Posts Tagged ‘Hand held VHF Marine Radio’
Need a bit of a boost?
At times we all need a boost, but what if the boost is needed in your VHF Marine Radio so you can achieve better reception and broadcasting ability? It’s really quite simple to add an amplifier into your system – they just plug in and, yes, they also are weatherproof so no need to fret about a little rain on them. You should actually be able to transmit messages through your fixed mount marine radio for up to 20+ nautical miles and very likely will have no trouble sending messages for up to 6+ nautical miles with a little hand held VHF marine radio. Not bad!! Not only that, most of the hand held VHF Marine radios float and are waterproof to about a depth of a meter, so why wait! Every emergency kit on board should have one of these little hand held VHF Marine Radios in it without a doubt. Some things are just a given in life – and speaking of life – the one you save may be yours. Enjoy the rest of your summer, but be safe. Happy Boater.
Why sit on the fence when VHF could save your life?
There are so many boat owners that have yet to get on board with the importance of having the proper communication equipment on board. It’s just baffling to me why they continue to ignore something so critical to their safety. I have grown to have a very healthy respect for Lake Superior as I’ve been out on the lake fishing when (within a half hour) the seas changed from calm to coming over the bow of a high sided 18 foot skiff. That is not fun. How could I have avoided a situation like that with a VHF radio? It’s like this. With a VHF Radio you have the benefit of constant 24/7 monitoring on channel 16 from the USCG. Besides that, NOAA weather updates are constantly fed through your radio speakers so you have ample time to get off the water if a storm system is looming and closing in fast on you. I know this happens fast particularly on Lake Superior as the lake sits in a geographical “basin” and you often don’t see the storm system coming early enough to react to it. By the time you see it, you’re practically in it. Don’t let this happen to you – consider installing a VHF marine radio today and put your mind at ease. Even if you don’t want to spend the time installing one into your boat dashboard, hand held VHF marine radios are available and will do a fine job for you. The only difference is the broadcast ability. Hand held units typically will be limited to about 5-6 nautical miles or so while the fixed units (with proper antenna) will buy you approximately 20 nautical miles of broadcast distance. Happy Boater.
Not many boats out there today…
For the past 3 days we have had small craft warnings out on Lake Superior with winds gusting up to 50 mph (and it actually seems a lot stronger than that as I listen to the rain and wind pounding against the windows of my home). Instead of being out on the lake my self, we took some friends and went for a ride up the shore in my vehicle and played the “good husbands” and let our wives do the touristy things and hit a lot of gift shops along the way and “grazed” at the little eating places also. We did have a fun day and were just as glad that we weren’t out in the elements in 50 degree temps (for this time of the year that’s redicul0us!) I guess this is one of the only parts of the country where we really don’t put away our winter things until after the 4th of July and we keep them handy from the 3rd week in August and on. This is the very kind of weather that you don’t even want to think about going out in without either a fixed mount VHF marine radio or a hand held VHF marine radio! You just can’t afford to be without one of these in rough waters. The rain will not even harm a hand held VHF radio, as it is waterproof to about 3 feet under water and it floats if dropped into water! That’s definitely good news to us fumble fingered people! Always be safe when venturing out on the water – or maybe the right thing for you to do is to stay off the water for a day during inclement weather and take your wife or girlfriend out and do the touristy things!! Happy Boater.
Crazy weather patterns make VHF radios more critical to own…
It seems like every time I look at the weather I see some place being battered with another terrible storm! Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, or raging forest fires seem to be in just about every newscast. In most of these instances, power has been lost in great areas, and multitudes of people cannot communicate with anyone for help. I would think that a small investment in a VHF marine radio (a hand held VHF marine radio) would be a logical thing to own in today’s world. My heart goes out to those whose lives have been torn apart by high winds which battered them to their core. Many have lost everything materially, but by some miracle have walked away with their lives. For some, that wasn’t to be. Now, I know that these little radios are most effective when you can send signal out in an unobstructed straight line, so they are most effective on water, but I know they are used on land as well and have become an effective tool for many as they are used on construction sites, farming, and in many other situations. Let’s take advantage of those wonderful lifesaving tools we have at our fingertips in today’s world. Happy Boater.
Hand Held VHF Marine Radios are becoming popular…
I can see a trend setting right before my eyes. I’ve seen more and more boaters purchasing a hand held VHF marine radio rather than a fixed radio. Why? I’m not really sure. For sure they are convenient, portable so they can be used in a kayak or canoe, affordable, AND they float if dropped into the water! Maybe those are all really good reasons why they are becoming so popular with so many boaters. I’m not going to say that those that purchased the portable hand held units don’t already have a fixed unit on their boats, because they may. It certainly is a good idea as they will transit further than a hand held unit. They both, however, will provide valuable up-to-date weather advisories for the safety of both you and those on board with you. I think it’s great that so many are realizing the importance of having one of these radios on board at all times! Sometimes things just make sense! Happy Boater.
