VHF and SSB Nets

We are back in Trinidad and I find once again I have been asked to be Thursday Net Control on the morning VHF net.  I did it last fall as well.  I don't mind.  In fact, it is a great way to give back to the cruising community and meet fellow cruisers.  People hear your voice, name and boat name each week,  and to a lesser extent, the same is true on your side.  Then one magical day, in the anti-fouling paint isle at Budget Marine you say hello to a fellow cruiser you don't know and soon they say "Hey, so YOU'RE Honey Ryder.  I hear you on the net each week.  Nice to meet you."

Our first year we met SO many cruisers first on the SSB Coconut Net and then finally in person, in some anchorage.  The same is true for last season.  We actually heard sv Badgers Set season one and two on the Coconut Net.  Half way through season two we finally met he Ken and Judith.  They invited us to a happy hour gathering of the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) and we met several other OCC cruisers that also check into the Coconut Net.  Ken let it be known that the OCC net was at 7:30 on 6227 and we started listening in on that net, meeting/hearing even more cruisers that we also see in various anchorages.

Now if you will remember back a few years, I haven't always had the best relationship with our SSB.  But I can say now, it has been a great way to meet fellow cruisers, "share information and keep cruisers connected" (part of the net control script for the Coconut Net).  Again, it's not hard to be net control.  You just need a good radio, the script and a pen and paper to take notes.  So.....if you ever have the opportunity to step up and be a net controller, take it!  And there is often the chance as current net controllers set sail leaving their day open.  You might be radio shy and or nervous but after the first time, that will pass.  Fellow cruisers don't care if you get tongue tied or goof up a hard to pronounce boat name.  They are supportive and happy to have the sharing of information.

The power of these nets was proven again this week.  Sunday morning net is usually a quite one.  Not everyone gets up on Sunday for the net.  This past Sunday as the net started, there was a broken radio transmission from a cruiser in need of assistance.  His transmission was faint and garbled at times and not everyone could hear it.  He was west of mainland Trinidad, in a bay off one of those islands over there.  His engine had quit, there was no wind and he was drifting, no immediate danger but the Venezuela coastline looms in the distance.....NOT a place you want to end up.  Through the use of those with powerful VHF radios and relays, the cruising community here was able to contact North Post Radio and they in turn contacted this solo sailor to assess the situation.  Later the Trinidad Coast Guard got involved and ultimately towed him into Chaguaramas harbor.  Nice group effort that all started because he got on the VHF radio during the scheduled morning net.    

Note -
The local net here in Trinidad is constantly looking for weather readers.  It's not as hard as it sounds but it does require internet.  All you have to do is go out to a few weather web sites and get the information and then read that on frequency when asked.  The hardest part is getting up a tad earlier so you can download the info.  But then again.....most cruisers get up way before us so that is not a problem.

Trinidad net - channel 68 at 8:00am AST
Coconut Net - SSB 8170 at 8:00am AST
OCC Net - SSB 6227 at 7:30 AM AST
KPK Net (Seven Seas Cruising Assc) - This is a new net on SSB 8104 at 7:45am AST and also available on 8152 after Cruiseheimers and Doo Dah nets
*There are many more nets depending on the area you are cruising.

      

SSB Battle -Update

The SSB guy (Corey from Triton Marine) came back yesterday to check our progress on the SSB battle.  We proudly showed him that we had made all the changes he suggested.  He plugged in his meter and the SWR numbers were much, much, better....down around the range where they should be.  Yay!!!  Our confidence is now cautiously higher that we will be able to use our SSB on our up coming passage.  However I still plan to cross my fingers and toes when I do use it - sort of a freaky new SSB yoga!  Feel free to join me.

We will be supplementing the SSB with a new satellite phone and sailmail.  That has been a interesting ride as well.   

