[SOLD] SEA 235 SSB/Ham Radio, Tuner, Cables

[Capt.Don]

For sale: used SEA-235 SSB/Ham radio, SEA-1612C tuner, cables and original manuals - $700 + Shipping US. I'm located in Los Angeles, CA.

I bought the SEA 235 SSB/Ham radio from another CF member in 2013. I had it tested and tuned by the SEA technical support in Seattle Washington, and they also replaced the power connection and screen. I've used the radio on two trips to Mexico and recently on the Pacific Cup race to Hawaii. The radio and tuner work great and folks have commented that the radio sounds good. I'm selling it because it doesn't fit well in our boat -- I installed it in the aft cabin which is not a very usable location. I recently bought an Icom M802 with the remote control unit which fits in our nav-station.

The SEA 235 radio is still manufactured and supported by Sea Comp (SEA Marine Page). I've been very happy with the radio and I've found the SEA technical support very helpful. The documentation is much better than the ICOM M802's and there's plenty of supporting documents on Internet. Using this radio, I learned a lot about SSB and Ham operations.

The SEA-235 is a 150 watt, digital, DSP radio that works in both SSB and Ham modes. To put in Ham mode, simply enter 73+FUNC on the keypad. The radio has 200 user programmable bins, 242 ITU SSB Duplex, 72 ITU SSB Simplex channels. The radio support scan groups (adjacent channels). Unlike the Icom M802, it is very easy to manually enter Rx/Tx frequencies using the keypad. Overall, I found the radio easier to use than the Icom M802.

Included,

SEA-235 SSB/Ham radio, mic, mounting bracket, aux cooling fan
8' 8AWG power cable with factory installed SEA radio power connector (blue)
40' 4 conductor interconnect cable
8 pin DIN DB9 serial 'Y' cable for connecting to Pactor modem and remote control (Pactor modem not included)

SEA-1612C Tuner
SEA 2351 Installation Manual (also have electronic PDF that I can email)
SEA 235 Operator's Manual (laminated, well used) (also have eletronic PDF, not laminated, though)
SEA 1612-C Automatic Antenna Tuner Instruction and Maintenance Manual

Links,
SEA-235
SEA-1612C

This is solid radio, easy to use and works great. Please ask if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Don

[Capt.Don]

I've had several inquiries about whether everything's included to install the radio. The answer is not quite. In addition to what's included, to install, you will need,

1. Ground system of choice. There are several options. The "preferred" method uses copper strap to a thru-hull. I successfully used the KISS-SSB, mostly for ease of installation.

2. Antenna. Again, there are several options. The more traditional method uses the split backstay w/insulators. Also, search for "alternate backstay", made up of lifeline material, GTO-15 wire and a halyard. I used the alternate backstay with success. If needed, I will include 2 bits of GTO-15 wire, 8' each w/ connectors.

3. Power cables. Included is 8' of 8 awg power cables with the SEA blue power connector. I also will include a homemade terminal strip (starboard) and another 8' of 8awg red/black battery cables (if needed).

4. Coax cable between radio and tuner. I'm using this on our boat so you will need to purchase the proper length coax. I suggest RG-213/U cable -- thicker, low loss coax. MPD Digital, on amazon.com, makes these cables for a reasonable price.

In addition, for SSB operations on your boat, you will need the Ship Station License and Radio Telegraph License. I think the FCC charges $220 for both ($160, $60). With that you can listen on any frequency, talk on the marine SSB channels, and (if needed) subscribe to SailMail for email. This also gives you an international MMSI and can register all your devices (VHF, EPIRB,…). If you are so inclined, for about $10 you can take the Technician and General Class FCC licenses through a local Ham club. With the General Class license, you can talk on more frequencies and use Winlink 2000 for email.

The SEA-235 supports email through the Pactor modem. Included is a 'Y' cable for connecting the radio to the modem and laptop serial ports for both audio and remote control. If you plan on email communications, you will need a modem.

This is a great radio and has worked well for me. As community member of the forum, I'd like to make sure that whoever buys the radio can properly install and use on their boat. I'm happy to share my experiences installing and learning about the radio.

Thanks!
Don

[Capt.Don]

Radio is sold.
Don