VHF Radio D Class

@spincast honestly didn’t realize the handheld ones were no good,
So just want a 25watt one similar to the handheld
But soemthing that will reach shore when I’m out near the weather buoy with no cell service
 
the problem with the handhelds is the short antenna. One day I forgot to put my antenna up (must have been a fuzzy morning). Couldn't figure out why no one was responding. Then it was like DUH!. Raised it up and all good to go. ED for the radio :) The higher the antenna, the greater your coverage. Buy a good quality whip antenna, cause it is going to take abuse and make sure your connections to it are clean, tight & well insulated. - It also becomes a good place to mount a gopro on calm days and create good high shots of the fishing.
 
I'll be adding a quick connect 8 ft antenna to the boat before launching this Spring. AO carries them so I'll buy it there , maybe during their annual even. 😁
 
Derkd9 said:
@spincast honestly didn’t realize the handheld ones were no good,
So just want a 25watt one similar to the handheld
But soemthing that will reach shore when I’m out near the weather buoy with no cell service
Click to expand...
I bought a high end hand held for the small boat and couldn't get any reception. Flagged down O.P.P boat to assist in testing this thing. At 50m, lost reception. Personally wouldn't recommend them for anything as they represent a sense of false security. Just my opinion based on personal experience.
 
@cmac
Yah that’s garbage, figured there would be at least a km or two of range!
this summer I heard people talking on the radio and not a boat anywhere near yelling distance. They had to be at least a km away.. this is the one I purchased back in the summer..
it will be a good back up or one to keep attached to my hip incase of emergency.

Uniden MHS75 Handheld Waterproof VHF Marine Radio, Black https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B001J5MQ20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cA3bGbG19F7SG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I plan to get a good one and a nice antenna for this season thanks to this thread 👍

also going to get one of those drift bags, and flares, and probably a floating box with some supplies. Never thought how fast a boat can sink with no time to get stuff out of storage.
 
I have a West Marine VHF580 on the big girl with an 8'er. Last summer I went on a night fish with 2 buddies from Petertown. We were around 68' between Stanley and Bruce. About 3am, surprisingly a radio check came in and no one around. I replied to the request and asked there location...a click or two west of Glasgow they said. Just as we were packing up, I heard clear chatter on the radio and again, no one to be seen. I called out to them for location and they were fishing 6 miles north of Fairport. I'm sure the crystal clear night with full moon had something to do with the range but...wow...that is great distance and reception!
 
spincast said:
Tell you a story about a handheld. One early November day a friend of mine called to say that after months of having issues with his boat it was finally running like a top and he wanted to payback all the trips i had taken him on. I was a little leary, but we were gonna stay in the inner bay looking for some pike so i figured what the heck. I knew he had a hand held in case. I was new to this game then, only been on the great lakes for about 3 months. So there we are halfway across the bay on the way to millionaires row and doesn't the boat die. After 30 mins of watching buddy in the dog house swearing and carrying on, turns out his fuel gauge had crapped out, and we were empty. I called a local on my phone. Of course couldnt give GPS location as FF wasn't working, lol. But gave a triangulation view point. About an hour later we hear them calling us on the radio. We reply. They keep calling us. We keep replying. They were just visible if you knew where to look,. We would have been invisible if you didn't know exactly where to look. Anyway, long story short, buddy has one expired ugly flare left. Just as the boat was saying he was gonna motor up and head back in we got this damn flare to start smoldering and throwing up a smoke trail. They saw us and pulled us home.

I have a DSC radio with an 8 foot antenna and MMSI (make sure you get an MMSI if you get a DSC). I can hear and talk to guys that are nowhere close to visible on the horizon. Like Jordan to the bar, or Burwell to Port Bruce

Handheld would be nice back up if you are in the water and the search boat is a few hundred meters away,. But So is a whistle and a flashlight, or a cellphone in a waterproof holder


And if you want to know how fast it can happen, google Dave Mull, sinking boat. A very worthwhile read.
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That's an incredible story. I'll definitely be putting a marine radio in my boat. I have a Lund Tyee 1900. What is a DSC radio and MMSI? What radio would you recommend?
 
