Posts Tagged ‘Hand held VHF Marine Radio’
VHF – a likely lifeline…
I know its still August as I write this, but in just a couple months we will have November staring us in the face again. With that realization, it isn’t a far fetched reach to realize that November can bring with it some nasty storms on the lakes – at least around the area I am familiar with around Lake Superior in northern Minnesota. Having a VHF Marine Radio on board gives you access to broadcasts sent out 24/7 by the US Coast Guard – advising boaters of incoming storm systems as well as other things that may hamper your great day on the water. Some of those broadcasts may be the one thing that may give you just enough time to get off the lake to a safe harbor before the waves became too treacherous. VHF Marine Radios are really not that expensive and are available even as a hand held VHF marine radio style. Many of the hand held units are waterproof to a minimum depth and float as well if dropped into the deep blue. Take a minute and consider how little money it really takes to be safe! Happy Boater.
What are the “pro-words” that I’m supposed to use?
When using your VHF Marine Radio or Hand Held VHF Marine Radio, there are certain things that are expected of you. One of them listed as part of the “proper operating procedure” is to use “pro-words” based on the English language. Now – what in the world am I talking about? Instead of saying “yeah” or “ok” or “I didn’t hear you”, there are words and phrases that are more acceptable for easier deciphering of the transmission. Such words are … Acknowledge, All after, All before, All stations, Confirm, Correct, Correction, In figures, In letters, Over, Out, Radio check, Read back, Received, Repeat, Say again, Spell, Standby, Station calling, This is, Wait, Word after, Word Before, and Wrong. If you use these phrases and words to communicate when using your VHF Marine Radio, you will realize a heightened level of understanding and success in getting your communication clearly sent to the recipient. It will also become increasing easier to understand what is being said when someone else is communicating with you. Happy Boater.
What radio is best for me?
There are definitely a lot of choices available, but it really boils down to some very simple basics. The first, of course, is what are your needs and how will you benefit from this new piece of equipment. Sets can be fixed or portable (hand held). Generally speaking, the fixed sets offer a more stable and reliable power source and a higher transmit power. You will often find larger buttons and bigger displays on the fixed units. A portable (or hand held VHF marine radio) is essentially waterproof (if GMDSS approved) and you can take it with you on a kayak, canoe, life boat, or just about anywhere. Now, being tagged as “waterproof” usually means that it is capable of being under water up to a meter (about 3 feet) under water for 30 minutes. Happy Boating.
Time for a quick VHF overview…
The new boating season is coming and with it, a new set of both challenges and happy times. I’m quite sure that I’m not the only one in the world that tends to get a bit “foggy” on what all those channels are for if you don’t use them on a daily basis. So, let’s take a bit of a look at them and try to jog some of those memory cells so we can prepare ourselves for the new boating season.
Your VHF operates through standard, international frequencies known as channels. VHF Marine Radios can both send and receive within the same unit. Channel 16 is the international calling and distress channel and can be found at 156.8 MHz. Channel 9 can also be used as a secondary call and distress channel. Never use these frequencies for talking about plans for the weekend – meet on this channel and immediately go to another channel to chat so it doesn’t tie up these very important channels. Larger vessels can communicate for up to 60 nautical miles where smaller boats with possibly a hand held VHF marine radio will probably be limited to about 5 nautical miles at sea level. Antennas should be in a vertical position in order to achieve the best reception (called vertical polarization). Those are the basics. Of course, there are a lot more rules, but if you remember to only use channels 9 and 16 for hailing and emergencies only, then switch to another channel, you can’t be far wrong. Remember – the US Coast Guard monitors channel 16 24/7 so let’s be courteous to the needs of others and keep those channels free for emergency weather advisories as well as distress calls from other vessels. Happy Boater.
Need to communicate in a “dead spot”?
