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Thread: SSB Radio Check

  1. #1
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    Aug 2013
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    Default SSB Radio Check

    If present plans hold, on Monday, August 7, Morning Star will be anchored in Mission Bay, San Diego, CA, roughly 32o 46.04’ N, 117o 14.83’ W, where I will be trying ship-to-ship calls on SSB, hoping someone from this group can pick me up and respond. My thinking is to announce myself and wait for answers back on the following frequencies and times:

    4A (4.146 MHz) at 1900
    8A (8.294 MHz) at 1905
    6A (6.224 MHz) at 1910
    12A (12.353 MHz) at 1915

    All channels are simplex in USB mode; all times PDT. Morning Star’s call sign is WDI5764.

    The SSB setup on Morning Star seems solid. All the data stuff via Pactor modem/Sail Mail/Sail Docs works great. I’ve spoken with WLO for radio checks and a ship-to-shore telephone call, but have not yet done any ship-to-ship calls. As a result, I’d appreciate any suggestions, and happy to modify the proposed plan if another scheme is more likely to succeed.
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  2. #2
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    Default

    The plan is definitely on for Monday evening's radio check. One boat in the PNW is expected to participate, and I hope to line up another boat locally in SD. Suggestions still welcome if anyone wants to weigh in.

    There is decent cell phone coverage at the anchorage, so there will be the opportunity to follow up by telephone if radio contact is missed or garbled. We can exchange phone numbers by PM if you are interested.
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Default

    Apropos of nothing.... when I did my SSB checks in 2008, I motored myself out of the forest of masts at Coyote Point out to the isolated dock near the launch ramp. That put about 150 feet between me and the nearest upright aluminum thing that could mess with my signal. You might want to consider extricating yourself from your marina for this.

    Also, I talked to people in Richmond, Marin and Oakland, meaning distances of 30-40 miles. When I did the 2008 race I talked to boats that were 50-75 miles away, like the General. I could hear Hecla, who was as much as 250 miles ahead, but I couldn't talk to him. I figured that was adequate. I managed to do my daily check-in. So if you can't talk from Arizona to Washington, I'm not sure that's really a problem.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  4. #4
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanH View Post
    Apropos of nothing....
    Actually, quite apropos of the topic at hand. Useful comments, and I thank you for them.

    Getting out of the marina for this is definitely in order. The power boxes on the docks throw off way to much electrical noise to be able hear anything clearly. The anchorage in Mission Bay will be pretty empty on a Monday night, which is why I'm heading up there. That, and I always like to get out for at least an overnight somewhere whenever I'm on the boat. Plus, it will be a lot easier to conduct the session at anchor than it would be underway.
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  5. #5
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AZ Sailor View Post
    Actually, quite apropos of the topic at hand. Useful comments, and I thank you for them.

    Getting out of the marina for this is definitely in order. The power boxes on the docks throw off way to much electrical noise to be able hear anything clearly. The anchorage in Mission Bay will be pretty empty on a Monday night, which is why I'm heading up there. That, and I always like to get out for at least an overnight somewhere whenever I'm on the boat. Plus, it will be a lot easier to conduct the session at anchor than it would be underway.
    I'm sure you know this, but....

    Being able to talk 20-30-40. miles on the SSB is one type of transmission, in regards to atmospheric conditions. I think that's called ground-wave transmission and it uses lower frequencies.

    Being able to talk 1,000-plus is something else entirely. Like, you bounce your radio signal off the ionosphere, or something which I never really understood all that well. That's called sky wave propagation. What I DID understand was that my radio might be working just great, but atmospheric conditions don't cooperate, and so all you get is that 25-200 mile transmit.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  6. #6
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    Default

    if you're cruising, which I never have, but seems to me that it would be pretty nice to talk to your buddies back in Mexico, send Sail Mail from halfway to Fiji and all that. So it would be nice to have that sky wave transmission working. However, if you're installing the radio so that you can check in during a SHTP, then a couple hundred miles is more than enough. There will undoubtably be multiple boats within ground-wave transmission distance during the race.

    If you have the killer installation and can chitchat at will back to the mainland, you might wind up being the COM boat!
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  7. #7
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AZ Sailor View Post
    Actually, quite apropos of the topic at hand. Useful comments, and I thank you for them.

    Getting out of the marina for this is definitely in order. The power boxes on the docks throw off way to much electrical noise to be able hear anything clearly. The anchorage in Mission Bay will be pretty empty on a Monday night, which is why I'm heading up there. That, and I always like to get out for at least an overnight somewhere whenever I'm on the boat. Plus, it will be a lot easier to conduct the session at anchor than it would be underway.
    I'm sure you know this, but....

    Being able to talk 20-30-40. miles on the SSB is one type of transmission, in regards to atmospheric conditions. I think that's called ground-wave transmission and it uses lower frequencies.

    Being able to talk 1,000-plus is something else entirely. Like, you bounce your radio signal off the ionosphere, or something which I never really understood all that well. That's called sky wave propagation. What I DID understand was that my radio might be working just great, but atmospheric conditions don't cooperate, and so all you get is that 25-200 mile transmit.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    3,688

    Default

    Two or three tests ago (2008?) I anchored off the mouth of the Estuary. I could talk to Skip in Capitola but I couldn't hear those of you who were closer. For a test before the 2014 Pac Cup, I anchored off the west end of Potrero Reach (near RYC) and had a nice conversation with VALIS up in Friday Harbor, WA on 4, 6 and 8 bands. So I think testing with stations in that medium range matters.

    BTW, both tests were at dusk. I never had much success in the daytime.

    Also, I have a KISS-SSB "ground plane" coil for sale. It works fine - it's what I used for the 2014 Pac Cup. I'll take half of whatever they cost new.
    Last edited by BobJ; 08-04-2017 at 04:52 PM.

  9. #9
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    Aug 2013
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    Seattle, WA
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    Thanks, Bob. And thank you again, Alan, for the further observations. All good data points to help with the process.

    Fortunately, I'm haven't been dealing with any issues/choices about purchase and installation of the SSB. When I bought Morning Star in 2015 she already had ICOM M710RT SSB, antenna tuner, insulated back stay antenna, Pactor PTC-IIpro, copper foil ground to keel, all professionally wired and installed. Enough of a challenge to learn how to use it all, and get it all to play nice with the lap top and each other, etc. It has been a process, but very satisfying.

    Hoping to be proficient by race time, and to use all this for long range cruising after the race. Don't think I'm qualified to be com vessel yet, but maybe by next summer . . .
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Olympia, WA
    Posts
    54

    Default

    I will be listening this evening. I'm going to drop the anchor about 5 miles north of Olympia.
    Jeff

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