FAQ
We have tried to give general answers to the frequently asked questions, knowing that amongst a great variety of vessels one needs to find an individualized solution for the installation of SSB-equipment. Please contact us for further assistance.
1. Why should I install SSB-equipment on my vessel?
Modern SSB technology has so much to offer that sailors can benefit from: SSB-radios allow for ship-to-ship conferences over several thousand nautical miles, a service no other communication method can provide. It is reassuring to know that you can speak easily to other vessels, which are often best placed to provide the fastest assistance in an emergency.
Even without facing an emergency, you will be able to take part in the sailor’s community around the world. There has always been a lot of activity over SSB radio amongst sailors sharing valuable hints and experiences.
2. What is the right SSB-transceiver for me?
There is a number of different models available; we basically recommend ICOM transceivers due to their performance. Some of the radios can be obtained including Pactor. In the following we a have listed the four models, we install most:
IC-78/mail 1,6-30MHz (marine & ham frequencies) - for export
IC-M802 set marine frequencies - for export
IC-M801E set marine frequencies - EU approved
IC-M801GMDSS set marine frequencies EU & SOLAS approved
Please contact us for further details.
3. What is the best SSB antenna for my vessel?
There are basically four types of antennas to be installed on yachts:
1) The classical whip antenna
2) The insulated backstay - an integrated antenna solution
3) The Dyneema antenna - coated copper wire
4) The Split Lead antenna
Which solution is best for you very much depends on the premises on your vessel. Please contact us for further details.
4. How can I create proper grounding for the SSB-equipment on my vessel?
One needs to understand that every unsymmetrical SSB antenna needs ground, respectively sea-ground. The basic antenna suitable for HF-frequencies is a dipole, a symmetrical type of antenna, consisting of two poles / arms that would need to be fixed at the masthead. As most vessels do not have two masts, the type of antenna Yachtfunk.com usually installs on vessels is not a dipole, thus one pole is cut off. The missing pole therefore needs to be grounded.
Grounding on metal-vessels is relatively easy. Even if you apply antifouling, contact to seawater can be achieved with the help of capacitive coupling. The metal hull acts as one plate of the capacitor, seawater as the other. However, with a GRP hull, things become a bit trickier.
Traditionally, boatyards have installed dynaplates, which allow for a direct contact to seawater, which is a good electrical conductor. At first glance, dynaplates seem to be a clever solution, looking at the way they are built; they consist of little pellets making the contact surface bigger than the holes to be cut into the hull for their installation. Unfortunately, this apparent advantage turns out to be their biggest drawback, because after about six months of sailing algae and shells will have started to colonise the pellets, so they need cleaning or replacement to do their job properly. Since at least two plates are needed for grounding, maintenance will soon turn out to be an annoying and expensive issue. The solution to this problem is an electrical trick also used with metal-vessels: a capacitor does the ‘grounding-job’. Installing a copper or aluminium-based foil of about 3sqm in the bilge would make up for one half of the capacitor, the second half is the seawater – the two conductors are separated by the GRP-hull. Still, foil is unfavourable for a long-term installation as it is easily breakable. The best solution is to use SSB-ground-paint, a silver-plated copper coating to be applied inside the vessel below the waterline near the antenna-tuner. As with foil, a surface of about 3sqm should be painted for good results. This installation has three major advantages: Firstly, the antenna-tuner can be located close to the ground-plane. Secondly, we can couple a rather large area to seawater (capacitive coupling), and thirdly, the painted area is not susceptible for environmental effects that would lead to corrosion, thus it is maintenance free. Over coating with conventional spar varnish for conservation is advisable. The antenna-tuner can be connected to the ground plane with the help of a broad embedded copper strap.
Please contact us if you plan to realize grounding on your vessel.
5. Do I need any licenses to operate SSB-equipment?
The answer to this question is threefold:
1) If you want to operate marine equipment, you need the Long Range Certificate (LRC).
2) If you want to operate ham-radio equipment, you need a ham radio license.
3) If you have neither of the two, please contact us for advice.
6. Why should I add Pactor to my SSB-radio?
You can connect a Pactor modem to your radio, which will enable you to transmit e-mails and GRIB-files, with just a modest annual fee, once you have subscribed to a continuously growing network such as sailmail.com that provides worldwide coverage. Additionally, you can receive weather fax and Navtex on the same equipment.
7. How do I get my equipment installed?
As the premises on vessels differ greatly, there is quite a lot to take into account to properly install SSB equipment on yachts. Therefore, it is difficult to give a general answer to this question. Please do consider asking us for assistance.
8. Can I update my website / logbook via SBB & Pactor?
If you have a website or an internet logbook you'd like to update with daily entries including pictures and position report, you can easily do this using SSB & Pactor at a modest annual fee. If you do not have an online logbook, yet, we'd be happy to set one up one for you. Please contact us for an individualized log.
9. Does Yachtfunk.com offer workshops for SSB & Pactor?
If you want to make use of all the features provided by SSB-radios you might benefit from taking part in one of Yachtfunk.com's SSB-workshops. We have set up a course programme oriented towards applied operational issues concerning the use of Pactor, downloading weather, and technical understanding of the equipment.
Please contact us for further detail.
10. Can there be interferences due to SSB-equipment onboard?
Depending on the installation of the electrical system onboard interferences may occur. Long wiring can act as a receiving antenna. Unless the wires are not screened or equipment is not properly grounded there may be some interferences. We are doing our best to avoid these by using SSB-Ground-Paint as the best possible grounding on GRP-hulls. Still, there will always be a slight chance for interferences due to the way the other electrical equipment onboard is installed. The shorter the wiring and the better the grounding of the electrical system, the less susceptible it is for interferences.
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