Fixed VHF Marine Radio or just Handheld?

[team karst]

Originally Posted by George_SD

Sorry, right not 2m, but 155Mhz.

https://www.smileyantenna.com/product-p/15520.htm

I have one of these and use on my Standard Horizon handheld. Works well.

My radios need both bands. [emoji41].

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by team karst

They quote a + 6 dB gain. Do u have one? Typical vhf helical is close to MINUS 10dB.

I have four of them and use them all the time with handhelds in remote areas while canoeing or fishing.


I get about 2 miles between two 6 watt handhelds with the good antennas, maybe a little more on open water. I never got that with the stock antennas.


On my 14' aluminum boat with a 25 watt radio (good antenna but close to the water) I can go about 5 miles to the handhelds.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by team karst

My radios need both bands. [emoji41].

Mine too. By the way, the Standard Horizon HX380 can be programmed with tones and the frequencies of your choice, and it's waterproof.

[team karst]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Mine too. By the way, the Standard Horizon HX380 can be programmed with tones and the frequencies of your choice, and it's waterproof.

I have various MOT hh, but now want something that floats. We will have a couple inflatable borne teams running around.

[Bestline]

I've been using a handheld for the last few years on my pocket cruiser in Southern British Columbia, it's got limited range but I'm sure if I needed it in a mayday situation there'd be relay options or the coast guard could hear me. Truth be told, in a slow sailboat the only mayday I can help with is one I can see unfolding nearby and most radio traffic in my area is ships mumbling through their required calls before entering narrow passages and morons calling maydays for minor stuff. Your experience will guide you to the right option but just my two cents.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I'm thinking you have really good reception at your marina where you spend all your time posting on CF.

The rest you imagined or maybe it was a dream........

Rather then being an idiot when you have 48,000 sea miles to your resume and several trans ocean crossing come back here and start slagging me. I’m Irish we are the worlds come back artists I’m up for a round or two

Unlike you I know what works and what doesn’t and I’ve 35 years in this sector ncliding being a Chairman of a RNLI lifeboat station for 7 years arguably the worlds finest rescue service

80% of all rescues alerts now come by mobile phone

Here in Greece thd LTE service is a national priority as it’s the only way the islands get phone service. As it’s extremely mountainous ( you clearly don’t understand the topology ) vhf range can be very limited. Mobile phone via multiple repeaters is much better

Chatting to greek rescue in preveza ( as I’m rnli I always get treated like royalty ) confirmed most of their comms is now mobile phone based . They think nothing of it.

Rescue agencies don’t give a flying pluck how you contact them. Once you do

Outside that carry a epirb preferably gps based and with “ reverse link “ best safety device on board way better then a vhf.


My vhf gets used very very infrequently at sea. Nobody out there to talk to anyway. In Europe one dies not contact ships anyway as part of normal sailing. Occasionally it’s used in marinas. Though equally most people phone them up these days.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Rather then being an idiot when you have 48,000 sea miles to your resume and several trans ocean crossing come back here and start slagging me. I’m Irish we are the worlds come back artists I’m up for a round or two

Unlike you I know what works and what doesn’t and I’ve 35 years in this sector ncliding being a Chairman of a RNLI lifeboat station for 7 years arguably the worlds finest rescue service

80% of all rescues alerts now come by mobile phone

Here in Greece thd LTE service is a national priority as it’s the only way the islands get phone service. As it’s extremely mountainous ( you clearly don’t understand the topology ) vhf range can be very limited. Mobile phone via multiple repeaters is much better

Chatting to greek rescue in preveza ( as I’m rnli I always get treated like royalty ) confirmed most of their comms is now mobile phone based . They think nothing of it.

Rescue agencies don’t give a flying pluck how you contact them. Once you do

Outside that carry a epirb preferably gps based and with “ reverse link “ best safety device on board way better then a vhf.


