We are in the early stages of planning a trip across the Pacific in 2019 and I think I ought to install an SSB radio in addition to the satellite phone we currently have on board. Our sailing tends to be very unsophisticated in terms of electronics: in many ways I would almost rather turn the whole lot off and get on with the real task in hand…

The boat is currently in Croatia and we are planning to winter this year in Sicily and I was going to get the yard to install it. If at all possible, I want to avoid putting any more holes in the hull. We currently have rod rigging (which is quite old) and a split backstay, but shows no sign of wear and so I am reluctant to replace it. We are just replacing the batteries on board and that will give us something like 500Ah and an alternator that throws out 130A – so that ought to be plenty of power.

I have heard all sorts of stories about what radio to buy (Is it true that ones bought in US have more channels?) and how to install. I wondered if someone might might be able to point me in the right direction – may be just about the ups and downs of SSB. and what I should and should not do!

I hope that there are members of the club who can help a raw novice in this field. many thanks

Stephen Foot
Water Music

Hi John,
Firstly, I would inspect/test all connections/terminals etc. to ensure that the modem is the bad apple, especially if the unit has been sitting unused for a while. They are really pretty bulletproof if in a dry place. It sounds like the transceiver is working well.
It is possible to get Pactor Modems repaired. Farallon Electronics does so in the US as they are the distributor for the German based manufacturer (as I understand things). So, it might even be easier to get repaired in your part of the world. Make sure they install all the updates/upgrades at the same time as I found them complicated on my own with the limited internet the boat often has.
Thanks for the heads up on the SSB testing procedures.
Let us know how this unfolds.
My best, Dick