This Patented SSB ground plane system "KISS-SSB" is by far the easiest to install and works just as good or better as the copper foil/bonding system.
It comprises of a four foot lead that attaches to the "ground / Ground Plane lug" on your tuner and then just stretch out the remaining 10 feet of 1" diameter tubing that encloses the array of specific lengths of radiating copper radials. It's that simple, run it along the hull, behind a cushion, in the cabinets, in the lazarette, etc. If you can't run it straight it is just fine to make sweeping turns, even a sweeping U-Turn is OK. The perfectly measured lengths of copper and marine sealed coils act as an exact mirror image of your radiating backstay, whip, or GAM antenna, this is what bounces your radiated signal wave off your antenna. This system has been tested over the past ten years with 1,000's of satisfied users!
Tested up to 500 watts with fantastic performance.
Our KISS-SSB is perfect for all fiberglass, wooden or even metal hull boats, both sailing vessels and motor vessels.
This simple grounding / Ground Plane array is specifically designed for transmitting on all the common SSB channels and HF frequencies along with the long-range ham frequencies, Sailmail, Winlink, and NOAA weather, when used with a tuner.
All these frequencies test to less than a 1.5 to 1 Standing Wave Reflection (SWR) with low power loss!
Not only is this easy to install, but it also just makes sense:
1. No need to drill holes in the hull under the waterline for a "grounding plate"
2. No need to run the copper foil everywhere.
3. No need to bond all the thru hulls.
4. No maintenance keeping the underwater bronze grounding plate clean.
5. No drag when sailing.
6. Can even be used when your boat is on the hard and not in the water. Installation location is not dependent upon where the water line is. The KISS-SSB is its own reflective Ground Plane, that means you can install it anywhere within four feet of your tuner location.
7. No need to constantly check all the copper foil connections for corrosion breaks. .
It has been proven that HF frequencies do not penetrate more than two inches of saltwater, that is why submarines use very, very low frequencies at 15khz. SSB / HF frequencies are in the 3 to 30 MHz range. There you have it; the bronze ground plate is only effective if it is on the upper few inches of the water. This is not practical at all on the hull of a healing sailboat or motorboat. That is why metal hull boats always have such a great signal; they have a lot of surface water skin area. It is the use of a copper radial system much like the principal that the KISS-SSB uses that works. We are seeing many metal hull boat owners use our KISS-SSB instead of their hull due to corrosion concerns. The main advantage of the KISS-SSB over using 100 square feet of copper foil is the fact that the KISS-SSB uses perfectly measured copper radial lengths to match the frequencies used for marine SSB, which means a better and stronger signal, a lot less RF interference, and it's simple to install and makes for a clean fast installation.
It has been demonstrated that the bronze grounding plate is useless without at least a 100 feet of copper foil or mesh. Confused? Why do people still keep buying the grounding plates at nearly $160.00 each, plus the foil at $100.00, and then drilling holes in their boat under the water line? Plus the haul-out charges, and let's also consider that they even suggest that two grounding plates may be better, that's six holes under the water line. Don't be fooled into thinking a few feet of copper foil from your tuner to a thru-hull or keel bolt will work well. It may work 25 to 50 miles, but only at 10% of your radio’s capabilities. With a proper Ground Plane and antenna 40 to 150 watts should be able to transmit 1,000's of miles easily at the right time of the day. It took a lot of testing to get all the SSB frequencies, Winlink/Sailmail frequencies and long-range ham frequencies to work together, the many perfectly measured lengths of copper radials in our system are actually quite staggering. The practice of using wavelength radials has been around since the beginning of transmitters in the Marconi days, and long before using copper and bronze plates on boats. It has been the marketing ploy of the bronze ground plates that has confused so many. Here is a quote from the Westsail owners’ site: "In reality, the bronze ground plate is a good example of the triumph of marketing over technology."
