Posts Tagged ‘Hand held VHF Marine Radio’
Busy weekend!
This past weekend found me and a friend of mine on snowmobiles traveling through the woods on well groomed trails for a jaunt of about 160 miles. Trails were beautiful, snow was plentiful, temperature was incredible, and the day was super! There was a time that I thought it might be fun to call home to bring everyone up to speed on our trip and found that for nearly the entire trip we had no cell signal. How similar, I thought, to one being out at sea without any means of communication. Now, it really probably doesn’t matter much if everything is going ok, but what if it wasn’t? That measly little investment made in a hand held VHF marine radio would be prove invaluable. VHF Radios have really come down in price and are still probably the single most important piece of equipment you can have on board. Put it on the top of your “to do” list for this next boating season!
Why add a VHF Radio if it isn’t required?
True – VHF radios are not required in many areas of the world – and particularly if your boat happened to be less than 65.6 feet long. Does this meat that you should not put one on board? Certainly not!! Fact is, many boaters find they require 2 on board – one VHF Marine Radio for monitoring communication between them and the coast guard with regard to the weather and another (usually a hand held VHF Marine Radio) to be used in the event of an emergency requiring the evacuation of the ship. Sure is nice to know that there are waterproof hand held marine radios available so even though you may be bobbing around in a raft somewhere, you’ll be safe and you’ll be able to communicate with the Coast Guard to gain assistance.
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.
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!!!
Higher frequency functions of VHF
For broadcasting, your VHF Marine Radio or Hand Held VHF Marine Radio fall into the same grouping (144 to 148 Megahertz) as amateur ham radio’s band two, fixed mobile phones, television and radio satellite, railway frequencies, and weather stations. A section designated for wireless microphones at precise frequencies, military aircraft radio and radio AM stations as well as band three of television channels are located in this frequency range.
Radio astronomy research finds its home here also. By using radio frequencies that are emitted by the celestial bodies, scientists are able to track and observe these celestial bodies. The actual frequencies used for this purpose, however are reserved and are listed as confidential.
Just Who Needs a VHF Radio Anyway??
It is true that if your vessel is less than 20m (65.6 feet) in length, you are not required to have a VHF Radio on board. However, before you purchase anything in the line of equipment for your boat, make sure a VHF Marine Radio is on the top of your list!
If you plan to venture more than a few miles offshore, there are a few things that should be strongly considered. First would be an HF or mobile satellite telephone. Second, would be an emergency position indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB. And the third item should be a second VHF Radio (possibly a Hand Held VHF Radio) or cellular telephone as well. With this equipment, you will be able to receive high seas and weather warnings which may have to be reacted to quickly. Most satellite telephones are becoming more affordable and as a result are becoming more common on a lot of boats. Remember – your radio is a very large part of your life insurance policy.