The Blue View - HF Radio Ground Systems

In the last Blue View, I talked about a typical marine HF radio setup, consisting of the radio, an automatic antenna tuner and a long line antenna. As I mentioned, the wire of the antenna is only half of the antenna. To transmit any distance, a good ground plane or counterpoise is also needed. On a land based antenna, the earth is sometimes used as the ground plane, but often a network of wires is run radially out from the base of the antenna, and this type of ground system is called a counterpoise. On a boat, the seawater acts as a great ground plane as long as there is a good connection between the antenna ground and the water.

If the boat is steel, all that needs to be done is to connect the antenna ground to the hull. I'm not sure whether the hull would be classified a counterpoise or a good ground connection. More likely, it is some of both.

On plastic or wooden boats, making a ground connection or counterpoise is slightly more complicated. One method is to attach a large ground plate to the outside of the hull under the water line. It is held in place with large bolts through the hull, then the antenna ground is connected to it using a wide copper strap.

A variation of this is to use a copper strap to connect the ground to one or more bronze thru-hulls. This method is most effective if the thru- hull is located close to the antenna ground, ideally 3-4 feet, but a maximum of 10-15 feet, and the conductor to make the connection is a wide – 3” or more – copper strap. Gordon West, arguably the foremost expert on marine radios, is a proponent of this system.

Another method is to construct a counterpoise by running as many copper straps as possible from the antenna ground, and connecting metal tanks, lead keels and other various metal objects together. Steel lifelines, stanchions and even the mast can be included. This can be a very effective counterpoise, but it is difficult to add all that copper. In addition, since copper and seawater don't go together well, the copper should be protected from corrosion, especially anywhere that the copper strap might come in contact with seawater – like the bilge for example. Some installers encapsulate the copper straps in epoxy and bond it to the hull. We also saw one boat that had a blister problem, and was having the gel coat stripped. Before the new epoxy barrier coat was applied, they bonded a copper mesh to the hull. Unfortunately, we didn't keep in touch with the owners, so we don't know how well the counterpoise worked nor whether there were any long term bonding problems.

A third method is a commercial product, the KISS_SSB, that uses a number of wires of various lengths bundled together and connected to the antenna. The wires are all contained in a flexible tube about the size of a garden hose. The manufacturer claims that the various lengths of wire are finely tuned to make sure the radio transmits well on all the marine and HAM frequencies between 2Mhz and 28 Mhz. It is somewhat costly ~$150, but very easy to install. A heavy wire is used to connect the wires to the antenna ground, and then the bundle of wires can be routed under the cabin sole or in a lazarette locker. The manufacturer's website has lots of endorsements, and those of our friends who have installed them claim their transmission ability has improved. Other knowledgeable experts (whose opinions I respect, BTW) insist that the device can't possibly work as claimed. There are several forums devoted to the topic, resulting in a number of heated discussions between the proponents and the detractors. The only performance testing I've seen was done by John (KA4WJA) on the s/v Annie Laurie. He used a spectrum analyzer to measure the the return loss/VSWR/resonance of a transmitter equipped with the KISS-SSB counterpoise as the transmitter was swept throughout the frequency range of 1.5Mhz to 28.5Mhz. His conclusion was that it would probably work great on three or four frequencies and have a marginal performance throughout the rest of the range. His opinion: “If you just grab some wire out of a dumpster, cut it into a few random lengths (between 12' and 35'), attach a ring terminal to the end of the group of wires...you HAVE made an antenna counterpoise for FREE that works as well as (or better than) the KISS....and if you need to buy some wire, it'll cost you < $5.... “.

So, there is the opinion of several experts as well as John's test results saying it can't and doesn't perform as claimed by the manufacturer versus the actual real world, albeit subjective, experience of a number of actual users claiming it is great. I love it!

Meanwhile, what did we do? Sixteen years ago, when we first started cruising, I read everything I could and decided to use the second method. I bought 100 feet of 3” copper strap and connected all my fuel and water tanks together, as well as a few thru-hulls, and attached it all to the antenna ground. This has worked reasonably well for us over the years, but some segments of the copper have started to deteriorate. Nine of Cups is currently on the hard in Trinidad, and one of the items on my to-do list is to replace the thru-hull for the port cockpit drain. As long as I will be scrunched head down into the lower reaches of the engine compartment, I plan to run a copper strap directly from the antenna tuner to this thru-hull and see whether there is any improvement in our transmission range.

