VHF radio

[pat8839]

Hey guys,
I was wondering how many of you have VHF radios on your boat. I have a bowrider and while I'll never be offshore was thinking it may come in handy if something happens to the old cell phone.

 

[ftl900]

Re: VHF radio

Lots of folks do, it's been highly recommended to me for Gulf use.

Meanwhile, you might invest in a dry box for your cell phone. I have 2, I just have to remember to put things IN them.

 

[DukesFin]

Re: VHF radio

I do, but to be honest, I have it as I boat in the Gulf of Mexico and it is not an "option", it is a MUST!

While on Lake Lanier, I am still in the habit of doing a "radio check" as I pull out and sometimes will talk with friends on the lake for "BS" or to find out where the striper are biting.

Better to have and not need than to need and not have!

 

[pat8839]

Re: VHF radio

Do you guys have the hand held ones or the kind that mounts in the "dash" of the boat? In my glove box area I have a cd player/radio installed and there is a slot where I could install something else if I so desired.

I totally agree with better to have and not need though!!

 

[JimS123]

Re: VHF radio

In my experience the hand held units do not have the same range as one with a fixed mount antenna.

 

[RanchDweller]

Re: VHF radio

I have a handheld waterproof floating VHF radio I use to talk back to the campground. At the lake we go to does not get cell phone service. It works great. Get the 5watt. The distance across water and through trees is awesome.

JimS is right. A 25watt fixed mount with an antenna on top of the boat will outperform a handheld. I guess it depends on how far you are from who you want to talk to. I can easily get 3-5 miles from my camp and that is only becuase hills get in the way.

The little blister pack FMRS 2 way radios advertise 20 miles. That is only from mountain top to mountain top. They only work 1-2 miles if that in real life.

 

[Jimdsi]

Re: VHF radio

As far as I'm concerned, a VHF radio is just under life preservers as a safety item. Especially if it has DSC and is set up to use it. Cell phones are useful, but whats the phone number for that 38 foot cruiser drifting up on you ? And if god forbid you have to send a Mayday, everyone near you with a radio can hear you, not just the 911 dispatcher 20 miles away. I think VHF radios should be required by law.

Jim Foros Wellcraft 23F

 

[pat8839]

Re: VHF radio

That's a good point about safety-never thought of the guy about to hit me! If I were to get one that mounts on the boat what sort of things should I look for? I have not looked into them very much but it seems some have many more buttons and channels. Waterproof would be a good idea of course...

 

[642mx]

Re: VHF radio

I've got a hand held VHF. I'll never get close to an ocean, but they are handy to contact dams on the river to let them know your coming.

 

[Knot Waiting]

Re: VHF radio

I have an ship to shore but I have honestly never used it (inland lake). Bridges monitor channel 16 if your tall enough to need them opened otherwise the rest of the frequencies seem to be filled with BS chatter. Cell phones have killed the majority of the ole' VHFs practical purposes.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: VHF radio

5 watts = 5 miles. If you are boatnig where you need greaer reach, go with a 25w mounted.
And 5w is only 5w with fully charged batteries. They are very tempermental.

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: VHF radio

I'm in the process of researching VHF models right now. What happens if you are out in the middle of the lake/ocean and your cell phone gets water logged (happened to me last year). No communication. You can get a VHF radio, fix mount with DSC for $100. Seems like cheap peace of mind to me.

 

[seaboo]

Re: VHF radio

I'm an inland boater, but I carry a handheld (and will probably upgrade to a fixed mount) for the simple fact that the lake patrol and my marina monitor it.

 

[Boatist]

Re: VHF radio

This post is very long with lots of information in it but even if you do not read it go to the links at Bottom to some COAST GUARD CLASSES.
IT EXPLAINS VERY WELL WHY YOU WANT A DSC RADIO AND A GPS ON BOARD.

How well VHF Marine Radio works really depends on where you are boating. On small inland lakes and small rivers I find very little use.
Along the Coast and large lakes and large rivers with Commercial Traffic then a VHF Marine Radio is a must.

I feel the First VHF Marine Radio Should be a 25 watt Fixed mount with a 8 foot 6DB Gain antenna. This gives you a Effective Radiated Power (ERP) out of 100 watts.
With the antenna mounted about 3 feet above the water you will have a range of about 4.7 miles plus the range of the other station. So boat to boat is about 10 miles.
For sail boats a 3 foot 3 db gain antenna mounted on the mast head is best.
Boat to the Coast Guard along the coast out here is about 80 miles because the Coast Guard antennas are mounted on high mountains top as high as 3000 feet.
All new Fixed mount VHF Marine Radios must have DSC Distress button.
If you have a MMSI Identification Number in your radio and have it connected to a GPS then pressing the DSC Distress button will start sending out a Distress call on channel 70. If the Coast Guard receives this automatic distress message they will know where you are and information about your boat. Even if your out of range of the Coast Guard every boat with a DSC Vhf Radio will also get your distress call and their radio will automatically send your message out so if they are in range of the Coast Guard they will get your message. At this point Rescue 21 the Coast Guards name for DSC Distress call is not in place in many areas but they are working to get full coverage of the entire coast of the USA and some inland areas. You radio will keep sending the Distress message out until it gets a reply from a land station. When the coast guard get this message they will try to call you on Channel 16. So while your trying to plug the leak and bail water out of the boat or trying to put out the fire your radio is sending a distress call.

Handheld VHF Marine Radios have 5 or 6 watts of power and transmit into a rubber duck antenna that is about minus 3 DB loss for a (ERP) of about 3 watts.
The range depends on how high off the water your get the radio but for most about 2 miles plus the range of the other station. I have not seen a Handheld that has DSC Distress button yet.
You handheld your must stop what your are doing a make a MAYDAY call tell them where you are.

Cell Phones in some area may be better than a VHF Marine Radios if there is no one who has a vhf radio but would be my last choice. If you are sinking or on fire how do you call the boat ? mile from your position. Offshore Cell phone only work for a very shore range. There are no cell towers 5 miles out. Flare require someone to be looking your way and they do not work in the fog. Even if seen what you usually here on the radio is we Believe we saw a red flare to our south. Coast Guard usually replies, Keep a sharp look out and report any additional sittings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-f4nhnBThg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdkxsWBncSc&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQk5MRwuxgo&feature=channel

 

[JoLin]

Re: VHF radio

Good for you for asking- but you haven't provided enough info, as in, where do you boat?

If you boat in bays, ocean, Great Lakes or large lakes, then yes, you should have a VHF. I have both mounted and hand-held in my boat.

If you're boating in smaller lakes that have no or only occasional law enforcement presence, it might not be effective. Chances are nobody else on the lake will have one, so who's gonna hear you? You might be better off with a cell phone in a water proof container. Program in numbers for the nearest LE station, shore gas dock- anybody who can round up help quickly. Spend money on good visual signals- flares, smoke, red flag, reflectors. How about a megaphone?

I would never discourage anybody from buying a VHF, but you also need to think in terms of who else is out boating with you, and your best odds of getting help in a hurry.

My .02