Hello to all,

After spending many an hour banging away at the keyboard, trying to help fellow sailors with radio and electronics issues, it dawned on me that while there are people you can hire to install these systems (and a small number of those may actually know what they are doing), people you can hire to repair these systems (mostly just parts-changers, though), and of course no shortage of people who will sell you even more "stuff" / systems to put on-board....
But unless you 're like me (a "radio nut" and electronics professional), you probably haven 't been trained in "how-to-use" these systems, and certainly many fellow sailors/cruisers/voyagers are not well versed enough in these matters to make optimal use of them...

(I hear/read people complain quite often, that this thing or the other "just doesn 't work right" and "I should 've saved my money", etc....and unfortunately for many of them, the only problem is lack of user knowledge/expertise to make the bloody stuff work right!!!)

So, I spent a couple hours, over a couple days, recording some videos of something that I 'm not only very well educated and informed about, but also very experienced with....that is HF Radio Communications, and specifically here, maritime HF comms....and even more precisely the use, operation, programming, etc. of the Icom M-802 Marine HF-SSB-DSC Transceiver, for Voice and DSC communication...

These videos, along with some SSCA Discussion Board threads, should allow anyone to understand how to properly install and use the Icom M-802...
http://www.ssca.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=5

And further reading of specific SSCA disc board threads will show many early M-802 's suffered from the dreaded "clipping issue" (but since both of my M-802 's have been back to Icom for the "clipping mod", I do not have any live examples of this in my videos...:)
http://www.ssca.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12547

`


For the amount of Icom M-802 radios out there, it 's surprising that there aren 't more "how-to" videos out there....although now there are mine...:)

Check out my Youtube Channel...
http://www.youtube.com/user/captainjohn49

Or, click on the topics that interest you...


1) I started with just the basics....on, off, volume, channel knob, group knob, channel keypad, etc...as well as the front panel display features and an overall look at the radio...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8KSKaPQqns




2) Then, great detail on the keypad, other buttons / controls, and details on all of the display features...as well as other radio features, RF Gain, NB, headphones, etc...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OaHBpAfmbE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQBNK-8oNQ0




3) Details of the "VFO Mode", and the "RX/Clar" and "Freq/Ch" buttons....
(VERY important for ham radio users, as well as those desiring to program their radio for easier use / better effectiveness...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do93zYE20OM




4) Great detail explaining how to choose the correct channel / frequency for the distance you need to communicate, and variations with time-of-day, etc...(including layperson-friendly explanations)
Using real LIVE broadcasts from the USCG and public coast station WLO, and offshore or hi-seas weather forecasts....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-1LgNioO6w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4jm2Kk3niw




5) Live, real-world examples and explanations of atmospheric radio noise...and other radio signals that many will find useful, including weather chart broadcasts (WeFax charts), ham radio communications, etc....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fUtSOBt2FA




6) Live demonstration of Ship-to-Shore telephone calls....real, live phone call from my boat....and live video showing WLO Radio 's broadcasts....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT2Wz3uVWB8




7) Live demonstration of M-802 User Channels, ITU Channels, User Channel Programming, etc....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFOxlonVVDc




8 ) DSC-Distress Signaling, LIVE Demonstration of DSC-Distress Calling ("digital MayDay"), and a real-world explanation of the facts that no vessels are required to maintain an HF "voice" radio watch (since 1999) but all SOLAS vessels ARE required to maintain a MF/HF DSC Radio Watch....
DSC (Digital Selective Calling) Functions.....showing a LIVE demonstration (and differences) of "simple" (single-freq) Distress Call vs. "regular" (six-freq) Distress Call, MMSI#, GPS input, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgnBiGNbWNU




9) Some Live examples of RFI / Noise that can effect your HF communications...especially man-made noise from shore, while at the dock or anchored close to shore...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX8Oy8TwAic




10) Description of the GMDSS Voice communications channels (aka "Safety" Channels) and the EXTREME importance of using DSC-Distress signaling....and the proper use of the Voice Safety Channels of 8.291.0; 4.125.0; 12.290.0; 6.215.0; 16.420.0......(note that NOBODY is using/monitoring 2182!!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BILAC3fw2FY





These videos are NOT sophisticated productions!!
It was just myself and an old analog video camera......then loaded the video into my laptop, and then uploaded to Youtube....(no graphics, fades, effects, etc....just my narration, and the front of the radio...)
I used NO script, nor outline, just my own narration on the fly, speaking extemporaneously ...right off the top of my head!!
But, I think you 'll find them to be VERY useful / helpful!!!


Please enjoy!!


Fair winds.

John, KA4WJA
s/v Annie Laurie, WDB6927
MMSI# 366933110

http://www.qrz.com/db/KA4WJA