Shortwave Radio On My Sailboat

[hellosailor]

A splitter, by definition, and limited by physics, sends 1/2 of the signal to each radio. Which is also a -3db signal loss. You can't get around that unless you have an "active splitter" with a powered amplifier in it, or the splitter is really a switch, not a full time sharing device.

Similarly, the change from 6-9db is a 3db signal loss. Technically, each 3db loss or gain represents halving or doubling the signal strength, so if you lose 3db through a splitter, and 3db more through something else (that antenna) you're down to 1/4 of the signal that you used to get, and would still get without the splitter and the lower-gain antenna.

[SoonerSailor]

"the other 10’ is rolled up into a coil, another weak spot?"
Yes. That coil of wire is an active electrical component, a choke. It is possible that your antenna is reflecting a lot of power back to the radio (high SWR for whatever reason) and that the coil is absorbing this reflected power. So at the radio you might see "acceptable" SWR but at the antenna...not so good. That's a transmit problem not a reception issue, but it suggests there could be other equally subtle issues.

This is not correct. For one thing, a coil of coax will only act as an inductor and resist current flow on the outside of the coax through reactance. This is normally a good thing, preventing stray RF from getting into a radio, among other possible considerations. Secondly, inductors don't dissipate power, except for the small fraction that gets dissipated by the actual resistance of the wire in the coil. When an inductor is met by an electrical wave, it will accept current to the extent that it fully charges its magnetic field. When the sign of the wave reverses, the magnetic field in the inductor collapses and sends that current back the way it came. It doesn't use it up.

What the 10 feet of extra RG-8X can do is use up a little more than 1/2 watt out of 25 watts due to it's own electrical resistance. That is not significant and not really a problem.

[ka4wja]

CSY Man,
Whoa!!
There is a lot to unpack here, and a good deal of further well-intentioned, but false, info being provided to you...

{I'm waiting on a client, so not sure how much time I have at the moment, so if I get called away, I'll add more later!
EDIT:: I didn't get around to posting this yesterday...sorry!
But now see you really need some help, but please do not be so fast!!!}

1) First off....if you're looking to receive US NWS NOAA VHF Weather broadcasts from Miami, in the Bahamas any further away than Bimini (and part way across to Chub)...(and/or Grand Bahama Island from West Palm Beach NOAA weather broadcasts)???
Please understand this is not going to happen, except via "enhanced tropospheric propagation" (typically caused by marine layer temperature inversions, which although common along coasts, they are not there all the time) and this type of propagation / communications is NOT reliable / repeatable!!
So...

So, no amount of improvements of your VHF system, nor even having an antenna "47' off the water", is going to get the job done, regarding receiving KHB34 in Chub Cay!!!

Will you receive it occasionally? Sure....and some days it will be there all day long, for a few days....but, since this is due to local "enhanced tropospheric propagation" (aka "tropo"), this is not something you can rely on, ever!!


2) As for the extra 10' of cable coiled up?
This is not a problem!!
Contrary to what some others wrote....this "choke" effect is only for "common-mode" currents (those that travel on the outside of the coaxial cable), and since these are "bad" currents that could cause interference, etc. coiled coax chokes are used on some antenna systems to reduce feedline radiation / interference into/from the system....so, in general, they are not bad at all, but can sometimes be needed, in some antenna systems...but, on VHF freqs, a dozen coils of coax do not present any significant common-mode choking at all...
And, assuming you do not kink the cable, nor exceed its bending radius spec (by kinking it), having coaxial cable coiled-up, versus run straight, has NO effect on your signal, not transmit, not receive...

So, in this case, this "extra 10' coiled up", has no effect on you VHF system, except for the 0.5db of added loss in your system....and fyi, a half-db loss is negligible....

Of course, if the cable is not needed, then there is no need to add another 1/2 db of loss...so, using a shorter piece of cable is good! Not necessary, but good...
But, most sailors will not be able to properly install the connectors, and hence cause more loss into the system....so, I'd usually recommend they buy pre-made cables...


3) Also, as for connectors....do NOT buy "west marine" crap!
Do NOT buy "Shakespeare crap"!
I use / recommend Amphenol, Kings, Times connectors....and/or some crimp-on connectors designed specifically for a particular cable (such as those sold at DX Engineering, etc.)

Or, just buy premade cable assemblies from Davis, DX Eng, Texas Towers, etc....