SSB Battle - Professional Help Has Arrived

Back in the stern I went but this time with long sleeves and gloves

I called in a professional today.  Cory from Triton Marine showed up to take a look at the SSB.  He came aboard and took a quick look at the backstay antenna - "Looks ok."  Next stop was the nav station and SSB.  He went straight to the back of the unit and found one slightly loose connection.  DARN, why didn't I catch that!  Then he took out some sort of tester and connected it to the back of the SSB.  "Whoa!".....the SSB should be registering something like 1.0 or a little over on 8 megahertz and instead ours is registering like 12+.  Then he tested a couple of frequencies, one was so far off the chart it wouldn't register at all.  * I don't know what his machine was and I can't remember what exactly he said he was registering.  He just got straight to testing stuff, explaining as he went.  I was trying to keep up but our nav station is a comfy little space for ONE person.  I didn't want to freak the poor guy out by trying to jam my head in there right next to him to see what specifically he was doing.  And yes, I took my HAM test and got my technicians license but that doesn't mean I remember or know much of the tech stuff.

Looks good but we switched out the cable anyway

"You antenna isn't working.  "I KNEW IT!  I knew something wasn't right!  HA!....then.... Sigh and then slight panic...."Isn't that our backstay and what exactly does he mean "not working?"  Oh no.  Will we have to undo/de-rig the backstay?  Oh no.  I better quit talking to myself in my head and listen to what he is saying now."  Then he unscrewed the 90 degree elbow connector and tested again.  Better.  Turns out those can go bad/breakdown over time.  This is the original install - 1998.  he checked and tested a couple of other things.  Then we discussed how many connections we might have from SSB unit to backstay.  Next was a discussion about how the cable is run.  Long and short of it is he gave us some really terrific ideas of things to check and changes to make.

Not good.  This pulled loose when I unscrewed it at the ceramic insulator. Hum?

BONUS - Triton Marine has done most of the commissioning of most of the Caliber's after hull #150.  They know Calibers.  Once we found this out we started peppering both guys with all sorts of questions about everything Caliber.  They were willing to discuss and guide us on all the things we were throwing their way.  AND here is the amazing part, they were trying to get out of town.... today...right after their call with us!  Seems they have Garmin training the rest of this week in Baltimore.  But he knew from our conversation yesterday on the phone that we are under some time pressure to get the SSB issue figured out, so they stopped by prior to leaving town.  I didn't even know he was coming.  They didn't rush and took the extra time to discuss the other items we came up with.  How kewl is that!  We had our marching orders of items to tackle so I asked him "what do I owe you?"  "Tell you what, just get this stuff checked and changed on the SSB and then I will check back with you next week to follow up and we will worry about it then."  Awesome! 

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. 

SSB Battle Continues - Wounds Are Surfacing

We are still trouble shooting the SSB trying to get better reception.  Some days I hear about half of the boats checking in and net control.  Other days I don't hear anything.  Lots of cruisers have been trying to help with suggestions.  Checking the connections and grounding was suggested by several people.  Of course, but that is easier said than done.  Checking the connection at the backstay antenna was easy as it's in the cockpit.  "Yes, looks good."  Checking the connection at the AT130 tuner is a totally different story.  It's located in the far stern of our boat on the starboard side.  The only access is through a very small hatch in the back of the aft cabin - the spare cabin.  For fellow cruisers, you know what this means.  For those that are not liveaboards, it's the storage area of the boat.  We call it the garage on s/v Honey Ryder.  Imagine you main breaker box being located in the very far corner of your garage or basement behind all the stuff you store in there.  Now imagine it isn't just on a wall but in a secret compartment through a small opening.  I honestly don't know how they got it in there originally.  I suspect it was added as the boat was being built.  Seriously, because the copper grounding strips are attached to the hull and partially painted along with the fiberglass.

Tom on a previous project - access hatch in the background

Anyway, in the battle to master the SSB, we needed to check that connection so last night after a fortifying dinner, we started the process.  First we moved all the stuff out of our garage into the salon.  Then Tom removed the panel.  He could sort of feel the connection but he couldn't reach it to work.  The hatch opening was too small.  I was able to partially climb in through the hatch by putting one shoulder in at a time.  It really would have been better to have a 10 year old at this point in the project.  Where is the "Rent a Kid for Small Places" number when you need it!  I keep misplacing that number. 