I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the next blog when I'll talk about alternative antennas.

Back in Trinidad

Yes, we're back in Trinidad. It was a long, two days to get back here, but things went like clockwork. The flights were all on time and the airline crews were hospitable and efficient (though we still only got one drink on the 5-hour flight). Trinidad Immigration and Customs at the airport were a breeze and our ride was there to pick us up, help wrangle the luggage and whisk us off to the boatyard. Note: Thanks to Mike Fiedler! Next time we have a layover in Fort Lauderdale, we'll head to Lester's Diner instead of taking out a mortgage for crappy airport food!

Cups was a sight for these tired, sore eyes. She was covered in dust and dirt, but otherwise looked to be in good condition and perhaps happy to see us. We gave her a quick once-over then, driving our short-term rental car, we retired to Tammy's, a local B&B that the cruisers favor. We had been up a total of 36 hours straight. Marcie took short naps on the plane, but David's not a plane-napper, so by the time we finally arrived, we were both exhausted and sleepy. We managed to stay up until 8:30pm and then, after a hot shower, collapsed into bed for a comatose night's sleep … until about 3am.

Tammy fixed a great, full breakfast and sent us on our way before 8am. The traffic in Trini is horrendous, but we made the trip along the winding West Main Highway in about 20 minutes. We hauled up the duffels and suitcases and began the process of trying to get settled in. Cups was in a shambles in a matter of minutes, but first things first. It averages about 90-95F with high humidity here each day and seeing about an air-con seemed like a really good idea. David ordered a rental unit, then pondered how he'd get it up the ladder and install it. No worries … the workmen showed up about 20 minutes later with the air-con unit on a forklift. They'd done this once or twice before, it seems. They installed the air-con unit over a hatch using a baffled plenum. They sealed all the gaps and in minutes we cooled down to a comfortable level. Now, we could work!

David had painted several galley lockers before we left. He re-installed shelves and hardware as Marcie began the duffel unpacking and stowing. It was a slow process since the settees were full of locker gear which also needed stowing. By 11 am, we were making some progress and it was time for a cuppa.

At first glance, all was good aboard Cups, but as we looked around, a few things came to our notice. Like the tea kettle wouldn't whistle or pour, for instance. The little ball that whistles and allows me to pour was stuck. David fixed it, put the repair item on his list and immediately crossed it off. “One thing done!” he boasted. Then, we noticed the clock wasn't working. No fix for it; the works are kaput. The biggie? The fridge isn't working and this will take some time to evaluate and determine a fix. Sigh!

The varnish is in rough shape and needs redoing. No surprise … add it to the list. There are already some sizable tasks on the list … replace the cutlass bearing which requires removing the prop shaft; replace the shaft seal; replace the engine room thru-hull. Not to mention anti-fouling the bottom and all the usual annual maintenance chores. And that's all we noticed in our first afternoon aboard. What other insidious gremlins are waiting for us?

We're back and demanding mistress that she is, Nine of Cups is commanding our attention (and she shall have it!).

#TBT - Happy Birthday, Jelly

Jelly was aboard Nine of Cups as our ship's cat for eight years and a good ship's cat she was. She kept seagulls off the boat (unless they were too big and scary). She kept rats off the boat (at least we never saw any). She liked to snag moths and small birds and bring them down below to us.

She liked to fish with David. No matter where she was on the boat, the minute David took out the fishing gear, she was there.

She fell overboard three times, always while we were in port. Twice she clambered out of the water herself, but one time she was saved by a Canadian sailor, to whom she was always grateful:

Jelly’s Hero

It was May and we were docked at the Charleston Maritime Center. Jelly, our year old sea cat, had the run of the place. Everyone knew her and she roamed at liberty along the wharf, jumping on this boat or that one for a visit, a nap or a snack.

A large, seagoing freight schooner, Aventuur, had just tied up at the end of the dock the day before and we had made the acquaintance of the three-man crew, offering them a beer and a chat. They had just sailed from Surinam with a hold full of angelique wood that was destined to be used for the keel of a new tallship, “Spirit of Carolina”. The Canadian crew was full of adventurous talk of the high seas, exotic places and their homes and we were all ears. Jelly rubbed against our feet and listened intently.

