Proper use of your VHF radio.

The Answer was to a specific question

The question you asked was how to call other boats with VHF to hook up, how to contact bridges, locks etc.

My comment was to use the correct channels, which in one of the links provided laid all that out for you as what channels were for what use.

I then I went on to tell you what I do ... and I scan monitor three channels 9, 16 and 69.

How this is done is buy using what is referred to as "Selective Scan" which is a feature on most middle of the road radios on up. this allows you to select specific channels for the radio to listen to and when traffic is encountered to show that channel on your read out, send the traffic to your speaker and continue until the traffic end sor you tell the radio to move on.

I never said nor did I intend for you to believe you had to monitor any other channel than 16..

Please re read the post.
 
Re: The Answer was to a specific question

Asureyez said:
The question you asked was how to call other boats with VHF to hook up, how to contact bridges, locks etc.

My comment was to use the correct channels, which in one of the links provided laid all that out for you as what channels were for what use.

I then I went on to tell you what I do ... and I scan monitor three channels 9, 16 and 69.

How this is done is buy using what is referred to as "Selective Scan" which is a feature on most middle of the road radios on up. this allows you to select specific channels for the radio to listen to and when traffic is encountered to show that channel on your read out, send the traffic to your speaker and continue until the traffic end sor you tell the radio to move on.

I never said nor did I intend for you to believe you had to monitor any other channel than 16..

Please re read the post.
Click to expand...

I know you didn't say that you misunderstood I was asking about it cause I read it in the first link they you had provided but I answered my own question by re-reading it and it's for boats 20meters and larger.
 
ImpulseIII said:
Just be aware that hand held VHF radios typically have a maximum output of 5 watts. A hardwired VHF has 25 watt output capability coupled with a fairly large antenna thus providing significant additional range (something that may be important when several miles off shore). VHF is line of sight so the higher the transmitting antenna, the further the signal will travel.

Not trying to spend your money but a hardwired VHF is a good investment in safety and piece of mind!

Oh yeah, and if your boat sinks....who cares about the radio....???. :smt101
Click to expand...


weird.. i live in pinellas park and i was in the garage and i had turned ont eh vhf to see if it works and i got a transmission of a guy requesting for the bellair causeway to draw the bridge... and i kno thats not in sight of me... weird right?
 
morpheus;

I had to run a couple of errands and missed the explosion of the message thread.

first. here is a link to the VHF you see mounted in my PIC's

http://www.shopping.com/xPC-Oceanus_DSC_VHF_Marine_Radio

it has a Scan button that will scan all channels and stop when it picks up active communications and then go back to scanning once the mike is closed. this way I can pick coast guard traffice on 16 or Boat to boat traffic on 72 or Bridge traffic etc. I normally run on low power so I only pick up local traffic near me.

as to the install. On my 240DA there is a side panel right below the shifter/throtle (you can just see it in my modifications pic) ; I unscrewed that panel which gave me access to the space between the outer hull and the inner deck. I needed this access to be able to put the backing and the nuts on the screws which hold the antenna base. this is also how I routed the antenna cable to the radio. as you hold the nuts with a wrench a helper screws the base mounting screws nice and tight.

as for raising and lowering the antenna. if you look at the pic of the antenna you will see a lateral handel on the antenna mount, by turning the handel you can adjust the antenna from straight forward to straight up to lying flat all the way back.

like I said before you need to make a trip to West Marine over off of Lois and Dale Mabery or go down to Boaters World on US 19 south of Marine Max and check out their radios and atennas. you should be able to get the radio, antenna and mounting hardware for a total of about $250 to $350. spend a little time playing with the store demos and talk to the folks working their about a good set up for you boat and find somethings you like.

at the end of the day you might get a better deal on the radio and antenna on the internet, but you want to get the mounting base and all the hardware you need for the mounting locally to make sure you have all the parts you will need.
 
Thanks I'll be definitly making a trip there to check them out and see what they recommend.