This hatch was our only way to access the AT 130 SSB tuner

Once in there I had to crank around sideways and wedge myself up against the hull, resting on the exhaust thru hull at a slight down angle (with the hose clamps sticking straight out and into me of course) while resting my left hip bone on the sharp fiberglass hatch opening and the rest of my legs out in the aft cabin.  In the mean time, Tom dug around in the port cockpit locker - deep down and found the cooper grounding over there.  It was all attached, painted into the fiberglass in as well and looking good.   Once we opened the hatch to see what was what we just dove in.  There was no planning.  We just grabbed tools and dug in - I will expand on this later. 

It's the 3 tiered circle thing - it's actually cone shaped

The connection was a little corroded.  Honestly, I was hoping it would be really corroded, or loose or dangling, because then we would have had a big "Ah-Ha, that is why we are getting so much static." but there wasn't.  However, I was in there so I went ahead and cleaned the connection just in case the SSB is that sensitive.  This connection comes up directly under our stern cockpit coming.  I couldn't get my hand directly up to disconnect it from the angle I was at so I had to reach up and around the exhaust hose.  There was only room to turn the crescent wrench 1/4 turn each time.  Oh Joy!  Just as I was starting to worry about the nut dropping down into......Awe CRAP!  Yes, it dropped down into the bilge.  Argh!  Tom climbed back down into the port cockpit locker, across the battery bank and stretched to the far side toward me and blindly started feeling for it as I guided him...."more this way, more that way - oh...I mean port 1/4 inch, forward, starboard 1/2, aft.  Got it!"  Bonus, he found two washers as well. 

Cooper ground connection

By now I was feeling like an assistant in a magic show...."Now I will cut my assistant Sabrina in half" - my left hip was killing me and it felt like my spleen was about to burst from the pressure of laying across the hatch opening.  *I don't actually know if my spleen is on my left side.  I just know I am NOT a Chinese contortionist and I really can't be doing things like this.

Connection at the top of the tuner

With the connection clean and greased up with silicone grease (the kind for electric connections) I tried putting it all back together.  Oh but first, I put down a towel so that if I dropped anything, it wouldn't roll into the bilge.  See -I'm learning.  I carefully put it all back together but the nut wouldn't go on.  I tried and tried.  By now my legs outside the compartment were shaking, I was bleeding from a couple of good snags on various hose clamps and right hand had a open wound from rubbing across the top of the exhaust hose while working the crescent wrench.  It wouldn't screw on.  It was the wrong size nut.  I assumed the nut I saw in the bilge was the right one.  Turns out it was another nut.   Who knows where the SSB nut bounced off to.  Tom got another nut and I eased back into place and tried again.  It went on.  Woo Hoo!  Now the tightening, slowly 1/4 of a turn at a time reaching over the exhaust hose.  I could only get it so tight.  I backed out and somehow Tom cranked himself around on his back and wedge 1/3 of the way in the hatch to check it.  He declared it was on good enough.  I stood checking my wounds when I started to itch.  Oh, no.  Remember when I said once we got the hatch open we just dove in?  Well, I should have changed into a long sleeved shirt or even a turtleneck.  I had microscopic, invisible pieces of fiberglass all over my arms, neck and face.  Fiberglass rash.  I spend the rest of the evening and up to shower time this morning scratching because of fiberglass rash.  Today the full extend of the wounds surfaced.  They are numerous on this particular SSB fight but at least now we can eliminate the thought/worry of a loose and or corroded wire at the tuner.  And please don't comment or email me "have you read the instruction manual."  Tomorrow we battle on.   