My vhf gets used very very infrequently at sea. Nobody out there to talk to anyway. In Europe one dies not contact ships anyway as part of normal sailing. Occasionally it’s used in marinas. Though equally most people phone them up these days.

Not sure what all that has to do with a guy lake sailing usually in site of land. (the OP)

My fixed VHF 25 watt with antenna atop the mast and hand held are perfect for where I'm sailing at present.

The fixed VHF is a SH2200 with AIS/GPS. It feeds my OpenCPN Laptop (via NMEA 0180 and USB adapter) and shows positions there of my boat (GPS) and others with AIS

I also have two backup GPS USB units. One like in the link below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/35434086562...iABEgLGQfD_BwE

I can get 15 miles plus out of the fixed unit.(radio) AIS up to 30 miles but that seems to vary depending ....

The hand held I mainly use to check my boat's SOG.

[goboatingnow]

My point is let’s not be dogmatic about communications. Whatever works , works. There’s no “ perfect “ or “ right “ way. Different things work in different places and for different people

[s/v Jedi]

About antennas for handhelds: I use these foldable antennas, they work great.

This one is 15” extended but I also have a longer one that’s noticeably better again.

I tested both with an analyzer and range between dinghy and the main VHF with masthead antenna.

The ine in this link probably won’t fit your VHF, you must find one with the correct connector. I use this one on a Kenwood…
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0811M9W4D

[team karst]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

...

My vhf gets used very very infrequently at sea. Nobody out there to talk to anyway. In Europe one dies not contact ships anyway as part of normal sailing. Occasionally it’s used in marinas. Though equally most people phone them up these days.

around here, the bridges want CH 9 marine for openings. Which brings me to a funny point. I was just behind a USCG cutter also making their way South down the AICW. I noticed the bridges were opening for this guy with no radio traffic and not timed at the half hour/whatever.. The cutter did say via CH 16 that I was welcome to tag along, if I can make 8 kts. I suspect the phone was getting used. Or maybe some encrypted UHF channel

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by team karst

around here, the bridges want CH 9 marine for openings. Which brings me to a funny point. I was just behind a USCG cutter also making their way South down the AICW. I noticed the bridges were opening for this guy with no radio traffic and not timed at the half hour/whatever.. The cutter did say via CH 16 that I was welcome to tag along, if I can make 8 kts. I suspect the phone was getting used. Or maybe some encrypted UHF channel

Or they were using DSC which would be a private conversation.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by team karst

around here, the bridges want CH 9 marine for openings. Which brings me to a funny point. I was just behind a USCG cutter also making their way South down the AICW. I noticed the bridges were opening for this guy with no radio traffic and not timed at the half hour/whatever.. The cutter did say via CH 16 that I was welcome to tag along, if I can make 8 kts. I suspect the phone was getting used. Or maybe some encrypted UHF channel

Many bridges do have a published phone number you can call in addition to the VHF channel they monitor. For many bridges, the phone number gets the most use by larger traffic that wants to coordinate prior to their arrival to ensure they don't end up having to dawdle around in a confined channel.



Locally, we have 1 bridge in the harbor. Most of the sailboats that don't fit under it are docked on the river before the bridge, so it doesn't get opened a lot. But the one large commercial ship that passes through always calls the bridge well ahead of time by phone to provide an ETA. Typically they confirm when they're close and the bridge starts to open and lets them know. Occasionally they have to wait, but they do that outside the harbor. They won't enter the river until the bridge has confirmed they're starting to open, as there's not much room for a 450+ foot ship to dawdle in a 200 foot wide channel.

[goboatingnow]

I don’t think anyone is saying vhf has no use it clearly does but today their are options

[team karst]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

... as there's not much room for a 450+ foot ship to dawdle in a 200 foot wide channel.

That's the cement boat headed up the Genesee? Pretty big looking from my 17' skiff at the time.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I don’t think anyone is saying vhf has no use it clearly does but today their are options

But in most places the VHF is much better and usually faster to alert boats that are monitoring nearby......