I'll have to look at my boat to see if I can do what you did which would be very nice and easy.

Do you have a GPS and did you connect your radio to it?

Thanks for the help.
 
Yup I have a garmin 76;

if you zoom in on my radio mod. you can see it right behind the steering wheel. it's mounted on a swivel base with double sided sticky tape and does support the DSC capabilities. I have everything I would need to connect the two together I just haven't done it cause I would like to get a color chart plotter some day and make that permanent, not the gps76. problem is the 76 does everything I need right now so I can't justify the $500 for a color chartplotter. I would rather spend the $500 on gas and go out every weekend. kind of a catch 22.

the set up is actually kind of nice as the GPS is right in the middle of the Tach and Speedo so I have all my info directly infront of me. also I can adjust the angle so I can still see everything even when standing up.
 
Hi,
You asked earlier and I think It got skipped, but 25 watts is the regulated maximum output for marine vhf, they do sell systems that will far outdue the vhf, like the Single Side Band for example, but this is way over kill for most recreational boaters.

Something else to think of, I just ran into this problem, I purchased a Standard Horizion radio and a Garmin gps chartplotter. That I know of the two are not compatable.

Just something to think about if you want to use the dsc function.
Make sure the radio you want and the gps you want are compatable, or you could end up spending a lot of money and still not have dsc.

Just some thoughts as I have just been there myself.


Wade
 
Thanks for pointing that out about the DSC.

I already have a Garmin 3205, how would I know what is and not compitble, what do I need to look at.

I was looking at the ICOM's cause the higher end ones allow small handheld remote mic's with displays and full function on them.

My boat is't big enought to warrent having two mic's but my thought was instead of mounting the vhf on the helm in the way I'd put it in the helm where the radio is behind the door where the cooler is also and then have a remote mic at the helm taking up alot less space. Of course it would cost more but I think I'd like it better that way.
 
Garmin has what they call the "Garmin Marine Network." It is a system of other garmin products that allow you to expand the uses of your Product. For example, I see that your unit can be networked to deliver XM weather, radar and sonar. However, I did not see where it listed DSC as one of its capabilities. If you get with Garmin they can shoot you the best answer possible.

www.garmin.com

I got a Standard horizion radio. I did pretty much the same thing, I mounted the radio down below in the cuddy and an external mic up on the helm, I like it because if I am relaxing up front I dont have to go all the way to the helm to get on the radio, problem is, it is only compatable with other Standard Horizion chartplotters. Them buggers run in the $1200 ranage and I just cant justify that in the Mid West. So I do without the DSC capability. I think it would be neat but I wonder if its not a safety feature that Coorperate HQ came up with to get people to buy THEIR vhf and then THEIR chartplotter.

Furthermore, I think that the only people who can recieve your DSC information are other vessles with a DSC setup on their boat.

Im not really sure how popular that feature actually is,,,, perhaps we could do a poll and see?


Talk to you later

Wade
 
It was actually on the Spec's Tab on garmin's site:

Supports DSC (displays position data from DSC capable VHF radio): yes

So that parts taken care of, I was about to be mad at myself if it didn't.

Yes other boats can get the DSC signal if they have the setup as well it would show the distress call on their gps but I believe the coast guard can also get the signal. So I could hit the button and if in range the coast guard would no my location.
 
Morpheus said:
It was actually on the Spec's Tab on garmin's site:

Supports DSC (displays position data from DSC capable VHF radio): yes

So that parts taken care of, I was about to be mad at myself if it didn't.

Yes other boats can get the DSC signal if they have the setup as well it would show the distress call on their gps but I believe the coast guard can also get the signal. So I could hit the button and if in range the coast guard would no my location.
Click to expand...

hmmm. this sems intersting.. so if i get a certain vhf i can tune it up with my garmin? explain this whole setup and what exactly it does.. i had heard alot of people talkin about this but never actually cared... but now i do..
 
cr0ck1 said:
Morpheus said:
It was actually on the Spec's Tab on garmin's site:

Supports DSC (displays position data from DSC capable VHF radio): yes

So that parts taken care of, I was about to be mad at myself if it didn't.

