Audio Recordings of Cruiseheimers Net

Goofing around last winter with an old HAM mic - not connected

According to the web site Bigdumboat - "The Cruiseheimers net is about keeping in touch and helping cruisers connect and share information.  Since we're a scattered community, it helps create cohesiveness among us, no matter how distant."    Net Manager: Dave "Dyad"

More of the same

As most of you know, we have been battling with our SSB.  As part of the learning process, I discovered that this net does an audio recording each morning of that morning's net.  I didn't know this until recently.  You can find these on Bigdumboat web site, on the Cruisehemiers tab- on the right hand side where it says Audio Broadcast.  Then the days of the week will show up below and you can click on that day and listen to the recording.  It's a good way to get used to what a SSB net sounds like as well as the language.  Additionally, you can know where various boats are and where they are headed, provided they check in on the net.  For us, it's a great way to hear the parts that we might have missed when we listened via our SSB.  This morning I caught about 60% of the boats checking in on our end.  I was struggling to hear net control at times.  Cruiseheimers Tech Net is at 9am on Sunday's and Wednesday's.  Thanks to Dave on "Dyad" I was able to do an extended radio check on that net.  I called a boat located in Tampa Bay FL and they were able to hear me.  I could hear them...ok.  So - I guess the stupid SSB is working.  I still hate it but it works. 
Here is the link to this mornings Sunday Cruiseheimers Net    I checked in this morning so listen closely.

Oh and here's something interesting.  Mid-day we were visiting with a dock neighbor about LED nav lights.  I did my usual..."So, do you have a SSB?"  He did.  We told him that we are struggling to get the hang of it and really aren't hearing but maybe 1/2 with a lot of static.  "Well, yeah.  That is just the nature of it.  Once my buddy and I had to use our Bahamas SIM card cell phones to call each other and stay on the phone for a long time as we dialed our SSB's together, trying to find a channel we could talk on and hear each other!"  We are learning more and more that this is just how it is.  While that makes us feel better that it's just not us or our SSB, it doesn't really give us a warm and fuzzy about the technology and reliability of it over all.