This page updated: January 2009
| Radio on a boat. | |
Please send any comments to me.
This page updated: January 2009 |
| Type and Cost | Power/Range | Etc |
| Marine VHF $80 - $500 |
25 watts. 5 - 40 miles. Line of sight. Antenna height is key. |
Channel 16 monitored by USCG. Only legal for ship-to-ship and to a few kinds of shore facilities. VHF, FM, voice. SailNet - Sue and Larry's "VHF Radio: Usage And Etiquette" Answers.com "Marine VHF Radio" Don Casey's "Marine VHF Basics" |
| Marine Single SideBand (SSB) $1100 - $1650, plus $500 for antenna tuner and cable, plus $200 for antenna. |
150 watts. 1000 miles or more. |
2182 KHz for emergencies. Legal to use only for ship-to-ship and to a few kinds of shore facilities. Can connect to phone system through WLO ($4 - $5 per minute). Can connect to email through a TNC ($350 - $1100). Can add weatherfax for $2000 (West Marine) or cheap software and PC. HF, suppressed carrier AM SSB (USB), voice or digital. |
| Shortwave Receivers $100 - $1000 (decent one for $400). Medium Wave Circle "Receiver Reviews" "The Shortwave Store" |
Range can be worldwide for some frequency bands and conditions. Range better at night. |
Receive only. Lots of broadcasting. HF, AM, voice ? Audio quality similar to AM radio. |
| Ham (Amateur Radio) | Various power limits from 50 to 1500 watts. Range can be worldwide for some frequency bands and conditions. |
Amateur broadcasting on various frequency bands (including shortwave)
with various power limits. License required. Different license levels give access to different frequency bands. Music, broadcasting, earning money not allowed. ARRL FCC form 605 and RF Safety Certification. |
| Citizens Band (CB) | 4 watts (carrier power). < 150 miles. |
Voice only (channel 9 for emergency only). 40 channels. No license required. No music or advertising or for-pay traffic allowed. Not allowed to communicate more than 155 miles or across borders. |
| Family Radio Service (FRS) $50 - $200 each station. |
1/2 to 4 watts. 1/2 to 2 miles typical. Line of sight. |
Any use. 546 channels. No license required. Can have scrambler or privacy code (not very secure). Can't broadcast; only talks between your two stations. Legal in USA and Canada only. |
| Cell-phone (digital or analog) |
Up to 10 miles from nearest tower. Towers mainly limited to coast of USA. Analog has higher signal strength than digital. Built-in has higher power than handheld. External antenna helps. |
Any use. Data speed is slow (9600 baud for digital, 2400 for analog). |
| Satellite phone Monthly fee plus > $1 per minute. |
Varies by vendor and your location. | Any use. "With some terminals the data rate is up to 64 Kbps". |
| Satellite radio Monthly fee, such as $10/month for 100 channels. |
??? | Broadcast-only; you can receive only. Weather, music, news, entertainment, etc. Receiver about $150. |
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... stay safely tucked in when its anything over force 4.
Not batting your head into the trades at force 5 will save you
more $$ with your boat than any money spent on Marine SSB or Fax.
Life can be grand this way.
If saving $$ by not investing in Marine SSB is a primary concern then let me also contribute a contrarian view. Don't invest in weatherfax either. You will spend a huge amount of time in tuning and trying to interpret the information that is better spent listening to experts on NWS. Listen to the NWS "Offshore Forecast". You will be interested in the Southwest North Atlantic Zone and the Eastern Caribbean Zone. These are updated and transmitted every six hours. You will have 12, 24, 48 and 72 hour forecasts which are about all you can hope for anyway. Next, they will have been interpreted by an "expert" who is paid by your government to create effective information from esoteric weatherfaxes. With a week of these on your chart table you will have a very effective record of weather trends. All this can be done with either a Grundig or a Sony [shortwave receiver]. The antenna is more important to good reception. But also invest in a pair of earphones ($5) as there is nothing worse than listening to the 0530 AST NWS with your mate still in the sack. She will not be happy with either a Sony, Grundig or even an ICOM (Marine SSB) at that hour. Second, take a good barometer and record readings hourly with your navigation log. This is the best local trend information you can find. |
| I second Dave's advice, but you may want to consider that if you will be taking a laptop anyway, wefax software will allow you to silently download the NWS forecasts in text format. |
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HF comms are still the BEST:
A couple of reasons why I think SSB/Ham technology is still the preferred long-distance communications method: 1) I can send/receive e-mail at 11K bytes/minute, e.g. a three page letter in one minute. It is FREE and very easy!! 2) There is an enormous community of Hams who want to help boaters. During the three years we were in Mexico I made several FREE phone patches (phone calls via HF radio on my end and a standard phone line on the other end) per week to parents, friends, wife, siblings all over the US. A phone patch works almost perfectly and is almost transparent (other than saying OVER) to the folks on the land line. 3) Winlink 2000 has a fantastic array of weather data that can be sent to your HF radio/PC. Any free weather data that is available on the Web can be sent automatically to your boat. I could receive a crystal clear weatherfax in less than two minutes. 4) When you need help, e.g. on the beach in a hurricane, there is ALWAYS a Ham available to talk to. There is a highly organized community that listens 24 hours per day for HF emergency traffic. They have detailed and well practised prodedures that have been pre-coordinated with the USCG and other rescue agencies. 5) Using Winlink I can send e-mail directly to another boat who is also winlink equipped. For example I can send a chart, via e-mail, to a friend who is in an unexpected area with no chart. Or, the picture of the entrance to a cove they have never entered. Or, the schematics for a fuel pump ... etc. 6) SSB and Ham nets are wonderful ways to stay in touch with friends as you cruise. For example in Western Mexico my friends were often 200 - 500 miles distant. I could meet them on a morning, noon, or evening net, take them off to an open frequency or channel, and talk for as long as I wanted. We could coordinate plans, gossip, or complain. 7) When you need medical, mechanical, "where to find" help, the nets will almost always get you the information within hours. |
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Satcoms and HF radio really excel in different niches.