We headed off to the library the next day and upon our return, Andy, mate on the Aventuur, told us Jelly had been chased off the wharf by a couple of dogs and had nearly drowned. He plucked her out at the last minute, but she had gotten away and run back to our boat before he could determine if she was okay. We clambered aboard to find a wet, bedraggled cat lying in the middle of our bed. She was a pitiful sight. Her gray and white fur was all matted down with dirty salt water, making her look tiny and helpless. Our usually quiet cat was all chatter, mewing on and on about her terrible misadventure with the vicious hounds, her flow interrupted only with heaves of salt water. We bathed and comforted her like a sick child and she recovered without any emotional or physical trauma that we could assess. Aventuur left early the next morning before we could say goodbye or properly thank Andy.

We, too, left Charleston within a few days heading North to New England for the summer with no definite plans for ports of call in mind. Once we docked in Mystic, Connecticut, we dug out the charts to determine exactly where we’d go next. Farther North and farther East sounded good. We had visited Maine the summer before and loved it and so we thought we’d venture beyond Mt. Desert Island this summer and really experience Downeast Maine. Perhaps, even Canada… Nova Scotia and where was Aventuur from? New Brunswick…how far was that?

Three weeks later we edged our way across the Bay of Fundy and picked up a mooring off the docks at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick. The dockmaster, Beebe, met us and gave us a hearty welcome.

“Are you familiar with the schooner, Aventuur?” we asked. “Sure…they’re out now; be here in a few weeks, I’d guess”. We were disappointed. We’d come with a thought way in the back of our minds that maybe we’d run into Andy, but we knew it would be a long shot. We didn’t even know his last name.

Off we went into town, anxious to explore and scope out our new surroundings and catch up on the unpleasant aspects of cruising like doing mounds of dirty laundry. The local laundromat was next to the internet café and we headed there first. As I was pulling wet clothes out of the washer, a dark bearded young man caught my eye. I had only known Andy for two days and chatted with him rather briefly, but could it be?

“Are you Andy?” I ventured warily. “Yes”, he hesitated, then added “and you look vaguely familiar.” “I’m Marcie from the Nine of Cups. We met in Charleston. You saved my …”. “Cat”, he completed my sentence with surprise showing on his face.

“Yes…Jelly is her name. We never thanked you properly. Come meet my husband, David, he’s next door and we’ll go for a beer.” “No, I can’t. I’m doing laundry and need to get back to work. I’m working at a pizza parlor for the summer.”

An older man who had been eavesdropping on our rather loud conversation, interjected. “When a pretty lady asks you to go for a beer…never say no!”

We all laughed and Andy came with me to find David. David looked at me expectantly with an eye on the young man I had in tow.

“THIS is Andy!” I crowed triumphantly.

We talked for a few minutes, but he was adamant we couldn’t buy him a beer or lunch. He had to get back to work. I hugged him goodbye, but as I watched him walk away, I felt a tinge of remorse that we still hadn’t suitably thanked him for his act of heroism. How do you thank a 23 year old that doesn’t want to be thanked? We decided to buy him a 6-pack of Molson and drop it off at his workplace with a note from Jelly.

Thank you note and brown paper bag with beer in hand, we found the pizza joint and asked if Andy was there. The young girl at the counter eyed us suspiciously, “Yes, he’s in the kitchen. Who can I tell him wants to see him?” “We’re David & Marcie…we met Andy in Charleston and …”, I had intended to blurt out the whole story, but she cut me short.

“Oh, you’re the people. He saved your cat!” she was glowing with pride. “Let me get him.” “Andy, the cat people are here”, she hollered back to the kitchen. Out walked Andy, outfitted in cut-off shorts, t-shirt and pizza-stained apron. “Hey, you guys. What are you doing here?” “These are the cat people I told you about,” he added as an aside to the assembled group of coworkers.

“Jelly really wanted to say thanks and since we couldn’t take you out for a beer, we thought we’d bring one to you.” His face reddened, but he gratefully took the beer and note. “Thanks to Jelly, too! See you again sometime.”

The world’s a big place, but you can always find a hero if you’re looking.

She had a full and adventurous life and had her humans trained well. What cat could ask for more?

Jelly went to cat heaven back in 2014, but she's remembered fondly. Perhaps because we were around her all the time or perhaps because she was an especially cool cat, she'll always be considered the #1 cat in our family. Happy Birthday, Jells!