Shortwave/SSB radio review and discussion

[Captain Smollett]

Sorry for the double post, but....

Quick update after I got the Kaito aboard the boat.

(1) I'm getting mondo interference from our ship's battery charger.  Strong stations come in okay (like Budapest Radio and China Radio International and Radio Cuba with the integral ant and inside the main cabin....), but anything with questionable S/N is blown out by the noise.

The computer is giving a little interference, but only if the antenna is right close to it....it's cool, though, I can pick up different patterns with mouse movements. Haha.

Craig, you notice any onboard equipment giving issues?  It's got me wondering about a wind generator/towed generator.  I'll have to hook up my depth sounder and see what happens.

Worse case is having to turn things off for the duration of getting wx info.

(2) With the batt charger circuit breaker off and the integral antenna, again from inside the boat, picked up both New Orleans and Chez NOAA voice wx, but shaky on signal.  Radio fax from either station is loud and clear, but I've yet to record and decode a fax wx map.

(3) Got HamFax compiled and installed, but I have not made a cable yet.  Fingers crossed this works as I've grown to like pictorial wx info.  Can live without it, and truthfully until a few days ago, didn't think I cared enough to want weatherfax on board, but if it is 'this easy' and (imo) this KISS, I'd like to have it.

[s/v Faith]

....I'm getting mondo interference from our ship's battery charger.  ....

The battery charger is electrically noisy.  You won't be using it underway, so I would not worry about it.

Craig, you notice any onboard equipment giving issues?  It's got me wondering about a wind generator/towed generator.  I'll have to hook up my depth sounder and see what happens.

If I get the antenna close to the Link battery monitor I would get some weird noises, but it had to be practically touching it.  I never noticed the laptop interfering, however I do not think I ever had a wi-fi card in and used the SSB at the same time... can not think of why I ever would though.  ???

Worse case is having to turn things off for the duration of getting wx info.

Getting the wx update was an 'event' and not a big deal to not run other gear at the same time.  Never had a problem with the charge controller, refrigeration, or other misc items (depth, GPS)  causing any problems.

(3) Got HamFax compiled and installed, but I have not made a cable yet.  Fingers crossed this works as I've grown to like pictorial wx info.  Can live without it, and truthfully until a few days ago, didn't think I cared enough to want weatherfax on board, but if it is 'this easy' and (imo) this KISS, I'd like to have it.

I had all the 'pieces' aboard, even the purpose built si-tex weatherfax receiver.. never even bothered to mess with it.  The laptop is just too power hungry and unreliable to ever be a real 'must have' in my nav / communication suite... IMHO. I always thought it would be nice to have as a backup, (would have been nice to have some additional info when we were in the hurricane) but never found a 'round tuit' for that.

[Captain Smollett]

The battery charger is electrically noisy.  You won't be using it underway, so I would not worry about it.

Not underway, but here at the dock with shorepower I just have to work around it.  The reason it is an issue at all (and not a big one, now that I now the source of the RFI) is 'crew practice.'  My plan is to get all the others used to getting wx reports as a matter of routine.  Opening the breaker is one addition 'in training' step that won't have to be done underway...

The laptop is just too power hungry and unreliable to ever be a real 'must have' in my nav / communication suite... IMHO.

I agree; I'm used to/comfortable with 'visualizing' text forecasts, but since I've been playing with gribs, I am coming to appreciate the 'big pictureness' you get with map data.  Must-have?  No way.  Nice addition (ie, luxury when I can afford it), you betcha.  :)  All I'm missing hw wise right now is the cable with a miniature mono plug on both ends.

As for power on the lappy, well yep, that's a limiting factor.  Just as a tentative thought, I was thinking since 'big picture' weather does not change that often, going with a plan something like 'text forecasts every day and wefax every three|five days' or something like that, just to see what's out there.

I did note on one 'sailing weather' site the following VERY interesting comment (I'm paraphrasing):

Coastal cruisers need good wx forecast data
For short ocean passages, good wx data out a few days is required
Long passages, like crossings, understanding climate patterns rather than local weather is more important

I liked that last bit...very pragmatic.

[skylark]

All I'm missing hw wise right now is the cable with a miniature mono plug on both ends.

