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Dick
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+xHi Roger & Dick, Your thoughts are very much appreciated - thank you! Jane and I have found a 4-day course put on for the Oyster World Rally that would work for us, but it involves being away from home & children) for 4 nights which is no easy task in these COVID ridden times! Thankfully, there is also a local company in Plymouth that is running the full "professional mariner" version which is 2 weeks and very comprehensive - https://westernmaritimetraining.co.uk/course-calendar/gmdss-goc-general-operators-certificate-4/ This is the General Operator's Certificate. It is expensive (£1,300) but currently not paused due to COVID... We have an ICOM SSB installed, but with no working ground plate or aerial, although we have an insulated backstay that we could use. Do you have any recommendations for installing a ground plate system? As far as satcomms are concerned, we currently have 2 old but working Iridium phones and are looking at an Inmarsat Fleet One device. Not sure if we will have the loot left for this, as the refit has hoovered up rather a lot of loot! I have always been of the "old school", being of the attitude that if you are out there, you should be able to "self-rescue" in pretty much all circumstances (last boat was aluminium for that reason, Magic Dragon is Kevlar reinforced with watertight bulkhead for the same reason). Having three young children aboard tends to moderate that mindset, so safety and comms gear is a little higher up the priority list that it used to be. Each to their own - I feel no pressure from either the Health & Safety brigade, or "look after yourself" mob! I do try to listen to good advice from salty seadogs like you guys, so thank you again. All the best to you and your loved ones in these strange times, Rod Hi Rod, Glad you got sorted. Traveling with children, marine SSB will be very much appreciated: they are social animals. Do you plan to use Sailmail? I used the equivalent in ham (Winlink) for all email, gribs, wxfx, etc for decades. The last two years I have been coastal cruising where internet by cell is so much easier. Fleet (no personal experience) is if the internet needs are high and/or complex and very pricey. Where SSB did not work for me (only Greenland) we used iridium with a data hook-up. Worked a peach. More info if wished. Short time now, but will come back on your other questions. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
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Rod Halling
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Hi Dick,
I think Sailmail would be good, although I have had recommendations to "Mail-a-Sail" who have good compression algorhythms for satellite and SSB use. We haven't looked in detail at the whole comms area yet. I am in the middle of (hopefully! touch wood) selling two companies which will allow us to disappear over the horizon with limited comms. If the sale doesn't proceed as planned, I may need to stay in touch, hence the possible need for Inmarsat Fleet One....
on another note, where are you at the mo'? It would be great to meet up when we are on our travels!
Wishing you the best as always,
Rod
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Dick
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 957,
Visits: 1.3K
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+xHi Dick, I think Sailmail would be good, although I have had recommendations to "Mail-a-Sail" who have good compression algorhythms for satellite and SSB use. We haven't looked in detail at the whole comms area yet. I am in the middle of (hopefully! touch wood) selling two companies which will allow us to disappear over the horizon with limited comms. If the sale doesn't proceed as planned, I may need to stay in touch, hence the possible need for Inmarsat Fleet One.... on another note, where are you at the mo'? It would be great to meet up when we are on our travels! Wishing you the best as always, Rod Hi Rod, I still have no fixed/land abode. My mobile abodes include Alchemy (in Newfoundland where I am unable to get to her) and a small RV now in Florida visiting friends. I hope the sale goes through smoothly. The 2 "past-life" headaches most plaguing widely wandering cruisers were business related (sometimes even if sold) and house rentals. I have heard good things about mailasail, but have no experience. You might call Jeremy or John at UUPlus for land based support for sat-phone, SSB compression etc.. They are extremely helpful, and very much on top of their game. Gotta run. More to follow. Dick
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Dick
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 957,
Visits: 1.3K
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+x+xHi Dick, I think Sailmail would be good, although I have had recommendations to "Mail-a-Sail" who have good compression algorhythms for satellite and SSB use. We haven't looked in detail at the whole comms area yet. I am in the middle of (hopefully! touch wood) selling two companies which will allow us to disappear over the horizon with limited comms. If the sale doesn't proceed as planned, I may need to stay in touch, hence the possible need for Inmarsat Fleet One.... on another note, where are you at the mo'? It would be great to meet up when we are on our travels! Wishing you the best as always, Rod Hi Rod, I still have no fixed/land abode. My mobile abodes include Alchemy (in Newfoundland where I am unable to get to her) and a small RV now in Florida visiting friends. I hope the sale goes through smoothly. The 2 "past-life" headaches most plaguing widely wandering cruisers were business related (sometimes even if sold) and house rentals. I have heard good things about mailasail, but have no experience. You might call Jeremy or John at UUPlus for land based support for sat-phone, SSB compression etc.. They are extremely helpful, and very much on top of their game. Gotta run. More to follow. Dick Hi Rod, What is your radio and what is your coupler (tuner)? Dick
