What do you use your SSB for?

[hd002e]

My recently acquired boat came with an SSB radio (ICOM IC M-710) along with a what I believe to be a tuner box in the lazarette but no antenna. I am trying to figure out if it would be worth for me to try to get it set up by acquiring an antenna and anything else it needs.

For those of you who have a similar set up (hopefully including an antenna) what do you use it for? I have heard of weatherfax, and being able to listen to BBC radio news broadcast anywhere on earth. What else can it do?

How much power would something like this consume? Are weatherfax still a valid way of receiving weather data in the age of windy etc? I do have grand dreams of setting up a starlink at some point down the road for extended cruising.

Thanj you all for your most valuable input 👍

[CarlF]

I sold my M710 on ebay and got Starlink. Would never go back

It's amazing how rapidly Starlink is taking over offshore communications in sailboats. If you want a hobby, it's fun to talk on the nets but fewer and fewer people are there. Note - with either the SSB or Starlink you should carry a backup communication system in case it fails or if you have to abandon ship. Garmin InReach is the least expensive and works great.

If money is tight. Just get the InReach and you can text (or email) to your heart's content. You can't get GRIBS but their $1 weather reports are plenty good for most situations. If you need more, have a friend ashore look at Windy and text you a forecast.

[Ixium]

Even the military has 4 or 5 different course of actions before we use ssb freqs (aka hf) it has its time and place in an end of the world scenario, but there are much better options that are more reliable and more data transfer rates.

Starlink is what? 130$ per month? Plus cost per usage of offshore? Just limit what you use it offshore for and you’ll be fine.

Does yours have a built in coupler? Because you’ll have to size the antenna to the freqs if you’re planning on using it offshore. A coupler helps with that.

[SailingHarmonie]

Forecast charts--whether you receive them from radiofax or satellite--are an important tool of offshore forecasting and are in no way replaced by "windy" or most other sources. A lot of people don't bother with them but they do not understand what they are missing.

Combining a review of synoptic charts with a read of the forecast discussion is the next best thing to having a meteorologist onboard.

The synoptic charts present information that has actually had a professional meteorologist review and put his name on it. Windy only presents you with the computer model output. No human has evaluated it for reasonableness, or compared the different models and actually put a forecast together. If you have enough background in meteorology you can probably do that yourself, but then you would not be asking the question...

You do not need an SSB to get weather charts, if you have email from any platform you can receive them.

We have long since dumped our SSB. We have no interest in "nets" or other kinds of social interaction while on passage.

SSB is now a hobby, not an essential tool. It can be, I am sure, a fun hobby if you are into that kind of thing.

[wsmurdoch]

We have a IC-m710 transceiver and a AT-140 antenna tuner connected to our insulated backstay and a ground system built into the hull. We have a connection from the radio to a computer. Power usage is (like a VHF radio) fairly minor but when tranmitting at full power (150W) can hit as high as 20A. (20W and 60W transmit power are also available.)

I have both marine and ham licences, and we have made thirteen trips from North Carolina to the Bahamas.

We receive wetherfax charts both synoptic forecasts and wind/wave forecasts along with voice forecasts when out of cell and VHF range. Occasionally, we will look at NAVTEX.

On marine frequencies we listen and talk to Chris Parker and BASRA for weather and occasionally switch to MF or HF SSB to talk to friends who are just out of VHF range.

On ham frequencies we participate with the Waterway Radio Cruising Club Net for weather and cruising news and when out of cell range send and receive email and receive written and graphical weather forecasts with Winlink. We also make position reports with both the WWRCC and Winlink so family and friends can follow us.

As others have said, it is something of a hobby, but it continues to work.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by hd002e

but no antenna

You may find that it is wired to use the backstay as an antenna, as this is a more common configuration than a "made" antenna.

What else can it do?

If working properly and in skilled hands it can be used to contact similarly equipped vessels and shore stations well beyond VHF range. A 200 mile useful range is easy to achieve. Under good conditions and at certain times of the day, communications at transcontinental distances are possible.

How much power would something like this consume?

Around 200 watts while transmitting. Around 10 watts receiving. When just sitting there with the power off, a couple of watts for an internal heater that keeps the crystal oscillator at a constant temperature.

I do have grand dreams of setting up a starlink at some point down the road for extended cruising.

Good for you. Remember to bring money, electricity, and a solid mount.

[Zanshin]

I have done a couple of radio nets with my SSB, but the main use has been for receiving weather files and text e-mails offshore using my Pactor modem. But now that I have a Starlink I no longer use it. But it is too much work to remove, so I'll keep it aboard as a backup communications method.

[mvweebles]

We started our open ended cruise from California to Florida by joining the Baja Ha Ha fleet. After 29 yearis, this was the last year for SSB usage for fleet communications and vessel check-in.

[jcapo]

I wonder when Cruiseheimers and the Waterway Net will be replaced with a zoom meeting.

[AA3JY]

Though I have HF aboard .. I now prefer Starlink but I do have permission with a couple of radio -remote stations that I can connect with via SL and still be able to communicate on various HF Nets

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by jcapo

I wonder when Cruiseheimers and the Waterway Net will be replaced with a zoom meeting.

Interesting as I tried to convince/explain the advantages of using an on-line chat room for those with internet connections especially vessels with Star Link..but where basically not interested

[Ixium]

It’ll either die with the people stuck in the age before global comms or new one will start with the new age of sailors with more constant connections.

Even with Starlink and it’s competition, there should be a discord type chat/voice program setup for people cruising. Quick, easy, helpful comms that require low bandwidth for those that are just going to get the 2$ per gig roaming packages when out to sea.

Just going to take a couple years to get situated and for a standard to be adopted on ARC and other major ones

[Mickeyrouse]

I haven‘t read every post in this thread,so forgive me if this comment has been made. To the OP: I used to have the same set-up. On our boat, the backstay was insulated. The output of the tuner was connected to the insulated portion. That became the anntenna.
BTW, those Icom seals are good. Our boat sank in a hurricane. That radio didn’t leak any water for six months.��

[sv_pelagia]

Weather forecasts in places where VHF weather not available (not uncommon here in British Columbia). Daily HAM net (interactions with friends/new friends).



No interest in Starlink due to cost (and Musk). HAM/HF is free.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by jcapo

I wonder when Cruiseheimers and the Waterway Net will be replaced with a zoom meeting.

In the South Pacific the nets seem to have already been replaced with Whats App and Facebook. Sigh...