4) AIS Splitter??
You never mentioned that....
Some (only one that I know of) are good....most are not....and some are just crap!!!

Unless you have NO other choice, and/or you must maximize your AIS range when in heavy seas (where a low-mounted antenna may be shadowed by waves), using an AIS splitter is usually a bad idea!

Further, most "splitters" are sold with fairly crappy coaxial jumper cables, which also exasperate the issue!!

So, before you go any further, bypass the "splitter", and just connect your primary VHF Radio to your primary VHF Antenna....and see how it works!


5) I'd love to be able to recommend an antenna for you....but we have no idea what your boat is like, where you can mount a VHF antenna, etc...
Nor do we know where you are at??
So...
So, most of the info / advice you're getting here is rather generic....

But, in general, most mid-sized powerboats will use a 8' long (aka "6db") VHF antenna....some will use a longer antenna, and some will use a 8' antenna on a 4' extension...


More later.
John

[Brian.D]

Originally Posted by SoonerSailor

This is not correct. For one thing, a coil of coax will only act as an inductor and resist current flow on the outside of the coax through reactance. This is normally a good thing, preventing stray RF from getting into a radio, among other possible considerations. Secondly, inductors don't dissipate power, except for the small fraction that gets dissipated by the actual resistance of the wire in the coil. When an inductor is met by an electrical wave, it will accept current to the extent that it fully charges its magnetic field. When the sign of the wave reverses, the magnetic field in the inductor collapses and sends that current back the way it came. It doesn't use it up.

What the 10 feet of extra RG-8X can do is use up a little more than 1/2 watt out of 25 watts due to it's own electrical resistance. That is not significant and not really a problem.

Exactly... and on top of that, in order for the coil of coax to become a choke, it must be wound in a very tight coil or approximately 8" diameter. This is what we hams call an "ugly balun". Although it is not a "balun" in the real term (wire wound around a ferrite core), it does act like a "choke balun" to attenuate common mode currents. That would be those currents that bite you when you transmit and are touching something metal on the radio. Ouch. Been there, done that.

[CSY Man]

. So, no amount of improvements of your VHF system, nor even having an antenna "47' off the water", is going to get the job done, regarding receiving KHB34 in Chub Cay!!!

Nooo, I never expected Florida VHF weather in Chub Cay, too far.
On the sailboat at could get it in Bimini on a good day. I got the impression somebody said earlier, (you) that should get it on my present boat even with a shorter antenna as it did not make that big of a difference. Hence I tried to look for weak spots in my VHF system and the splitter seems to be it.

) AIS Splitter??
You never mentioned that....

Thought I did from the beginning, but anyways, found out yesterday that my splitter is NOT
For AIS, but for FM. (The VHF has built in AIS, only 1 coax needed, not two.
Must have been thinking of my previous boat, a Glacier Bay 2770, had 1 vhf antenna and a splitter for the AIS. (On the sailboat I had 3 VHF antennas, 1 for primary VHF, 1 for secondary VHF and 1 for AIS only, Also had antennas for Navtex, GPS, SSB and cell phone booster, boat looked like a Russian Spy Trawler

Roger on crappy connectors, will not be swayed at West Marine, my bad.
Also roger on connecting straight to the VHF bypassing the splitter, did that yesterday and tried a radio check on 27 in both configurations, I heard no difference...

Soo, without the Navtex (As they stopped Bahamian coverage) and with short range VHF only. We may be back to the PL-880 handheld short wave radio.

As for where I am at and what the boat looks like: OdinCharters| WireFrame Home

[ka4wja]

CSY Man,
As I wrote yesterday (but didn't post 'til this morning), WHOA!!
Or better yet: STOP!

Okay...now that I got your attention...
Please lets take a moment to actually look at what you have, and what you wish to accomplish....
{and, since it looks like you haven't read the thread I referenced earlier, please do have a look at it now...please...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ge-149499.html
'Cuz once you grasp what you're trying to accomplish is only possible with the assistance of mother nature, in the form of "enhanced tropo propagation", you may find that you're worried over nothing???
Or, depending on your boat's VHF system actual performance (which we've not yet had a chance to verify / compare), you may have a fairly easy problem to fix...}


And, please understand that the number one cause of radio issues is the antenna / antenna cable!! (Usually the connectors themselves and/or improper connector assembly and/or water-proofing!)
Oh, and the number cause is: operator error!
No fooling...


