Marine Radio. Dash mounted versus Portable

[marcusknight]

I am looking to get a marine radio to go with my 1979 16 foot StarCraft. I spend time on the Bay of Green Bay and occasionally Lake Michigan. Trying to decide if I should get a dash mounted or portable. I like dash mounted because of the much better range you can get for reception with a 6-8 foot mounted antenna. The only thing that gives me pause is literature and warnings that claim you should keep the antenna significantly away from all persons on the boat for health reasons, and a 16 footer is not very roomy to begin with. But I fear with a hand held, I would not get very much range at all.

Thoughts? Experience?

 

[strikemike]

I had decided on a mobile device. Easy to use it on several boats and you have no drill holes. Also, the mobile devices can be connected to an antenna.

 

[JoLin]

I carry both, and my permanent VHF is one of the new Standard Horizon units with built-in GPS. Cost under $200. delivered. In the event I need to activate DSC (for a Mayday call), my co-ordinates and MMSI profile will be transmitted to the CG whether or not my on-board GPS/chartplotter is powered up and working.

The way I see it, you generally only NEED VHF in an emergency situation, when minutes count. Remember, the smaller the boat, the quicker it'll swamp if you have a catastrophic event. It's a little late at that point to realize you should have bought one type over another.

My .02

 

[alldodge]

I am looking to get a marine radio to go with my 1979 16 foot StarCraft. I spend time on the Bay of Green Bay and occasionally Lake Michigan. Trying to decide if I should get a dash mounted or portable. I like dash mounted because of the much better range you can get for reception with a 6-8 foot mounted antenna. The only thing that gives me pause is literature and warnings that claim you should keep the antenna significantly away from all persons on the boat for health reasons, and a 16 footer is not very roomy to begin with. But I fear with a hand held, I would not get very much range at all.

Thoughts? Experience?

Never boated in the areas mentioned but I'll guess it's basically open with few spots to get in behind a hill. If this is the case then a low powered hand held should be able to reach a few miles to the police or USCG towers. Their towers are up high to compensate for curvature of the earth. I boat where hills are an issue so height and power does help.

If the prior is true for you I would be good with a water proof floatable hand held. That said I would still install a VHF with 8 foot antenna because it's just me

 

[joe009]

you transmit from the tip of your antenna,so if you could keep the antenna high you should be ok.also where did you hear that it was a medical problem

 

[marcusknight]

It was in the owners manual for one of the marine radios

 

[southkogs]

... literature and warnings that claim you should keep the antenna significantly away from all persons on the boat for health reasons

I'm going to guess that's an EMF related warning. I believe in the the effects of those frequencies, however if it's limited exposure (couple hours here and there) I wouldn't be too concerned. There are also some things you can look at to mitigate EMFs that you can carry with you.

That said, I boat on impounds here in TN and used a 5W handheld. For what I do, it's enough ... but with the hills I deal with reception can be an issue.

 

[marcusknight]

But from a practicality standpoint, are there a lot of other 16 foot boats that are using dash mounted marine radios or are they all using handhelds?

 

[JimS123]

I have both. For that matter, I have a backup for lots of other things too.

The handheld range is so poor I never use it. In fact, I hardly ever use either one since there is nobody left to talk to. Thirty years ago "everybody" in my waters had a dash mounted unit. Today everybody uses a cellphone. My address book has the numbers for the USCG, Towboat, etc.

Now if you want to talk about health and brain tumors, you hear more about cellphones than you do about radios...

 

[KD4UPL]

The warning about the antenna is lawyers talking. In reality it only matters at all when you're transmitting which for most people is rarely ever. The danger is from longer term exposure to a strong RF field. I don't see that happening in a typical pleasure boating environment. I wouldn't worry about it a bit.
By the way, you don't just transmit form the tip of the antenna. The entire length radiates.

 

[southkogs]

But from a practicality standpoint, are there a lot of other 16 foot boats that are using dash mounted marine radios or are they all using handhelds?

My Opinion - don't base it on the boat length: base it on use / needs.

There are 85' houseboats out on the lakes I run, but most of them in a jam won't touch the radio - they'll use a cell phone. My tow service is easier to reach via cell phone than radio on those lakes. We have good cell coverage in this area, and radio traffic is pretty minimal.

If I was out on Lake Michigan with spotty cell coverage ... I'd want enough transmitting power to ask for help effectively. Particularly if I'm going out a ways on big water like that, I'd look at a good radio that can transmit and receive when I need / want.

 

[rengnath]

Lake Michigan is where I boat 95% of the time during the summer and I wouldn't be caught out there without a VHF radio, so good call on that. Honestly, I'm not sure why they don't require every boat on federal waters to carry one. Cell phones are great for the small inland lakes, but I've been a mile or two out on Lake Michigan and have had a hard time getting a signal. At 10 miles out, don't even waste your battery.