... Satcom: ... Generally these systems are designed to provide reliable telco-like point-to-point communications far more effectively than HF radio. If what you want to do is phone home, get calls, pick up small amounts of specific data, a satcom system is the way to go. What these systems don't do well and the HF radio nets do very well is provide a broadcast or BBS-type capability for those with common interests and problems with immediate needs for solutions. ... If you want to know what is happening out there now, get an HF radio and tune in to the nets. And you can even use it for email and individual calls, although not as efficiently as satcoms. ... |
From RickM on the WorldCruising mailing list:
From Michael Homsany:
From Brian Sawyer on Cruising World message board:
From Chris Waln on Cruising World message board:
From Ray Thackeray on the WorldCruising mailing list:
From Clark on Cruising World message board:
From Giulio Bevilacqua on the WorldCruising mailing list:
From Michael Homsany:
From Rick Kennerly on the WorldCruising mailing list:
From Bob Austin on the live-aboard mailing list:
Paraphrased from "Cruising The Easy Way" by Bill Robinson:
From Jim Isbell:
From Logan on Cruising World message board:
From Bob on rec.boats.cruising newsgroup:
From Brian Woloshin on Cruising World message board:
From Rick Kennerly on the live-aboard mailing list:
From Kathy Barron on the SailNet liveaboard-list 12/2000:
From "The Best Tips From Women Aboard" edited by Maria Russell:
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Icom M700Pro marine SSB radio - $1100 new Icom M710 marine SSB radio - $1400 new, $1000 used Icom M802 marine SSB radio with DSC and Ham - $1750 new Icom AT130 Antenna Tuner - $420 new Pactor II Modem - $??? Cables and backstay insulators - $500 |
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Icom ??? Ham radio - ??? Icom AT130 Antenna Tuner - $420 new Pactor II Modem - $??? Cables and backstay insulators - $500 |
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[Talked with a couple of distributors, and:] The Pactor list price provides relatively low margin so there's not much wiggle room for deals. |
From True Mettle on WorldCruising mailing list:
DF4OR's "ICOM CI-V Information Pages" From Julian Frost on rec.boats.cruising newsgroup:
From Brian Woloshin on Cruising World message board:
From John / Truelove on The Live-Aboard List:
From Will on Cruising World message board:
From Will on Cruising World message board:
From Steve on Cruising World message board:
From True Mettle on WorldCruising mailing list:
From Felix U on SSCA discussion boards:
Lots of problems with SGC radios, from lots of owners, mentioned in article by Jeff Williams in Jan 2002 issue of Blue Water Sailing magazine. From Mitch on The Live-Aboard List:
From Will on Cruising World message board:
From Rick Kennerly on The Live-Aboard List:
From article by Jim Corenman in 10/2001 issue of Latitude 38 magazine: Get Icom M710 or 710RT for email. Next best would be SEA-235 with optional fan. Don't get SGC SG-2000, which has a variety of problems. From Susan Meckley on World-Cruising mailing list 11/2007:
From Susan Meckley on World-Cruising mailing list:
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From Don Melcher of H.F. Radio On Board:
USCG's "Digital Selective Calling" BoatU.S.'s "About MMSI" VHF DSC article by Ben Ellison in 5/2004 issue of Sail magazine You can get an MMSI unique ID number (identifying code for new DSC-equipped Marine VHF radios) from several companies (BoatU.S., Sea Tow, Standard Horizon) without paying the Feds $200 for a ship's station license. But an MMSI obtained that way is valid only for recreational vessels in USA waters. For a valid international MMSI, you must get the Ship's Radio Station license ($200). From article by Darrell Nicholson in 12/2002 issue of Cruising World magazine:
From Jim on rec.boats newsgroup:
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Cell-phone is worse:
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Want:
Common problem for handheld VHF: if it gets wet and is left wet, the battery pack is destroyed and the battery connectors are corroded. Since a new battery pack is more than 50% of the total cost of the radio, this is a disaster. After every use, before you put it away, take the battery pack off and store it next to the radio; this will force you to see if it is wet. From Ron Rogers on The Live-Aboard List:
From Pilgrim on The Live-Aboard List 2/2005:
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| I'm an electronics technician, and have noticed people bringing me their Marine VHF radios with WD-40 inside the case - obviously trying to stem the corrosion issue. This is a big no-no. What I have done with all my electronics (including those I service for marine use) is apply a coating of MILSPEC "conformal coating" to the PC board (both sides) after using silicon [silicone ?] to glue all parts that are susceptible to movement/vibration. I did this with a portable Marine VHF radio (non-weatherproof) I have had on 3 different boats for over eight years - it is still as good as new. You can source this stuff from any electronics store, but I would recommend application only by qualified people. |
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Most of the satellite receivers sold are not complete radios themselves;
instead they receive the digital signal and rebroadcast it on FM to
whatever standard FM radio you have.
Services: Sirius WorldSpace (maybe a subset of XM now ?) XM Satellite Radio Details:
From Derek Rowell on Cruising World message board:
From Imagine on Cruising World message board:
From Woody on SSCA discussion boards:
From Jack Tyler on SSCA discussion boards:
From Patrick on SSCA discussion boards:
From David on "Encore":
I was told that Sirius worked fine in Luperon DR. Someone in St Croix told me that using Sirius (not sure where) required moving the antenna to keep it pointing at a satellite when the boat swung at anchor. From Bongo on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 3/2006:
My experience with Sirius:
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| ... Motorola is, I believe the only GSM triple band (800, 1800, 1900 MHz) phone available on the market today. Ericsson and Nokia will have products later this year. Using this phone you will keep your UK PIM card and the phone will roam automatically in about 80% of the worlds inhabited land mass. The USA and Canada now have good major city coverage and of course all of Europe, Asia (except Japan) and populous South America are covered. Costs of course are reasonable within your own area but rise disproportionately when roaming. I have used this set up successfully for data transmission at about 9600 bps on 4 continents. ... |
| ... Inmarsat-C is IMHO the most reliable, lowest cost, satellite based data transmission system available today. If you can afford it Inmarsat-M provides voice but is not attractive for data. If you are looking at satellite voice then KVH makes the nicest system for about $10,000 with voice at something like $8 per minute. This is the system gold platers go with where cost is no object. Inmarsat-C is part of the global GMDSS effort and as such you receive free transmissions on regional weather information, search and rescue, gale warnings etc. Trimble makes an integrated Inmarsat-C transceiver with GPS built in. It is about $2900 and transmissions are about $2 per minute. ... By the way you will need a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) issued by the flag registry country to activate the system. ... |
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Looks like Iridium is here to stay. Globalstar's financial position does not
look promising, so I crossed them off the list, despite their 9600 baud data;
Iridium is half that, but promises 10K, using compression, soon.
An "old technology" Kyocera phone and marine antenna can be had for $900, but it isn't data-ready. The "big" (original Iridium) Motorola phone is $895 new or $495 refurbished. That's what most folks buy. The new, small Motorola phone is $1495, but is waterproof, digital-ready and hands-free capable, yada, yada, yada. The best provider rates I could find were $1.40/minute, which I find reasonable for "any time, anywhere" phone and data service. Due to competition, rates are falling, albeit slowly. You can call another Iridium phone for $0.85/minute. The monthly charge is a flat $20. The slick way to go is with the 9505 (small) phone, the portable dock, and external antenna. This rig will cost $2795. The data software CD is $65 (ouch!). The phone comes with a charger, so all you need for down-below 'phone service is the outdoor antenna, which can be directly connected without the docking station (they don't say that in the ads). There are also less expensive antennas than the standard one. ... |
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Cellphones outside the US are incredibly cheap and most do
not require any form of contract -- it seems to be a foreign concept
every place we have visited since leaving the US. Here in Trinidad
we purchased a Motorola C139 for 10USD -- no contract, no prepaid
penalty, no minimum, no nothing. We purchase minutes as needed. It
costs 20 cents per minute (USD) for daytime minutes, 16 cents per
minute for nighttime minutes, and 8 cents per minute for weekend
calls -- for outgoing calls only, whether local or international.
