[C38] SSB Antenna

[Larry Malmberg]

Have any of you tried the below antenna for your SSB and if so how did it
work for you?

 

http://www.cruiserlog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2946

The below is from the link above.

"Why spend the money on some costly SSB antenna when you can make one
yourself that you can carry in a small bag? Here s how:
 
Buy a length of standard 10mm ski rope that is twice the length of your mast
plus about 5 meters. Also buy (if you do not already have one) a small block
you can tie to the top of your mast. Now, depending on the tuner you have
with your new radio, you need to calculate the length of antenna you need,
remembering that your antenna starts at the insulated terminal of your
tuner. For an Icom tuner, 13.5 meters will tune up quickly on both marine
and HAM frequencies. Buy the length of wire (tinned copper multi-strand is
the best   with about a 1mm diameter inner core). From about 50cm from the
one end of the rope open the braid and take your time feeding the wire into
the rope until you only have sufficient wire left to feed through a deck
gland to the top of the tuner. Fasten the 50cm  tail  to the stern rail of
your yacht and then take the other end up the mast, through the block and
down to the base of the mast, where you tie it off. 

Make sure that the tuner is well earthed to give you a good counterpoise and
have fun on the bands! I deliver boats, that have no HF/SSB radios, all over
the world with this antenna and an Icom 706 HAM radio   easy and quick to
install and remove and I talk on the setup all the way from the US coast
back to South Africa. Also, I do my email via the radio and antenna with no
problems. My $20 antenna has done over 200 000 nm with me with only one
break in the Pacific. Fortunately, I had another 13.5 meter length of wire
with me which took 30 minutes to replace the old one. The reason for the
break in the wire was salt water getting into a small cut in the insulation
of the wire caused when trying to land a 70Kg yellow fin tuna. The corrosion
acted a lot quicker than I anticipated! The fish went down a treat and was
well worth the cost of the new length of wire!"
 


This looks to be a simple inexpensive antenna for a SSB/Ham Radio, I'm just
wondering how to connect it at the top of the mast, any suggestions???





Best regards,

Larry Malmberg
Team Hassle