Early Morning, SSB and Baseball

6:10 am this morning the alarm went off.  Early for us. No, we are not headed out on passage.  Tom did not get up.  I had to get up and try to make friends with our SSB radio - single side band.  Fingers and toes crossed, I turn it on and begin dialing and dialing and dialing, begging it to tune in Chris Parker's Weather.  Please!   I hate the SSB.  I want to rip it out and toss it overboard.  Seriously people!  HATE IT!
Sv Honey Ryder came with this SSB.  There are notes from the original owners about using it not only for cruising nets and conversations with other cruisers but for weather fax.  We I have never been able to get it figured out.  I have read and re-read and re-read the manual several times.  I have searched the Internet and read helpful articles.  I studied and got my HAM technician's license thinking that would help.  It did not.  I hung out with the Johnson County HAM's back in KC thinking that would help.  Nice group, no help at all.  In their defense, SSB for marine use is just that much different in terms of how the machines work so HAMs in the middle of KS couldn't really help.  Once a couple of years ago a fellow cruiser came onboard when we were in Brunswick GA and helped me.  We were able to hear his wife on their boat a few docks over and call her back from ours. Woo hoo.  This was huge.  However, we flew home and the next time I tried I really couldn't get much. Most of all, I never seem to get the weather, the thing we really need.  Cruisers assured me "it's probably because you are in a marina".  So I left it alone and turned my focused to the many, many other things that needed attention on our boat.  My thinking was that I could tackle this once we were underway and away from the marina.  Hey, maybe I would even find another cruiser with the same 710M that would say with a smile "Oh, we have one.  It's a little tricky.  Why don't I just come over and show you all about it and we can run through everything together."  We'd giggle, skip down the dock and become SSB BFF's.  FYI -This hasn't happened to date.
I have had some success.  A couple of weeks ago I picked up Waterway Net - a HAM net for cruisers with their HAM general license.... I only have my technicians license, one below general.  Anyone can listen to the Waterway Net but only HAMs with this level of license can talk.  They are very strict about this. Actually it's the FCC that is strict but it sort of smacks of a high school clique feel to me because it's limited.  I have also been able to pick up Cruiseheimers a few times.  This is another cruisers net where anyone can chime in. But no weather.  Argh!
Of course anyone that knows me knows I have been seeking help from other cruisers - almost to the point of desperation.  I am not shy about reaching out to others.  "Hi.  Nice to meet you.  We are new to the marina.  So do you have an SSB?"  Next step is to aggressively stop strangers on the street.  I plan to start that tomorrow.  Those that I do ask for help generally ask the same questions.  "What's the problem with your SSB?"  I reply " I can't seem to get dialed in the stations I need - like weather and even when I do, there is nothing but static."  Then they say it.... the phrase that  I  we have heard over and over " so have you tried just dialing in the station?". Oh, ok.  How stupid of me!  Like I haven't been trying!  Argh!  Actually it took quite a while to even figure out how to do that because the stations are pre-programmed in from the original installation.  You turn the dial but it only goes to preprogrammed frequencies.  The installing tech programmed those in using a computer hooked to the SSB.  Those pre-programmed frequencies are no longer correct.  Turns out some of the SSB radios are open as in allow you to reprogram and some are not.  WT_?!  However, finally we figured out how to manually dial in a frequency.....sort of.  Pushing the direct numbers doesn't seem to work right so I have been manually changing the dial.  For those that don't know, the SSB is not like a HAM dial that moves smoothly and quickly through thousands of frequencies at the speed of light.  NO. I have been hand cranking with fingers and hands cramping through thousands of frequencies.  I am not kidding.  Ask Tom.
"Maybe your SSB is broken."  But I have gotten some frequencies.  In addition to the above mentioned, we have picked up a few super scary religious programs and the BBC once.
