This Short-Hand VHF Stuff is Driving me Insane

[Dennis.G]

Yesterday on VHF (names changed):

Foxy, Foxy, this is Ugly.

Ugly

How ya doing?

Great, how you?

Want to pick a channel?

Oh, I don't know... what channel you want?

How about 65?

No, I don't like that... Let's try 17 and if that's busy then 18.

Ok let's try that.

Right.

[SimonV]

VHF etiquette

Think of a VHF radio as a direct connection to every other vessel in your line-of-sight and within your radio’s range. When you talk on it, every other vessel in the area hears what you’re saying. Most of the other boaters aren’t interested in hearing it, so keep any communication short and only use it when you have to. I.e. no one wants to hear a conversation about what color of underwear you’re wearing. The airways are limited and lots of users need to pass along information, so the less you use it, the more others can do what they need to.Keep your conversations short and to the point.Many countries require a license to use a VHF radio. One reason for the license is to keep the on-air conversations following specific protocols, which helps shape the communication and keep everything understandable. In some countries, like the U.S., laws allow recreational users to use VHF radios without requiring a license. Despite the lack of licensing, users must adhere to the established communication protocols.

VHF Radio Channels

To help prevent on-the-air choke holds of one channel, the VHF radio band is divided into different channels. You can usually select channels on your VHF radio by pushing up or down buttons. Each channel has a specific designation on who can use the channel, so before you begin talking make sure that you’re allowed to use that channel.The most important VHF channel is 16. The U.S. Coast Guard says this about channel 16, “International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel.” It’s used when you need to hail (call) another vessel or broadcast an emergency or safety situation. After contacting a vessel, except in an emergency, you must move off of channel 16 to leave it open for other users. You can also use channel 9 to hail other craft. When someone broadcasts an emergency on channel 16, don’t use it until resolved. Essentially, all communication starts on 16 or 9.Channels 68, 69 and 78A (plus 79A and 80A in the Great Lakes) are designated non-commercial channels. These are the channels that you use to carry on a conversation after you establish contact. When you’re hailing another vessel, that vessel will tell you which channel to switch to. It’s often one of these. When you’re hailed, you should suggest one of these channels to switch to.A*full list of U.S. VHF channels*is on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Navigation Center website.

Nonemergency Ship-to-Ship or Ship-to-Shore VHF Communication

One common use of VHF radios is to contact other vessels or contact shore-based stations, like a lock and dam system or a harbor master. You establish contact by hailing. A hail follows this protocol:Say the name of Station you’re calling three times.This is [vessel name].OVER.Contact replies (Step 1 to 2). States channel to switch to. OVER.Repeat 1 to 2, ROGER [channel #].OUT.Switch. Wait for contact. Step 1 to 2, [communicate message], OVER.End with OUT.

[rebel heart]

This morning, from two boats, I heard:

"Vessel XYZ standing on the side."

I guess that means they're standing by listening?

Before I come across like a bitter old dork who's complaining to complain, I'm a believer that you get good at what you do frequently. So if you sit around talking like a middle school educated trucker on a marine VHF the times you'll fall on your face when it comes to important weak transmissions like relaying emergency traffic or discussing maneuvers with another captain who barely speaks English (or you barely speak their language).

[Hudson Force]

I would add one thing to SimonV's well stated description of radio etiquette above. It is proper to state the name of the vessel you are hailing three times and follow this with clearly saying the name of your own vessel, often twice; however there is no value in adding useless verbage such as, "I am calling...", "Calling...." or "This is...". It's simple and clear to just use few words, "Windsong"....."Windsong" ...."Windsong" ..... "Grace"

To often I hear, "I am calling the vessel Windsong....calling the vessel Windsong ...this is the sailing vessel, Grace, please respond." There's no cause to even use the short "this is" that is very common.

[zeehag]

OMYGODS
the radio `police finally have a face....

RODLMFFAO
welcome to cruising mexico. if you dont wanna listen to that,. turn off your radio.,

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by zeehag

OMYGODS
the radio `police finally have a face....

RODLMFFAO
welcome to cruising mexico. if you dont wanna listen to that,. turn off your radio.,

Marine VHF has been around before cruisers showed up and started using it like a conversation at the local bar.

Irony of ironies as well that you are so quick to throw the law around when it suits you but, indeed, there are international regulations concerning the use of a marine VHF. It's always convenient to disregard a law when you personally deem it a hindrance.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

I'm not sure if it is still required in Canada but I had to take a written and oral exam at Industry Canada office to get my Marine Restricted Radio Operators License, even though I had my Restricted Aviation Radio Operators License and my Ham License.

