The to do list
21 August 2011 | Mazatlan
Kevan HOT
Everyone understands to do lists, especially those who own boats. The list never gets shorter, no matter how hard you try. I decided to attempt some items from the "to hard to do list" and had some sucess after many hours of trial and error, serious thought and help from friends. For those interested read on, for others , the next few pararaphs could be boring.
Connecting an ICOM 802 SSB to a non ICOM antenna tuner......any boaty will know you connect an ICOM AT130, AT 140 or AT3 antenna tuner to the most previalent SSB's on the market, the ICOM 700, 710Pro and 802. Hey you can also connect an MFJ tuner ....... and the auto tune also works. It was so straightforward even I got the connection correct the first time. Anyone wanting to know how drop me an email.
Next was getting an MMSI number and call sign. Simple, 20 bucks later the New Zealand call sign people emailed me my new MMSI number and my new call sign ZMG2585. Input these into the 2 VHF's and the HF radios.
Interconnect the Icom to my GPS and set up DSC calling. Tear apart the nav station to get at the various rear ends concerned. Lay out the owners manuals, grab the wire and connector box and set to it. 4 hours later, no GPS being displayed on the SSB, another 4 hours and still no interconnect, call Rowan on Vortex III for help. Run though all the connections and have him check them, he agrees everything is in order, asks what the problem is and I reply no lat and lon GPS display on the Icom. He repies Yes there is................and blow me down, there it is, all working. I had gotten it correct 7 hours previously but was done in by a dirty connection. All we had to do was bend the centre pin of the coax cable in two , to make it thicker and we got a perfect connection.
Spurred on by this decide to connect the VHF to the second comm out port on the gps and got these two honeys talking together in no time .
Next project...............install a new bilge pump, well actually a secondary bilge pump set higher up the bilge.