SSB/HF on an NT/coastal cruiser
Greetings,
Clock Work, my 42, had an Icom m710 HF phone/CW/SSB radio when I bought it.
A quick search provided no confirmation the previous owner had been
licensed though I could have missed it. I did acquire (cut a check) the
related license at the outset. That license has no associated exam, which I
find puzzling given the amateur service privileges for essentially the same
bands absolutely entails testing to at least one of the two upper licensing
levels - General, or Amateur Extra, which requires more than a pulse. I
don't really see how that radio is a useful option for most NT's for
reasons I'll indicate below. Beyond that, I also believe the probability is
significant that the next owner is both unlikely to actually need this, and
also unlikely (or unable without amateur operating experience) to put the
hours in to become useful with it or just get to the point where they can
enjoy it exploring DX contacts.
Consequently, as I am building up my own amateur inventory and defining
what that gear set’s mission will be, one possible option I'm considering
is removing my M710 from Clock Work and repurposing it to the
mobile/portable end of my fixed/mobile/portable inventory. To work through
to a hopefully intelligent decision I’d like to pose some questions to
check my understanding. So here goes..
Do any NT owners here have a HF/SSB rig on their boat? If so...
- Did you add it or was it there when you bought the boat?
- What role does it serve on your boat... Fun (e.g. amateur use)?
Operational? In case of emergency? Or never use it (i.e. came with the
boat)? - If operational or emergency, how does it serve you beyond what your
VHF or cell do?
- What role does it serve on your boat... Fun (e.g. amateur use)?
That does it for my questions regarding whether removing it from Clock Work
makes sense for the boat and the next owner. There will certainly be
technical questions I’ll need to explore given that the radio seems to have
some quirks about using it effectively in an emergency, amateur role.
I’ve composed some bullet points to fill in where my thinking is today… my
assumptions/understanding as to how an HF/SSB works in a typical NT could
easily be off the mark, and if so I'd love to discover that quickly. Of
course, if someone wants to add in some way to the possibilities, please do
share. I would appreciate hearing that too. I'm not committed either way to
any decision yet but I'm serious. As I am assuming this is a low-interest
topic for the population at large, I’ll spare the list and put those
additional points up on my site here:
https://www.clockwork-usa.com/post/ssb-amateur-on-nt-s-coastal-cruisers
Thank you for any thoughts you may have,
Miguel
--
MV Clockwork
Hello Miguel,
I would think that your NT-42 would not be crossing oceans and used exclusively for coastal cruising. And limited forays off-shore. Accessing weather information would be far easier using cell based internet or a Starlink system than attempting to download GRIB files through your SSB.
I doubt very much that anyone (apart from ham radio enthusiasts) would see a need for an SSB radio on a coastal cruiser.
-Evan
NT37-148
Tugaway
Victoria, BC
On Jan 31, 2023, at 09:34, P MVKW via Sentoa sentoa@lists.sentoa.org wrote:
Greetings,
Clock Work, my 42, had an Icom m710 HF phone/CW/SSB radio when I bought it. A quick search provided no confirmation the previous owner had been licensed though I could have missed it. I did acquire (cut a check) the related license at the outset. That license has no associated exam, which I find puzzling given the amateur service privileges for essentially the same bands absolutely entails testing to at least one of the two upper licensing levels - General, or Amateur Extra, which requires more than a pulse. I don't really see how that radio is a useful option for most NT's for reasons I'll indicate below. Beyond that, I also believe the probability is significant that the next owner is both unlikely to actually need this, and also unlikely (or unable without amateur operating experience) to put the hours in to become useful with it or just get to the point where they can enjoy it exploring DX contacts.
Consequently, as I am building up my own amateur inventory and defining what that gear set’s mission will be, one possible option I'm considering is removing my M710 from Clock Work and repurposing it to the mobile/portable end of my fixed/mobile/portable inventory. To work through to a hopefully intelligent decision I’d like to pose some questions to check my understanding. So here goes..
Do any NT owners here have a HF/SSB rig on their boat? If so...
Did you add it or was it there when you bought the boat?
What role does it serve on your boat... Fun (e.g. amateur use)? Operational? In case of emergency? Or never use it (i.e. came with the boat)?
If operational or emergency, how does it serve you beyond what your VHF or cell do?