Also PLEASE understand that there is NO need at all to return to the exact spot in Bahamas to evaluate your system's performance....(think about it for a minute....if that were true, how would any radio system ever be tested/evaluated? )
But, we do kinda need to know where you are at, now??

--- You mentioned you have a new radio, so we are all assuming it is "good"....but, none of us (including yourself) actually know...(and using your words about it having a built-in AIS receiver, I'm assuming it's a SH 2200?? or Icom 506??)

--- You have an old VHF antenna....which we will assume might be good, but were should consider replacing anyway!

--- You have old coaxial cable (attached to antenna?), so that NEEDS to be replaced....

{So, lets just assume you have a good radio and old / unknown age antenna and cable....keep the radio, and replace antenna and cable...easy-peasy!}


But, oppss....now we find out you have a "splitter" of some kind in the system as well??
First it was an AIS splitter???
Now we find out it is one of those wretched "AM/FM radio - VHF radio" splitters??
And, of course now we also have other old (and probably poor quality) coaxial cable jumpers attaching the damned splitter???


--- So, now we've got to bypass the splitter and all the other cable jumpers....simply connect the radio directly to the antenna cable...
And, now what performance do you have??
Compared to other boats in your area?? Similarly equipped?? Similar antenna height??


--- Where are you located now??
Are you in Bahamas now??
Are there other vessels near you??
Are you near (< 25 miles) from a coast station??

There are a LOT of questions to get answers to....these are just the first few!!

But, I hope you see my point...
--- You do not known what you have on-board...so, haven't been able to communicate that to us...
--- You do not know how VHF systems work, VHF radiowave propagation, etc....so, you cannot know if what you experienced in years past is something that you should be able to duplicate on your present boat...
--- You do not know what losses you have in the system...so, we cannot know how to advise you, other than generically...
--- You do not know how your system performs versus other similar systems (at same/similar location, AT THE SAME TIME), so there is no way of anyone (neither you, nor anyone else here) to evaluate your systems actual performance...
---- etc. etc. etc...



CSY Man, I hope you understand that I (and others here) are sincerely trying to help you out....and I'm gonna' continue to try...
But, you will need to learn a bit about this stuff, and convey to us more details about your system (as you learn about, too?), so that we can better help...

So, please answer for us all the above questions (and plenty more, too)....especially where are you at now, and are there other boats near you that you can make communications comparisons to??



Finally, if you do find that you need a new antenna, I'd recommend getting a bigger one....not necessary, but since you're looking for the best range, getting a higher gain antenna, mounted as high as you can, is good...

5018 Galaxy VHFMarine Band Antenna | Shakespeare Marine Antennas

5230 Galaxy VHF Marine Band Antenna | Shakespeare Marine Antennas



Hope this helps. And, looking forward to the answers / hearing back..

John

P.S. BTW, if you're are looking for help in HF (weather forecasts, etc.) and/or NAVTEX (which is good, btw), I can help...a lot...
But, since your primary Marine VHF-DSC-FM system is such a vital part of on-board comms, for safety, distress, weather, etc....it is paramount to make sure it is working well, first!!
Then we can work on HF, WeFax, NAVTEX, etc. etc. etc...

[CSY Man]

.
There are a LOT of questions to get answers to....these are just the first few!!

But, I hope you see my point...
--- You do not known what you have on-board...so, haven't been able to communicate that to us...
--- You do not know how VHF systems work, VHF radiowave propagation, etc....so, you cannot know if what you experienced in years past is something that you should be able to duplicate on your present boat...
--- You do not know what losses you have in the system...so, we cannot know how to advise you, other than generically...
--- You do not know how your system performs versus other similar systems (at same/similar location, AT THE SAME TIME), so there is no way of anyone (neither you, nor anyone else here) to evaluate your systems actual performance...
---- etc. etc. etc...

