Need help with Furuno FS 1503 SSB

[dm567]

I just installed a Furuno FS 1503 SSB in my sailboat and I can't figure out how to use it.

Is there anyone in San Francisco area that can help?

Dominic

[sailingdog]

Umm... did you try reading the manual? Here's a link to it as a PDF File.

Did you talk to the vendor you bought the SSB from???


Did you do the installation yourself? If so, did you setup the antenna and ground plane properly??

Saying that you can't figure out how to use it is kind of vague...what exactly is the problem you're having?

Is it that you can't turn the set on?

Is it that you can't find anyone to listen to on it?

Is it that you're not getting any reception on it?

Really vague statements like "I can't figure out how to use it." are generally going to get relatively sarcastic and unhelpful responses. It would help a lot if you would narrow the scope of the problem a bit.

Do you know the installation is done properly and that the SSB set is working? If not...then that would probably be the first step, especially if you did the installation yourself and don't have a good foundation in marine communications or electronics.

If you can confirm that the set is properly installed and operating... then you need to find someone to talk to or listen to. Be aware that the quality of the signal will be affected by what time of day, the sunspot activity, your proxmity to large RF interference sources—like military bases and airports, and what exact frequency you're using.

Also, a more complete list of the equipment you have would probably help. Do you have an automatic tuner, or is there one built into the Furuno? If not, do you have a manual tuner, or are you using different antennas for the different frequencies—and yes, I know of at least one guy who does this, but he's a dinosaur and a bit eccentric.

[Giulietta]

OHHHH My!!!! Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph, the Saints and Our Lady Of Fatima!!!!!!!! (All together at least 4 times)........

OK...

Somewhere in there there is a button that has letters.

In fact there are buttons with many many letters.

1) Center yourself confortably in front of the SSB
2) Look carefully at unit
3) Locate all buttons and knobs...
4) locate the one with the following combination of letters O + N...
5) Together they should say ON...
6) press or rotate that button...

Now the good part....the fun part...

7) you should have a thing that looks like phone handle, but shaped like a pear.
8) Look on the side....see there?? there is another button....its says PTT, means Push to Talk...not really meand Press The Thing....

9) Aproach "funny looking thing shaped like a pear" to your mouth.
10) Press the Push The Thing Button.
11) Yell loudly, and rapidly the following:

"MAYDAY, MAY DAY, MAYDAY," DO IT 8 TIMES, VERY LOUDLY AND CLEARLY.

When the man living inside the SSB responds, just say your name, and phone number and address.

He's a lonely man and will make you a visit with his friends that have colorfull cars, with red and blue lights and guns and all...when they show up, pick up your gun, and do a 21 gun salute into the air.......they will love it...don't aim at them, shoot into the air...they will shoot too...good luck.


there...was it easy???

I can make on of my instrution drawings...

[dm567]

I asked if there was anyone in my area who could help?
Giulietta, are you in my area? Or perhaps you can't read. I didn't go into the problem because I was hoping one of the nice sailers out there could hook up with me and discuss this.

It difficult enough to try to sort this out without your sorry ass making ridiculous stupid comments. Don't you have anything better to do?

[sailingdog]

How did you connect the antenna/tuner to the ground plane? Did you use foil or did you use wire. SSB ground plane and antenna connections should generally be made using thick copper foil, rather than wire. Using wire instead of foil will probably cause the ground plane or antenna connection to not work properly.

Let me know.

[thekeip]

For GIuilietta....

I'd think you were a 1st class jerk...but I think 1st class is way beyond you.
A jerk nevertheless.

Howard Keiper
Sea Quest
Bekeley

[k1vsk]

Originally Posted by dm567

I just installed a Furuno FS 1503 SSB in my sailboat and I can't figure out how to use it.

Is there anyone in San Francisco area that can help?

Dominic

If you don't find someone local to help, email me offline and we can talk on the phone. I've been a ham operator for 50 years and would be happy to talk you through itDon

[T34C]

WAIT A SECOND. You install a piece of equipment on your boat, that you "can't figure out how to use", and actually have the nerve to call someone else a "sorry ass"? I must have missed something. BTW, what's the advantage of having someone "in your area" call you stupid?

READ THE BOOK,ask the guy you bought it from for a tutorial, search the internet for instructions, but don't come here with a rediculously vague and stupid statement like that and then get your knickers in a twist when someone laughs at you.

[sailingdog]

DM-

Being hostile towards someone who is not being helpful isn't really all that productive, especially since you pretty much asked for it with such a vague and useless OP.

This is especially the case when your follow-up post adds no additional information... not even the basic information I asked you for.

It is difficult to help people when they're too busy defending their own stupidity... and not providing the information required to get useful assistance. Unless you can provide more specific information about the installation of your SSB radio, and what you have done, what you are trying to do and such, how could anyone assist you.

A vague... help me... I can't get it to work...is basically completely useless. Unless you stole the SSB radio, the place you bought it should have some support service. If you bought it from an individual, you should have asked them for instructions on using the unit.

Did you read the instruction manual? I even posted a link to it in my first response to you... in case you bought the unit used or on clearance and didn't get a manual with it. If you haven't read the manual... you might want to start there... most of the manuals are fairly readable nowadays.

Did you go through user manual's troubleshooting section? That's often a pretty good place to start.

Did you use foil for the antenna and ground plane connections? If not, then that may be your problem. As I said previously, the antenna and ground plane connections have to be made using heavy copper foil, not wire, since the wire doesn't really carry the radio signal properly from what I remember.

Did you try contacting the person or store you bought the SSB from? Did you? You spent a good chunk of change, probably at least $1800 dollars on the equipment... and should get some post-sales support.

Does the unit power up? I'm going to guess that it does this much at least.. but you haven't said either way...

Do you get static on the unit? If you're not getting even static...then you've got a serious problem... any properly connected radio receiver should get static at a minimum, since there's usually plenty of radio noise around.

Stop whining that people aren't helping you... and help yourself first.. It gets really annoying when you don't even have the courtesy to answer a few fairly simple questions.

[T34C]

Basiclly what SD- is saying is that you should go back and leave a post-it note, with your address, on the boat you stole the SSB from and ask them to send the manual as well.