<<<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
<<<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
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
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
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.
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.