I got my license three years ago. Yes, written and oral exam is still required. It's funny, but some of the things people are complaining about here are, in fact, proper radio procedure.

• Numbers are always read as single digits: TWO FOUR, not twenty four.

• Calling is done in a balanced way, maintaining the same rhythm cadence. Usually you would only use the boat names once or perhaps twice, but three times is perfectly acceptable if the names are difficult (as in our boat name's case), or the connection is sketchy.

CALL:
Rebel Heart, Rebel Heart.
THIS IS
Pachina Mia, Pachina Mia.
OVER (optional here, but not wrong to use)

RESPONSE:
Pachina Mia,
THIS IS
Rebel Heart.
Go 72 (this should be issued by the RESPONDING vessel, but CALLING vessel must issue this command if RESPONDING vessel does not).

Nothing else need be said on 16.

• "Over" is used at the end of a transmission when you expect a response.

• "Out" is used to conclude communications, IOW when you do not expect a response.
-->Therefore "Over and Out" is actually confusing. One or the other.

• If a call is not responded to it can be repeated within a few minutes. But if no response comes after three attempts, caller should stop trying for a long time.

I've never heard the "one up" language, but we commonly here crap like:
- "XYZ, you got a copy?"
- "Breaker, breaker this is XYZ."
- "XYZ, you our there?"
- And of course those who insist on carrying on their chat on 16.

[zeehag]

i am not stating law here, rh, i am stating what is. you are a fishie swimming upstream in this reality.
do you wish to enforce radio policies as written in usa or wherever, or will you cease listening to it as have many others and tolerate that which has been being done by these souls for ever-- since before you dreamed about cruising.

turning off a radio when one is in a marina is a very simple procedure. is not needed for your safety or the safety of other souls. ESPECIALLY as it seems to disturb you so very very much.

if you wish to be comfortable in mexico, you follow mexico laws. radio play between cruisers is allowed on specified channels. that chatter is not regulated by mexico, but by the radio police, who are deeply loved by other radio police .
once one has cruised mexico as long as 6 months, one SHOULD be aware of the practices used by the other cruisers.

[goboatingnow]

As I former VHF instructor I have some useful training materials I will try and extract from an old PC.

The main thing that you miss from a lack of a licensing system is the understanding of the GMDSS and how marine VHF and DSC fit into that. On the European harmonised CEPT course only about 30% of the learning is on VHF procedure

Dave

[fjwiley1]

I truly understand all opinions posted here. Having been a Railroader for 43 years regulated by (FRA)and a Pilot (FAA), we were covered by FCC while conducting business via all methods of Radio comm. Many lives were at stake so it wasn't about being fined for improper radio procedures but ones life were in your hands.

Would it be nice for the "chatter" on our airways to get better, sure, but as Zee has stated, in our community world wide, the reality is it won't happen. Hopefully no ones Life will be impacted badly. For those of us that can make a difference, let's do our part to make a difference but meanwhile respect others choices as well....Life is Good......just keepa Smilin......

[zeehag]

i will not condemn the chatter as it is exactly what got dick from s/v journey successfully to a hospital when his aneurysm decided to grow and blow in la cruz marina just pre thanksgiving 2012.l.... yes i had my radio on for a change, and i heard this sick sounding voice calling for first his wife then me. yes i willnot diss the chatter as it DOES SAVE LIVES. or at least get them to a hospital in a timely fashion.

[fjwiley1]

when I walk down to my boat I always turn on my VHF, just as you did Zee, I may be working on the engine or on the focsal, but you never know when you can help someone in need. Agreed, in this case I wouldn't even think of it as "chatter"

You did good.....

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Dennis.G

Yesterday on VHF (names changed):
...No, I don't like that... Let's try 17 and if that's busy then 18...

This one irks me. As SimonV said, every channel is assigned a purpose. In the US, it's 68, 69, 71, 72 (intership only), 79 and 80 (Great Lakes only). I have a sticker from a label maker next to each radio which lists these, in case I forget. The "A" next to some channels indicates the radio has to be set on the "US" setting to use those.

The complete list for the US can be found here.

17 is for state and local government ONLY. So if you just "go up one" from 16, you may find yourself interfering with an important SAR case, or worse yet, a LE officer who THINKS he's important.

People who won't take the time to learn how to use their basic safety equipment, like radios, scare me.

[Cheechako]

It's the "telephone" when you're cruising. turn it off if it bugs you.

[goboatingnow]

Mind you as the person that once called out the restaurant menu to the wife on my handheld on ch 6 in Biras Creek, I can hardly sermonise.

dave