That does it for my questions regarding whether removing it from Clock Work makes sense for the boat and the next owner. There will certainly be technical questions I’ll need to explore given that the radio seems to have some quirks about using it effectively in an emergency, amateur role.
I’ve composed some bullet points to fill in where my thinking is today… my assumptions/understanding as to how an HF/SSB works in a typical NT could easily be off the mark, and if so I'd love to discover that quickly. Of course, if someone wants to add in some way to the possibilities, please do share. I would appreciate hearing that too. I'm not committed either way to any decision yet but I'm serious. As I am assuming this is a low-interest topic for the population at large, I’ll spare the list and put those additional points up on my site here: https://www.clockwork-usa.com/post/ssb-amateur-on-nt-s-coastal-cruisers
Thank you for any thoughts you may have,
Miguel
--
MV Clockwork
Sentoa mailing list -- sentoa@lists.sentoa.org
To unsubscribe send an email to sentoa-leave@lists.sentoa.org
Had a 802 with pacnor modem on last boat. Excellent rig. But coastal not necessary imho. Would spend the money on Starlink.
Hippocampus
NT42
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 31, 2023, at 12:46 PM, evan effa via Sentoa sentoa@lists.sentoa.org wrote:
Hello Miguel,
I would think that your NT-42 would not be crossing oceans and used exclusively for coastal cruising. And limited forays off-shore. Accessing weather information would be far easier using cell based internet or a Starlink system than attempting to download GRIB files through your SSB.
I doubt very much that anyone (apart from ham radio enthusiasts) would see a need for an SSB radio on a coastal cruiser.
-Evan
NT37-148
Tugaway
Victoria, BC
On Jan 31, 2023, at 09:34, P MVKW via Sentoa sentoa@lists.sentoa.org wrote:
Greetings,
Clock Work, my 42, had an Icom m710 HF phone/CW/SSB radio when I bought it. A quick search provided no confirmation the previous owner had been licensed though I could have missed it. I did acquire (cut a check) the related license at the outset. That license has no associated exam, which I find puzzling given the amateur service privileges for essentially the same bands absolutely entails testing to at least one of the two upper licensing levels - General, or Amateur Extra, which requires more than a pulse. I don't really see how that radio is a useful option for most NT's for reasons I'll indicate below. Beyond that, I also believe the probability is significant that the next owner is both unlikely to actually need this, and also unlikely (or unable without amateur operating experience) to put the hours in to become useful with it or just get to the point where they can enjoy it exploring DX contacts.
Consequently, as I am building up my own amateur inventory and defining what that gear set’s mission will be, one possible option I'm considering is removing my M710 from Clock Work and repurposing it to the mobile/portable end of my fixed/mobile/portable inventory. To work through to a hopefully intelligent decision I’d like to pose some questions to check my understanding. So here goes..
Do any NT owners here have a HF/SSB rig on their boat? If so...
Did you add it or was it there when you bought the boat?
What role does it serve on your boat... Fun (e.g. amateur use)? Operational? In case of emergency? Or never use it (i.e. came with the boat)?
If operational or emergency, how does it serve you beyond what your VHF or cell do?
That does it for my questions regarding whether removing it from Clock Work makes sense for the boat and the next owner. There will certainly be technical questions I’ll need to explore given that the radio seems to have some quirks about using it effectively in an emergency, amateur role.
I’ve composed some bullet points to fill in where my thinking is today… my assumptions/understanding as to how an HF/SSB works in a typical NT could easily be off the mark, and if so I'd love to discover that quickly. Of course, if someone wants to add in some way to the possibilities, please do share. I would appreciate hearing that too. I'm not committed either way to any decision yet but I'm serious. As I am assuming this is a low-interest topic for the population at large, I’ll spare the list and put those additional points up on my site here: https://www.clockwork-usa.com/post/ssb-amateur-on-nt-s-coastal-cruisers
Thank you for any thoughts you may have,
Miguel
--
MV Clockwork
Sentoa mailing list -- sentoa@lists.sentoa.org
To unsubscribe send an email to sentoa-leave@lists.sentoa.org
Sentoa mailing list -- sentoa@lists.sentoa.org
To unsubscribe send an email to sentoa-leave@lists.sentoa.org
I agree with the prior posts. In a prior boating life we spent 4 years in
the southern Caribbean on a big sailboat which came with the same Icom SSB
and a pactor modem. I tried and tried to get it to work properly, but salt
water is hell on connectors, grounding systems, etc., and I never had much
luck. I had some cruising friends who enjoyed the various Caribbean
cruising nets on SSB, but frankly the local VHF nets were of more interest
to me. Cell phones worked almost everywhere in the islands. We carried an
InReach device which could send short text messages via satellite when we
were well offshore.