ALL INCOMING CALLS ARE FREE!!!!
This same Motorola C139 can be purchased at another local cell provider for only 8USD. Only problem with these phones are that they are only dual-band GSM and are locked, so they cannot be used elsewhere. But at this price they are disposable. From what we have seen during our trek so far, it is cheaper in the Caribbean islands to purchase local cheap phones than to have a more expensive quad-band GSM phone, because of the cost to purchase minutes locally for the foreign phones. Every island has had similiar ultra-cheap phone deals. Appears that only in the US do we pay exorbitant phone charges. ... ... We call relatives and friends back in the States and tell them to call us back -- takes less than 30 seconds. They then call us back using Skype because they all have broadband internet connections ... |
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Verizon has a policy whereby if you move to a location where Verizon
does not provide service, then they will terminate your cellphone contract early
without penalty. Verizon requests proof that you are indeed moving
to such a location. They want something like a mortgage, a drivers
license in the new area, or a letter from your employer, etc.
We had Verizon service in Texas. When we left at end of April, we had employer fax a letter to Verizon accounting department contact person which stated that we were moving aboard our sailboat which was located in the BVI (where Verizon does not provide service). It still took about 6 weeks and 3 additional follow-ups on our part to finally get the service terminated. |
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Want:
Since I want to hear Caribbean signals from California, I probably want a table-top model with ability to attach external antenna. Strong Signals "Radio Survey Feedback" |
| Band | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 10 meter (28 MHz) | Best during high sunspot periods. |
| 15 meter (21 MHz) | Good for long distance. |
| 20 meter (14 MHz) | "It's the closest to an all time, all places, band. [But still subject to atmospheric variation.]" |
| 40 meter (7 MHz) | Lots of shortwave broadcast interference. 400-1200 mile range in morning and early afternoon. Several thousand mile range in late afternoon, evening, night. |
| 80 meter (3.7 MHz) | 350 mile range in daylight. 1000 mile range in summer nighttime. Several thousand mile range in winter nighttime. |
| VHF/UHF | 100 mile range in winter. Up to 1000 mile range in spring/summer/fall. |
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With all due respect to Rick, the wonderful experiences he had with Ham radio
in the Pacific many years ago differs considerably from those experienced by
me and many of my cruising friends. There weren't nearly as many cruisers back
then, nor were the airwaves as jammed with traffic. Now, in the North
Atlantic and Caribbean, Central and South American illegals regularly
transmit on LSB, just close enough to QRM many marine channels, making them
unusable. Cruisers who are not Hams don't have as many frequencies to choose
from, and the proliferation of cruisers attempting to send data via Sailmail
and the like have, in close quarters, made even Marine VHF comms difficult in
crowded anchorages.
Chaguaramas, Trinidad is an infamous radio "black hole," not only because of the terrain and interference from land-based power lines, but because oil rigs, 600 sailboat masts and a 3-acre steel roof, all in 1/2 a square mile don't make for good radio! As if that weren't bad enough, over the past five years that I've been in the Caribbean, the sunspot cycle has been at peak, making Marine SSB comms a problem everywhere. Good luck talking to the States, at least reliably! And anyone who listens to Herb knows that transmission/reception over this same period has been close to impossible for many boats in the Atlantic basin. I've tired of attempting to raise (or hear) another boat in the Eastern Caribbean. Too many times you just can't. And as anyone who has buddy-boated on passage knows, there is often a big gap between the Marine VHF's maximum and Marine SSB's minimum. But who doesn't answer the 'phone? To say nothing of the privacy afforded. As regards Ham wx (and other) nets, they're the best, for sure. But when you can't hear them they are useless. Using Marine SSB to access WEFAX, NAVTEX and the CG and Navy wx forecasts is like night and day compared to accessing the same data (and more, such as Gulf Stream info) on the Web via satellite-based systems. |
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You can get a dedicated
weatherfax receive-and-print device from Furuno ($1500).
Apparently you can use normal thermal fax paper in it
if you peel off a third of the roll first (takes 66-foot
roll instead of 100-foot roll). If you have an internet connection: NWS Marine Charts. A lot of people seem to be getting weather maps through email instead of weatherfax. Probably a lot more reliable, and you don't have to listen on a schedule. Software for receiving via radio:
From Larry DeMers on the live-aboard mailing list:
From Justin on Cruising World message board:
From Will on Cruising World message board (not about weatherfax):
From Dave Gibson on Cruising World message board:
From Duke on Cruising World message board:
My experience:
From George Barr on The Live-Aboard List:
From 1999 "Passport to World Band Radio":
From duffer on Cruising World message board:
From Buddy on Cal mailing list:
From Rick Jendrysik on CompuServe's Sailing Forum:
From Max Fletcher on Cruising World message board:
H.F. Radio On Board Note: some weatherfax directories list frequencies using the carrier frequency, and others list by USB frequency. They differ by 1.9 KHz. Some weatherfax stations: Boston 6340 or 9110 KHz, New Orleans 4318 or 8504 or 12790 KHz, Cutler ME 20013 KHz. For unattended/continuous operation, you'll be running radio and computer for hours. This may be a good reason to use a lower-power consumer receiver such as the Grundig, instead of a Marine SSB transceiver. Typical getting-started problems:
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Tips:
Typical problems:
From Jerald King on Cruising World message board:
From Dave Gibson on Cruising World message board:
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Systems:
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WinLink does HF/VHF-to-Internet E-mail Text Transfer via NetLink. WinLink Home Page "WinLink 2000 is an Amateur Radio digital service that provides the automatic transfer of messages between Mobile Amateur Radio Operators World-wide and the Internet email System. K4CJX provides Internet email access for Maritime, RV and remotely located Amateur Radio operators, enabling those traveling to maintain contact with family and friends, regardless of location." Requires a ham radio General class license. With WinLink, to send email from normal computer to mobile person: "On the email address 'To:' or 'CC:' line, put the radio type email address as CallSign@winlink.org, where CallSign is the Amateur Radio station receiving the email message ..." With WinLink, to get the latest position report for a mobile person: Send email to qth@winlink.org, with subject POSITION QUERY and message body CallSign. (No other characters in message body.) From K4CJX on SSCA discussion boards 2/2001:
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[IC-M710RT is] an excellent radio for doing Marine SSB email. I use the M710.