Yes other boats can get the DSC signal if they have the setup as well it would show the distress call on their gps but I believe the coast guard can also get the signal. So I could hit the button and if in range the coast guard would no my location.
Click to expand...

hmmm. this sems intersting.. so if i get a certain vhf i can tune it up with my garmin? explain this whole setup and what exactly it does.. i had heard alot of people talkin about this but never actually cared... but now i do..
Click to expand...

Well I'm not an expert on this so I'll just give you want I know. Alot if not all new VFH radios have a DSC function. I'll give you what I know off the top of my brain which may not be 100% so you'll wanna look it up. I believe DSC stands for Distress Signal Call and I believe it uses channel 70.

On the VHF radio thre is a DSC button (red) that activates this. With your GPS unit that supports DSC when connected together the GPS unit supplies data to the radio like location speed direction and if the DSC is activated a distress call is made with that info sent to others that can receive.

That's the sending part. Also those that have this setup can receive the DSC calls and if you get one it will show up on the GPS. The big this is the coast guard can get this but what's better is other boaters with this setup that might be near you can get this and know where you are and come help.

So as the other poster wondered if this is a popular feature or not it may not be but if the coast guard is listening that's great but if I add it that's one more boater out there that might be able to help someone else with the same feature.
 
Morpheus said:
cr0ck1 said:
Morpheus said:
It was actually on the Spec's Tab on garmin's site:

Supports DSC (displays position data from DSC capable VHF radio): yes

So that parts taken care of, I was about to be mad at myself if it didn't.

Yes other boats can get the DSC signal if they have the setup as well it would show the distress call on their gps but I believe the coast guard can also get the signal. So I could hit the button and if in range the coast guard would no my location.
Click to expand...

hmmm. this sems intersting.. so if i get a certain vhf i can tune it up with my garmin? explain this whole setup and what exactly it does.. i had heard alot of people talkin about this but never actually cared... but now i do..
Click to expand...

Well I'm not an expert on this so I'll just give you want I know. Alot if not all new VFH radios have a DSC function. I'll give you what I know off the top of my brain which may not be 100% so you'll wanna look it up. I believe DSC stands for Distress Signal Call and I believe it uses channel 70.

On the VHF radio thre is a DSC button (red) that activates this. With your GPS unit that supports DSC when connected together the GPS unit supplies data to the radio like location speed direction and if the DSC is activated a distress call is made with that info sent to others that can receive.

That's the sending part. Also those that have this setup can receive the DSC calls and if you get one it will show up on the GPS. The big this is the coast guard can get this but what's better is other boaters with this setup that might be near you can get this and know where you are and come help.

So as the other poster wondered if this is a popular feature or not it may not be but if the coast guard is listening that's great but if I add it that's one more boater out there that might be able to help someone else with the same feature.
Click to expand...

well i just looked at my manuel for my garmin gpsmap440s and it says i can do it.. lol.. never knew what that was for! THANKS
 
Here's a couple photos of our setup. The Garmin is a 3005 chartplotter. The radio is an Icom M-504. The radio has the dsc & both are linked together. Hope this helps. Scott

100_0913.jpg


100_0912.jpg
 
Actually had planned to install right below the Garmin, but one of the service guys at the dealership recommended putting it where it is now so that I wouldn't be banging my knees on the thing everytime I get in or out of the seat.
 
avguy said:
Actually had planned to install right below the Garmin, but one of the service guys at the dealership recommended putting it where it is now so that I wouldn't be banging my knees on the thing everytime I get in or out of the seat.
Click to expand...

and easy wiring.. right through the inside of the fiberglass to the under console.. perfect! thats where im putting mine now when i get one!
 
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