Which Radios to Keep?

[GILow]

Hello Cruisers,

I have recently purchased an older boat with quite an array of radio gear.

The boat has:

1 x GME GX558A (VHF) working well.
1 x Kenwood TS 430S (HF?) apparently working.
1 x Wagner 1829MR (SSB?) apparently working.
1 x GME GX287A (AM?) apparently working.
2 x Wagner ATU1A (something to do with aerial tuning?), untested.

We plan to use the boat for light coastal cruising around South Australia for at least the next five years, and the boat is unlikely to be used for anything very serious in the way of blue water use.

My question is, which of these radios should I keep and, where required, get training/a license to operate them? I would really like to simplify the navigation gear for a number of reasons, not least of which the current array is using a lot of space.

Thank you,

Matt

[Dockhead]

If you like radios you can't have too much radio gear. Keep it, treasure it, learn to use it all, caress it, upgrade it, whatever.

If you don't, then chuck it all except for the one essential -- the VHF.

It's binary.

[MarkSF]

I like the added safety of DSC and AIS, so I would sell the GME and get a Standard Horizon GX2150.

1) You have one-touch distress calling with position and vessel data.

2) You have AIS reception.

[AfterHoursNLCT]

The TS-430 is a HF Ham radio. Could sell it on E-bay...LL

[GILow]

OK, thanks for that. So keeping the VHF seems a no brainer, but I am confused about the HF. I am told it will receive weather faxes so I assumed it was marine, and it seems to be registered etc, plus the person who put it in the boat was the real McCoy when it came to sailing.

Either way, am I right in thinking the SSB is not worth keeping. I can't fnd any reference to them being used any more, but I might be looking for the wrong thing.

[Teknav]

Your bigger issue...can you generate enough electricity to power everything on board? This should determine what to keep, sell or upgrade.

[GILow]

Good question. But yep, there's a fair bit of power available, 4 decent solar panels (totaling 250Watts), an Aerogen 6 wind generator plus 80Amp 12V and 24V alternators. All tested and putting out close to manufacturer's specifications.

470AH of new AGM batteries for house power, and near new 24V bank for the engine.

I've done a very careful audit of power consumption over the five day shakedown, and aside from the power lost to one of the engine room blowers melting itself to a puddle, every electron was accounted for. :^)

Also, we are old campers, and that's about 100 times the power generation and storage capacity we are used to.

But the navigation station is REALLY cluttered, and I would like to reduce it to something logical. Even if I just pull out the un-needed radios and store them in the attic. I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot by removing something I need.

M

[banjoship]

I would suggest keeping everything for the time being, while you settle in. Its too easy to tear stuff out of a boat, only to find later that it had a real use.

The GME GX287A is a 27meg transceiver. 27 meg has been almost completely taken over by VHF. Here in Queensland, I dont know anybody who uses it. The VMR here say they still listen on 27meg. Don't know what the situation is in SA.....suggest inquiring at your local VMR (and joining up!). Maybe that set might be a candidate for removal.

Your other GME set is an old, but firstclass VHF...definitely one to keep if you are not upgrading to DSC just yet.

I am not familiar with the Wagner, but if it is a functioning HF/SSB, I would be very loath to remove.

You should have a Marine Radio Operators Certificate (MROP) for both the VHF and SSB (there was/is still? a proposal to dump the MROP requirement for VHF, but I have lost track of the status of that proposal). You also need a ship's station license for the SSB. If the Kenwood is Ham, not marine SSB, then I don't think its legal in a ship...best just keep quiet about it. CASA, or whatever it is called nowadays, will have all the details on its site. Your VMR should run courses leading to MROP.

This might sound daunting, but its all quite easy, and very little cost. Just something that goes with operation of a vessel.

Banjo

[savoir]

The VHF is all you really need until you are sailing to far away places. Buy something new when that time comes. Chances are it will be way superior to anything you have now.

[AfterHoursNLCT]

The TS-430S has a 150 kHz to 30 MHz general coverage receive capability. You certainly could use it to recieve WX Fax...LL

[banjoship]

Corrections to my earlier post:

Its Marine Radio Operator's Certificate of Proficiency MROCP

The spectrum manager is ACMA, not Casa, at
ACMA - Home page

CASA is civil aviation..lol
Banjo

[GILow]

Thank you all. I will do as Banjoship has suggested and leave well alone for now There's a ton of paperwork and license stuff with the radios which came with the boat, I will have to work out what I need to renew, plus get myself certified appropriately.

MORE work. :^)

[MarkSF]

Do you need a license for a radio that's never switched on? They are operators licenses, after all.

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by AfterHoursNLCT

The TS-430 is a HF Ham radio. Could sell it on E-bay...LL

One came with my boat. I sold it on ebay and got $400+ for it. This went a long way to paying for a Marine SSB (that was also programmed for ham bands if you have the license).

I would sell them all off and get a new vhf with ais (unless you plan on a class B AIS unit) and add a Marine SSB if you want SSB.

Regards

[savoir]

I reckon that in 5 years sailors will be using some form of cheap satphone for everything. They are there now, just not very cheap.

Maybe toss the 27meg unit. you'll never use it.