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Thread: Ferrites

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    49

    Default

    <<<Default SSB again (Yikes!!)
    Hello Rich, Bob and Jonn,

    I will try to answer what I can.>>>

    Seabird51,Thanks for the quick response and good info.

    Rich
    cr1

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    448

    Default TransPac 2008 check-in plan (so far)

    Quote Originally Posted by seabird51 View Post
    I am not sure of how the check-ins will be managed this trip. I believe that SSB is not required but I suspect most of the check-ins will still be via SSB.
    Here's the current thinking for how position reporting will be handled in the 2008 TransPac. The significant difference between this race and prior races is that Race Committee is interested in playing a bigger role in the position reporting, and the Communications Boat must have email capability:

    As per prior races, there are two checkins per day, one in the morning, one in the evening. Each competitor is required to report a position at least once per day to either the Race Committee or the Communications Boat, as follows:

    1. check-in with the Communications Boat via SSB voice.
    2. arrange for a position report to be received at Race Committee via email.

    Choice 1 (SSB voice) is well understood and has been used before. Choice 2 (email to RC) is new and something of an experiment that may work well. There are several ways that choice 2 could be made to work, including:

    a. competitor picks up sat phone and telephones a shoreside third party, and the third party puts the position report into an email and sends it to RC.

    b. competitor sends an email directly to RC (presumably using SSB/pactor modem or sat phone/email).

    c. competitor sends an email to shoreside third party, and third party forwards the position report to RC.

    d. competitor carries a transponder that broadcasts position reports. Shoreside third party retrieves transponder position report, puts it into an email and sends the email to RC.

    The mechanics of how this might work are: prior to SSB roll call the RC will collect any positions received via choice 2 and forward them via email to the Communcations Boat. The Communications Boat will then be in a position to broadcast RC-received position reports as part of the normal SSB roll call. At the end of SSB roll call, the Communications Boat types up any SSB position reports received and sends and email off to RC (this is what we typically do during the race). At the end of all this, both the fleet and the RC should have a complete set of position reports received.

    - rob

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    30

    Default Sat Phone Costs

    Initial Iridium phone cost ?????

    External antenna and coax $449

    Sat phone to PC hook up $184

    monthly fee(includes 50 minutes) $64
    $1.59 a minute there after
    (other plans available)

    Weather Fax (1 year) $373

    E Mail ( 3 months ) $139

    Some of these cost are one time

    Overall cost does not work out much different than a used SSB e mail capable

    I will have a sat phone set up because of the ease of communication it allows.

    I am looking at a SSB also because of "check in insurance" and also because of the communication it allows with other participants. One of the reasons I got into solo sailing was that I enjoyed being around other solo sailers.

    My biggest problem with SSB (and I have had them on other boats) is ground plane and antenna issues. I sail a 30' boat with no hard backstay. I will not use a whip antenna (been there done that, broke to many) and I am not sure my keel will provide sufficeint ground plane. When the boat goes back in the water in January I will use some of your suggestions to overcome these issues.

    Looking forward to meeting some of you in October.

    Don

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Fresno, Boat in Mexico until Spring
    Posts
    37

    Default Iridium antenna

    Don,
    You can save some money on the Iridium antenna. I used the smaller white plastic unit and screwed it onto a white pvc rail mount as with GPS. Between the antenna and rail mount I used a gray irrigation riser.
    Lou
    PS I just looked at a few vendor websites. The price has gone up even for the white plastic antenna. In 2002 I had pretty good reception with the mag mount antenna on the cabin top with a longer cable.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    6

    Default Ground planes

    With a modern antenna tuner, the days of ripping a boat apart to install a large foil-based ground plane are pretty much over. A simple straight shot with 4" wide copper foil from the ground lug on the antenna tuner to a keel bolt should be more than enough to enable a good signal. Clamp the foil to any metal thru-hulls and tanks that you go past and you'll be even more assured of a fine counterpoise.

    Also, there's no need to glass the foil to the hull. Some double-sided sticky tape will do just fine. Contact cement, too.

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