[C38] SSB Antenna

[Richard West]

Hi Larry,

Very interesting - I have no experience with it but we're replacing standing
rigging, including insulated backstay and I might want to try it.  I found a
pdf here that has a quote from Gordon West whom I really trust:

http://gamelectronicsinc.com/mike.promoREV.120605.pdf.

It's curious that it's from such an old magazine (2005).  I guess this
antenna has been around for a while now.

Thanks,

Rich, Legacy, #360, San Diego ('till March ;-)




On Thu, May 19, 2011 at 8:24 AM, Larry Malmberg <Larrypi at roadrunner.com>wrote:

> 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
>
>
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