I do believe that spring has sprung in the northland!
Birds are chirping, trees are budding, and I see folks out busily buying flowers for their gardens. I’d say those are sure signs of spring! Just yesterday, I put my 2 docks into the water, got them leveled out and launched 2 pontoon boats. I sure do like the feel of setting things up for the summer rather than taking things down and putting them away which we encounter every fall. Much more fun in the spring – even if it IS a lot of work. It’s kinda relaxing to lay out under the boat while it’s on the trailer and put a good coat of paste was on the hull. I’m convinced that the boat runs faster when I do that versus when I don’t. Shucks – I think I’d do it even if it didn’t make a performance difference, simply because I think it would be good for the boat. This year, with the gas prices at the level they are, maybe you’ll find yourself not wanting to head back to shore for every little thing. Why not radio your needs? If you’re not too far from shore, a CB Radio may fit your needs very fine. Someone on shore can put together your needs as you encounter them and then make only one trip back to the dock to gather all your goodies. You may even be able to communicate with others in your fishing party to share supplies like bait to save another trip to shore. If you’re more than 2 miles out, you may want to consider a VHF marine radio with can put you into communication up to about 20 nautical miles. When one of these radios is purchased, you automatically get “peace of mind” as a bonus with your purchase because these radios will put you into direct communication with the USCG on channel 16 any time of the day if needed. A hand held VHF marine radio is also a great addition to your on board emergency safety kit. Don’t underestimate these little radios! Happy Boater.
Are you behind schedule this spring, too?
I always like to get out and get going when spring finally happens around here. This year, it seems like just after I put out the lawn furniture and yard ornaments, all we’ve had was miserable weather (maybe a blessing because I had several “inside” projects that needed my attention and they just didn’t want to go away. Now they are pretty much gone and I’m waiting patiently to get outside to attack those other projects that need my attention. When the yard firms up enough to get the boat out of when we had it stored for the winter, I’ll get to spend some time polishing it up and getting it ready for its’ “maiden voyage” for the year. Part of my “get ready” scheme is to check over safety items like flares, horn, battery, live vests, hand held vhf marine radio, tow rope, and life raft. I’m sure your list looks pretty similar to this one, but it does help to have a list in your pocket when checking over things, because it really is easy to overlook a very obvious item that you may kick yourself for missing later. Take your time and do it right. Happy Boater.
Channel 16 is ready and waiting!
When you find yourself needing help, isn’t it nice to know that someone is there to help? That’s the situation you inherit when you install a VHF Marine Radio in your watercraft – it could even be a hand held VHF marine radio! The common baseline here is that they both will allow you to access channel 16 – the “meeting” channel and also the channel on which you will receive weather updates or warnings from the US Coast Guard. The will keep you advised of the latest in marine traffic issues,, whether it be a simple update on weather conditions, or a full blown small craft warning advising you to pull up lines, pack up, and head for shore or a safe harbor if one is available. These services are priceless…both for you and for those you have on board with you. Don’t wait any longer if you don’t have a radio installed on your watercraft – start the new boating season off right!! Happy Boater.
A Hand Held VHF Marine Radio would be a Great Gift…
You know – we may be looking at a few remaining snowdrifts in our yard, but June isn’t that far away. Of course you know what happens in June, don’t you! Right!! Fathers’ Day!! Now is the perfect time to start dropping hints for a great gift – a hand held VHF marine radio! I’ll just bet that it would just fit perfectly into that vest pocket that up until now doesn’t hold anything useful! A little rain won’t hurt it at all since they are waterproof and will actually float if you drop into the “drink”. What a deal is that! As a side deal, all of those on board will have the advantage of the latest weather information available and will always have an open channel (channel 16) with which to communicate with the USCG if an emergency arises. We never plan to have an emergency, but we should always plan to be prepared if an emergency should arise. Always be prepared for the unknown – and enjoy you new VHF radio! Happy Boater.
When on the water, did you know…???
I’m sure a lot of us have experienced that transition between our teen years and our mid twenties. Somehow, it seems that with every generation, something happens to our parents in just those few years that greatly enhances their wisdom and knowledge. Right??? One day you wake up and you think, “when did they get so smart”? …it seems to happen overnight. Then, one fine day, your parents receive a phone call asking them for advice and then is when a great feeling of accomplishment comes over your parents and when they hang up the phone, a broad smile appears on their faces. I know – I’ve been on both ends of this scenario! …and I wouldn’t give up either end for anything! Well – when you’re on the water, it isn’t the proper time OR place to not be accepting the wisdom of your elders – whether those elders are parents or not. Chances are, they’ve seen how bad the seas can get in a short period of time and have grown to have a healthy respect for the lake. Always prepare for the worst – and include on board a VHF marine radio (or even a hand held VHF marine radio) so you can receive (on channel 16) all the latest advisories from the United States Coast Guard. Nobody like surprises when out a few miles on the lake! Allow yourself time by heeding the alerts on your marine radio! Happy Boater.