Which Radios to Keep?

[Cheechako]

That TS-430 is a great Ham radio. The TS450 does pactor really well, and can be programmed to Marine SSB chanels even Duplex....not sure the 430 is much different.
I say let your "ears do the walking" and decide which works best!
You dont need a license for the Ham radio unless you want to transmit on it AFAIK.

[ausaviator]

Don't throw away a working 27mhz, it is the most commonly used frequency out there for recreational fisherman etc.

[billr]

One other item. Older electronics won't last forever, but many of them will outlast the electronics that are built today. Although performance has had many gains since 2006, the reliability has declined.

[GILow]

More great advice, thank you.

I got on the phone to the "paid" part of the VMR service in South Australia, and he was a great help. His take on the 27Meg was interesting, he says it is still supported, however he was really recommending the VHF, but in the same breath said keep both as, of course, the VHF might die at a bad moment.

BillR you have made a really good point, there is a feel of quality and substance to these units that I have not seen for a long time. I had originally thought I would swap at least the VHF for the new one I bought for the Austral, but after your comments and some of the earlier remarks, I have decided to leave it alone.

However the Wagner SSB really is a problem. It was probably great once but it is taking up a HUGE amount of room and so far I don't get the impression anyone is really suggesting I keep it (but I admit I am a bit confused now). The VMR guy was pretty non commital about it also, but seemed to be suggesting it was for talking to land stations. So far, my instinct says take it out. Any thoughts on it particularly...?

[banjoship]

I have just noticed from your signature/profile that your new boat is a S42..great boat... from one S42 owner to another..lol. You might be interested in a Swanson owner's group SwansonEnthusiasts : Swanson Enthusiasts
very quiet group, but questions do get answered. You might like to put up details of your boat there. They are trying to maintain a register of Swansons.

Back to radios. I cannot offer advice on either of the Wagner or Kenwood, having no experience with either. The rather odd comment from VMR about SSB might reflect their focus on VHF. Again, why don't you try all your radios out, then make a decision.

In particular, listening in on the 27Meg for a while will very quickly tell you how much traffic there is, who is using it, and whether it is any use to you.

Also, your ship is blue water, pulling a hf from it may not be a good idea. Finally, just out of curiousity, are the Wagner and Kenwood using a shared antenna??

Banjo

[haiqu]

In your situation - light coastal cruising - the HF and ham radios are surplus. The Wagner items in particular were made in 1980 and are dinosaurs. The model 1829 is crystal-locked to a maximum of 10 channels. Being an electronics tech I'm interested in such curiosities, in fact I bought a Wagner 1729H recently on eBay for $52.00 (same era). If you're interested in selling the 1829 and tuner as a pair let me know. I'd estimate their combined value at $100 or so.

The VHF and CB sound useful for the reasons stated already. No licence is required for either at this stage, although a licence for VHF has been announced recently.

For the Wagner you'd need a ship's station licence and an MROCP. For the ham radio you'd need an amateur licence. The Kenwood should be sold since it's not really a maritime unit and the learning curve will be ridiculous if you have no background in ham radio.

Rob
VK9VK, VJN4008
SV Keppelena, Sydney