Installing an ICOM IC-M802

[witzgall]

Wow, under what circumstances? Would that not throw RF back into the boat through the mast, and be a possible health hazard?


Chris

Originally Posted by SoonerSailor

The current ARRL Antenna Book has a chapter with a discussion of HF antennas for sailboats. The writer strongly recommends that the antenna and the boat's rigging be modeled using EZNEC or other modeling software to get an idea of what to expect, since rigging can have a profound effect on radiation patterns and mistakes can be expensive.

The writer also notes that it may not even be necessary to have an upper insulator when a backstay is base fed.

Anyway, it makes an enlightening read and might be worth your $45 just for this chapter.

[witzgall]

HI all;

I just bought a SG-230 tuner of of ebay for use with my Kenwood ts-480sat on the boat. Jubilee has a split backstay, connecting together about 7 feet off of the deck.

How do I run the GTO cable up to the first insulator (which I don't have yet)

On a fractional rig, can a rigger put insulators in without unstepping the mast?

Chris

[DavidGC]

Originally Posted by witzgall

Wow, under what circumstances? Would that not throw RF back into the boat through the mast, and be a possible health hazard?Chris

???
Wooden mast?

DGC
N1GPH

[witzgall]

THis guy seems to have installed a radio without cutting his backstay:

Installing HF Radio on a Sailboat

I would want a lower insulator at least, the risk of somebody handing onto the backstay while taking a pee off of the back is too great.

Comments?

Chris

[witzgall]

Yep, that would be one.

Chris

Originally Posted by DavidGC

???
Wooden mast?

DGC
N1GPH

[SoonerSailor]

Put some kind of UV resistant plastic tubing over the lower 8 feet of your backstay. That should prevent the otherwise unlikely to begin with RF burn.

Now I'm just parroting what I've heard from others, I'm no expert in this in my own right!

[lookoutnw]

Check out Gamm Electronics. Gordon West checked it out and said it was good. I like the concept. No splitting up the integrety of the backstay. Here it is $400 for it. If your AT is close to the base of the backstay, you can use a 7M omni for most of your RT. When offshore and long range is required, go to the Gamm. You may even use a splitter box for the Ant feed.

[TLSparks]

I have looked at many installations completed by various people on cruising boats in the US and here in Mexico. While the Dyna plate works well on some boats, I found a Cat that did not work at all. The only ground I have found that is simple to install and seems to always have a good reflected power reading on all bands is the KISS-SSB ground. This ground is totally isolated from the rest of the boat and will not corrode like copper. It is basically a bundle of radial wires cut at 1/4 wavelengths for each band. I built one for my boat and replaced all the corroding copper. My SWR went to almost not readable on most bands from marginal with the copper. I would recommend the KISS-SSB as it is similar to what I built, easier to install than mine, and out of the 16 boats I have checked this last year with Gam and Kiss, always checks very good for reflected power. That gets the power to the tuner with minimal losses. There is a book that tells you how to do it all from purchasing through testing, but I am not allowed to advertise in the forum. By the way the only frequency band that the GAM/Kiss shows any SWR on is 18MHz and it is still 1/2 of my best band with copper.

Also to the point on the Ham Tech license, that does not help you for HF SSB as you really need a General class license to really use all HFSSB.
I hope that helps
TL Sparks

Originally Posted by mestrezat

I purchased all the components(at least I think so) to install my ICOM M802. Radio, tuner, GAM antenna, Pactor III modem. I had planned on having my local boat yard install it but then the transmission blew and there went the money for that. Plus, they wanted to grind off an inch of the thickness of my hull to mount the Dyna Plate to my boat(hull was too thick they said).

Now I will be installing it myself. Please keep in mind, I haven't really got a clue on how to do it. Still a bit mystified as to the copper I have to install and how the heck to do that plus grounding it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the easiest way to install it(and still have it work)? Is there already a thread on this site? Any handy books?

I don't want to screw this up.

[AnchorageGuy]

WOW, this thread is almost 4 years old. The original poster has probably figured it out by now.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

WOW, this thread is almost 4 years old. The original poster has probably figured it out by now.

Someone should call him and see how he sounds?

[TLSparks]

I guess I should have read the upper right hand corner with the posted date instead of just the question. You are probablly right he has figred it out or tossed the gear.

TL Sparks

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

WOW, this thread is almost 4 years old. The original poster has probably figured it out by now.

[lookoutnw]

But when folks query the site, they can get the answers they may be looking for. That is how I came on this thread.
My KISS is great. My IC-802 is great. I have a Signalink USB and it is great, not as fast as a pactor, but a lot cheaper. Pactor may come in the future.
Also, in the marina here there is little to no reception or getting out. Too many masts and such. Trying out in teh bay, I get good results. Just a nother note...

[TLSparks]

Are you using Winmor then to communicate with Sailmail and/or Winlink or just using it for weather fax and grib files?

I received a not the other day asking about Winmor. I have never used it, but what I read on their site is it works, but requires a lot of tweaking. As a result I would never recommend to a cruiser. It can be challenging getting email while the boat is rocking around and the auto pilot dumps from the RF using a Pactor which is straight forward, let alone having having tweak an interface box. However if you are using it and what I read was over stated, I would love to know. I might even put it in my new book.

TL Sparks

Originally Posted by lookoutnw

But when folks query the site, they can get the answers they may be looking for. That is how I came on this thread.
My KISS is great. My IC-802 is great. I have a Signalink USB and it is great, not as fast as a pactor, but a lot cheaper. Pactor may come in the future.
Also, in the marina here there is little to no reception or getting out. Too many masts and such. Trying out in teh bay, I get good results. Just a nother note...

[lookoutnw]

Yes, Winmor works very good. You have to understand the SIgnalink is not as fast as the PActor 3 but it does work well. I have not tried it in a rolling situation, but the radio won't care about that too much. Digipan also works well. Very User Friendly and their support staff are great.

[TLSparks]

Interesting I may have to check that out.

You might consider downloading FLDIGI. It is a great program that will copy many formats of digital messages. I thought about getting a sound Singnalink and using it to text message between boats, but that is to hard for many cruisers.

So I tested and wrote a procedure to text with a Pactor. To my surprise, Icom posted my procedure under the Icom IC M802 picture as a quick reference quide. The procedure works, but I need to take the time and do more testing here in Mexico to see what kind of range we can get. With a Pacot modem it is worth playing with.

IC-M802 HF Marine Transceiver - Features - Icom America

Originally Posted by lookoutnw

Yes, Winmor works very good. You have to understand the SIgnalink is not as fast as the PActor 3 but it does work well. I have not tried it in a rolling situation, but the radio won't care about that too much. Digipan also works well. Very User Friendly and their support staff are great.