Posts Tagged ‘Marine Radios’
Do I need an amplifier?
My guess as to an answer to this question is that we probably don’t know if we need one or not. Most of the marine radios and VHF marine radios out there come with a very good amplification system right from the factory. Well, you might say, why do they sell amplifiers if the radios are so good? The answer is simple. Not everyone’s situation is the same. Some of us stay within just a couple of miles of shore while others are venturing out 20 plus miles into the blue waters. Depending on the atmospheric conditions, you may be at the very edge of your broadcasting capabilities. This is when you need an amplifier. It will simply boost your broadcast signal so you message can be received as well as being able to hear a reply from someone. If you just stay close to home, you probably don’t need an amplifier. Of course, a taller antenna would also be required the further you venture out from shore. Always be safe an know your limitations. Happy Boater.
Looking back over the past year…
This year has been a challenge to many of us. For some, it was near impossible to get a job – or even get an interview!! When we are forced to go through difficult times, it seems to strengthen us to make us more ready to accept what tomorrow brings. Some things we just have no power to control so we learn to accept those things. Sometimes we find that we may be smarter than we thought we were and literally change the direction of our field of work. Resilience is born into each of us – all we have to do is grab hold and hang on for dear life! I’m reminded of the book for children entitled “The Little Engine That Could”. He found a big hill and kept saying “I think I can, I think I can” and eventually he could say “I knew I could, I knew I could” as he chugged his way down the other side of the hill. That’s the way I look at this past year – “I knew I could”!! VHF Marine Radios have been a large part of my blogs this past year. That’s because I believe in them. I live on a large lake and have seen the fury of the storms that pound the shorelines occasionally. I only wish I could encourage everyone that spends a lot of time on the water to invest in one of these reasonably priced marine radios and consider it an investment into the health and safety of both you and those you will have on board with you this next boating season. Make your next boating season a safe one! Don’t be coming up on the shoret end of the stick when it comes to communication equipment. Happy Boater.
Is technology making things easier???
I just past one of those milestones where the cell phone company sends you out all these pretty advertisements which inform you that you are now eligible for a free update on your cell phone. WOW!! What a great thing! Then you read the fine print……most of the phones you want to upgrade to require a change of plans to a more expensive data plan – then they certainly want you to sign a new 2 year contract. It makes me wonder just who’s in the driver’s seat – them or me? To make a long story short, I got my cell phone in the mail today via FEDEX – unpacked the contents of the box and now (after I finish this blog) have the task ahead of me to try to figure out just how in the world to work this new phone. I knew how to work my old one just fine!! Sometimes I wonder just why we do these things to ourselves!! Marine radios, however, have somehow managed to get better with more clarity without complicating the world of the user. They just got better – the channels stayed the same and what you say into them stayed the same…the only thing that may have changed (for the better, I might add) is that they now have the ability to play MP3 formatted music through a plug-in on the radio itself so you can enjoy hours of your favorite music when out at sea. Sure is nice that some things get better without getting more complicated! Happy Boater.
Cell phones aren’t always an option….
In recent years we’ve become more and more dependent on our communication abilities – namely our cell phones which seem to be attached to our ears. It would seem that the whole world would stop if we were to lose that “magical box” called a cell phone – which ever brand you may be carrying. Just take a walk through the nearest mall to where you are and take note of the people surrounding you. You will probably see the vast majority walking through the mall with a cell phone at their head or sitting on a ledge sending a text message to someone – while managing to totally ignore everything else around them. Where I live, there are MANY areas that don’t have cell signal and we’ve had to learn to live with that reality – even if the phone advertisements make you think that you can get signal in those areas. I’d like to challenge any of those in those commercials (you know the ones I’m talking about!) to make (or receive) a call in the areas I just described! You can’t. What do you do in those areas?? Well – CB Radios still work great for a lot of folks – depending, of course, if you have a trucker or someone else with a CB on the road in that area. Marine radios work great on the remote waterways of our country and weather updates can be received from just about everywhere on our lakes and waterways to keep us safe and abreast of any weather warnings or advisories in our area. Keep yourselves connected, but don’t depend too heavily on that cell phone! Happy Boater.
“Affordable” doesn’t have to mean lower quality…
If you are in the market for new speakers for your boat or pontoon, it’s probably because you are either unhappy with the sound quality you get from your existing system, or maybe you’re about to install a new speaker system on board! Either way, don’t let the term ‘affordable’ throw you. In my experience, the speakers available in today’s world in the marine speaker category are great. You can have your choice of many different types of speakers for well under $100 for a pair of speaker that would fit your needs. Imagine – no more of that squawk or squeak when you are trying to listen to what the person on the broadcasting end of the transmission is trying to say. Just clear, easy to understand words. What a treat. The newer marine speakers are waterproof, thus weather resistive and very easy to install. Many of the marine radios today have MP3 plug-ins which allow the playing of your own favorites via an MP3 memory stick or an I-Pod. What could be better? Happy Boater.
