Archive for November 11th, 2009
Let’s plan for tomorrow with safety equipment on board today!
Safety always seems to always hit amongst the top ranking reasons for outfitting your boat with what you may consider “necessary equipment”. There are many “extras” now available for boating – particularly in the electronics area.
Hi-tech items are now available to make your day on the water more enjoyable and safer. Some of those items that are considered popular extras include fish finders, waterproof equipment, GPS systems, VHF Radio, and maybe one of the newest design marine radios` which offer MP3 adaptable plug-ins to allow you to have your favorite recorded music play through your speaker system, or even a CB Radio. These items may be fun and may entice the best of “button-pushers”, but they actually can help save your life as well. Don’t take this information lightly!
Let’s Talk VHF!!
Just what are some of the capabilities and characteristics of a VHF Radio? These radios are available in fixed units, hand held units, and submersible units. It is not out of the question to have more than one onboard. VHF Radios require minimal power to transmit. The lower power should be used whenever possible as all units have the capability of transmitting on either 1 Watt or 2 Watts.
Most VHF sets only allow only one person at a time to talk, unlike the cell phone you probably have on your hip. When transmitting, the user must depress a “transmit button” on the microphone. This process of only one at a time talking is called simplex. Duplex sets are also available, but usually are much more expensive.
When mounting your VHF antenna, it is advisable to mount it has high as possible since VHF radio waves travel in a straight line.