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Roger Harris
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Group: Administrators
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Hello Rod, If the GOC course is currently the only option, that’s unfortunate. The trouble with MCA “professional mariner” courses is that they are aimed at a specific audience and are not necessarily very practical or hands-on. That was certainly my experience of the Approved Engine Course. It was five days long but only a few short hours were spent in the workshop; the rest were in a classroom memorizing answers to theoretical questions, in preparation for the all-important written examination. I could well be wrong, but have a suspicion that the GOC might be similar. The Long Range Radiotelephone Operator’s Certificate is aimed at yachties and would probably be much more suitable for your needs. You can find a list of LRC course providers here: https://www.amerc.ac.uk/courses.php?action=lrc That list looks a bit out of date (e.g., I am pretty sure that Bob Smith - previously mentioned by Brian earlier in this thread - is no longer in business), but is a place to start. I would also suggest telephoning both the RYA [www.org.uk] and the AMERC to enquire about the availability of LRC courses during Covid-19. While the Internet is great, sometimes a phone call to the right person yields reliable information a lot quicker. In any event, please get trained. I would not suggest reliance upon the hope/expectation that UK rules governing radio usage cease to apply to UK-flagged vessels once they leave home waters. Regarding your installation question, here are a few links that may perhaps be helpful: http://www.yachtcom.co.uk/comms/antennas/index.htmlhttps://www.practical-sailor.com/marine-electronics/conjuring-up-some-ssb-magichttps://icomuk.co.uk/An-introduction-to-Marine-SSB-Radio/3995/166/https://www.cruisingworld.com/gear/installing-ssb-radio/http://www.yachtwire.com/ssb.pdfhttps://www.oceannavigator.com/fitting-a-new-ssb-antenna/Best wishes, Roger
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Simon Currin
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Group: Administrators
Posts: 999,
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Rod We use the kiss SSB ground plate http://www.kiss-ssb.com/ in a plastic boat as we didn’t want to make extra holes for conventional ground plates. We don’t use SSB much as our set is elderly and and I get frustrated by the unpredictability of transmission and reception. Maybe we will use it more as we head into temperate latitudes? For us, IridiumGO does all that we need for weather, email, tracking and sms but that might be a bit controversial in this thread! We did Bob Smith’ 4 day SSB course in 2006 and really enjoyed it. Simon +xHi Roger & Dick, Your thoughts are very much appreciated - thank you! Jane and I have found a 4-day course put on for the Oyster World Rally that would work for us, but it involves being away from home & children) for 4 nights which is no easy task in these COVID ridden times! Thankfully, there is also a local company in Plymouth that is running the full "professional mariner" version which is 2 weeks and very comprehensive - https://westernmaritimetraining.co.uk/course-calendar/gmdss-goc-general-operators-certificate-4/ This is the General Operator's Certificate. It is expensive (£1,300) but currently not paused due to COVID... We have an ICOM SSB installed, but with no working ground plate or aerial, although we have an insulated backstay that we could use. Do you have any recommendations for installing a ground plate system? As far as satcomms are concerned, we currently have 2 old but working Iridium phones and are looking at an Inmarsat Fleet One device. Not sure if we will have the loot left for this, as the refit has hoovered up rather a lot of loot! I have always been of the "old school", being of the attitude that if you are out there, you should be able to "self-rescue" in pretty much all circumstances (last boat was aluminium for that reason, Magic Dragon is Kevlar reinforced with watertight bulkhead for the same reason). Having three young children aboard tends to moderate that mindset, so safety and comms gear is a little higher up the priority list that it used to be. Each to their own - I feel no pressure from either the Health & Safety brigade, or "look after yourself" mob! I do try to listen to good advice from salty seadogs like you guys, so thank you again. All the best to you and your loved ones in these strange times, Rod
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Dick
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 957,
Visits: 1.3K
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+xRod We use the kiss SSB ground plate http://www.kiss-ssb.com/ in a plastic boat as we didn’t want to make extra holes for conventional ground plates. We don’t use SSB much as our set is elderly and and I get frustrated by the unpredictability of transmission and reception. Maybe we will use it more as we head into temperate latitudes? For us, IridiumGO does all that we need for weather, email, tracking and sms but that might be a bit controversial in this thread! We did Bob Smith’ 4 day SSB course in 2006 and really enjoyed it. Simon +xHi Roger & Dick, Your thoughts are very much appreciated - thank you! Jane and I have found a 4-day course put on for the Oyster World Rally that would work for us, but it involves being away from home & children) for 4 nights which is no easy task in these COVID ridden times! Thankfully, there is also a local company in Plymouth that is running the full "professional mariner" version which is 2 weeks and very comprehensive - https://westernmaritimetraining.co.uk/course-calendar/gmdss-goc-general-operators-certificate-4/ This is the General Operator's Certificate. It is expensive (£1,300) but currently not paused due to COVID... We have an ICOM SSB installed, but with no working