Posts Tagged ‘VHF Marine Radio’
Is your VHF Radio on board?
So many times the simplest things are the most important things…and those very things are the items that get overlooked continually. I’m just as guilty as the rest of you, so I’m not pointing any fingers. Fact is, these little VHF Marine Radios have saved many lives over the past few years and even though they are not recognized in a positive light in England, it never-the-less gets top billing for bringing the USCG to the aid of boaters in peril and ultimately got them home safely. VHF Radios come in both fixed mount and hand held units and now are broadcasting in digital technology so the clarity of the broadcasts are much clearer than before. Summer is definitely the time for a lot of fun, but lets keep it safe and make sure you get you and those you have on board home to enjoy another day on the water. Happy Boater.
Some things you never need until you wish you had them…
There’s a lot of things that may fall into this category. I shudder when I think of how many Mickey Mantle cards I put on my bicycle as a young lad with a clothes pin and let it flap on the spokes of my wheels to make my simple 2 wheel bicycle sound like a motorcycle (in my own mind). Now those cards would bring in enough money to pay off my mortgage!! ….but we didn’t know that then – after all, they were only worth a penny back then! Oh well, time keeps going forward and we have to swallow those things we did that we can no longer bring back to re-do. Some other things in today’s world that fit that category may include insurance for a certain thing, or maybe a VHF Marine Radio capable of broadcasting NOAA weather updates and warnings/alerts. You buy them, install them, listen to them, and maybe never need them. Hopefully this is true for you. The trouble with that is that we get sluggish in our planning when things are going well – you know – kinda chugging along nice and easy. When, suddenly you find yourself with a broken down outboard motor, a storm coming and things caving in all around you rapidly. Sure would be nice to say to your friends and guests on board that you are in communication with the USCG via your VHF marine radio and they are on the way to help you. These little radios are very inexpensive and could (and have) save your life. Happy Boater.
Someone’s glad they listened to the radio weather warnings!
Just 2 days ago I was driving around and took my wife out for an ice cream cone when we got the idea to go take a look at the lake since the wind had really come up and sometimes you get some really impressive waves coming in. I’ve seen waves up to 30 feet (from valley to the crest) hit the shores of Lake Superior – those are the kind you don’t want to mess with. Anyway, on this particular day, the prevailing winds were from the east and were really pounding the shore. The normal boat landing which is on the harbor side of the break wall is unusable right now as they are making a new marina. In the meantime, the boaters us the “less-than -desirable” temporary boat launch at another bay in town. First, my compliments to whoever put that little dock in because it was still in place with waves pounding into it and rolling over the top of it by over 2 feet. It’s a mystery to me why in the world it wasn’t pounded to pieces. Those winds and systems are the kind of things you want to be forewarned of in enough time to be able to react to them. If you had a VHF marine radio on board, channel 16 would bring you updates of the weather as it unfolds and you will be given ample time to react to the forecast. It’s for sure you don’t want to be caught off guard and try to dock your boat in waves like that – you’d be swamped!! Take heed to warnings like this one and outfit your boat with the proper communication equipment – after all it only has to pay for itself once to be invaluable!! 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.
Having good communication could be relative to your location!
This year, they have closed the main boat launching facility in Two Harbors to make way for the construction of a new marina. Now, this is all well and good, but in the meantime, those that launched their boats here and fished here now have to head to Knife River or Silver Bay to launch. This could add about 30 additional miles on to your trip to arrive at your favorite fishing spots. When you are familiar with a certain area, you become comfortable with the surroundings and have a gut feeling of just how long it would take you to seek shelter if you needed to. However, if you’re putting in at an unfamiliar docking facility and then head out for a day of fishing or relaxation, it’s even more critical to have the proper communication devices on board to ensure the safety of both you and those you have with you. VHF marine radios fill the bill here. With the United States Coast Guard monitoring channel 16 constantly (24/7), you can feel pretty confident that you will be advised of any incoming storm fronts so as to avoid any unpleasant surprises. When your radio is not in use, it should always be set at channel 16 so as to be ready to receive any broadcasts that would be pertinent to you. Always take needed precautions…it will gain you the respect of those others you have on board. Happy Boater.
