marine radio

OLDSPUD · Apr 27, 2009

I am looking for a marine radio to use at Lake Powell. I need to be in touch with my housebaot and executive services. I can be as far as 30 to 40 miles from either at any point. I have started looking on this site, but there are too many to choose from. I need advice to choose either a handheld or base unit. I don't need GPS right now, I have a hand held unit. I suppose I could mount a unit under my dash if I had to. Would I also need an antenna?

thanks

QC · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

I moved this to Boat Topics as we try to keep Dockside for mostly non-boat stuff. Electronics was a possible fit, but that's really Repair and Maintenance. Good luck!

David Greer · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

A hand-held won't reach that far. Not sure a 25w will either but it depends a lot on antenna height at each location.

OLDSPUD · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

I forgot to add that 90 to 95% usage will be form 0 to probably five miles.

thanks

jay_merrill · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

The zero to five miles part will probably work, but I would buy a handheld for that purpose. While they are very hand, they just don't have the range capabilities of a mounted marine VHF.

Although your post isn't specific, it sounds like you want to use the radio in a car. That should be fine, and yes, you will need an antenna.

Be sure to remember that VHF radio transmission is "line of sight." That means that you will lose reception and/or transmission signals whenever a solid obstruction comes between your radio and the one that you are trying to send/receive signal to or from.

OLDSPUD · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

if it is line of sight, I am screwed. I will have to check with the marina's to see what they are using. Thanks, this is the info I was looking for.

I am not trying to use this for listening purposes, just to talk back and forth, emergency and so forth.

thanks

jay_merrill · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

Any chance that the boats that you need to be able to communicate with, will be within range of a cellular tower?

AtoZ · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

I noticed you said you need to be in contact with your executive services. You cannot use the marine VHF for transacting business. Also, you cannot use a Marine VHF in your car. If it's on land, it has to be a base station.

OLDSPUD · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

Ex Services run the marina's at Lake Powell. If I need help on the water, these are the guys I call. Sorry about that, I don't expect everyone to know my terminology.

JB · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

Let's try Electrics, Electronics and trollers. This is really an electronics topic.

Rocky_Road · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

AtoZ said:
I noticed you said you need to be in contact with your executive services. You cannot use the marine VHF for transacting business. Also, you cannot use a Marine VHF in your car. If it's on land, it has to be a base station.

AtoZ's right...just checked the FCC website, and marine frequencies are restricted from random land use. There is a procedure to get a land base license...but your situation would never qualify.

Definitely get your radio 'up and running'...but only use it for your boating needs!

wajajaja02 · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

vhf is limited to the horizon, from the height of the antennae to antennae . plus the power of the units. and a dsc, 900 radio is just the logical choice of a new purchase of any new radio, they are cheap, full feature.

slasmith1 · Apr 27, 2009

Re: marine radio

you will definately want a mounted unit I use the uniden 522 dsc it works great mount your antenna as high on the boat as possible use at least an 8' antenna and at lake powell you may still have some reception problems when you are back in the canyons like rainbow bridge etc.

Ixliam · May 4, 2009

Re: marine radio

You may want to consider a ham radio license, the technician one is pretty simple to get. That would give you the ability to use a radio with some more power, which would be good for communicating with your houseboat. I'm sure there are repeaters in the area you could use as well if you went that route.

Boatist · May 5, 2009

Re: marine radio

VHF is line of site so the range over open water is about 4.7 miles for an antenna top 11 feet above the water plus the range of the other station.
So if your talking to another boat set up the same then total miles is 9.4 Miles. Add Cayons and land masses between the two station and the range is greatly reduced.
The forumla for range on the earth over open water is:.
The Square root of the antenna height in feet times 1.42 equals the range in miles.
So Square root of antenna height of 11 feet is 3.32 times 1.42 = 4.7 miles plus the range of the other station. Here is a link where you can put in your antenna height and the other stations antenna height and get the range.

In General boat to boat is about 10 miles. But boat to the Coast Guard with a antenna 3000 feet high on top of a Mountain is about 80 miles

http://www.qsl.net/kd4sai/distance.html

Use of a Marine VHF radio requires a special permit for land use and is only granted to places like marineas, Tow services, Coast Guard, Patry Boat Offices and the like.

flargin · May 5, 2009

Re: marine radio

I am at lake powell every year, we have a unit on the houseboat and a portable in the speed boat. Problem is you will not get very good reception due to the canyons.

It works well when you are on the open areas (Page, or other straight areas) once you are off the main channel, it gets dodgy at best. I don't think you will get much reception, unless, as everyone suggests, you go with higher performance.

Cell service is actually getting better, and if you are in trouble you can use the UHF radio's to relay for help, we have not found much success to 'chat' unless it is for docking.

Let me know what you do and how it works out, we might change our strategy if you figure something out.

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