ground plate or aerial, although we have an insulated backstay that we could use. Do you have any recommendations for installing a ground plate system? As far as satcomms are concerned, we currently have 2 old but working Iridium phones and are looking at an Inmarsat Fleet One device. Not sure if we will have the loot left for this, as the refit has hoovered up rather a lot of loot! I have always been of the "old school", being of the attitude that if you are out there, you should be able to "self-rescue" in pretty much all circumstances (last boat was aluminium for that reason, Magic Dragon is Kevlar reinforced with watertight bulkhead for the same reason). Having three young children aboard tends to moderate that mindset, so safety and comms gear is a little higher up the priority list that it used to be. Each to their own - I feel no pressure from either the Health & Safety brigade, or "look after yourself" mob! I do try to listen to good advice from salty seadogs like you guys, so thank you again. All the best to you and your loved ones in these strange times, Rod Ahh Rod, Some might say you have entered the Twilight Zone. The Black Arts realm of SSB installation: the realm where if you ask 4 mariners their advice, you will get 5 answers, sometimes contradictory and always confusing. Firstly, you might include researching counterpoise as well as ground plane: but it varies writer to writer. Next, there is the old school, of which I am a member. Which means 30 years ago I laid down ~~100 square feet of copper mesh screening in the bilge and laid some fg over it. My next boat had its counterpoise built into the hull as it was constructed (really smart as it costs little to do). I was always known to have a very good to great signal and used the SSB a great deal for voice, (nets and boat-to-boat), and email/downloads (email, gribs, wxfx’s, Navtec, text wx) and for a decade or more it was my primary link to the world. The new school being mentioned, I know little about. Immerse yourself in it till you are completely bewildered: then keep going and it will start to come together. My go-to people for advice of late has been Dockside Radio in FL. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
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Bill Balme
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Group: Forum Members
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I'm in the good position of having an established ground plane in the boat (Copper strip moulded into the hull at the waterline) and I also have a KISS. Honestly, can't tell the difference between using either! So, if your boat does not have a good ground plane (counterpoise), as Simon says, the KISS is a MUCH simpler way to go. A note on email via SSB - note now that Winlink is no good for sending emails to US recipients - the FCC in their wisdom outlawed it! So if you want to be in touch by email through SSB to US addresses, you'll need to subscribe to a commercial outfit - like Sailmail... Enjoy your SSB! You'll wonder why you have it over here in Europe - but all will be clear when you go transatlantic and into the Caribbean!
Bill Balme s/v Toodle-oo!
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Dick
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 957,
Visits: 1.3K
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+xI'm in the good position of having an established ground plane in the boat (Copper strip moulded into the hull at the waterline) and I also have a KISS. Honestly, can't tell the difference between using either! So, if your boat does not have a good ground plane (counterpoise), as Simon says, the KISS is a MUCH simpler way to go. A note on email via SSB - note now that Winlink is no good for sending emails to US recipients - the FCC in their wisdom outlawed it! So if you want to be in touch by email through SSB to US addresses, you'll need to subscribe to a commercial outfit - like Sailmail... Enjoy your SSB! You'll wonder why you have it over here in Europe - but all will be clear when you go transatlantic and into the Caribbean! Hi Bill, It is good to be reminded of the new Winlink restrictions. What a pain. Is there a central source, a url, where the do’s and don’ts are spelled out? Agree that SSB will be appreciated in the carib. In your use of the KISS system, did you work voice on 4 & 6 megs much? I remember anecdotal dock talk a while back that KISS was not so good at providing good counterpoise for the lower freqs. My best, Dick
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Bill Balme
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 269,
Visits: 1K
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+x+xI'm in the good position of having an established ground plane in the boat (Copper strip moulded into the hull at the waterline) and I also have a KISS. Honestly, can't tell the difference between using either! So, if your boat does not have a good ground plane (counterpoise), as Simon says, the KISS is a MUCH simpler way to go. A note on email via SSB - note now that Winlink is no good for sending emails to US recipients - the FCC in their wisdom outlawed it! So if you want to be in touch by email through SSB to US addresses, you'll need to subscribe to a commercial outfit - like Sailmail... Enjoy your SSB! You'll wonder why you have it over here in Europe - but all will be clear when you go transatlantic and into the Caribbean! Hi Bill, It is good to be reminded of the new Winlink restrictions. What a pain. Is there a central source, a url, where the do’s and don’ts are spelled out? Agree that SSB will be appreciated in the carib. In your use of the KISS system, did you work voice on 4 & 6 megs much? I remember anecdotal dock talk a while back that KISS was not so good at providing good counterpoise for the lower freqs. My best, Dick Sorry Dick, didn't do much investigation with the KISS... Not sure of all the FCC implications either... Not much help today!
Bill Balme s/v Toodle-oo!
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