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Can anyone help me update my systems to receive weather reports when more that 20 or 30 miles off shore? I am ready to update and seem to be technology challenged. Any help, opinions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Both. Even the Iridium doesn't have full coverage. SSB radios although archaic to some, offer a dimension to your boat's communication not offered by a sat phone. Costs are similar to purchase however sat phones require minutes to be purchased. Sat phones fit into a ditch bag, not the SSB. Internet capabilities come with a sat phone not with the SSB. SSBs can be programmed do HAM functions. Cost for internet is high for the sat phone, Sailmail for the SSB is about $250 per year. WeatherFax is available on both, yet a computer and printer are required. A ships licence and a registered MMSI are required for the SSB, which is a good thing. I'm sure there's more but you can search previous posts.
There are previous posts on this topic as well as multiple threads with as many opinions.
All though the info above is mainly Amateur Radio oriented..IMHO..learning the basic electrical theories and regulations put licensed amateurs above those that just simply get a marine SSB station license. It will pay dividends in the long run not only maintaining and operating a ships HF radio but also understanding and trouble shooting ships electrical problems.
That is a fine setup for sure and one to be proud of. I myself have spent about two months tinkering with how I would handle weatherfax and being a technophile I came up with a couple of solutions.
The objective of my first solution (in the evolution of solutions) uses a world radio rig. After talking with a good many long haul cruisers, a majority of the many mile/cheap budget vessels get it done this way. It involves purchasing a inexpensive weatherized AM/FM/SHORTWAVE radio with ssb capability. Yes just like those $10 old timey radios you see at garage sales. You can buy them new anywhere from $30-200 depending on how slick you want it. The radio is used to tune to a weatherfax frequency you need (like New Orleans 8503.9 kHz) then you run a patch cable from the headphone out of the radio to the mic input of your computer/laptop. Then you run one of many free programs on your PC (like JVComm32) and sit back and watch the magic unfold on your screen as you get the full weatherfax.
This solution has its drawbacks. Your radio must be rugged to survive long term exposure to the environment or you will be buying a new/used one every so often. Your laptop has to be on long enough to catch the weatherfax at the transmit times (or schedule it being on at those times)
The plus side is this solution can be inexpensive and easily maintained.
I am still experimenting with my 2nd solution evolution. So far so good but I want it to be easily repeatable in instruction form so anyone can use it without being a techie.
" I prefer getting my weather fax and reading the map/ forecast for my self "
Often, if you've been reading the wx maps for a specific locale for a long time, or if you are simply good at wx, you can look at the map and be fairly sure "that stuff will be here tomorrow" or "that's a mess, no telling which way it will go" and the local weatherman often just gives you their best guess--without telling you how LIKELY it is. I know, they say 40% chance of showers...which could also be 60% chance of a nice day...but sometimes just looking at what is developing, you can tell the weatherman is fibbing and really has no idea what is going on.
Or, you can be Real Damned Sure of what's coming.
Your SSB needs to be registered to a ship, but first it needs an MMSI. There are a number of ways to do it, none of them too complicated, just Google MMSI. Next you need to set up a ship's license and this is done through the FCC. Then you'll need to program the radio with the MMSI. Then you'll need to get an RROP operator's licence, again from the FCC. I could certainly be more specific but get online and do some research.
There is only one way to get the MMSI number if you have HF radio on board your vessel and that is the FCC. The official MMSI is issued with the Ships Station License. The other sources like Boat US are for US waters only and can not be used with HF radio The FCC MMSI is included in an international database held by the ITU and made available to all Search and Rescue units around the world. The Boat US numbers are in a US Database only. Again the Boat US numbers may not be used for HF as HF is a long range radio.
I've been using an Icom 802 for many years when cruising offshore and I could give you some benefit of my Rig and experience; however, you would be better off purchasing a good book on the subject, of which there are many, I have most.
I recommend the Book by Cmdr Terry Sparks that specifically covers the Icom 802. Listed for Sale on Amazon.
To save cost for Email I suggest you obtain a HAM license, not necessary now to be proficient in Morse.
Good Luck.
The boat we recently bought came with an SSB radio so I am assuming that it is already licensed or registered to the vessel. I will look into what I need to learn and do to be able to operate it. Does it still require a ham radio license?
If I already have a restricted radio operators permit (obtained when flying aircraft) do I need a different one for the marine radio? Or are they one and the same....lifetime license? This was not clear when I looked it up.
The restricted permit is the only one you need for an SSB radio aboard a boat if using only the marine frequencies. Radios like ICOMs and FURUNOs can transmit on all frequencies. If you want to use the HAM frequencies, you need a HAM license but if you're going to use only marine frequencies, the restricted license is all you need for VHF and SSB. I have only the restricted which is good for Sailmail but not for using Winlink, which requires a HAM license. One consideration in using an SSB is that they use a LOT of power. On an energy budget, you have to plan your use carefully. It's really not good for a lot of chit-chat unless you have a large charging system. They'll run your house batteries down pretty quickly. I turn mine (ICOM 700) on only to get Wfax at predetermined times and to quickly send/fetch Sailmail if I'm using Sailmail. If going offshore, it's really the least expensive way to maintain contact.
I installed copper through the bilge and connected to deck fittings to form a ground plane but would probably use one of the small units they selling now if doing it again. I also used a twin lead antenna which just slides up the backstay and eliminates the need for insulators. It works well.
On the last trip from Annapolis to St. Martin I loved using the SSB rather than having to get gribs via satphone. There are excellent paid-for weather routing services (Chris Parker at Marine Weather Center - Bahamas & Caribbean Marine Weather Services for example) and also excellent free services (Herb's Southbound II at South Bound II VAX498 - Ship routing and weather forecasting) plus numerous other sources.
