Battery / Radio set up for SIB

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Daniel

The new Icom M71 h/held is 6w which is a high o/p for a hand held. I intend to buy one.

I've just bought one for backup. It's good for a handheld but not that good that I'd use it if I had a way of mounting a fixed unit.

[Biggles]

I like my M71. I have it along with the 421 and it seems just as good at recieving. If you can get it at a good price buy it. In my opinion its a very good radio.
I like the simplicity of a handheld unit plus you can take it with you when your off the boat. It has loads of good features is fully waterproof and the battery lasts for absolute ages (I'm talking a couple of months between charges and I use it once a week).

For me its been absolutely faultless. Believe me if it had any shortcomings I would tell you. I ahve extensive user knowledge of handhleds and the M71 is very good. As you say the 6 Watt output is above the norm. I've even shown it to my work land radio specialists and they've been impressed.

NR.

[Sixy_the_red]

Another thing to consider... You're only going to make a decent range if you have a nice big aerial, so make sure you have somewhere to mount it.

Personally I think I'd stick with a decent handheld too... I keep our M71 clipped to my life jacket and I barely notice it.

[MustRib]

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

Another thing to consider... You're only going to make a decent range if you have a nice big aerial, so make sure you have somewhere to mount it.

Personally I think I'd stick with a decent handheld too... I keep our M71 clipped to my life jacket and I barely notice it.

Well... I have an A frame on the transom of my SIB... and a Rib Raider aerial already attached.

I was just trying to get to the bottom of the battery thing.
I have seen a small sized light weight Gel Jetski battery.
Anyone got experience of these?
As its Gel, could I mount the battery on its side?

thanks in advance...

[vince]

We had the jetski type on our sib, goes anywhere as long as its gel type.

[Jon Brooks]

A decent Jetski battery will be fine.
I have just done an install of a fixed VHF into a jetski and the radio is working very well.

Also the radio is standing up very well to the constant soaking it is getting on the ski.

Best regards

[Daniel]

Hi Jon

[Jon Brooks]

Hey Dan,

Is it your or mine turn for beer?

Cheers

[MustRib]

thanks Jon...
Think I have all the info I need for now...

Andy

[MustRib]

Went to see the helpful folks at Powerhouse Marine today.
They looked up my outboard on the microfiche thingy and told me there are two types of 20D...one fitted with a rectifier and one with a rectifier regulator. Fortunately mine falls into the latter category.
Went to see the less helpful peeps at Maplin !
They seemed failry clueless...but having studied the online catalogue, I invested in a v small and light 12v sealed lead acid battery rated at 4.2amps.
With a 6 amp/hour drain on a battery from the Navman 7100 radio when transmitting at 25 Watts, I estimate this would give me about 40 mins of full power transmission time if the engine conked out.
Hopefully I wouldn't need to be keying the mic for 40 mins at 25 watts in an emergency.
I also bought a solar power regulator rated at 5amp to regulate power supply between 14v and 22v DC. It sounds like I won't need this now, if the 20D output is rectified and regulated, although I think it may be a good idea to fit it anyway.

I would value any other input anyone has to make...
When I get time to get this project started I will take some pics as I go along and post them.