I have found this cable in the consumer electronics section at Wal-Mart.

[Captain Smollett]

Okay, just to show that wefax CAN be done with the Kaito and hamfax on a Linux Laptop (or more to the point, that *I* can do it with said tools...  ;D ), here are a couple of images recorded tonight (01 Jan. 2010).  These were all recorded inside the main cabin with the Kaito's integral telescoping antenna.  My patch cord was a 6 ft mono-mono I picked up at RS for $4 (making system cost still less than $100, not counting lappy which I already had for other uses).

Not saying this is the KISS-iest small boat approach, but it's nice to know the capability is there just in  case.

Note 1:  I have been having some trouble getting good (any in some cases) signal on the NOAA weather fax broadcasts the past few days.  Since HF propagation has been "poor," however, this is not surprising.  Tonight, the bands cleared up enough to get it.

Note 2:  My first "real" ssb fax was just a test pattern.  I was elated to see a discernable pattern emerge from the noise, but I did not save that image as my 'first' fax.  It was handy for tuning the ssb to get good whites and blacks (though I did some on-the-fly tuning later).

Note 3:  All three of the following images were from NMF Boston.  The first was 4235 kHz and then I switched to 6340 kHz for the latter two.  Obviously, I got better S/N on 6340.

Note 4:  The initial sync-ing signal was missed for all of these, so all were initially recorded with a slant and with the 'edge' of the page in the middle of the image.  I liked how hamfax allowed me to clean these artifacts up.

Note 5:  Any pixelation in these images is due to the reduction for display here and to keep file sizes a bit smaller.  I can post original full size images to the gallery if anyone really wants to see 'em.

Here's my "first" fax image recorded with real information, even though it's not readily readable.  It's part of the 0300Z 02-Jan-2010 Broadcast Schedule transmission.



The slant here is visible...I did correct, but not completely (since the text is not clear anyway).

Moving up to 6340 kHz  (Kaito tuned to 6338), I got the Request For Comments that immediately follows the schedule broadcast.  The word "comments" on this image was the first readable data I saw as it came off live.  I stopped the capture in hamfax a little early (on purpose), so that's why the bottom is cut off.      Also, I did not correct the aspect ratio on this, since it is readable as is.



Now for some real wx data.  Here is the Atlantic wind wave map for 00:00Z 02-Jan-2010.  This one has the aspect ratio corrected.  For orientation, you can make out the US East Coast on the left side of the image.   (yes, I missed the 'start' and thus the first couple of lines).



And finally, to compare, here is the "original" from the NOAA web site:



(again, the pixelation is due to my reduction of the image)

I know this is old hat to a bunch of you, and weather fax is old news.  But I'm very excited about this from a geek pov as well as knowing I CAN do it if need be/want to.  The Kaito is a fine addition to the SailFar KISS boat, in my opinion, because it not only plays it's KISS role very well, but it creates other options, too.

[newt]

Very cool Captain. And very KISS. You say you used the internal antenna? Is that down in the doghouse with everything closed?

[Captain Smollett]

Very cool Captain. And very KISS. You say you used the internal antenna? Is that down in the doghouse with everything closed?

Yes, that's with the Kaito's integral antenna (no external wire run outside or up the mast or anything) and in main cabin with all hatches closed.  Broadcast from Boston received on the North Carolina coast.

[skylark]

Well, I'm going to have to try that now.  If Smollett can do it, I'm sure I can as well.

[newt]

I need to remember this radio for when I pick one up. Sounds like a winner. I wonder how it compares to the 802 (other than alot cheaper)

[Captain Smollett]

I wonder how it compares to the 802 (other than alot cheaper)

This thread on sailnet has some anecdotal comparisons of the Kaito 1102 and ICOM 802.  

Scroll down for the comparison:

I'm saving up for an ICOM802 install, but interestingly, I have sailed on
two boats equipped with professionally installed 802 systems and my Kaito
(which I brought along) gets just as good reception. Makes one wonder about
the value of plunking down several thousand dollars when a $69 receiver gets
you most of what you need from a HF radio.

[s/v Faith]

Nice work John,

  Thanks for taking the time to take the pictures.  Was that with done with the software from the link you posted earlier? 

