Want To Buy: SSB Radio

[SeaDancer]

Looking for a SSB radio in good working condition that is not dated.

[btrayfors]

Originally Posted by SeaDancer

Looking for a SSB radio in good working condition that is not dated.

What are you planning to do with it, and what do you mean by "not dated"?

There are lots of used SSB radios which are very good values and in very excellent working condition -- every bit as good as the new ones -- but which may not have some of the features (e.g., easy to use with email, easy to use on ham bands, HF-DSC capability, etc.)

If what you want is a good SSB radio capable of voice operation on the marine bands, and on the ham bands, there are lots of good values.

Bill

[SeaDancer]

Bill, I am looking for a radio for cruising off shore. The main uses of this radio would be communication for weather reports and to talk to other cruisers. A nice range would be 800 miles plus. My preference would be the Icom 700 or 800 series.

[btrayfors]

Originally Posted by SeaDancer

Bill, I am looking for a radio for cruising off shore. The main uses of this radio would be communication for weather reports and to talk to other cruisers. A nice range would be 800 miles plus. My preference would be the Icom 700 or 800 series.

Send me a PM. Maybe I can help. Or, email me direct: bill at wdsg dot com

Bill

[roverhi]

Get your Ham license and a ham radio. Way cheaper than a Marine HF. Way more people up on the ham bands and that's where the Maritime Nets are. You should be able to study for and pass the Technician and General Class Licenses with serious days study from one of the Exam Study sites on the internet.

The Icom 718 is a good basic Ham radio selling used for about $400 or new about $600, If you can afford it, the Icom 7200 is an excellent marine ham as it's got a water resistant front panel to ward off inadvertant splashes. None of the ham radios are as water resistant as Marine HFs but I've not had a problem with either of mine on extended passages/cruising. Both radios are easily 'opened up' for transmission on Marine HF freq's in an emergency. The SGC 230 tuner is the best tuner for both Marine and Ham HF radios. They cost about $500 no matter where you find them. The Icom AH4 tuner is a cheaper alternative for a Ham only tuner.

If you plan to download GRIBS and Email, you need a radio capable of continuous trasnsmission. The older sets may have limited transmit duty cycles.

For transmission ranges under a 1,000 miles in the daytime, you need 40 meters or 7mHz. For longer communication distances, 20 meters or 14mHz is the way to go.