As far as the laptop goes, be sure it is capable of running Windows 95/98 so that it will be compatible with the Airmail software. It does not take a powerful computer; even a 486 running Win 95 will do the job. I happened to choose the Toshiba Satellite Pro 440CDX. I was told by people who repair laptops for a living to stick with Toshiba, IBM, or Compaq due to the ease of getting them repaired in remote areas. I also keep my laptop in a Pelican case (available at West Marine) with dessiccant when not in use. I expect that this will extend its lifetime considerably in the salt air. You also need a specialized piece of equipment called the TNC (terminal node controller). There are 3 that I can recommend depending upon the price/performance tradeoff:
Next, you'll have to decide if you want to go with 'free' ham email or 'pay as you go' commercial email. If you're clever, the equipment you select will work equally well for either (for this reason and others don't even think about PinOak/SeaWave). This allows you to start with a commercial service and then switch to ham if and when you get a license (Note: the FCC just announced that the Morse requirement will drop from 13 to 5 wpm effective April 2000 for the General class). As far as the software goes, check out the Airmail pactor primer for ham email and the Sailmail pactor primer for commercial email. Airmail is free to all. It works with some commercial services because the service provider has licensed the software from the author, Jim Corenman. This software is great; it totally automates the process of sending and receiving email. In conjunction with the SCS TNC's it will scan all available frequencies (using remote control), pick a free one (using a built-in QRM detector), connect, and then automatically reduce the radio power to the lowest practical level (using the detected error rate). On a related subject, the ham shore stations are now testing Winlink 2000 which will be rolled out in a few months. This software offers new features such as full binary uploads/downloads (eg, weather faxes), automatic position reporting, and full shared database across all shore stations so that you can send email via a shore station in Virginia and, if propagation happens to favors it, pick up the response from a shore station in San Juan, Puerto Rico! |
| ... digital e-mail can be loosely considered 100% duty cycle, but in reality is not ... also once the link is established "pactor" you can and should reduce power. Been doing this for a long time and send and receive most e-mail at less than 20 watts. |
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Listening to the shortwave is quite unlike listening
to commercial FM radio in the USA. Stations often
broadcast only a few hours a day, mainly in the
morning and the evening, and often use different
frequencies at different times. Some are using
a single sideband, others are providing a full-band
signal, which is just another variable to hassle
with while trying to tune them in. Often the volume
level and clarity "pulsate". Sometimes reception of a station
will just "fade away" as you're listening to it. And there's always
plenty of static and interference, especially near populated areas,
near other cruising boats (from wind-generators, HF email, etc),
and from your own boat (computer, alternator, auto-pilot, refrigerator, etc). Stations which usually provide a good signal to the Caribbean: BBC (5975, 6195, 9515, 9625 KHz). VOA (15240 KHz). American Forces Radio (all USB: 5446, 7812, 12133, 6350 KHz). Other stations: Radio Canada (5960, 6175, 9590, 17765, 17800 KHz). Radio Havana (5965 KHz). Radio Australia (6019 KHz). Radio Netherlands (11655, 15315, 17725, 17735 KHz). WWV time signals (2500, 5000, 10000, 15000, 20000 KHz). Canada time signals (3330, 7335, 14670 KHz). NPR Worldwide might be heard for a few hours a day on shortwave radio via American Forces Radio (all USB: 5446, 6350, 7812, 12133 KHz). NPR Car Talk: Sunday 0500 Eastern, Tuesday 1100 Eastern ? [BUT: As of 12/2005, AFN seems to have dropped all NPR content. And the standard AFN content is crap, geared toward the enlisted-man demographic.] I use a Grundig Yachtboy 400PE receiver; seems to work reasonably well. Extending the external antenna or hoisting it high doesn't seem to help much. |
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Amateur Radio Marine Nets DockSide Radio's "cruising nets" |
From Larry KN4IM on rec.boats newsgroup:
APRS Page TAPR |
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NOAA WX page "... voice broadcasts of local and coastal marine forecasts on a continuous cycle" "Most VHF marine radiotelephones have the ability to receive NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts." "NWR requires a special radio receiver or scanner capable of picking up the signal. Broadcasts are found in the public service band at these seven frequencies (MHz): 162.400 162.425 162.450 162.475 162.500 162.525 162.550" (These are out of range for most shortwave receivers.) |
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But for weather forecasts I must recommend the autoresponder service from
http://www.buoyweather.com/ . For 10 US cents a message,
you send them your lat and long and they
send a text message back with a five-day forecast.
They use the NOAA weather model.
You get great free reports from the web site, but the autoresponder is perfect for sailmail or other text mail systems. |
| Text weather forecasts. 518 KHz. Requires a special radio receiver (typical shortwave radio doesn't receive this band). |
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Packet/email gateway: W2XO Home Page |
From Michael H on Cruising World message board:
From Ed on Cruising World message board:
From Bob Korte (I think) at a PAARA meeting:
Maybe have to do a collect call from the patching station to the person you're calling ? From Rod Borchardt / KB2MRI, officer of a Ham club in New Jersey:
From Don Wright / AA2F, member of Delaware Valley Radio Association in New Jersey:
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| ... I suggest you also get your Ham license, and don't use it as most cruisers do: as a cheap source of phone patches to the States and email. In the most remote places there is always a Ham, their hospitality is the best. Most cruisers turn on their radio for the maritime net, get the email and weather then turn off the radio. Tune around looking for the locals and make contacts. Hams in remote places are very well-connected. ... |
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... [if] you have a Marine SSB aboard; for transmission in the marine
HF radio bands you do need to have a Ship/Aircraft Radio Station License issued by the FCC.
A prerequisite for the Marine SSB is that you have a
Marine VHF radio as well. You cannot legally use the Marine SSB (for transmission)
without an official call-sign, which is issued by the FCC as part of the
Ship/Aircraft Radio Station license process.
The Ship/Aircraft Radio Station License is not an operator license. If you only have Marine VHF aboard, and you only cruise U.S. waters, you do not need the station license or an operator license. However, if you cruise outside the U.S., say to Canada or the Bahamas, you need the station license AND you need a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit, also issued by the FCC. |
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Bill, when I was referring to "US license" it was not Ham, although that would
be preferred but only specifically for Ham and Marine SSB. For information on Ham
or Amateur Radio licensing in the USA,
go to the AARL site.
What I was referring to is a license issued by the US Federal Communications Commission. Although the Telecommunications Act of 1996 made it unnecessary to register or license a Marine VHF radio in the USA, this is not the case in many other countries. The UK and most of its possessions require a Marine VHF operators permit and license. Also in most countries Marine SSB is tightly licensed and controlled. In some cases RADAR must also be licensed. Here in Germany, I need a license for each TV in my house, car or boat. And of course EPIRB must be registered for it to be useful at all. It is amazing how many people buy an EPIRB and then forget that it needs to be registered. A DSC radio won't work unless it is enabled with a licensed code. Anyway, by submitting an application for Marine VHF (including each hand-held or portable as a separate item), Marine SSB, RADAR, SART, GPS, LORAN and EPIRB in the US, you will get back a formal one-page document or license listing all the equipment that it covers. Next is the operator. If you plan to dock in a foreign port (e.g. Canada or the Bahamas), or if you communicate with foreign coast or ship stations, you must have a RESTRICTED RADIOTELEPHONE OPERATOR PERMIT (sometimes referred to by boaters as an "individual license") in addition to your ship radio station license. However, if (1) you merely plan to sail in domestic or international waters without docking in any foreign ports and without communicating with foreign coast stations, and (2) your radio operates only on Marine VHF frequencies, you do not need an operator permit. A ship radio station license authorizes radio equipment aboard a ship, while the restricted radiotelephone operator permit authorizes a specific person to communicate with foreign stations or use certain radio equipment (e.g., MF/HF single sideband radio or satellite radio). You do not need to take a test to obtain this [restricted radiotelephone operator] permit. The FCC will mail the permit to you and it will be valid for your lifetime. If/when an over-officious foreign official starts to give you trouble, this document usually covers you. Not a guarantee but at least a start. |
| HINT: if you're ever going to pay the $125 for an FCC station license for your boat, ALWAYS check EVERY box on the application and get listed for all the possible radio gizmos they offer. Amending the license costs $125, so even if you don't know what it is, check it yes and also have them issue you a digital selective calling number, even if you don't need it now. |
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By treaty we do require that
both vessels and operators operating in international waters have radio
licenses. However, it's not the USA that requires a boat to be licensed to
operate Marine VHF (or other short-range safety-related radio transmitters -- RADAR,
EPIRBs) in the territorial waters of another country. Instead, it's
the radio regulations of the country visited that dictate which vessels,
radios, and operators must be licensed and how -- just like we have a right to
regulate the radio transmissions of foreign vessels in our waters. The
treaty just unifies this process internationally so that if you
and your vessel are licensed in, say, US waters, you don't have to get a
license for every country you visit. Nor do boats from other countries have
to get a US Marine VHF license when they visit here, unless they were unlicensed in
the country of origin.
