waterinthefuel
Commander
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2003
- Messages
- 2,726
There has been a lot of discussion lately about VHF marine radios in boats, and how with the invention of cell phones, they have been rendered obsolete especially in inland waterways.
I completely and wholeheartedly disagree with this. There are many cases where cell phones are rendered inop out on the water.
1. User has phone in pocket (as most people do) and user falls into the water. Cell phone rendered inop instantly. This is really bad if you climb back into the boat and are suffering severe hypothermia.
2. User has phone on floor of boat and it either slides into a puddle of water in the bottom of the boat or a wave is taken over the side during heavy seas rendering the phone useless.
3. Battery on phone goes dead.
4. Cell phone service area is weak out on the water.
5. Cell phone never makes it into the boat and is left in the truck at the launch. This has happened to me many times.
6. Cell phone is dropped overboard while leaning over to lift a fish or get a lure unhung.
For these reasons, and many others, I think VHF radios should be standard equipment on all boats greater than 14 feet in length with a place to put one like a bay boat or bass boat with a console. These radios have ranges greater than 20 miles, far longer than a cell phone would ever hope to reach. The also can receive NOAA weather radio with up to the minute updates on pending weather conditions. With the new DSC feature, one radio can directly call another. It's almost like a cell phone now.
I completely and wholeheartedly disagree with this. There are many cases where cell phones are rendered inop out on the water.
1. User has phone in pocket (as most people do) and user falls into the water. Cell phone rendered inop instantly. This is really bad if you climb back into the boat and are suffering severe hypothermia.
2. User has phone on floor of boat and it either slides into a puddle of water in the bottom of the boat or a wave is taken over the side during heavy seas rendering the phone useless.
3. Battery on phone goes dead.
4. Cell phone service area is weak out on the water.
5. Cell phone never makes it into the boat and is left in the truck at the launch. This has happened to me many times.
6. Cell phone is dropped overboard while leaning over to lift a fish or get a lure unhung.
For these reasons, and many others, I think VHF radios should be standard equipment on all boats greater than 14 feet in length with a place to put one like a bay boat or bass boat with a console. These radios have ranges greater than 20 miles, far longer than a cell phone would ever hope to reach. The also can receive NOAA weather radio with up to the minute updates on pending weather conditions. With the new DSC feature, one radio can directly call another. It's almost like a cell phone now.
