My radio has shrunk!
I’m reminded of the old film “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. I think it was a Walt Disney Production and was a light hearted movie of an absent minded professor who managed to shrink his kids. Well, nowadays, the whole world seems to have shrunken a bit with technology where it is. Everything has gotten smaller!! Handheld radios really didn’t appear on the scene until the early 1960’s. I would suppose that the comic strip character of Dick Tracy had something to do with spurring on the actual inventions – maybe?? These first handheld radios weighed in at just over 2 pounds and was nearly as big as a standard kids school lunch box plus they sported an antenna about a foot long! What a treat to realize that we can enjoy a handheld VHF Marine Radio nowadays which literally fits into the palm of your hand and can broadcast many nautical miles with clarity. So…the old saying that good things come in small packages is really quite accurate in this case. The VHF marine radios on the market today are much superior to those of the 1960 era. Let’s enjoy what technology has given to us!
Speakers with that belly jiggle…
What fun to plug in your latest and greatest mp3 recordings into your marine radio receiver on board as part of the well designed marine audio system you put together! Your friends will love it!! Now, my taste in music has changed over the years, but I still really enjoy some good old rock ‘n roll music out of the late 50s or early 60’s as I sit back for an enjoyable afternoon …or maybe some country from around that era. Maybe some of you like heavy metal (I’ll just be on the other boat – haha). Whatever your taste in music, there’s nothing like hearing it like it’s supposed to be heard. Consider installing some Marine Sub-Woofers on board to you can feel the music. I really don’t know how much it will kill the fishing to turn up the music, but be considerate – make sure you’re not making the neighboring boaters angry with the volume of your music. Remember – sound travels a long way over the water. I guess if you did scare away all the fish, you wouldn’t have to clean any fish! Be safe…
What if I use batteries?
If you are using a hand held unit – whether it’s a CB Radio or a VHF Marine Radio, you’re going to have to use batteries to make it work. A good point to remember when using your hand held VHF Radio is that the higher wattage setting you are using, the more power it will draw so don’t use more than you have to. Remember – you can very effectively communicate over 20 nautical miles with a hand held unit at only 1 watt. Some are finding that buying a radio that has the capability of running on standard alkaline batteries vs the “more popular” rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Why? Because (as we all know from using our cell phones) the lithium-ion rechargeable batteries can poop out on you when you need them the most whereas the standard alkaline batteries can be stored on board for a number of years with little or no loss of stored energy. Have a great day!!
How far can I talk?
Well – that’s a funny way to ask a question! It kinda stuck my funny bone when I wrote it, but that’s just what it boils down to, though, when trying to figure out just what kind of VHF radio to purchase for your boat. Keep in mind that even though the available wattage on your Hand Held VHF Radio may be somewhere between 3 to 6 watts, you may not have to use those higher settings. You very likely will be able to set your hand held VHF Radio to the One Watt setting and have the capability of providing reliable communication for a distance of up to 20 miles from shore at a height of about 1 meter above the water. I know in my boating experience, it’s rare that I needed more than those capabilities. It’s also a really great idea if purchasing one of the hand held VHF Radio units to maybe choose one of the upper end units which will give you flotation and submersible capabilities for the radio. That way, you can have one possible stored in your “abandon ship” bag if you have one. Happy boating!
Major differences between fixed and hand held…
When selecting which radio is the right one for you, you must consider the limitations of each unit. In today’s world, the use of microprocessors and integrated circuits make it possible to achieve amazing results with even the smallest of units. Maximum transmit power and non availability of digital selective calling may be the only two main factors that will come up on the short end when comparing a fixed VHF Marine Radio to a hand held VHF Marine Radio. Other than that all of the VHF Radios operate on all allowable transmit and receive channels – including all NOAA Weather Channels.
No need to be costly to be safe!
As I look at the thermometer this morning, it’s hard to imagine that just a couple of months from now we will be thinking spring and the warmth of summer. The reality is, however that the temp is 5 degrees below zero right now and I find that the snow starts creaking under your footsteps as you walk on it. The snow will soon be gone and it will be time to launch you boat in the north country. Along with that comes the normal “checklist” which for everyone should include a VHF Radio. Now, a VHF radio doesn’t have to be a fixed unit, although that’s a nice way to go. A 
handheld VHF Marine Radio can serve quite nicely as the primary communication device on smaller boats. It can also serve as a backup for a fixed or mounted unit.
Think Spring!
I know I’ve lived in this area too long to think that spring is right around the corner. However, this “January thaw” is really enjoyable. We have actually seen temps into the upper 30’s F this past week. Just about the time we get used to it, we will have another winter storm moving in this weekend. Old man winter is still alive and well. Use this time wisely to both tune up your engine as well and making sure that all of your communication devices are up to par. Remember – as captain of your boat, you are responsible for those on board with you. Take a minute to assess your boating safety needs. A very inexpensive item such as a Marine VHF Radio (or a Hand Held VHF Marine Radio) can make the difference between a safe outing and a tragic one. Enjoy your day on the water!!!
Use of VHF Marine Radios strongly discouraged in the UK…
It really is baffling to me how, in this day and age, when everyone apparently has the same goal of marine safety in mind, can some areas of the world require the use of a VHF Marine Radio and in other parts of the world they are strongly discouraged or forbidden from use. Fact is, it’s a law to carry one on all larger vessels in most parts of the world. Regulators consider the VHF Radio to be of such importance that the helmsman of every commercial vessel and every vessel greater than 20m LOA is required to stand watch on Channel 13 when entering locks. This allows Channel 16 (tuned in on another radio on board) to be exclusively used for monitoring any emergency broadcasts from the Coast Guard. Channel 13 then is used for communicating with other vessels in the area when taking turns entering the locks. The only place that I can think of where another channel is utilized for this purpose is in the lower Mississippi River where they monitor channel 67 instead of channel 13.
VHF single direction broadcasts…
Typically, communication can only take place in one direction at a time. That is to say, you must transmit your message and then release the “transmit” button on your VHF radio and wait for the other person to respond. The position of the “transmit button” (depressed or released) determines whether your unit is ready to transmit or receive communication. This type of ‘one way’ communication is called “simplex”. Now, there are “duplex” units available and the majority of the channels are set aside for this type of communication as it allows both receiving and transmitting simultaneously. Weather, of course, still operates on a “receive only” mode.
Marine VHF Combines Transmitter and Receiver
The VHF Marine Radio features a built in ability to both transmit and receive communications. Typically they operate within a frequency range between 156 and 174 MHz. Channel 16 (156.8 MHz) is the international calling and distress channel. Transmission power ranges anywhere from 1 to 25 watts. What does this mean in terms of distance when one broadcasts? If the broadcast is from a tall antenna to tall antenna, that signal could be picked up as far away as 60 nautical miles. If you are using your VHF Radio on a small boat, your range will probably only be about 5 nautical miles.