SSB Marine HF radio

Contrary to popular belief many yachts still choose to carry SSB radio as their only long-range communication equipment. HF radio is free to use, once the equipment and licenses have been acquired and has not been shy in keeping up with modern developments, with new digital sets. It is a broadcast medium, so anyone listening on the frequency can hear you and is therefore well suited to inter-ship communication. There are many informal radio nets run by cruising yachtsmen and others, especially in the Caribbean. Herb's Atlantic Weather Net is perhaps one of the best known.

E-mail with SSB Radio is now becoming more and more popular with users benefiting from the far cheaper operating cost compared to satellite systems, and with recent improvements, an even easier to use system. In addition, the digital radio modem required for e-mail also allows receipt of weatherfax and Navtex, allowing the weather or navigational images to be decoded clearly using the computer software, all for free!

Professional installation of an SSB radio is extremely important; fitting an SSB is a complicated job and ensuring correct initial installation will give the best results.

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