Have you ever owned a piece of equipment on your boat that you knew was
essential but never used it because you didn't know how, and you were
embarrassed to ask?
Such a case became apparent to me one day when a 24-foot tunnel-drive
boat was stuck high-and-dry on a river sandbar. I mean this fellow was
frantically shuffling around his vessel in ankle-deep water, dismayed and
not knowing what to do.
I attempted to come to his assistance but couldn't get too close out of
fear of entering into the same predicament. After careful maneuvering, he
managed to hand me a rope and I attempted to pull him off the sandbar, but
to no avail.
Seeing the critical nature of the situation - not being very far off the
main thoroughfare of the Mississippi River, which is heavily traveled by
ships and crewboats - I asked if he had called and reported the situation to
the Coast Guard. At that point he embarrassingly evaded the question. The irony of the matter was he had
a VHF radio aboard, but hadn't bothered to radio for help despite being
stranded there for over an hour.
To make a long story short, it only took a simple call to the Coast Guard
using my VHF
radio before he received assistance from a nearby crewboat.
Situations like this are needlessly repeated time and again because of
boaters being unacquainted with certain safety equipment. Also, some find
themselves in such a situation simply by thinking it will never happen to
them.
The VHF radio is obviously the most important communication link you have
aboard your vessel since it can prove to be a lifesaver. However, it can
only be such if it is in good operating condition and if you know how to
properly use it. Unequivocally, no boat owner should leave the dock without
it.
When was the last time you either used your VHF radio or tested its ability
to transmit and receive? Maybe you have been one of the unfortunate to find
out the answer to that question when left stranded in no-man's land. The
simple fact is some boaters have found that even with a VHF radio in seemingly
good working order they still experience difficulty reaching other boats or
the Marine Operator.
On the other hand, never conclude that your VHF radio must be in good working
order simply because of a radio check. For example, it's to be noted that
the Coast Guard can be reached with minimal wattage since they are equipped
with special systems to do so. Therefore a radio check by means of them or
other boats can be deceiving.
Making a VHF radio transmit and receive efficiently can be accomplished
legally by only two means: (1) using a higher db gain antenna, and (2)
increasing the height of the antenna.
Economically speaking, the latter is the best approach if your boat is
long enough so that the antenna does not protrude past the transom too far
once laid down. The simple fact is that when antenna height is increased, it
yields better "line of sight," which is the key ingredient in
transmitting and receiving a VHF radio signal. Thus, the addition of an antenna
extension will substantially increase VHF radio performance at a minimal
investment.
The placement of the antenna is also important, so choose an area that is
above and clear of metal obstructions. Keep in mind that the addition of an
antenna extension may also warrant the use of additional coaxial cable.
A higher db gain antenna will further achieve greater distances,
especially when coupled with an extension. But higher db gain antennas can
costly and are considerably longer than the norm to begin with. So,
a proper base mount and support will be essential when making the transition
in either case.
Another problem VHF radio owners have to contend with is water damage to
their unit due to rain, saltwater spray or freshwater spray when washing the
boat down. Some VHF radios are
water-resistant, not waterproof. If you do
happen to own one that is waterproof, the following tips won't be necessary
because you will be able to mount your VHF radio anywhere that is convenient.
You can virtually eliminate the water spray problem by taking a piece of
heavy gauge clear vinyl and cutting it out to form a cover for the front
area of your VHF radio. You can use the radio mounting knobs to hold it in place
if you make it wide enough so that it folds down along the sides. A paper
punch or razor-knife will easily cut and make the needed size holes to
accommodate the knob screws. Surprisingly, this clear vinyl cover, when used
on VHF radios with front speakers, can actually improve speaker volume and
clarity in many cases.
Once the VHF radio and cover are in position, place it in the mounting
bracket which will retain both the cover and radio. This, of course, will
not make your VHF radio submersible, but if properly done, it will easily be
protected from hose or saltwater sprays.
As earlier illustrated, some boat owners who have VHF radios may not be
familiar with the proper procedure to call someone. First of all, keep in mind that the
FCC no longer requires users (recreational US users) to obtain a license for
transmitting or receiving calls. (See "Note"
Below)
In any case, here's the procedure to call, for example, the Coast Guard.
You might say: "This is motor
vessel (your name), (your call sign
) to (unit name) Coast Guard." This
is done on channel 16, which is the National Calling and Distress channel.
After reply contact is made, you will be requested to move to Channel 22A
(the US Coast Guard working channel) for further communication.
You will also use Channel 16 to establish contact with another pleasure
boat or a commercial vessel, but once the contact is made you must switch to
either Channel 68, 69 or 70 for pleasure boats or to one of the frequencies
assigned to commercial vessel traffic to talk.
Before cellular telephones became popular and affordable, boaters could
also use their VHF radios to make telephone calls from their boats. This was
done by calling the marine operator on Channel 16 and then asking the
operator to place the call. Once the operator made contact with the party
you were calling, she would give you a "go ahead" and asked the
receiving party to standby.
There are two things which make VHF radio calls awkward for beginners. The first
is having to remember to say "over" when you finished your sentence,
and the second is remembering to release the microphone button so that you
can hear the other party. Of course nowadays personal calls can be more
easily made with the use of a cellular phone, even though you can use your
VHF radio to contact the marine operator to do the same.
Cellular phones also make a lot of boaters ask whether they even need to
install a VHF radio on the vessel. The answer is a short and simple,
"Yes." While cellular phones are great for calling home or taking
that occasional business call while fishing, it's not as dependable as VHF
in emergencies.
The key here is the fact that not only does the U.S. Coast Guard monitor
Channel 16 on a 24-hour basis, but all commercial vessels are required to
have their VHF radios on Channel 16. So, if you are fishing in the marshes and
your boat breaks down, someone will inevitably hear a call for help over a VHF radio
and you don't have to worry about being in a "dead zone" like
might occur with the use of your cellular phone.
