Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
Not necessarily. Receive performance with a tiny antenna will be vastly less than a real SSB set.
But as others have said -- for coastal sailing there is absolutely no necessity to having an SSB radio. And it's a very expensive thing to buy and install -- the installation can easily cost more than the radio, and get you into $5000 territory easily if you're not doing it yourself.
But just because it's not necessary doesn't necessarily mean it's not worthwhile. I'm in the middle of installing an Icom M802 myself, although it will be a couple of years, at least, before I do any ocean-crossing. I am installing it because I like the idea of it and want to learn how to use it. I also got a ham radio license recently so that I can operate on the ham bands. So I guess I fall into the "hobby" category. |
I really don't understand why people make SSB so complicated. I bought a used 700pro on here a while ago and by far the hardest part of the
installation was just finding a place to mount the stuff.
It's two boxes, the transciever and the tuner, the tuner of which you don't need to put anywhere in particular except aft.
Run the included
power cables, use one of the KISS counterpoises (or just to a thruhull), and run a wire from the
antenna out on the tuner to an insulated backstay. Or just haul a wire up a
halyard when you want to use it.
For the backstay one end you can twist the wires on, the other (at the backstay) you use a $5 wire clamp.
There are all kinds of "better" ways of doing an installation but really, what are the costs for my setup? It works, it was
cheap, and if I want to noodle some wonkish aspect of radio technology I can always do so later.
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