That being said, I went with the Cobra dash mount with 8ft VHF antenna combo from Overtons for $135 on sale. For what I was going to spend on a handheld with a DSC button, the dash mount was only a few dollars more. I hooked it up to my Lowrance Elite-4 HDI so the radio also gets my GPS co-ordinates in the event that a distress call needs to be made. This year, I will actually have to get a shorter antenna because I am installing a wakeboard tower that will interfere with the current 8' antenna.

My radio had the warnings on it. Like mentioned above, it's only a concern when transmitting. I have my antenna within a foot of the throttle shifter/driver's seat. Honestly, if I have to worry about a radio wave from a VHF antenna killing me, I have much bigger concerns in life.

 

[bobashabiniu]

Spam sorry 'Bob'

 

[JoLin]

I have both. For that matter, I have a backup for lots of other things too.

The handheld range is so poor I never use it. In fact, I hardly ever use either one since there is nobody left to talk to. Thirty years ago "everybody" in my waters had a dash mounted unit. Today everybody uses a cellphone. My address book has the numbers for the USCG, Towboat, etc.

I'd think that on Lake Michigan, most would have a VHF aboard? As I'm sure you're aware, the problem with relying on a cell phone is what isn't in your address book, i.e., the number of the boat you can see a mile away but can't contact for help.

I'm with southkogs. Don't base the radio on the length of the boat- it's where you boat that's important. The 16' boat I run on the St. Lucie river in FL has a mounted VHF aboard.

 

[Weep'n Willy]

I spend my time on the waters fishing Lk Huron and Lk Michigan. Cell phones are virtually useless a few miles out from shore as signal is marginal or nonexistent. Phone battery power quickly diminishes when constantly searching for signal. Hand held radios while convenient for multiple uses just don't have the range of a mounted radio with a good quality antenna. .A DSC radio either with built in GPS or correctly hooked up to a GPS unit/chartplotter can be a life saver.

With that said, I run a Standard Horizon Matrix AIS radio and is connected to a Standard Horizon chartplotter via NMEA wires both input and output. The input allows me to see any emergency signal sent and the output sends out my location. A free MMSI can be obtained from Boatus. Input that number into your radio. Now your boat info is on file and can help identify you in the event of an emergency. When you press the emergency button your exact location will be output. Now if someone has activated their red button near me their boat immediately shows up on my chartplotter and how far away they are. I don't have to guess where and go directly to them to render assistance.

As I fish a lot in the shipping lanes the AIS portion displays similarly to a DSC emergency. In this pic you can see a large black triangle with directional pointer surrounded by a square box - this represents a freighter. The smaller silver arrow displays my location.



As you can see I know exactly where that ship is in relation to me and the same scene would take place in the event someone activated their red button.

The Great Lakes are no place to take chances with your life. Weather and changing seas can happen quickly and in the event of an emergency this can save your life! So my advice - radio hooked up to GPS, obtain the MMSI number and feel confident you will be found. A radio not hooked up to GPS does little except to send an emergency signal that someone is in trouble, but will not show where.

 

[JimS123]

I'd think that on Lake Michigan, most would have a VHF aboard? As I'm sure you're aware, the problem with relying on a cell phone is what isn't in your address book, i.e., the number of the boat you can see a mile away but can't contact for help.

I'm with southkogs. Don't base the radio on the length of the boat- it's where you boat that's important. The 16' boat I run on the St. Lucie river in FL has a mounted VHF aboard.

We do most of our boating on the upper and lower Niagara River. Cellphone coverage is 100%. When we venture out on lakes Erie or Ontario we rarely go past about 12 miles. That's why I still keep a VHF on board. I can't speak about others, but the numbers of antennas have decreased in recent years, and if I do turn on my radio I can go for hours without hearing any communication.

 

[alldodge]

The real safety issue with a VHF is if everyone has it turned on and listening on CH16. You can call for help on a cell phone but I bet a boater with a VHF can get to you faster

 

[Scott Danforth]

I have boated on the Bay of GB and on lake Michigan with a hand-held. I could reach other boaters 5 miles away with my hand held, however the signal was faint.

if you regularly go out, especially up thru Death's Door, I would recommend a mounted radio with some real transmitting power.

 

[Teamster]

I will not get in a boat on Green Bay without a working mounted VHF,..

A handheld is for the ditch bag only,...

 

[UncleWillie]

The mounted radio does not have the issue the handheld has of making sure the batteries are charged.
For either choice, be certain that either radio has GPS capability to report your location automatically in an emergency.

If you are truly concerned the of the RF hazard inherent in ALL Transmitting devices; consider how far you will be able to get away from the handheld's antenna and still be able to talk into the microphone.
The few times you will actually be using a VHF radios pales in comparison the the amount of total RF energy you absorb from a cell phone in your pocket that transmits its updated position and current status the the cellular system every minute.
The RF hazard is minor compared to the hazard of being in the boat with all the Solar and cosmic radiation beating down on you.
Don't give it a second thought.