Many countries confiscate unlicensed "illegal" radio gear, so getting a US license is well worth the trouble (a form) and expense ($100), if you're cruising. Keep in mind that HF Ham and Marine SSB transmitters are viewed by many countries as being in unfair competition with the local telephone companies (especially those countries that own and generate revenues from the telephone company). So it's important to be on the right side of this issue. There are side treaties between the US and Canada and, I think, Mexico about unlicensed boats operating Marine VHF type gear being used temporarily in each other's waters. However, once you leave US waters for an extended cruise, I'd really recommend that you and your vessel be in full treaty compliance. This includes a US FCC Station License for your vessel (hint - the license is about $100 [$200 in 2004, I think], but changes and amendments are $100, too. So on initial application mark all of the equipment, modes, and frequencies on the form, even if you don't know what they are or are not sure if you will ever need them. While you're at it, be sure to get a Selective Digital Calling ID assigned. Having to go back and add even one item will cost $100.) As I remember, Station Licenses are good for 10 years. By treaty, each Marine VHF radio operator in international waters is also required to have an operator's permit or license. In the US this is called a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator's Permit (or higher if you're into commercial radio). These are $35 each [$75 in 2004, I think]. There is no test involved and these licenses are good for life. You should have at least one aboard. The regulatory philosophy is the same. Some countries require testing and fees to operate Marine VHF equipment but will recognize those licenses issued by other treaty countries. Being recreational, HF Ham requirements vary a good deal and are not covered by the treaty that allows Marine VHF reciprocity. In some countries you must present your US Ham license to be issued a permit to operate in that country. Some test you. All require a fee. Once licensed, you usually append some letters to your US ham call sign to indicate what country you are transmitting from. Sometimes you're issued a whole new call-sign. FWIW, we're very strict in this country about foreign hams working HF from our shores, so the hassle in most cases is on both sides. |
| To be perfectly legal, you will need a Mexican Provisional Permit. (Mexico did not sign on to the recent reciprocal agreement of the Americas.) The permits can be obtained only in Mexico, usually in State Capitols. Tijuana, Mexicali, Ensenada, La Paz in Baja and many in the mainland including Hermasillo in Sonora. It's a hassle, but here are the basics. Take your just-obtained tourist card with at least 5 months remaining, and a copy of your valid U.S. ham license, to the office of the SCT. Depending on the political climate, you may be able to pay the fee (currently about $75 U.S.) on the spot, or you may be directed to a bank, in which case you will have to return with a receipt to get your permit. Your permit will be valid for the term of your tourist card. Think of it this way, for every dollar you spend, you get to watch as an official stamps something! Now the good news: For ANY class of U.S. license, you get full band privileges for voice in Mexico. A no-code Tech can use voice even in the CW portions! AND, you get to use a neat Mexican prefix to your U.S. callsign, like XE2 or XF1. |
A boat antenna system can be either:
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From Craig Johnston on the SailNet liveaboard-list:
From Peter Linwick on Cruising World message board:
"Insulating the backstay involves removing it and having 2 insulators (made by Sta-Lok, Norseman and others) installed by yourself or your friendly local rigger." Maybe can use small lengths of rope as insulators in the backstay ? Keep the backstay insulators and the wire-to-backstay connection clean, to avoid RF power leakage. The backstay-antenna should be as long as possible, but out of reach from deck (for safety), and stop 3 to 5 feet from the top (to keep mast and other rigging from affecting it). From Norm on The Live-Aboard List:
The wire from the antenna tuner to the backstay-antenna is really part of the antenna too. You don't want to route it right along or through metal objects or wires, including the backstay-antenna itself. Use stand-offs to space it away from the backstay and backstay-antenna. From James Maynard on The Live-Aboard List:
From Brian Woloshin on Cruising World message board:
From Marvin Gordon on Yacht-L mailing list:
From Rick on Yacht-L mailing list:
From George Day's radio article in Blue Water Sailing magazine: For HF: A dipole is a much better antenna than a long-wire (backstay) or whip antenna, but much harder to rig on a boat (and antenna tuner must be near center of it). From "Safety Preparations for Cruising" by Jeremy R. Hood: Connecting the tuner wire to the backstay: wrap 2 inches of the backstay tightly with Monel seizing wire, bare 2 inches of the tuner wire and lay it over the Monel, wrap tightly with another layer of Monel, then wrap with waterproof rigging tape. From Peter Hendrick:
Mel Neale says a 23-foot whip antenna and a ground plate works fine for their Marine SSB. Outbacker short HF antenna ($300+) RopeAntenna (dipole inside a rope, hoisted by a halyard ? $185) Marine VHF antenna:
Emergency Marine VHF antenna: piece of coax with braid and innner conductor on one end peeled back to make dipole antenna .465 m on each side. From Max on Cruising World message board:
From Dave Skolnick on The Live-Aboard List:
From Gordon West in 1/2006 issue of Sail magazine: Most masthead VHF antennas have a base loading coil that will appear to be shorted on a simple ohmmeter test, because the coil is shunt fed [so the antenna can't be tested that way]. Jim Johnston's "Cruising with ham radio - an antenna alternative" West Marine's "VHF Antennas" Dipole antenna article by James Baldwin in Cruising World magazine Feb 1999 issue. Marine VHF whip antennas reviewed in 7/15/2000 issue of Practical Sailor. |
Several different "styles" of this, with advocates for each:
From "Seawater Grounding for High-Frequency Radios" article by Gordon West in 10/2001 issue of Sail magazine:
From Scott Adam on the SailNet liveaboard-list:
From Larry KN4IM on rec.boats.cruising newsgroup:
From BobM on Cruising World message board:
"You can purchase 12-inch copper flashing by the pound at roofing supply houses ..." From the Dashews: "You want to have your ground plane located as close to the antenna coupler as possible - hopefully the coupler will be right in the middle. Once you get a quarter wavelength or so away from the coupler the ground plane becomes useless." Dipole antenna doesn't need a ground/counterpoise ? From Brian Woloshin on Cruising World message board:
Moonraker's "Earth Systems" Icom's "Grounding and Antenna Considerations" Gordon West's "Seawater Grounding For HF Radios" From John / Truelove on The Live-Aboard List:
From Jerry Peters on World-Cruising mailing list:
From Jeff Smith on The Live-Aboard List:
Will on Cruising World message board advocates a "balanced-radial" antenna:
If reception is good but transmission is weak, suspect a poor ground connection or too little ground plane area. From letter by Gary Davis in July/Aug 1998 issue of Ocean Navigator magazine: "Given a properly functioning antenna coupler, a low SWR on one HF band and a high SWR on another HF band indicates a poor RF ground system." Good grounding is harder in fresh water than in salt water. From Charles Freeman on the SailNet Caribbean Islands list:
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Along with the cable to the antenna, the cables from the radio to
the antenna tuner are pretty important, too.