You know what I mean…..that cell phone sits there next to you (sometimes for hours) and doesn’t do anything. Then you suddenly remember something that you had to tell someone and you don’t have any signal! UGH! Now, wouldn’t it be nice if the person you were calling had a VHF (very high frequency) radio? Then you could call him/her on your hand held VHF marine radio (assuming you’re within approx 20 miles) and your call will go through since it doesn’t rely on cell phone towers. These type of radios have been very effective for even farmers since they have better penetrating powers and can be easily used in any type of terrain. One main drawback does exist with the VHF Radios. In spite of the fact that they seem to have the ability to clearly broadcast voice messages for the longest distances, the broadcasts can be terminated if you find yourself with a large obstacle such as a tall building or a high hill between you and the person you wish to speak to. This is because the broadcast signals travel in straight lines. Even with this drawback they have been proven to be very useful in even the day-to-day operation of many businesses. These radios (if equipped with a single side band) even have the ability to transmit digital data from one computer to another. The world we knew is changing rapidly. Let’s enjoy the new technology! Happy Boater.
So many choices – so little time!
Yes, summer is short, but you can certainly put your best foot forward and get your boat equipped properly with both some safety equipment as well as some equipment such as a marine radio receiver. How do you know what to buy for your needs? Well, I guess we all struggle a bit with that one…. Safety equipment is quite easy (although that will change depending on what waters you “play” in). In larger bodies of water, you will want to include at least a Hand Held VHF Marine Radio – one that has NOAA weather alert capabilities. Some other great ideas would be a fixed marine radio as well as a CB Radio (either fixed or hand held) for communicating with those other boats in your party. There are a lot of good units on the market. I would recommend staying with brand names – and sometimes better yet, take a stroll along the marina docks and talk with other boaters to find out just what works best for them! You’d be surprised just how much information you will gain from that and you’d also probably be surprised that most boaters are very friendly and consider it fun to talk about anything on their boat. A lot of marinas, however, have certain areas which are off limits for “strolling” (boater owners only allowed) so be aware of those rules and be considerate of the boater’s privacy. There are plenty of spots you can find to talk that aren’t off limits! HAPPY BOATER.
Waterproof VHF Radio for fishing opener…
Maybe it’s just in the northland, but it sure seems like the odds are against us weather-wise when it comes to the fishing opener! It never seems to fail – cold, fog, wind, rain, and even snow a lot of times. Kind of “yucky” stuff. It’s good to be able to communicate with shore when out in the elements in case of an emergency so the natural thing to have along would be your hand held VHF marine radio. Not only is it small an convenient, but it is affordable and waterproof – at least down to a meter for 30 minutes. That certainly covers a rainy day on board – right? I hope all your fishing plans include a VHF Radio this season. Happy Boater.
Pretty easy year for ice breakers, I think…
Just yesterday I heard on the radio that they don’t expect the southern tip of Lake Superior to freeze over this year at all. It was just a couple of years ago that I can remember the ice freezing smooth and several brave souls were out on the ice and skated from Duluth to Two Harbors on the ice – as smooth as glass!! The ice was so clear that a previously undiscovered old ship wreck was even discovered in the Duluth harbor. Divers were sent down to investigate and pictures were taken and published in the local paper. Pretty neat! There were also many folks flying at great speed across the ice on some kind of sail driven 3-legged sleds. Really looked like fun! I know if I were one of those skating on the ice, I would certainly be wearing a proper communication device as well as a flotation device of some kind. Very likely I would have a hand held VHF Marine Radio with me – something that would have a direct communication with the USCG station in Duluth, MN. Always be safe and respectful of the big lake! Happy Boater
Why you want a VHF Radio – even if not required!
Just last week, I received a comment from one of the readers of my blog that wanted clarification of part of my article. The article centered around the fact that a lot of boaters require as many as 2 VHF Marine Radios on board (1 fixed and 1 waterproof hand held marine radio). The reason for this is because if an emergency rears it’s ugly head, the fixed unit can continually monitor weather as well as the coast guard communications while a life raft is possibly deployed. On the life raft, as part of the emergency kit, is stowed a hand held waterproof VHF marine radio. This extra little “insurance policy” is the very thing that will continue the communications with the Coast Guard until rescue is possible – thus adding that extra peace of mind for those on board. Hope that helps explain what I was trying to relate to the readers. Have a great week! Happy Boater
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!