What is Digital Selective Calling??
Let’s say that you just purchased a VHF (very high frequency) marine radio. The instruction booklet with your VHF marine radio states that you have DSC! You might say “that’s nice”, but what does that mean? This is a great feature on your marine radio for at least 3 reasons…(1st)You can interface your DSC radio with a GPS navigator and your vessel’s position and time are automatically included in the distress and urgency alerts. (2nd) Because your are sending a digital signal, you have a better chance of reaching a maritime rescue center than any voice transmission because a digital signal has a 15% greater range than a voice transmission PLUS it stands a much less chance of being misunderstood. (3rd) By using the DSC channel (channel 70), you are freeing up channel 16 for other emergency transmissions from other authorized personnel. Most VHF marine radios have this feature built in so when purchasing, it would be a good item to clarify before purchasing. These radios allow a distress message to be broadcast at the press of a red button on the radio or on the handset. This would set off an alarm in ship and shore stations within radio range. Happy Boater.
More fun to take out than put away!
With the fall season fast approaching, I see folks scurrying around making preparations for the boats to be taken in as well as their docks removed from the water to avoid damage from ice. Even though this season has a lot of beauty associated with it (especially in our area of northern Minnesota), it’s not my favorite time of the year as things seem to be ending as far as summer fun on the water which I really enjoy. When you get your boat out of the water and spray off the bottom with a pressure washer and neatly tuck things away for the winter, remember to check over your communication system on board. If you need an upgrade – what better time to do it than when you have it in your garage or on the trailer on a warm sunny afternoon! Marine radios have really made a lot of improvements and why not take advantage of what’s available. No more soggy cassette tapes - you know what I’m talking about! Just plug your MP3 into the receptacle built into the radio and sit back to enjoy the sweet sound coming out of your marine audio system. Happy Boater.
Is “splish splash” a good sound??
Normally, when you’re out on the water, the sound of something hitting the water isn’t necessarily a good sound. I was out on a fishing charter a few years back out of the Duluth-Superior harbor out on Lake Superior fishing for lake trout and salmon. We had a couple of deep lines out and noticed that the one on the port side of the boat was seriously bending down. I reached for it and announced “fish on”. The captain told me to stop for a minute before taking that pole out of the holder. He said that he had rarely seen that pole with such weight on it and told me to get a good grip BEFORE I took it from its mooring. Otherwise, he told me that 2 splashes would follow……the first would be his new pole and reel hitting the water, and the next would be me!! Well, needless to say, I’m still here so all went well, but after a half hour fight with whatever was on the end of my pole (we suspected a large atlantic salmon) let go and I never got a chance to view what I had hold of. Oh well – it was a lot of fun! Now with the technology that is offered with the new hand held VHF Marine Radios, you don’t have to worry about getting them wet as they are waterproof up to a meter below the water for roughly 30 minutes. That makes them a great asset to have on board a life raft – or simply for fumble fingered users! Have a great day on the water. Happy Boater.
What’s the difference between “Simplex” and “Duplex” transmissions?
Most modern day VHF Marine Radios offer the basic transmit and receive capabilities. One way they can communicate is where communication can take place in only one direction at at time. This is called “Simplex” transmission. On each of the radios, there is a button on the side of the microphone which determines whether the user is transmitting or receiving a communication. You press the button to transmit or release the button to receive a communication. “Duplex” transmissions (where communication can take place in both directions simultaneously) is, however, available on the majority of channels. Each duplex channel has two frequency assignments. The history behind this indicates that in the days before mobile phones and satcomms became widespread, the duplex channels could be used to place calls on the public telephone system for a fee via a marine operator. So you see, we’ve come a long way in improving our communication possibilities when on the water. History was never my favorite subject in school, but when you come across some of these interesting facts, and you realize that all this happened within your own lifetime, it really hits home. Let’s enjoy (and appreciate) those simple marine radios we take for granted! Happy Boater.
Tired of “squeaky and squawky”?
Does your current sound system sound a bit squeaky and squawky? You know what I mean – the words are hard to understand, the music, when played through your system is anything but pleasant, and sometimes it would sound better if just left the switch in the “off” position. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be like that and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to get the sound you deserve! I have to wear hearing aids in my ears and I can tell you that if I don’t have good quality sound coming out of the speakers, I have a hard time understanding the words. If any of you have to wear hearing aids, you know exactly what I mean. Do yourself a favor – make a small investment in sound equipment to gain a large return in satisfaction and listening pleasure. Consider a marine radio (so you can use it outside on your boat, pontoon, patio, etc) with a set of marine speakers to round off your sound system. Many marine radios will allow your to play your pre-recorded MP3 and I-Pod tunes though the sound system by simply plugging them in! Enjoy. Happy Boater.