The KISS SSB Counterpoise - Revealed ( with Pics )

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

The ground should be a copper foil (flashing) as wide as you can reasonably get but at least 1 inch or 25mm. Preferably twice that. Wider is better up until about 4 inches or 100mm. Then not much improvement.

What about this? Copper Fixing Strip for Lead (50mm x 20m Roll) - 0.6mm Thickness

It's only 50mm (2") wide, but nice and thick (0.6mm) which should help with corrosion resistance. 50mm wide will be much, much easier to run through the bilges -- is it much worse than 100mm?

[colemj]

Those contacts sound very close to where airmail pactor stations are located. Were your contacts pactor contacts or voice communication?

Pactor will connect through just about any conditions using a wet string for an antenna and a piece of tinfoil for a counterpoise (figuratively - I am purposefully using hyperbole).

Mark

[Kalinka1]

Mark was this addressed to me? If so the contacts were not pactor but Ham (Mississauga maritime net and Southbound 2) Using back stay Kenwood TS50 and SG? tuner.
If it wasn't addressed to me Oh well need practice typing anyway

[colemj]

Sorry, I should have used the quote button. Yes, I was asking you. The reason was because many people say things like "works great" and don't give anything relative to judge it against. So your voice communication is a more meaningful measure than just pactor communication - I was only clarifying.

BTW, we also have a TS50 connected to a SG230 - great little setup.

Mark

[SV THIRD DAY]

After 3 yrs as a SSB Radio net controler in Mexico (Amigo and Southbound Nets)...the KISS works just as well as other systems on boats I've spoken to and taken thousands of their check-ins.

[Capt.Don]

Originally Posted by Glenn.Brooks

...So I wonder if anyone out there has actually used the KISS system to achieve these oceanic distances?
...Glenn

Glenn,I installed KISS system and have made good contact to Hawaii (2,500 miles), Pt Reyes (400 miles) for HF Weather Fax reception, and good-poor contact to Washington State (1,200 miles), all within my crowded marina, mostly mid-day. I suspect better contact once I'm out of the marina or early/later. I've also noticed that my tuner usually can tune in the frequency.

I installed the KISS system mainly because it was quick and easy, and allowed me to get on with learning how to do voice, fax and email, via the HAM/SSB. If I find that KISS doesn't meet my needs, I'll explore other ground options. Note, I don't have any metal thruhulls, I might be able to attach a ground to the struts or keel bolts.

Radio w/KISS seems to be working OK for now and meets our short-term requirements.
Don

[donradcliffe]

Attaching the ground to a keel bolt worked well for the radio, but the boat ate zincs until I put a capacitor in the circuit to eliminate DC current flow.

[gordwedman]

I have read that the newer tuners like SGC230 have a capacitor in the ground plane circuit to keep DC out.

[transmitterdan]

If SGC is putting in a DC block they aren't showing it in their literature. The schematic in the technical manual is from 1992 and it shows no capacitor in the tuner ground.

[socaldmax]

I've read every single post in this thread. The most convincing info I've gathered from this was from testing done by the OP indicating that the KISS works about as well as a ~14ft piece of wire. The other, equally convincing post was the link to Gordon West's tests, indicating that a copper strap connection to the nearest bronze thruhull performed the best in terms of signal strength. Just keep it free from corrosion, and it should work great.

[jcapo]

A good source for copper in the US.

Georgia Copper - COPPER GROUND STRAP for GROUNDING AND BONDING

[gordwedman]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

If SGC is putting in a DC block they aren't showing it in their literature. The schematic in the technical manual is from 1992 and it shows no capacitor in the tuner ground.

I went to their website and this is what they say in the FAQs for the Smartuner:

Is there isolation between the antenna ground and the DC ground on a Smartuner?
Yes. All of the Smartuner couplers use a capacitively coupled RF ground.

[transmitterdan]

That's good to know. The SGC tuner is a popular one for marine use. I wonder if other marine tuners do that?

[Glenn.Brooks]

Many Thanks to TransmitterDan, Jan, CaptDon and many others who offered great advice RE: Kiss and grounding etc. looking forward to finishing my installation and go try it out- soon as the sub freezing temps go away. Now if I can only come up with a proper kool internet name...

[Goudurix]

Glenn,

I would suggest - if you haven't got that already - to take the exam for the basic Ham license in the US.
This way you can also work on the (far more extended) HAM bands.

With the same equipment - if you have a marine HF-ssb transceiver, you are allowed to use it also on the hAM bands if licensed. Not the other way around...

Jan
ON3ZTT