I emailed other cruisers with SSB's for help.  Most have other types of SSB so they can't help me with this specific unit.  One suggested I join a yahoo chat group specific to the 710m.  Great!  Chat groups have really come to my aid before.  However, so far I am finding this group is too....advanced. They are talking about installation, tuners internal and external, tweaking of radio parts, frequency modulation, advanced stuff.  As I read along, I feel like Penny on the TV show Big Bang Theory.
I keep threatening to make it a dinghy anchor.  Tom sweetly suggested we get another model.  I refuse.  I am convinced it works.  We have heard some stuff on there.  It's just me.  So I sit most mornings and try and try to get something....by 9:35AM I am defeated and back to dinghy anchor thoughts.  Last night I got the usual from a fellow sailor  "what happens when you just dial in the frequency?"  ARGH!   and "you won't get much in this marina"  ARGH again!  *I am not being ungrateful.  I SO appreciate everyone trying to help me.  It's just become funny the standard questions like...."are you sure it's on?"  We discussed that perhaps propagation was the problem and that I should actually get my butt  up earlier and try some of the other times and frequencies.  This fellow sailor also suggested that I try the basic standard weather channels.  After dinner last night, I decided to sarcastically give it a try.  What the hell, nothing to lose but my time, energy, patience, sanity!  Surprise, surprise -  Nothing on the weather channels.  Again, what the hell, let's see if I can get anything on any frequency anywhere.  Boom!  Voice of America - The Dodgers / Cardinals baseball game just as loud and clear as if we were in the broadcast booth.  Tom cheered my success.  I could only laugh.  Yes it's success but the funny thing is I can't stand baseball.  (Yes, I know...un-American, but it's a boring, antiquated sport to me).  But who cares, it was something.  I continued to laughed like a loon telling Tom " We might get seriously thrashed by the worst storm ever (because we can't get weather) but apparently we can listen to baseball as it's happening."  I don't feel successful unless I can get the weather.  Where is the weather!!!!!  I want my weather!  What a stupid, outdated technology!  No wonder people opt for Satellite phones instead of SSB these days.  Sheesh! 
So... I set the alarm for 6:10am this morning so I would have enough time to dial through a couple of hundred frequencies to get to the correct one for 6:30am weather.  Nothing.  Then I dial in the frequency for the 7am.  I start writing this blog posting and I wait.    Nothing but static.  I feel defeat.  I dial in the 7:30 frequency and go back to this sad blog posting while I wait.  I am SO frustrated.    What am I doing wrong?  Why can't I get the weather to come in?  What are we going to do?  We are going to have to scramble to get this "fixed", replaced or something.  We have to have a way to get the weather.  OMG!  
Then a new sound comes through.  It is not the normal static.  There is a voice in there somewhere.  I strain to hear.  Yes, definitely something.  Static, static, "squalls" static "winds of 15" static "waves 3-4"..... OMG!  It's weather! I am hearing small bits and pieces of Chris Parker's 7:30 weather.  It comes in a little stronger.  I am only getting a fraction of what he is saying.  Not enough to test out the digital recorder I will use for weather in the future but I am getting official Chris Parker static.  Woo hoo.  Success!  Sort of....but I am claiming it.  Now I just need to figure out how to get it to come in so I can understand the majority of broadcast.  I start flipping the switches on and off on our AC/DC panel like crazy, trying to clear up the signal.  Often systems turned on can cause interference.  Nothing works.  But I have official Chris Parker static with weather words thrown in.  For today, I will take that.  This SSB will live to see another day onboard.  Tomorrow we will battle again as I continue to try to get the other frequencies to come in at the specific times.    I am determined to conqueror and master this SSB. 
Update - After I finished writing this I was able to pick up the Cruisheimers Net.  I couldn't hear everyone but I could hear some....AND.....wait for it......I tried check in (transmitting) and they heard me!  They actually heard me.  This is HUGE!  The big stupid thing works.  It actually works.  Later I had a nice chat (via cell phone) with a man named Paul Hansen that I think works for Icom customer service.  We discussed my struggles and he gave me some good information and suggestions.  "That is one of the tougher units in terms of working it and programming it."  Understatement of the year in my mind but I realize it's just my little world and mind.  Who knows, maybe we will even listen to a baseball game tonight if there is one on the SSB to listen to.