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  2. Bonding and Grounding Checks

Re: Bonding and Grounding Checks

amelforme
 

Hello Jay and Nick. As with almost everything at Amel, there were very specific reasons for using a whip antenna. First, Captain Amel considered if you insulated a backstay and lost the mast,  you also lost your prime method of reaching out to tell those who might care that you were going to be late for dinner… This was before satellite communicators/phones were commonplace.

 

Secondarily, it is generally recognized that a whip antenna can be more precisely tuned so propagation should be better. I have heard radio techs I respect argue both sides of this strenuously.

 

As with all things he had an opinion about, Captain Amel was insistent. If you wanted Amel to install an SSB radio, you got a whip antenna. Period. I think this position softened sometime after 1985.

 

Oh! Been asked many times how come I call myself ‘the experienced Amel guy’. Today I celebrate the 42 anniversary of the first Amel I sold, a Euros 41. Maybe I should change it to ‘the Old Amel guy’.   

 

All the best,

Joel

 

            JOEL F. POTTER – CRUISING YACHT SPECIALIST, LLC

                                           The Experienced AMEL Guy

UNSURPASSED AMEL MARKETING EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

                              OFFICE:  954-462-5869             Cell:  954-812-2485

 

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> On Behalf Of Nick Newington via groups.io
Sent: Saturday, August 6, 2022 12:12 AM
To: main@amelyachtowners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Bonding and Grounding Checks

 

Jay,

 

When I bought Amelia in 2017, she came with an SSB but the whip antenna was broken off. 

I wanted to replace all the standing rigging anyway, so rather than replace the whip antenna I used the starboard mizzen backstay. This involved an Isolator top and lower down but out of reach. Works fine and less clutter. 

 

I am no a ham enthusiast or radio buff but in the old days cruisers used SSB or ham and almost none of the sailing yachties used whip antennas.

In general I would say why use an extra whip antenna when you have masts…?  I made my choice, it works fine, there is less clutter, less holes in the deck, and in my opinion better, yet Amel preferred the whip route .

Maybe there is no real difference!

 


Nick

AML54 -019

Leros



On 6 Aug 2022, at 01:42, Jay Feaver via groups.io <jay@...> wrote:

Hi Alex,

I can confirm what the others said: the square grounding plates you showed are meant for SSB. You want to do your grounding continuity test from zinc anodes.  

I would add one other thought.  On our boat (a 55) the 'intended' location for the SSB antenna is the aft corner.   The feed that comes down the mizzen mast is used for the Navtex / Weather fax receiver.  The Triatic stay is used - with ceramic insulators - as the reception antenna.   That feed then goes to a navtex unit.  

We looked at adding an SSB to our boat (check out the Lars Thrane LT-3100s as am alternative).  The professional advice was pretty strongly not to use the triatic, instead to put a vertical whip antenna on the stern.  The explanation I received was that the vertical is easier to do in practice than the horizontal antenna.   I would love to hear a more nuanced explanation of that some day. 

Good luck with the continuity test. 

Jay Feaver.  
SV Elation  A55-64

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