Sailors are pretty cheap as a rule.... We look for bargains on already discounted stuff, we shun marinas and we depend on a fuel that is free. Any sailor will tell you, the wind always seems to come out of the direction you want to go or it's either too strong or too weak. But on those rare occasions when it all comes together, it's magic! Being the cheap sailor I am, I was not going to spend what the retailer wanted for the high frequency single sideband marine radio that has been long on my wish list. I was patient, waiting two years for the right deal to come along, I found it; new, never used, Icom 802 with the AT140 tuner. I made the call in December and went to Miami on Christmas eve to pick it up. Saved $750 off the current best price and no tax either. So since then I've been playing with the rig in a makeshift radio shack at the house then finally completed the install in my nav station. The contoller of the radio is separate from the main unit (the guts) which allowed me to build a drawer in a cabinet to house the controller. The main unit is tucked neatly behind everything with access behind a removable bronze screen. I also added a separate drawer on the right of the cabinet for more storage.
I've made contact with the Cruiseheimers net in the morning (8152.0 Mhz) and she works flawlessly. Now I'm studying for my HAM license so I may participate with the many maritime mobile nets, get weather faxes, use email aboard; and all for free!