For example, bad connectors or long length can sap power. Cable from radio to antenna tuner: connect shield at radio end only. This drains any induced RFI to radio chassis ground, and avoids ground loop between devices. Cables bought from Icom are expensive and made of inferior materials ? Paraphrased from "The Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual" by Nigel Calder (I think):
Also: coax should use 95% tinned braid. From Jobst Vandrey on Cruising World message board:
Moonraker's "Signal Cabling" Moonraker's "RF Connectors" |
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The major manufacturers have booklets providing good generic advice. I
don't know enough to give any decent advice about construction, but the
following is generic info from a TransPac seminar last month.
The antenna is *not* just the antenna, but rather a system composed of 5 or 6 parts. - - antenna - - antenna ground plane - - antenna feed wire from tuner - - feed wire from amplifier to tuner - - feed wire from transmitter to amp (if applicable) - - all long metal things within about 1/4 wavelength of the antenna (!); this includes the power leads to your transmitter if you're not careful. Any and all of these parts are capable of completely screwing you, so pay at least token attention to each of them. Although most of it can be faked up with tin foil and coat hangers if you're good enough, coax cable cannot be - at least without lots of time to do it over again in a year. If you use coax, you need to start with the best cable you can get and the best terminals; if you're not *very* good with a soldering iron, then have them professionally installed by the most reputable shop you can find and afford. Pay lots of attention to water proofing the end at the antenna. Cables that *look* OK but are *not* cause a lot of the grief, trauma, and tragedy found around radios. If you run a cable up inside a mast or RADAR pole, or whatever, make sure the connections allow you to pull the mast without cutting the cable. |
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World Wide Repeaters Don't use "squelch" with marine SSB; there is little or no carrier for the squelch to monitor, so it will cut off the beginnings of words. [Much of this from on Logan S/V Scotty Ann Cruising World message board:] To receive weatherfax:
From Michael H on Cruising World message board:
Broadcasts:
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Propagation of interference:
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Most times, RFI is transmitted up the powerline
instead of directly through the antenna of radios. Good chokes (ferrous
magnets that the power lines are coiled around and through) are
available through ham radio stores as are choke beads that slide onto
wire like a necklace. It's not uncommon in Marine SSB and Ham
installations to have to choke not only the SSB radio itself but also
nearly every other piece of electronics with a power line on board.
Laptops are particularly difficult to shield, especially those with
plastic cases. In today's world where every device has a "chip" (and
all electronic chips "whistle" at some frequency) nearly every
electrical device has a built-in RFI generator.
Of course then the next line of defense (and a step up in costs) are filters of one type or another. |
| The first symptom of this syndrome is a bad RF ground. Improving your RF ground will reduce some of the potential problems. The next problem is the antenna, most marine backstays are typically "voltage-fed", and in some cases they are current-fed depending on frequency. The best way to check for this is to see if the interference occurs on all the marine bands. If it occurs only on 1 or 2 marine bands, just increasing the length of your antenna slightly will cure the problem. This can be done simply by increasing the feed from your tuner to the backstay. This condition varies from frequency to frequency, and is dependent on antenna length. Shortening the antenna also helps. Choosing the correct antenna backstay length can be done with a bit of forethought but most seem to think that longer is better, when in reality a shorter antenna would work better in most cases. This shorter antenna will lower the impedance and lower the voltage field. Ever wonder why huge battle carriers that have acres of real estate in most cases use a 35 foot whip for HF command and control? The answer is voltage, since the power they run 20,000 watts up, would present a huge engineering problem since the voltages would be so high. The potential to cause interference on sensitive instruments would be huge. The next area of concern is that the RF near field is basically above your equipment, meaning the current and voltage density is high close to the RF source. Unfortunately most marine consumer electronic equipment is not electromagnetic compliant, so you will just have to suffer the consequences. Buying equipment that is FCC approved or approved for use in Europe under the EMC directive is a good idea. This is what separates professional equipment from everyday marine electronic junk. You can try and cure the problems using common mode chokes, this simply involves wrapping the HF radio's power and antenna cable around some Amidon 43 ferrite rings, this can also be done for your bilge pump and other critical items that are going berserk. Flashing LED's and other lamps can be simply cured with 0.01 uf ceramic capacitor across the power line near the LED or lamp. This capacitor will also work well on bilge pumps. I would be very careful on aluminum boats because many of these capacitors on multiple circuits could cause stray currents. You can buy ready made chokes from companies like Radioworks, but there's nothing to these devices. Making your own will save you money. An antenna current Balun consisting of several ferrite beads of the Type 77 material placed at the antenna tuner will choke off any stray currents that will feedback into the DC system. Unfortunately this is typically what has to be done on all electronic installations for them to work correctly in the presence of RF fields, its just a shame that the companies who make this equipment don't do their jobs properly at the design stages. All it takes is a 1 dollar's worth of parts, and good design techniques. My boat is loaded with ferrites and I have zero problems and I run 600 watts on my HF system. All these problems can be cured if you have the desire to do so ... |
| If you are certain RFI is coming from the alternator, what you need is a bypass capacitor on it. You need one rated for at least 50 volts and 1000 microfarad minimum. It is connected with the positive output of the alternator connected to the positive terminal of the [electrolytic] capacitor and the negative terminal of the capacitor goes to the frame of the alternator. The trick is to get it right on the alternator which means some good mechanical mounting to keep vibration from moving the leads too much. Use stranded leads to replace the solid leads on the capacitor if it doesn't have screw terminals. When I say "get it right on the alternator" I mean that the leads from the capacitor must be as short as absolutely possible - less than 2 inches maximum - an inch on each lead is better. |
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There are two (at least) sources of spikes from a starter: Brush noise,
and a big spike when you let off the starter button and the solenoid
breaks contact. Brush noise can be transmitted through the air as
well. Other sources of spikes or "noise" are: turning on or off any
electrical switch, especially a switch to an inductive load like a
motor, motor brushes, generator brushes, alternator or other charger
pulsating DC voltage output, ignition point break if you have a gasoline
engine with mechanical distributor.
