter, or the whole radio...

The real issue is that unless the radio is one that shuts down completely, the user is only aware of the lower output power....
But, the real, real issue is that usually a user of a radio like this, in these situations, is unlikely to even be aware of the lower output power (either unfamiliar with the radio's output and metering and/or doesn't have any external power/swr metering to refer to..)


Fact #3
All maritime radios that pass the FCC Part 80 certification, must meet the Part 80 specs, when operated on throughout the voltage range specified.....so, these radios when operated on 13.6vdc usually exceed the spec significantly...
In the case of the Icom SSB's (such as the M-802), Icom specs them at 13.6vdc +/- 15%....so, that's from 11.56vdc to 15.64vdc....and again, the radio must meet the stringent Part 80 specs, throughout that voltage range....
(and being that there are NO ham rigs that even come close to meeting the Part 80 specs, even when on a regulated 13.8vdc supply, in a controlled environ.....oh no....that's a whole 'nother discussion!)


I do hope this helps...

Fair winds...

John

[ka4wja]

Not sure if mine qualifies...

Originally Posted by GILow

Still, bit of a man-cave I thought... though not a scratch on some of the boats I have seen since.

Have a look...








There's a LOT hidden behind....but I think you get the idea...
And, I've got plenty of space still in the panels and behind for: NAVTEX, INMARSAT-C, PACTOT-4, etc...

Fair winds..

John

[GILow]

Actually John, I was thinking of your setup when I made that remark. I am now more familiar with your radio station than my own after watching most of your videos.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by svlamorocha

Are you in the US? Close to the ocean? If so you will very likdly be in range of a USCG station that will have anautomated rig that responds to "test" calls sent to a generic USCG MMSI. This has worked fine on various boats in various places between Florida and Chesapeake.

That does not mean that a human will bother to answer a"normal"call. It just means that you know the systems at both ends work. Please yell if you want more detail.

Sent from my GT-I9192 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Yep, I'm aware you can do that over there. But unfortunately it's not offered in Australia where I am.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by ka4wja

Not sure if mine qualifies...
Have a look...








There's a LOT hidden behind....but I think you get the idea...
And, I've got plenty of space still in the panels and behind for: NAVTEX, INMARSAT-C, PACTOT-4, etc...

Fair winds..

John

Oh that's nice. I like all the lights and buttons and things.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Ping that sounds like a lot of redundancy.

Perhaps that level of redundancy lends a great deal of comfort while cruising the region Australia to Patagonia.

Ann

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Perhaps that level of redundancy lends a great deal of comfort while cruising the region Australia to Patagonia.

Ann

Gday Ann, More stuff to confuse me more like it....

When I bought the boat it came with an MFJ manual tuner and an Icom 735... mast fell down and I did what Jim did .. long wire from aft to frd draped over a spinnaker pole.... worked Phuket, Perth and Guam one fine morning from the central Indian Ocean without me touching the MFJ which was all black magic to me at the time.. as they say there is arse and there is class... that was pure arse......

Anyway.... soon thereafter I fitted the 710.... some time later got my ham ticket.... 710 far to clunky for that sort of stuff unless just working limited frequencies... I have Tony's Net, etc in it....
So I went and bought the 706 and the separate tuner/ant just followed along...

[GILow]

I really wish you guys would stop with the casual "and then my mast fell down" comments. You are making me nervous.


First the $#@($@# anchor threads make me think my anchor is dancing a jig on the ocean floor, and now this thread has me waiting for my mast to sprout wings and fly away.

[Jim Cate]

First the $#@($@# anchor threads make me think my anchor is dancing a jig on the ocean floor, and now this thread has me waiting for my mast to sprout wings and fly away.

Matt, that ain't how it works.. they tend to loose their roots and then sink slowly to the bottom of the sea. Wings... fly away...?? Nahh...

Jim

[GILow]

Strangely, I don't feel any better.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by GILow

Strangely, I don't feel any better.

Well you won't get very many answers if you start a thread with a title like "I've sailed for 20 years and never had my anchor drag" or "Gee - after 30 years of sailing, my mast is still standing"

War stories are great - and usually get better as they are retold

[GILow]

That's it then, I am going to start a thread titled "I had an uneventful sail today". In it I will document the process of stepping aboard, checking a few critical systems, starting the engine, casting off, motoring out a bit, raising the sails... er...


Yeah, actually, I was starting to yawn just typing that...


Still, I was asking about HF radios, I didn't need to be regaled with tales of falling masts.

[El Pinguino]

My cousin lost his mast 20 metres of a lee shore...

I think it is all relevent as people normaly have also sorts of electronic stuff hanging off the mast.... gotta have a plan B....

All our use of SSB did was let the Oz customs get all their ducks sniffer dogs in a line to greet us.


The thing that saved our bacon was an emergency VHF antenna that let us hail a passing hull down tanker 24 hours later and bot 300 litres of diesel from her...

[GILow]

Yes, actually a very good point you make, and I currently have a 5.5 meter HF wip antenna on the shopping list.


After a bit of soul searching I removed the old one on the logic that if I needed it, I was going to NEED it, and therefore I was not willing to trust one that was over 20 years old. Which was also why I sold off all the old radio gear and started afresh.


This will go at the stern, along with a VHF antenna for the second VHF radio, all in case... yes... I know... we get dismasted.


I do paranoid as well as the next guy I guess...

[El Pinguino]

Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean your mast isn't going to fall down