From our experience, SSB was not used even in international cruising, so I
never have thought that I needed or wanted one for US coastal cruising.
ROB SCHENDEL
"Astra", 42 Nordic Tug
On Tue, Jan 31, 2023 at 12:00 PM Lee Corwin via Sentoa <
sentoa@lists.sentoa.org> wrote:
Had a 802 with pacnor modem on last boat. Excellent rig. But coastal not
necessary imho. Would spend the money on Starlink.
Hippocampus
NT42
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 31, 2023, at 12:46 PM, evan effa via Sentoa <
sentoa@lists.sentoa.org> wrote:
Hello Miguel,
I would think that your NT-42 would not be crossing oceans and used
exclusively for coastal cruising. And limited forays off-shore.
Accessing weather information would be far easier using cell based internet
or a Starlink system than attempting to download GRIB files through your
SSB.
I doubt very much that anyone (apart from ham radio enthusiasts) would see
a need for an SSB radio on a coastal cruiser.
-Evan
NT37-148
Tugaway
Victoria, BC
On Jan 31, 2023, at 09:34, P MVKW via Sentoa sentoa@lists.sentoa.org
wrote:
Greetings,
Clock Work, my 42, had an Icom m710 HF phone/CW/SSB radio when I bought
it. A quick search provided no confirmation the previous owner had been
licensed though I could have missed it. I did acquire (cut a check) the
related license at the outset. That license has no associated exam, which I
find puzzling given the amateur service privileges for essentially the same
bands absolutely entails testing to at least one of the two upper licensing
levels - General, or Amateur Extra, which requires more than a pulse. I
don't really see how that radio is a useful option for most NT's for
reasons I'll indicate below. Beyond that, I also believe the probability is
significant that the next owner is both unlikely to actually need this, and
also unlikely (or unable without amateur operating experience) to put the
hours in to become useful with it or just get to the point where they can
enjoy it exploring DX contacts.
Consequently, as I am building up my own amateur inventory and defining
what that gear set’s mission will be, one possible option I'm considering
is removing my M710 from Clock Work and repurposing it to the
mobile/portable end of my fixed/mobile/portable inventory. To work through
to a hopefully intelligent decision I’d like to pose some questions to
check my understanding. So here goes..
Do any NT owners here have a HF/SSB rig on their boat? If so...
- Did you add it or was it there when you bought the boat?
- What role does it serve on your boat... Fun (e.g. amateur use)?
Operational? In case of emergency? Or never use it (i.e. came with the
boat)?
- If operational or emergency, how does it serve you beyond what
your VHF or cell do?
That does it for my questions regarding whether removing it from Clock
Work makes sense for the boat and the next owner. There will certainly be
technical questions I’ll need to explore given that the radio seems to have
some quirks about using it effectively in an emergency, amateur role.
I’ve composed some bullet points to fill in where my thinking is today… my
assumptions/understanding as to how an HF/SSB works in a typical NT could
easily be off the mark, and if so I'd love to discover that quickly. Of
course, if someone wants to add in some way to the possibilities, please do
share. I would appreciate hearing that too. I'm not committed either way to
any decision yet but I'm serious. As I am assuming this is a low-interest
topic for the population at large, I’ll spare the list and put those
additional points up on my site here:
https://www.clockwork-usa.com/post/ssb-amateur-on-nt-s-coastal-cruisers
Thank you for any thoughts you may have,
Miguel
--
MV Clockwork
Sentoa mailing list -- sentoa@lists.sentoa.org
To unsubscribe send an email to sentoa-leave@lists.sentoa.org
Sentoa mailing list -- sentoa@lists.sentoa.org
To unsubscribe send an email to sentoa-leave@lists.sentoa.org
Sentoa mailing list -- sentoa@lists.sentoa.org
To unsubscribe send an email to sentoa-leave@lists.sentoa.org