Hello again.....
(Wow, I've been away for a couple of days and this topic has really gotten popular!)
I don't wish to throw any cold water on anyone.....Nor do I dispute that the IC-706, FT-897, FT-857, etc. are usable rigs......for their intended purpose (Ham radio....mobile/portable, etc.)
And, if you're a ham on a budget (aren't we all!!!), and also a sailor....AND you wish to do some casual hamming while enjoying sailing, then a ham rig onboard is a decent option........(actually VA7MGK's IC-735 is VERY popular and a nice rig for sailing hams!!) and I'm sure that EA4XK is finding his rig is working fine, and VA7CPC will find his to work as well.....
So, good wishes to you all!!!!
BUT, IF YOU INTENDED USE IS FOR LONG-RANGE COMMUNICATIONS (SSB, PACTOR.....USCG, etc) while sailing OFF-SHORE / HI-SEAS (Atlantic/Pacific crossings, etc.), or in extreme enviroments (Off-Shore Races, Southern Ocean, etc.)........
and/or its PRIMARY function is that of a "safety device".....
Then there is NO question in my mind that you DO NOT want a "ham rig"!!!!
ESPECIALLY a small/compact "menu-driven" one that is difficult to set-up or operate for non-technical people, and is all but impossible to use with gloves on (as well as polarized sunglasses ---- LCD display readability troubles...)
And, while you may find that "ham rig" to be "easy enough" to use when at a quiet anchorage, or while on a nice sail in calm waters.......if you end up needing it in an emergency, with your adrenaline pumping, etc. you just might find that it's NOT so easy to use.....and that cause a serious situation to turn to a dire one.....where lives are at risk.....
(but at least you saved a few hundred dollars...Hi, hi)
PLEASE understand, I'm NOT in the marine electronics business......but with almost 30 years of HF communications experience at sea.....both power and sail.....and both ham and commercial maritime, (operating, installing and repairing) AND with a LOT of that being OFF-SHORE / HI-SEAS, I can tell you that I've sailed with almost any combination of radios/rigs you could imagine (including NONE at all!).........
And, in all of that, AS WELL AS over 20 years of experience in Ham radio on-shore (rigs, antennas, propagation, etc.)....
I TRULY LOVE my ham radio!!!! I really do!!!!
BUT, for the application(s) that I specified, I'd NOT recommend a ham rig.....but rather, I'd recommend a real commercial Marine HF rig!!!
As far as cost is concerned......
The Icom M-710 w/500hz filter (and factory approved "VFO" Mod allowing very easy "ham band use")
along with the AT-130 Antenna Coupler (remote tuner)
works out to be about $1785.....
And an Icom IC-706MKIIG w/500hz filter (and "hi-stability oscillator")
along with the AH-4 remote tuner,
works out to be about $1320......(PLUS another $50-$80 for mounting brackets)
So there is an approx. savings of $400......(the cost of an Icom M-700Pro w/filter & AT-130 is just about the same as that of an the IC-706 package quoted above!)
Is that $400 well spent?
or Not?
?
Hmmmmm.....
The answer sort of depends on,
1) What your intended use is.....(can you and others actually USE the rig properly in all conditions that might arise, in/on all bands/freq/channels that you require???)
2) Will you find that your use on the Marine "working channels" (ship-to-ship) would be hindered by NOT having channelized operation available [ham rigs]
3) Do you wish to use 150 watts output, continuous duty for both SSB and PACTOR [M-710] or....
only 40watts (PACTOR) to 100 watts (SSB) "intermittent duty" [IC-706]
?
4) Will you be subject to strong receive signals (in-band and/or out-of-band) and will you put up with the inferior receiver [IC-706].....
5) The IC-706 does require an adapter ($50) to allow you to have computer freq. control if using the PTC-IIPro Modem.....using either WinLink2000 or SailMail....(this, of course, does NOT apply to the PTCIIex modem, since it does NOT have the ability to do freq. control of the rig at all...)
6) Noise blankers in many ham rigs are fairly useless, or cause so many receiver IMD problems as to render your receiver useless.......but noise blankers are not needed that much at sea, so this may be a moot point....but you'll typically find the noise blankers in Marine HF rigs to actually work (at least a little bit), and NOT cause many receiver IMD problems....
Last, but not least......
Receiver sensitivity, is a non-starter here, since every HF rig (ham or Marine) made within the last 20 years has MORE than enough sensitivity!!!!
Actually many of our beloved ham rigs have TOO MUCH (hence the inclusion of "attenuators" in them!)
On all HF frequencies below say 25-30mhz, the "natural noise" (as well as that which is "man-made") is the limiting factor!!!
I will NOT go into the technical discussion here.....
But, if you wish to prove this to yourself, in a very "low-tech" way.....
1) simply turn on your HF rig, to say, 20 meters or 12mhz Marine Band....WITHOUT an antenna connected
2) Turn up to Maximum, whatever RF gain control there is on the rig.....and set the volume (AF Gain) to a reasonable level......
3) Listen to the receiver's "hiss" or "noise floor"....
4) Then connect an antenna, and listen......
If you noticed an increase in "noise" when you connect the antenna, then the receiver is sensitive enough....AND any further gain added (more sensitivity)
would REDUCE the signal handling capabilities of the receiver, and REDUCE its operating effectiveness......
Hams with HF receivers used with small antennas (Hamsticks, etc.) can sometimes be fooled into thinking that they need a more sensitive receiver, since there are stations that they cannot copy very well........
BUT, that is INCORRECT.......
If the signal isn't getting to the rig with enough of a S/N ratio that allows you to copy it, using a more sensitive receiver will NOT help at all!!!!
And in fact, will usually HURT your ability to copy the signal!!!! (typically you will introduce more non-linearity into the receiver's stages, etc......causing a LOSS in S/N ratio......exactly opposite of what you want!!)
Okay, enough for now.....
73,
John, KA4WJA
P.S. The SailMail shore station use Icom M-710's......running 24hrs./day 365days/yr.......
for what it's worth....