Actually I know what I have on the boat, see post # 97 where I described the antenna and cable, and a newer post with details on the splitter.
Yes, a SH 2200, the radio, the antenna, the splitter, the coax, etc was new in 2017 but you are assuming it is old and in bad shape, it is not.
I was told in this thread that I should try to improve my VHF system before doing anything else: The only weak link I found was the splitter, (again, it is a Style 4357 Shakespeare). Some posters mentioned it can cost 3dB gain and be a bottleneck, I should call Shakespeare to verify that.
Yes, as mentioned above, I did run the antenna coax directly to the VHF and noticed no difference, but it was not a very challenging test, a channel 27 automatic radio check with readback, no difference in strength or clarity going through the splitter, or bypassing the splitter.
Now that I have found the hidden splitter, it will be easy to bypass it next time I need max performance and see if it makes a difference.
Yes, I am aware the different atmospheric conditions can make a difference.
No, I am not in the Bahamas, that is why I posted the link of my boat in Fort Lauderdale, with a picture of the antenna set-up and it also shows the arch on
top of the house with room for more antennas if needed.

you may find that you're worried over nothing???

No, you are wrong, I am not worried, not in my nature, but perhaps a bad communicator:
My objective is to access weather forecast in the Bahamas without expensive sat comm gear.
Navtex was my previous choice, but not anymore for reasons mentioned in previous posts.
What we are down to now: is the splitter a problem for max performance or is it not?

To sum it up, the boat is well equipped and well maintained, but I expected a bit more VHR range, especially receiving.

[CSY Man]

. Or better yet: STOP!

Okay...now that I got your attention...

Oh, and the number cause is: operator error!
No fooling...

Ok, I get it: I am not as smart as you or have the vast knowledge of radios as you do,
But please be gentle on us uninformed slobs..

PLEASE understand that there is NO need at all to return to the exact spot in Bahamas to evaluate your system's performance....(think about it for a minute....if that were true, how would any radio system ever be tested/evaluated? )
But, we do kinda need to know where you are at, now??

Tongue in cheek, but I should have explained it, sorry, my bad.

You mentioned you have a new radio, so we are all assuming it is "good"....but, none of us (including yourself) actually know.

Yes I do, the radio is not the problem. I have used VHF radios for a living 10s of thousands of times, I can tell a bad radio from a good radio, and a bad transmission, etc.

You do not known what you have on-board...so, haven't been able to communicate that to us...
--- You do not know how VHF systems work, VHF radiowave propagation, etc....so, you cannot know if what you experienced in years past is something that you should be able to duplicate on your present boat...

Again, I know what I have, but if I come across as uniformed or ignorant, my apologies. Also read some of my previous posts where I have described the system as well as my qualifications on using radios, both VHF, HF and gear such as NAVTEX, etc.
I do appreciate you trying to help, but you come across as condescending: When I teach technical subjects to students, such as use of radios, i don’t talk down to them.

[CSY Man]

To answer my own question:

I just now called Shakespeare Customer Support (803) 227-1590 and asked if the splitter in my system in any way would degrade performance...?
The nice Lady said, no, not on the VHF side, but somewhat on AM side and she added that if I relied heavily on AM I should get a dedicated AM antenna.
Ok, that answers it, my system is probably as good as it can get, but I may still consider a 9dB gain antenna on the Port side and keep the Starboard 6dB for FM and for standby, back-up whatever.
(Hate to have 2 tall antennas up there, twice as much work going under bridges with limited air-draft)
So, we are back to the beginning, does a handheld shortwave radio work for picking up wx in the Bahamas? Yes, but it has to be the PL-880 @ $150.
So be it..

[Brian.D]

GP5/SSB
https://www.ebay.com/itm/County-Comm...sAAOSwj85YLq9G


At least give it look and read reviews, watch videos.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Brian.D

GP5/SSB
https://www.ebay.com/itm/County-Comm...sAAOSwj85YLq9G


At least give it look and read reviews, watch videos.

An excellent find!

This is the same as the Tecsun 365 ( the 360 doesn't have SSB...)

Only downside I can see is no 'line out'.

Depending on where you live there are various options to buy at varying prices... such as https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tecsun-P...QAAOSwUElceGwY
Currently with 15% off on EBay...

I see you can get a stand... I think a bit of velcro for bulkhead mounting would work on a boat.

[Brian.D]

I believe the earbud output jack on the radio will drive the mic input of a PC without issues. It might overdrive a little but if one keeps the mic level control low on the PC, about 0dB to 5dB or so, it should not distort.


Interesting that the GP-5/SSB and PL-365 are the same radio, just rebranded. Wonder who is the OEM?