CVH23 said:
That's an incredible story. I'll definitely be putting a marine radio in my boat. I have a Lund Tyee 1900. What is a DSC radio and MMSI? What radio would you recommend?
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Do I need a radio lic? Do you know where the courses are offered?
 
en.wikipedia.org

Digital selective calling - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Basically, DSC is a button you push in case of emergency. It will send a distress signal to a monitored channel by the coast guard with your gps location. The MMSI is a number issued to you upon request that is unique to your boat. When you apply you will include details about the boat size, colour etc.

CPC-2-3-07 — Obtaining Identities in the Maritime Mobile Service

This document replaces Issue 6 of the Client Procedures Circular CPC-2-3-07, Maritime Mobile Service Identities (MMSIs).
www.ic.gc.ca www.ic.gc.ca
Your local Power Squadron does VHF training. https://www.cps-ecp.ca/
Legally, you are meant to get a license and you can be fined for operating a VHF without one - although it would appear from the chatter on the radio that many acquired their license by watching the 1970's movie "Convoy!"

Be sure to do a radio check every day. Its the only way you can know you are effectively transmitting. I had to replace the diaphragm in my mike after about 5, 6 years.
 
Twister said:
Sarnia Coast guard and Buffalo have some tall towers to get around the line of sight thing. They will hear your mayday. If your not sure just call them on 16 to verify they can read you. They have some serious hardware. A hand held is way better than s.f.a. and if you've got cell coverage that works too.
At least that's what I was told when I got my license 35 years ago.
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Do not call the coast guard on channel 16 for a radio check unless you want a scolding. Call them on their working channel, I think its 24? Unless its official business (commercial), a distress or an Urgent call avoid using 16, it is not even really acceptable to initiate a boat to boat call using 16 any more ever since DCS has become common place.
 
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Just to be clear, there are two types of vhf radio licenses. A 'station' license for the radio itself is not required for Canadian pleasure craft operated in Canadian waters. A 'radio operators certificate-maritime' (ROC-M) is required for a person who operates the radio. If you intend to use your VHf in US waters I believe you need the station license as well.
 
Derkd9 said:
In a life or death situation I’ll take the charge for turning a marine radio on un licensed..
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For sure. Based on my observations, most of the radio operators I hear have not taken the course. That said, I've heard the Coast Guard reprimand tons of people for improper use but have never heard of anyone that ever got fined for it....
 
Very important to know what channels you can talk on. Start having a chat on the wrong channel and you,'ll get told in no time flat.
 
I think most, if not all unlicensed radio owners don’t just play around on it and try having conversations on any and all channels..
likely only listen 99% of the time..
and only in “Life or Death” situations try to strike up a help save my life conversation with the cost guard.
if someone wants to tear an un licensed radio operator for asking for life saving assistance, then that persons head is so far up their ass they need to check themselves.
 
Derkd9 said:
I think most, if not all unlicensed radio owners don’t just play around on it and try having conversations on any and all channels..
likely only listen 99% of the time..
and only in “Life or Death” situations try to strike up a help save my life conversation with the cost guard.
if someone wants to tear an un licensed radio operator for asking for life saving assistance, then that persons head is so far up their ass they need to check themselves.
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Derkd9, often we don't agree on issue's, but well said on this one, cheer's
 
If you were to ever attend one of these vhf courses , they play a sound stream from the coast guard channel and to be honest there was so much chatter going on as there are 1000's one the water.

That's why imho its important to know what to say and then how to say it to get attention on the channel.

Yes I have used mine prior to a class for listening and really its quite important to be listening as you could very well save someone if you will put that olive branch out.
 
smokey1 said:
If you were to ever attend one of these vhf courses , they play a sound stream from the coast guard channel and to be honest there was so much chatter going on as there are 1000's one the water.

That's why imho its important to know what to say and then how to say it to get attention on the channel.

Yes I have used mine prior to a class for listening and really its quite important to be listening as you could very well save someone if you will put that olive branch out.
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Yah I plan on registering for one of the online ones before this season
 
My understanding is also that 68 is largely ignored by the coast guard, police and any commercial vessels as it was unofficially established long ago that that channel is for chit-chat about fishing and anything goes lol.

Not saying it's correct, just saying that's just how it goes. Listen to 68 on a weekend in the summer and nobody is using official protocol. No one ever comes on to scold them.
 
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