[TSOJOURNER]

I am considering installing an HF radio on my 37'' Wauquiez sloop, which already has an insulated backstay per a previous owner. I am interested in hearing opinions about SSB vs. HAM, ie. would I get that much more out of having ham aboard when cruising. Also, I wonder whether I should start with just bonding my through-hulls(3)to form a groundplane, vs. copper strapping, vs. a Dynaplate.

Thanks, Joseph Kelly

 

[TSOJOURNER]

Joseph..My advise is to go with the open SSB which allows you to access Marine SSB and the HAM net. I''m in the process of obtaining my HAM license (very easy) to do the same. Try HFRADIO.COM for some great info the the set up..
Dick McKee
S/V Constellation

 

[Bermuda]

Joseph-
Most all of the current crop of SSB radios are equipped with the amatuer or ham frequencies like the Icom 710 or the SEA 235 (which I have on my boat). You will also need a tuner for the backstay antenna. As far a bonding the through hulls in leiu of copper strap, for get it, it don''t work that way, actually all your through hulls should be bonded to your bonding system whether or not you are going to go with a SSB. The foil is a given if you want a good performing unit and daisy chaining it from the tuner accross any of the through hulls that are bonded together is the way yo have to go. Again, solid or stranded cable will just send your signal back to ground and this is why you need the copper foil so you can get a truly radiating counterpoise.
Far winds,
Bruce Gregory

 

[TSOJOURNER]

Greg-

Thanks for your message. Do you think the copper strapping is better than a "shoe" on the bottom such as a Dynaplate? Also, if my thru hulls aren''t bonded now should I just connect them with the copper strapping as part of the "daisy chain"? What exactly do you mean by daisy chain? Thanks for your help. Oh, and do you think the SSB should be wired directly to a battery, or can it go through the panel.

Thanks, Joe

 

[TSOJOURNER]

bermuda,
what boat do you have and where did you run your foil, did you hook it up to a dynaplate?
have you been to bermuda before?
eric

 

[Bermuda]

Joe-
Talk to 10 sailors and get 10 opinions, I don''t have a dynaplate installed so I can''t speak to its effevtiveness, I can tell you that the foil attached to several through hulls and the metal tankage do make it work. To your question of through hull bonding, I am surprised your''s are not and it is not recommended that you hook up the foil to more than one through hull if they are not bonded together. Properly installed through hulls have flanges with bolts connected through them, it is to those bolts that your green bonding wire should be connected, if it exists. On the other hand it doesn''t, you should consider installing a bonding system to help avoid a catastrophic loss if struck by lighning.

The foil is then wrapped around the body of the through hull and strapped there with a large hose clamp.

As far as daisy chaining you might read the post I sent to reply to kimberlite.

 

[Bermuda]

I have a Island Packet 32 (you can see it at my website http://www.fullkeel.com, just click on the boat photos at the top of the main page), and yes have sailed to Bermuda in it, there are some notes and photos to that effect on the website also. What follows is how my SSB counterpoise is set up.

Believe it or not I had planned on soldering each intersection but temporarily double folded each new leg over the ''main'' and clamped it with 1 or 2 cheap $1 6" spring clamps with vinyl tips available at any Home Depot, hasn''t failed me yet so I''ve been too lazy to bring my prestolite torch to the boat and solder them.

Note: The Tuner leg and the receiver leg never meet and that is only because I''ve read numerous times that it wasn''t necessary. My receiver, mounted over the port settee has it''s strip running down through the cabinet, and then compartment behind the cushions and eventually into the compartment with the waste y valve and 2" through hull, it is terminated there. My other run goes from the tuner in the starboard lazarette to the rudder stock then down into the keel and over to the prop shaft log, then through the engine bulkhead to a motor mount then back to the shaft area and down deep into the ceiling of the bilge, then aft to the bulkhead between the fuel tank and water tank, up to the fuel tank then over to the engine seawater through hull and then back to the water tank. each place along the way is clamped using a large hose clamp or by wrapping the foil and clamping it tight to the connecting point with the clamps, the last or final end of it is clamped to the hardware cloth in the bottom of the bilge.

And no, as I mentioned to Joe, I do not use a dynaplate in my system.

Fair winds, calm seas,

~~_/)~~~~Bruce Gregory
~~~~_/)~~IP 32-84 Morning°Star
~~_/)~~~~Website http://www.fullkeel.com

~ Several seats remain for 2001 Bermuda Trips

 

[Bermuda]

Joe-
I forgot to answer your SSB power connection question, and yes it is better to have the radio''s power leads direct connected to your batteries (a fused connection however) to avoid noise from other fields and RF noise at the panel.

Fair winds, calm seas,

~~_/)~~~~Bruce Gregory
~~~~_/)~~IP 32-84 Morning°Star
~~_/)~~~~Website http://www.fullkeel.com

~ Several seats remain for 2001 Bermuda Trips

 

[TSOJOURNER]

bruce,
i lost your e-mail address.
i also have a sea 235r on kimberlite. she is a tartan 37.incidently sea said to me that the tuner and transceiver should not have the bonding connected directly together. when i disconnected it it worked a heck of a lot better. we sailed her from ny to st thomas last fall. are you looking for crew to bermuda for the race or just the hallibut?
how well did herb come in on your setup?
i soldered all my coper foil together with a large soldering iron from mcmaster.they also have copper foil in all widths lengts and thicknesses.
we had a problem with the tuner when we got to bermuda. we were running in huge seas 30 kts apparent all the way. it seems that the spray ran down the backstay,into the gto15 wire INSIDE it for 10 feet and wiped out my tuner. i am now looking for a super waterproof way to install the connection to the backstay. any ideas?
eric freedman
[email protected]

 

[Bermuda]

Eric-
Yes, my tuner and receiver aren''t tied together either, as you might have noticed in one of my previos posts. As far as the Gto-15 wire connection to the backstay, I put mine into a drip loop with the conductor facing down, rather than up, clamped it with a 3/4# SS hose clamp, dressed it with dielectric grease and wrapped it with riggers tape. Haven''t had a problem yet but am doing the same task as a ritual each spring.

Our reception from Herb Hilgenberg aka Southbound II on 12359 Khz came in 4x4 for the entire round trip, in fact onour way back we nearly ran into the May 30, Memorial Day nor''easter last year and if you go to my website you can click on the Bermuda plot link and see our would be rhumb line for both trips.

As far as my upcoming planned trips to Bermuda this spring, they are not for the race or for the halibut, but as a fund raiser for my 3 1/2 year old grandson who was striken with leukemia. You or anyone else can find out more about the trips by connecting to our site, http://www.fullkeel.com, follow the links of the little sailor''s photo and on to the trip schedules and requirements.

Regards,
[email protected]