[CSY Man]

. At least give it look and read reviews, watch videos.
_

Of course I give it a look and will read reviews, etc.
Thx

[ka4wja]

CSY Man,

Please accept my apologies for both my somewhat abrupt attitude (no excuse there) and my poor word choice...


I wasn't intending to say that you didn't know these things, but rather than you didn't inform us of these things....and, like most non-tech sailors, that you hadn't provided a concise overview of your situation / equipment / application / needs...again, this isn't a big deal, but just drags the discussion out and prompts some bad advice to be given....

So, again, my bad....



And, fyi...my use of the words "whoa" and "stop" was just my inept way of recommending that you not be in such a hurry for an "instant answer", as there are many helpful folks around that have the knowledge, expertise, experience, etc. to help, but aren't sitting in front of Cruiser's Forum all day...
So, if you give it a day or two, you'll usually find you can get more / better info and advice....(also, the more details you give the better....speaking just for myself, I don't have the time to research someone's other posts, etc. to find out more details, unless this is an emergency and they have limited connectivity....so, that's why I didn't know where you were at, nor what you have on-board, etc...)

Now, as for your overall situation...


1) If your VHF radio, antenna, coaxial cable / connectors, etc. are all new (as of 2017, I think you wrote here somewhere?), then assuming the connections are good, then you're probably good-to-go with all of that...
FYI, I see that your profile showed you were in Lauderdale, but you mentioned Bahamas, so I wasn't sure...
(btw, I grew up in Ft. Laud, the Bahamas, Caribbean, etc...and have sailed throughout over the years, and across the Atlantic a few times, and a few seasons in the Med, etc...so, I'm familiar with your area...I won't bore you with "back-in-the-day" stories...)





2) Scrap the "splitter"....sorry to be so blunt, but unless there is a critical need for it, remove it and install a simple FM-radio whip for your stereo...
(note that the splitter and it's associated coaxial jumpers might not be introducing much loss, but even if all is as designed, it does introduce some loss....and since the Marine VHF Radio system is such an important part of your vessel's comm system, just doesn't make much sense, just to get your stereo to receive better...)




3) RFI?? (Radio Frequency Interference)

I didn't get a chance to mention the plethora of misc electronic devices, cell phone chargers, LED lights, etc. (even some automatic bilge pumps), that pollute our airwaves these days....
And, fact is, if you have some interfering device on-board, it could raise your receive noise level to the point that you could not hear some weaker / more distant signals....and if you cannot hear someone replying to your call, you obviously that nobody can hear your call, but your radio system may be transmitting just fine, but not receiving well due to increased receive noise level!



This was a concern of mine earlier, but didn't mention it 'til now, 'cuz you just now mentioned that you couldn't receive KHB34 (NOAA VHF Weather Radio, from Miami) in Bimini??
That is odd, as you should be able to receive that signal....
Bimini is about 50 to 55nm from KHB34....and while of course that is well beyond line-of-sight (KHB34 used to be a 1000 watt transmitter, with a 9dbd/11dbi antenna, at 309' elevation, from Miami Gardens/Andover area...and I think it is still there...or very close), over-the-horizon/beyond-line-of-sight tropo-scatter is a 100% reliable, everyday type of communications, and if your VHF system is working well, you should receive KHB34 in/near Bimini...if not, there is something not right...



BTW, there is a wealth of info from the NWS/NOAA, etc...
Here are just a couple pages for you...


https://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/Maps/PHP/FL.php



https://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/coverag...=FL&Site=KHB34




4) Yes, the NWS / NOAA Offshore Weather forecasts are the Gold Standard of offshore marine weather, and they cover the offshore waters (out ~ 250nm from US, the whole SW N. Atl [including the Bahamas], Tropical N. Atl, Caribbean, Gulf of Mex, etc. etc.) with excellent weather info / forecasts.....
And, yes they are updated / broadcast every six hours, from multiple stations, on multiple HF freqs, by the USCG....[both SSB Voice weather broadcasts and WeFax/weather charts]





5) Yes, an inexpensive portable SW radio (that has "SSB" capability) will work well for you...
All that info is there in the "stickies" above / in the links there in...
And, I also gave you a brief look at this in my earlier posts here...




