khayyam 68 Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11912428 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 Saw that. They were very lucky someone close by was listening to the radio at that time of the night! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Adrianp 120 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Yes, Very lucky the ketch had the radio on. It must have been an SSB? Do many people leave theirs on at anchor when you in a location like that or is it more likely they happened to be up and calling someone? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 The rescue centre's search and rescue officer Geoff Lunt said the family were very lucky a yacht happened to be anchored nearby, as Beveridge Reef was 400km southeast of Niue and there were no other vessels anywhere in the vicinity. "The skipper of a New Zealand-registered 18-metre steel ketch answered the emergency radio call from our Maritime Operations Centre within seven minutes. It was very fortunate they were anchored in the lagoon and listening to the distress channel at 2.30am," he said. bloody lucky to be near a night owl with big batteries Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 I leave mine on. Who did the rescue? Must have been tough on the reef at night with waves etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jon 360 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Can anyone else find a nearby reef on their charts ? Nothing showing on my Navionics only Niue 140nm down wind and Palmerston 280nm up wind ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 seems atoll would be a better name maybe they got their in the dark + missed the entrance he was inside, anchored, in bed with the ssb left on, on the emergency channel? night time so he wouldn't have seen them smashing up and they wouldn't have seen them coming in quite possibly he knew from the daily radio cct they were coming in late and had left the radio on just in case? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 106 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Dona Catharina rescues Avanti. I feel sick. I'd been hoping to meet up with those guys here in Fiji. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cj! 19 Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Wonder how many are still fitting SSB these days as more and more cruisers seem to be using options like Iridium Go, inReach or a Yellowbrick as offshore communication options? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 From what I see, most of the short term cruisers ( Long term cruisers and circumnavigators still seem to have SSB, although often both systems. Still the cheapest email and weather solution long term is an SSB and Pactor. Pactor 4 is often/usually faster than a cheap satellite solution as well, but the Pactor SSB combo needs more understanding and practice to make it go properly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marinheiro 352 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Following on from IT's comment one of the challenges going down the SSB route is actually buying one. Thanks to the bureaucrats in the EU and USA continually moving the goal posts there will soon not be an affordable new Marine SSB on the market. ICOM are the only manufacturer left at the cruisers level, they have stopped production of the M801 (EU/Australia/NZ type approval) because it does not meet latest EU rules. Their 802 has fallen foul of some new ITU rules which has affected their type approval in USA and may have caused production to be halted and with reduced demand may not be recommenced. There are a few new M710's and 802's on EBay and the odd used one, but not so common these days. The other option is the HAM radio route, being aware that if these have been "opened up" that they are not legal on marine bands or in fact to be used by a non licensed operator. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 MH, im not sure that is completely accurate. You cannot broadcast on a Ham frequency (except in an emergency) without a Ham licence. You can transmitt on a marine freq if you have the appropriate licence. Personally I use a modified Ham unit, and it works great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cj! 19 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Given the costs and regulations around setting up and operating SSB and potentially a better sat situation coming with Iridium Next in the near future, I think I'd be leaning towards just an SSB receiver to go with a sat phone and an inReach or a Yellowbrick. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcp 32 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 How much does a New SSB setup cost with a modem? Installed and ready to run that is and what do the Iridium Go's cost? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 you can by an Icom M710 ex singapore for NZD 1700 odd. An antenna tuner is about $650, and a pactor 4 is about 2k ex USA. Say 4500 all up, plus install if you can diy. Ex GST Irridium Go is about 1K ex USA, or Ausy, the marine kit (with external Antenna) is about $1500 also Ex GST. The Sat systems are definitely cheaper to buy, just not to operate. You can sometimes pick up 2nd hand SSBs for $500 odd. Cheap option is a modifed ham radio, from about $700 new on ebay, 3-500 2nd hand. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beccara 25 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 If you are handy with some math and basic electronics then getting your NZ Ham license is pretty easy. That opens up cheaper options but limits you to HAM bands, I think you can still access sailmail on ham bands. May not be as hardy as a m170 but you can grab one with tuner built in for $1000-$1500 + Pactor Modem Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 You dont need Sailmail if your a ham. You can use Airmail, which is basically the same, but totally free Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marinheiro 352 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Coming back to radios and frequencies there are two legal issues to consider 1. A users licence relates to the type of radio you can operate and on what frequencies - to operate a radio intended for use on Amateur bands (and to transmit on those bands) you must have a General Amateur Operator's Certificate of Competency and a personal call sign. (advice from my uncle who is an NZART examiner). 2. Amateur radios are not approved for use on any bands other than the recognised amateur bands as set out by the ITU. It is about techo stuff to do with frequency stability and width of the transmission signal. It comes back to the basis of amateur radio which allows HAMs to transmit on their bands with anything they like whether it is a commercially purchased radio or something they have built themselves. A HAM can transmit on amateur bands using an "opened up" marine SSB. Those are the rules, I know the reality may be something different and I currently have exactly the same rig as IT set up on CZ, and yes it works fine but it is a case of use at your own peril. When I purchased CZ it came with an old amateur radio (the PO's were HAM's) and within a couple of months I received a letter from Spectrum Management wanting to know what had happened to the radio and whose licence was it registered under. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Do you have to know Morse these days to pass the ham test? Can you use channel 16 on a ham radio? How portable are they? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Adrianp 120 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Seem we're talking SSB - I have a question you guys can help me with! A yacht I'm looking at buying has the main SSB box right next to the Raymarine Course Computer. Would having them this close cause issues? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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