Today is a GREAT day to be out on the water…
Yes, today is a great day to be out on the water, but what are you going to do about those frontal systems that are sneaking in from the west?? How will you know about them in enough time to be able to react to them and get to a safe harbor? How will you know how much time you really have before you pull up lines and head for shore? Is it just by chance that the other boats in your area are mysteriously heading out to other areas closer to shore?? The obvious simple answer to all these questions is that you would know the WHAT, WHEN, and STRENGTH long before you need it if you have on board a radio that will relay NOAA weather updates to you. You may ask what radios do this?? Several radios have this capability. They include a hand held VHF marine radio, a fixed mount VHF marine radio, and even many marine radio radio receivers have that technology built right into them. Don’t become a victim of the storm system. Make a small investment into the rest of your life – and the lives of those you have on board. It’s not fun to be caught unawares when you are obviously the pawn in the game. Be aware and have fun! Happy Boater.
July is here! Why did it take so long?
Summer is something we look forward to all year long, but this year it seems like July has taken forever to arrive! Maybe its because of the very long cold, wet spring we’ve had. Its been a long time since I’ve seen so much water in the lakes in northern Minnesota! I know that other parts of the country would love to have what we’ve got in the line of moisture with forest fires blazing all around the country. The good news is that July is finally here and with it, the summer activities whether it be gardening, boating, reunions, picnics or whatever! It’s time to enjoy! Kick back and soak up some of those rays. However, with the great weather and abundance of fun activities, comes a bit of responsibility. Water safety should be at the top or near to the top of your list. A key player on that safety list of yours should be a VHF marine radio if your plans include heading out on the blue waters for a day on the water. These come as a both a fixed unit or a hand held unit so you don’t even have to bother installing it if you don’t want to. Most hand held VHF marine radios are now waterproof to about a meter and have broadcast capabilities of about 5 miles over water with just the built in antenna. In most cases that will reach the USCG who monitor channel 16 on a 24/7 basis. Very likely, someone else in your locale will hear your call and will be able to assist you even earlier than the Coast Guard if there are a lot of boats on the water. Let’s make this summer a very fun, safe summer. Happy Boater.
Summer’s on its way – are you ready?
I’m sure we’re all ready for the summer season, but are we really ready for summer activities?? I think a lot of us are not – oh, the activities will happen alright, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re ready for them. Let me explain. I’m sure there will be a lot of boats on the water this 4th of July and I’m sure most of them will have the required life jackets on board, but for a lot of us, that’s as far as it will go. There will be no flares, no first aid kit, no emergency lift raft, and most importantly, there will be no VHF marine radio! Now, this may be pure speculation on my part, but I really don’t think it will be far off from what I’ve seen when I’m out there. I see some real “hot dogs” out there, and just plain crazy drivers – some of which have had too much to drink and shouldn’t even be in the boat, much less driving one!! Remember, the VHF marine radio in many cases is your best source communication for immediate assistance because it is monitored 24/7 by the USCG and your transmission can be heard for approximately 20 miles over water. Besides that, there is the added convenience of hearing any late breaking weather updates. These could give you a “heads up” on any bad weather conditions and give you time to pull anchor and get to a safe harbor. Enjoy your summer and I hope you can answer the question of ”are you ready for summer?” with a positive response!! 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.
Plan ahead – think VHF!
When you feel the cool temperature of the water coming in your boat as you flounder in rough water is no time to plan to purchase a VHF marine radio to have with you on board! The time to do this is before you need it. I know, it’s real easy to put off things that you hope you never have to use (I know because I’m guilty of it myself). The truth of the matter is that you are purchasing peace of mind for you and your guests on board and with a VHF marine radio, you will have the USCG with you 24/7 if needed. They monitor channel 16 constantly so if any emergency should arise or weather alert became available for your area, you would know about it immediately. Any fast moving weather patterns will no longer surprise you. You’ll have ample time to get to safety. A hand held VHF marine radio is great to have also and should always be with your “emergency pack” on board which should include a raft, life vests, etc. These little hand held units are so nice because the float!! No more “whoops – I dropped it!” kind of statements. Just fish it out of the water and resume communication with the coast guard or another boat until rescue is possible. Plan ahead now. Happy Boater.