The above are sources of noise directly on the power line itself. Noise also can be induced in the power lines from outside sources, such as spark plug wires, brushes, switch sparks, any sparks, lightning in the vicinity, 120v power lines, ignition from passing vehicles, etc. Most noise can be minimized by putting a suitably sized capacitor between +12 and ground, and/or by putting an inductor in series with the +12 line. The size of the capacitor or inductor depends on the frequency and amplitude of noise. To absorb a really big inductive voltage spike, such as from point break or starter solenoid break would require a larger capacitor than small motor brush noise. A typical filter for electronic devices such as radios can be installed close to the radio itself, and consists of a capacitor between +12 and ground, plus an inductor in series with the +12 line. The inductor resists passing higher frequency noise, and the capacitor shorts the higher frequency noise to ground. Many mobile electronics units have such filtering built in to the unit itself or into their power line connection. Noise generated by a starter or other motor can be filtered at the source, since that will protect the rest of the +12 system. Generators and points, e.g., have capacitors to ground from their +12 connections. Noise elimination can be as much of an art as a science in some cases. Success depends on discovering the source(s) of the noise(s), and putting in the right kind of filtering. To protect against large inductive spikes such as from a starter you need a large capacitor to absorb the energy of the spike before it gets into your electronics. It might be easier and safer to just disconnect the sensitive loads first, since starting can involve dramatic variations in battery voltage that cannot be filtered out. |
| ... No matter who does the auto-pilot install, insist on shielded power cables throughout; don't be talked out of it by the dealer. This is the key to heading off problems with AP noise in your SSB as well as the SSB knocking the AP out of "auto" when you xmit. |
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With the proximity of the radio to the computer a couple of things could be happening.
The RF field generated by the radio could be entering the computer via external cables,
such as the power cable, or it could be just completely overwhelming the circuitry
on the circuit boards inside the computer. As a starting point I would suggest purchasing
a couple of ferrite cores (Radio Shack, or similar outlet) and wrapping the AC power
cable around and through them. Probably need several turns. The ferrite cores and
the wraps of AC power cable form a filter that will keep RF energy out of the computer,
assuming (a) that the cable was the point of entry, and (b) that the RF field is not so
intense that it will overwhelm the filter as well. If you have an externally connected mouse,
try the same ferrite core treatment. The other thing that you could try is to add a low pass
filter to the output of your SSB transmitter. The low pass filter (try a ham radio store)
allows HF frequencies to pass through, but attenuates higher frequencies. If the higher
frequencies are the cause of the laptop interference then the LPF will help. If not ...
No guarantee that these suggestions will work. Sometimes RF problems can be intractable. On my boat transmitting at certain frequencies will set off the AC ground protection units, on other boats the RF will upset the autopilot. In my home amateur radio station I have computers in close proximity with high power HF amplifiers and with a combination of low pass filters on the transmitters and amplifiers and ferrites on power lines I have no problems. |
| Concur but also add: Could have a SWR problem that is not detected. Do you have an adequate RF ground, not DC but RF ? Have similar set up and no RFI, but sometimes gets into the stereo, and the tach on engine control ... |
| And one more idea ... I know the laptop is seven feet from the transceiver, but ... how close is it to the antenna lead routing? Almost as significant. The other suggestions are all rich with probability. |
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Beyond Mike's and Rick's comments, a couple of questions:
i) If you disconnect the [laptop] charger AC (or DC) connection and transmit would the mouse go for a "walk"? ii) If you disconnect the interface with the NMEA(s) (GPS and/or autopilot and/or other interfaces) does the same thing happen? -- You may be getting a "feed" because of some improper grounding of another device or it's peripherals. iii) Are you using an external mouse or other device for the portable? If so, disconnect and see what happens. iv) I trust that you aren't using the software that controls the Icom 710 from your PC. Similarly you don't mention it, but are you using a (Pactor or other) modem to receive weather FAX's? You might try to see if you disconnect those and see if the situation continues. v) If you get this phenomenon from an isolated RF transmitter, then maybe you might try checking to see if you could ground the chassis of the PC. SOME portables have provisions for grounding the chassis of the portable. If not, you could try an alligator clip to a good ground and see if it helps. (By the way, my "new" Dell has a Ferrite filter on the AC charger unit. I haven't noticed interference.) |
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Most of those ferrites sold at Mouser etc are type 43 material, designed to stop low frequency
noise. Yes, you can use them, but you need a lot of them to achieve the same performance as one good core.
The ideal material is type 77; this is specifically designed for HF attenuation. A 2 to 3 inch core is all you need. You can read and find all the technical data at CWS ByteMark's "Magnetics and Ferromagnetics Materials" Fair-Rite has the best HF material called 31. Don't buy the wrong material; you are just wasting your money. [Also: Allied Electronics FerriShield Mouser Electronics palomar-engineers RF Parts Universal Radio ] |
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For those of you that have had trouble with your VHF-FM, stereo, or other
electronics with video displays giving a buzzing noise or static on the video, here is the fix:
Get a piece of 8 or 10 gauge wire long enough to go from the frig to a good ground buss bar. Connect one end to the casing of the frig. Twist the wire around the hot and ground DC power leads (and the AC wiring if you can) for as much of their run as you can. Connect the other end to the ground buss. |
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RFI from Danfoss controller in refrigerator: Wrap compressor and controller in copper foil and ground it onto the compressor's metal mounting legs. Also put chokes on the control wires coming out of the controller, as close as possible to the plastic controller box. Also, wrap controller box with copper screen from a hardware store. |
| We used a lot of i-net cafes ... We DID contract viruses. Some places would scan your disk before they'd let you bring it in but most didn't. I think we got 2-3 viruses while in Mexico and maybe one in Costa Rica, which took down our computer. |
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Most USA libraries offer free internet access, with no library card needed.
Smaller branches may have few machines. Printing usually costs 10 to 20 cents per page. Various libraries have time limits on Internet use (if someone is waiting), usually 30 to 60 minutes. Usually the wait to get a machine is 0 to 20 minutes, but a few times I've had to wait 45 to 90 minutes. Many/most libraries restrict application use to just a browser (no text editor, DOS command line, FTP, etc). But sometimes you can launch a text editor from IE browser by doing a "view source" on a web page. My last-resort access to FTP is to email files to someone else who can do an FTP from their computer for me. Most libraries I've used have had floppy drives available in the computers. Some say "no floppy disks allowed". |
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[Re: email at sea:]
Cyber Cafes are widespread but costs are not so cheap in some places. The cost is limited by the cost of phone connections that the internet has to use. In Ecuador and Tahiti it can be as much as $5/min. The cafes charge for connection time. Even if you have your mail on disk it takes more than one min to get organized. May be $25 min charge. In some cases it is cheaper to send a short fax. Less than A4 size can be less than a 1 min. |
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There are Cybercafes everywhere in the Caribbean, if that's where you plan
to go. Only the Bahamas are somewhat of a Black Hole in regards to modern
communications, as Internet hook up is outrageously expensive there.
