GAM/McKim Split Lead Antenna

[lifeofreilly57]

Greetings
While preparing our boat for the trip from Grenada to Newport, RI I had the rig inspected, the local rigger in Grenada found my backstay was in need of replacement due to some corrosion at the SSB insulators. Even though asked to supply the replacement backstay he failed to order the insulators in time.
So, instead of having to pull the new backtay and have the insulators crimped to the backstay I'm considering a GAM backstay antenna, which slides over the backstay, which is much less costly a solution.
Anyone out there with experience using one of these antennas?
The original performance of the SSB was superlative since I did the original installation of the SSB to the letter of the standards, including the ground plate and ground plane, I'm hoping the performance would be similar.
Any feedback would be appreciated.

[Jammer]

I don't have one, but electrically there's so much capacitive coupling between the GAM's conductor and the backstay that you might as well just clamp the antenna connection to the backstay and call it good. On a fiberglass boat it will work, since fiberglass is an insulator, but you'll end up using the whole rig as an antenna rather than just the backstay.

[S/V Illusion]

As you previously had a tuned backstay, I presume you still have the tuner. If so, you don’t need the GAM antenna. Rather, use a random length insulated wire and run it along the backstay. Same principle, much cheaper and likely will provide equivalent performance.