[Captain Smollett]

Nice work John,

  Thanks for taking the time to take the pictures.  Was that with done with the software from the link you posted earlier? 

Yes, those were captured with HamFax.  There is a plethora of hf fax software for Windows and Mac listed on the NOAA Radiofax site.  That's were I found the link to HamFax for Linux.

Note for Linux users:  I did try the ACFax software, but could not get it to compile even with the required libraries confirmed.  The problem was a coding error that I was too lazy to fix.  HamFax took some minor fiddling with ./configure options to get it to find my QT installation properly (but I have both QT3 and QT4 installed which MAY have been confusing it).

Note for Windows Users:  HamFax uses the QT library, which is available for Windows...so it MAY compile and install on Windows.  Probably easier to use one of the Windows hf fax tools.

[Captain Smollett]

Anyone have a handy-dandy list of recommended frenquiencies I should print out and keep by the squawk-box?

I started with this list

Also, you'll want to check out the NOAA site, and be sure to get the fax schedule (it's a PDF you can d/l to the computer and keep for offline use). 

That page also has the software to download to capture and decode the fax images.

Also, you probably want the ssb voice wx broadcast freqs and schedules .  Have not picked up much on these yet.

In addition to the ones listed in that first link, you can do a Google search for Maritime Nets to get others (Europe).

[ntica]

I have to set my mind and put some effort into this subject. I will go for the "Kaito radio and wheater faxes" mod. as you mention here in this tread. see if I got this right?
I can download the software to my computer? from noaa? else?

[Cruiser2B]

This site is just a wealth of knowledge. I am going to pick up this receiver, I am currently studing for my Ham license so I figure this would be something good to get me started in on listening at minimal outlay of cash. Does anyone have a specific source or just off amazon or something like that?



www.svsalacia.blogspot.com

[CharlieJ]

I have the Kaito myself and used it in the Bahamas  to get Chris Parker's forecasts. Now, here at the house, I listen to NPR sometimes.

I really need to explore further to use it's capabilities.

Nice little radio for the bucks, but even nicer with either earphones, or a plug in  speaker-the internal speaker it comes with isn't the very best.

[Cruiser2B]

Looking at reviews on Amazon,  it seems as though the quality is really all over the place especially with more recent reviews. Anyone purchased one lately?




www.svsalacia.blogspot.com

[w00dy]

We certainly enjoyed our cheapo Kaito. It was a simple shortwave/AM/FM that could be powered by A/C, batteries, a built in PV panel, or a hand crank.

On some of our longer passages, Rachel and I would entertain ourselves by finding some appropriately peppy music and then wiggling our butts and cranking the radio to the beat. Here's a pic of Rachel, butt wiggling and hand cranking:



Eventually, our poor radio succumbed to me sitting on it accidentally after too much wine one night. RIP Kaito cheap-o. We will miss you.

[Captain Smollett]

Looking at reviews on Amazon,  it seems as though the quality is really all over the place especially with more recent reviews. Anyone purchased one lately?




www.svsalacia.blogspot.com

What exactly are they saying is wrong, quality wise?

(Sorry, too lazy to look it up myself at the moment).

Been really happy with mine, but I've had it a couple of years now.

Before I bought mine, I had a HAM friend take a look at the tech specs and techie reviews.  He said it looked pretty darn good, ESPECIALLY at the price point.  Be interesting to know if newer models have degraded QA or spec changes.

I have a few 'complaints' about the unit, but they are more usability/function layout related than performance.

[w00dy]

Well, if I was going to review my radio, it would go something like this:

"Although we enjoyed our Kaito shortwave immensely, I must protest the quality of construction. In my humble opinion, this radio is much too delicate for normal, everyday use.

For instance, one lovely night we found ourselves staring at the stars, drinking wine, and listening to stations from around the world. Through no fault of my own, the radio came to rest beneath me and not only did the flimsy antenna break, but the cheap plastic housing cracked, leaving us with a broken display and reduced reception. Incensed with the infernal machine, I cast it into the water, wishing to be rid of it. After my rage passed, I fished it back out, thinking I might replace the antenna. To my dismay, after being thoroughly soaked in seawater, the radio ceased to function at all!

I cannot help but blame Kaito for a poor design and do not recommend this radio at this time.  :D