My Iridium has trouble getting more than 4800 throughput, and at just over $1 per minute with regular broken connections and lengthy sync times it can take quite a while to get electronic weather by that means.
I totally agree with Sea Hunter. I am currently in the process of outfitting my boat as well. SSB Transceivers are pretty cool if you want to actively participate in the "net". However, I find the system (Radio, Pactor Modem, etc) very expensive (USD 4,000+) in relation to the benefits and complex to install. You also need a license and a call sign, which is not related to the radio but to yourself. Here is what I will do on my boat to get the best of both worlds. I am going to buy a SSB Receiver (listen-in only), which you can get for USD 200 (+/-). This enables me to download grib files for free and listen to the net. I don't need a license for this. As a second device I will buy an Isatphone Pro (satellite phone), with pre-paid minutes. Cost? USD 700 or less excl. the minutes. I will use this for receiving and sending emails as well as a back-up for receiving grib-files when offshore. Total cost approx. 1- 1,500 USD. If anyone is interested in more information. The guys over at Lunatronic helped me a lot with the whole subject. It's a German company and the initiator is actually cruising in South America right now with his family. Apparently he is also the one who delivers such solutions to you directly on the boat and only leaves if the whole system works. BTW. I am not related to this company. Good luck. kosta
This is a reasonable approach as long as your are a US Coastal Sailor. However, if you are going to other countries and or out in blue water, this is not a good plan. The Sat phone sales people get paid for ever as you buy minutes so they push them as the answer. If you are a serious sailor the best safety tool is HF SSB. I say that as it is a one to many device. It is also important for cruisers to invest in a Marine Radio with DSC calling. If you get into trouble at sea, DSC will hail for help almost around the world. Most importantly it will go over the horizon to commercial ships up to 150 miles away. Commercial ships are mandated to carry DSC equipment. They may be the closest and could actually help.
Look on my web site under the communications and Icom IC M802 tabs. I post a lot of free stuff about the benifits of HF radio and have links to other sites. As a side note, with a KISS ground and Gam backstay antenna, installation is much easier than in the past.
Terry Made Simple for Cruisers
I'm going to ping this idea for the programmers out there. Someone needs to produce a patch cable from an iPad to a pacor modem so Grib files can be downloaded directly, then have a simple app that transmits the request and displays the results graphically. I use WeatherTrack today, which grabs the file using a 3G connection and provides the graphic display. For 90% of the cruising we do, that is fine. Beng able to use the SSB would be a huge advantage.
The SSB-pacor-PC-reader process today is ridiculously antiquated. You should be able to open an app that tells you what freq to dial, choose your boundaries and settings visually and then literally click one button and let it go. I see no reason that can't be done. Must not be a large enough market demand to justify the development.
I have both here, but always use the SSB for weather reception reports, when in receive mode the radio only takes a small amount of power, if you press the PTT key and start to talk, it use's a lot more. However you should only use the amount of power needed to make the contact and more often than not, its a lot less than the 100watts the radio is putting out, so turn the Transmit power down and your power consumption also goes down. Simples (but yes you will use more power than on just receive).
As for the tablet idea, well most radios do have DATA ports and CAT ports on them now and back home my radio shack is nearly all controlled by my PCs, so an actual interface between them is not hard to do, getting the correct APP and interfacing so they communicate to each other will be a little more tricky.
I had thought on similar lines to the tablet idea, but its easier to have the output from the SSB radio decoded by the ships computer/netbook using various software, save it as a picture file and simply transfer that file to the tablet and then you have it on the ships main computer and on a tablet if you choose.
Thats what I do, easier way and it works fine and with the SSB radio on receive when I need a weather chart, uses very little power, and yes I do hold all the certificates needed, but there real easy to take the classes and pass the exams, biggest problem is just your nerves haha.
Thanks for the remarks Terry. I am actually sailing in Europe with Bluewater Cruising in mind. My answer to the original question was more related to ways of receiving weather information. If we extend this discussion to security, I totally agree with you. Especially with regards to the "one-to-many-device". I also have a Marine Radio setup with DSC calling, which I see as mandatory. However, I have a slightly different view on SSB "Transceivers", which I find over-priced. My overall security concept (for now and after some bluewater experience across the Atlantic) includes the Marine Radio with DSC, SatPhone and EPIRB (and the mentioned SSB receiver). I don't know (I might be wrong and its just a gut feeling), but if the worst comes to the worst and you are about to loose your boat offshore, the electronics won't work anymore anyways. Apart from all the stress in this very moment. I would rather rely on the EPIRB and my SatPhone, which I would have in my grab bag. On the other hand - as said - I totally agree with you, it's just not for me. By the way. Your website and the contents are pretty cool. I bookmarked your site and will have a closer look at it over the weekend. Finally, sorry for my English - I am not a native speaker, so things might sound a bit different .
You do not need a HAM License to operate the majority of Bands on a SSB Radio. You do; however, need to be a HAM to use the HAM Bands.
Use of HAM Bands provides Free Email & Weather Fax.
"You do; however, need to be a HAM to use the HAM Bands."
In the face of rampant confusion, let's clarify that.
You don't need any license to LISTEN to the traffic on the ham bands.
You need a ham license to TRANSMIT on the ham bands.
If you have a dedicated ham radio, rather than a dual-service marine radio, it is considered good form to disconnect and stow the microphone, so that accidental transmissions can't be made, and you are less likely to be suspected of wrongful use of the radio.
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