6) But, I am confused by your mention of NAVTEX not covering Bahamas??
The Miami NAVTEX does cover the area quite well...
Yes, the format and abbreviations used might take you a few times to get used to....but NAVTEX does cover out about 200nm from US....
Of course you'll get much better weather understanding from WeFax charts, and might find the SSB Voice Weather broadcasts to be easier, but NAVTEX does work in Bahamas...



Here is this evenings broadcast...
FZNT25 KNHC 152038 OFFN04 NAVTEX Marine Forecast NWS National Hurricane Center Miami, FL 438 PM EDT Fri Mar 15 2019 ...Please refer to Coastal Waters Forecasts (CWF) available through NOAA Weather Radio and other means for detailed Coastal Waters Forecasts... Southeast Gulf of Mexico .SYNOPSIS...A cold front extends from the FL Panhandle to 23N95.5W to 19N95W. A surface ridge building south across W Texas and eastern Mexico will support strong to gale force winds behind the front this evening through tonight. The front will reach from the Florida W coast near 27.5N to 23N95W to E Bay of Campeche Sat morning, then become stationary and meander through Sun. The front will push south as a cold front on Mon, and become stationary for a second time, across the lower Straits of Florida, or across northern Cuba and west southwestward to the northern and western sections of the Yucatan Peninsula through Tuesday night. .TONIGHT...E to SE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 ft. Scattered showers. .SAT...NE to E winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. .SAT NIGHT...NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Scattered showers. .SUN...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. .SUN NIGHT...N to NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. .MON...NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. .MON NIGHT...NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. .TUE...NE to E winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 6 to 8 ft. .TUE NIGHT...NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 6 to 8 ft. .WED...NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. .WED NIGHT...N to NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft.

Within 200 nm east of the coast of Florida .
SYNOPSIS...A weakening stationary front along 21N will sink south to along the N coasts of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico through Sunday and gradually dissipate. High pressure across the W Atlc will shift southeastward and weaken through the weekend. The next cold front will move off the SE Georgia and NE Florida coasts tonight and reach from near 31N77W to Stuart, Florida by early Saturday afternoon, from near Bermuda to near 29N74W and stationary to southern Florida by early Sunday. The front will eventually become stationary from near 29N65W across the central Bahamas to NW Cuba late Tue. Low pressure may develop along the front Tue through Wed and track northeastward, with increasing winds and seas expected across much of the central and western waters. .
TONIGHT...SE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 ft or less S of 27N, and 3 to 4 ft N of 27N. .SAT...E to SE winds 5 to 10 kt S of 27N, and S to SW 10 to 15 kt N of 27N. Seas 3 ft. .SAT NIGHT...E winds 5 to 10 kt S of 27N, and NE 10 to 15 kt N of 27N. Seas 2 ft or less S of 27N, and 3 to 4 ft N of 27N. .SUN...E to SE winds 5 to 10 kt S of 27N, and E 15 to 20 kt N of 27N. Seas 2 ft or less S of 27N, and 3 to 5 ft N of 27N. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. .SUN NIGHT...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 ft or less S of 27N, and 3 to 5 ft N of 27N. .MON...NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 2 ft or less S of 27N, and 4 to 6 ft N of 27N. .MON NIGHT...NE winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft S of 27N, and 4 to 6 ft N of 27N. .TUE...NE to E winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. .TUE NIGHT...NE to E winds 20 to 25 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft S of 27N, and 6 to 9 ft N of 27N. .WED...NE to E winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft S of 27N, and 6 to 9 ft N of 27N. .WED NIGHT...NE to E winds 15 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft S of 27N, and 6 to 8 ft N of 27N.

[EDIT: Sorry about the lack of formatting in the NAVTEX broadcast above....it does look good on a NAVTEX receiver, but looks like a long run-on sentence here....]


I hope this helps....and again, I am sorry if my words were too abrupt.


Fair winds...


John

P.S. Remember to have a look at those stickies up top of the Marine Electronics page...and watch the videos...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tc-198305.html


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tc-133496.html


https://www.youtube.com/user/captain...able_polymer=1

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Brian.D

I believe the earbud output jack on the radio will drive the mic input of a PC without issues. It might overdrive a little but if one keeps the mic level control low on the PC, about 0dB to 5dB or so, it should not distort.


Interesting that the GP-5/SSB and PL-365 are the same radio, just rebranded. Wonder who is the OEM?

OEM is Tecsun.... County Comm and CC Crane seem to modify and rebrand a few of their radios.