On the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos group, you will find Internet kiosks even in the supermarkets! In the Dominican Republic, the Codatel offices provide cheap Internet access through their own PCs, or you could hook up your laptop. The US Virgin Islands are covered, the BVI are terrible and far too expensive for Internet. In St. Maarten you enter again modern territory, with affordable Internet everywhere, even at anchor, if you wish. |
| There are a couple of cybercafes in Nassau which cost $5 per half hour and work fine. |
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Bimini: 20 cents/minute; Nassau: 10 cents/minute; Black Point: 10 cents/minute; George Town Exumas 50 cents/minute. No cafes anywhere else in Exumas. All links slow except in Nassau. |
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Re: phone lines
> However, it is exceedingly common now for marinas to offer internet > connections - either through a formal set-up, where there is a > specific place for cruisers to bring their laptops and plug in, or > informally where you use the fax or credit card machine line. There > is almost nowhere on the ICW from the Chesapeake down to Key West > where this is not possible. Don't count on it. We went down the ICW from NJ to NC. Even if you consider the ICW starting in VA, not all places let me connect. At more than one place, the pay phones were also temporarily out of order or non-existent. Cruising between RI and DE we found the same thing. At some places, unless you are talking to the "person in charge", people don't know if it is ok to let you use the fax line. This happened to me at the Alligator River marina. They advertised a fax line available for cruisers, but the guy in the office would not let me connect my laptop. I checked multiple times, but the person in charge had not returned, so I could not use the line. Most places do have a place to connect, but you may not be able to get to it. Some connections are outside, so if it is very cold or raining, you and your laptop may not be very happy. The biggest limitation I found is that if you are borrowing a phone line inside an office, such as a fax line, you can only get to it when they let you during business hours. In many cases, before 8:00 AM or after 5:00 PM you are out of luck. The best places are those with a connection in a lounge or laundry area that you can get to at any time. So if you call ahead for a marina, don't just ask if they have a phone line - ask them where it is. The phone line at the dock in Oriental that both Rosalie and I mentioned does have a wrinkle. It is actually a shared line with the office, so you can get interruptions. Some places with a line you can use have it set up to work only with 800 numbers. Local calls will not go through. In order to use a phone card or credit card, I sometimes needed to plug in my regular phone to see what the problem was. In Coinjock, this allowed me to determine that the directions the marina gave me to get an outside line were incorrect. In Beaufort, this showed me that the processing was just slower - I had to put more commas in my dialing sequence to slow it down. Sometimes, I have used a splitter to plug in the phone and laptop simultaneously to get things to work. When you count on a phone line for work purposes, you will try almost anything! What I am going to do is get a new cell phone that I can use with the laptop so I have another option when I am cruising. It is too expensive for routine work use, but it will give me a lot more freedom when I am cruising. For the total east coast coverage that I need, Verizon seems to be the most reliable according to other cruisers. The nearest office is a 2 hour drive away, so I have not done it yet. |
| I used a PC at a Cyber Cafe in Ukraine earlier this year [2000] to trade stocks in my brokerage account. A site CAN require 128 bit encryption to make secure transactions, but in my experience they will generally work just fine with the 56 bit encryption generally available outside the US. Also, earlier this year the State Dept removed the export restrictions on "strong" encryption software, so you're likely to find 128 bit encryption in places that have taken the time to update their software. |
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Satellite internet [e.g. KVH] can only be done from a boat with an active pointing
system. Antenna pointing must be very precise, and even tied in a slip,
without a tracking method, it wouldn't work unless you had the antenna
mounted on the dock. Requires much more accuracy than DirecTV. Also, since
it is a transmitter as well as a receiver, it requires FCC certified
installer, and must be 5 feet above any area where people might walk (to
avoid the RF radiation). The antenna is heavy, 70 lbs (30kg) or so. I have
this system, DirecWay /
AmericanSatellite
(formally DirecPC) by Hughes Satellite Systems at
home. About $60/month.
I've used DirecTV on my boat and even with static pointing (ie, clamped to the bow rail), tied in a slip it works pretty well. Would only work at anchor with a pointing system, FollowMe TV is the least expensive alternative for calm anchorages. |
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The dish weighs about 70 pounds. It measures 23 X 39
inches. The FCC requires the installation be
performed by a licensed technician. This IS included in
the $580 purchase price. They have a plan where you
pay $99 a month for a year to pay off the dish,
modem, and installation and then you revert to whatever
the rate is when it is paid off.
It IS useless for anybody not at a fixed location due to VERY tight aiming requirements. No currently available 'stabilization platform' that is at all financially reasonable can keep the dish aimed NEARLY well enough. They will not estimate speed. There is even a bandwidth-limiting plan to restrict people downloading too many megabytes in any one day to try and assure "fair bandwidth sharing". |
Antenna configurations:
Short range: usually 75 to 300 feet. May be able to improve it with a better antenna on your laptop. Or make your own: How To Build A Tin Can Waveguide Wi-Fi Antenna. Maybe want a directional antenna, rather than an omnidirectional antenna. Gives stronger signal and more range, but must keep it pointed at the access point. Some antenna vendors: FAB Corp NetGate RadioLabs hField Wi-Fire Marine antenna: NetGate ANT-8OMNI-MARINE Client bridges / remote antenna systems: Port Network's Marine Wireless Bridge 200 (Ethernet) WaveRV Marine 300 remote antenna system (USB) Wi-Fi article by Ralph Naranjo in Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Ocean Navigator magazine From Vern on The Live-Aboard List:
From Steve on The Live-Aboard List:
From Jim Maynard on The Live-Aboard List:
My experience:
From Bob Stewart on The Live-Aboard List 10/2006:
From Jim Richardson on The Live-Aboard List:
High-powered Wi-Fi USB adapters: Radiolabs Wave Magnum Wi-Fi USB Adapter 500 MW output (about $160). Alfa 500 mW USB Wireless Adapter (about $60). BlueProton GSky (about $22). More internet cafes are offering Wi-Fi access: you bring your laptop in to the cafe, and use Wi-Fi to connect. Some coffee-shops and bookstores are offering free access: you bring your laptop, and buy coffee and snacks from them as you use the internet. Some airports and libraries also have free hot-spots. Near large apartment buildings, you often can find unprotected free access just by sitting on a curb with your laptop. A new standard coming out, 802.11n, is supposed to increase range and speed. Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) signal is vulnerable to interference from Ham or marine SSB radio, cordless phones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, and security cameras. And RFI from alternator, inverter, RADAR, refrigerator, etc. Free access: Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory Personal Telco Wiki's "Wireless Communities" |
| Type | Frequency | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| X-rays | near 1017Hz | near 10-9 meters |
| Visible light | near 1014Hz | near 10-7 meters |
| Microwaves | near 1010 Hz | near 1 centimeter |
| Radio | in high KHz and MHz | in meters |
| Audible | in Hz and low KHz | near 105 meters |
| Home AC | in Hz | near 107 meters |
| One of the lesser-known wonders of the wireless age is the sensitivity of everyday radio receivers. The average car radio, for example, can successfully receive signals of several billionths of a watt. |
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