junking the installed vhf

[PhillM]

When I bourght my boat she had a fixed VHF with a broken antenna. So, culd recieve but not transmit.

Money ran out before being able to re-do the rig and I didn't want anyone up the mast until I was 100% happy with it. So used a handheld for all of last year. A few comments:

Battery life is not good. Standby is fine for about a day, but 10 mins of talk time an you run out of jucie. If you have to charge it the whole time you might as well run a fixed unit off the 12v batteries.

HH range is patchy. I have been unable to talk to a marina when just outside, even on full power. (Cowes on a busy day) and unable to recieve from other boats, even when they are line of sights, albiet 2 or 3 miles away near keyhaven.

This year I put on a new antenna up the mast and got a new radio. Also fitted a Garmin 152 (cheap) just so I could set it up for DSC. I quite like knowing that I can get a mayday out with a single press of a button, then get on with dealing with the emergency.

Also, so can the kids.

 

[baltic]

have you thought of putting pole on the transome to take the arials vhf/gps even may be plotter all very affordable now plus two vhfs better than one if you break one accidently or drop it overboard I have a vhf plus handheld and use the handheld most of the time as single handed the arms or only so long (tiller to vhf down below) when talking to port control and getting directions

 

[dylanwinter]

you also speak good sense

When I bourght my boat she had a fixed VHF with a broken antenna. So, culd recieve but not transmit.

Money ran out before being able to re-do the rig and I didn't want anyone up the mast until I was 100% happy with it. So used a handheld for all of last year. A few comments:

Battery life is not good. Standby is fine for about a day, but 10 mins of talk time an you run out of jucie. If you have to charge it the whole time you might as well run a fixed unit off the 12v batteries.

HH range is patchy. I have been unable to talk to a marina when just outside, even on full power. (Cowes on a busy day) and unable to recieve from other boats, even when they are line of sights, albiet 2 or 3 miles away near keyhaven.

This year I put on a new antenna up the mast and got a new radio. Also fitted a Garmin 152 (cheap) just so I could set it up for DSC. I quite like knowing that I can get a mayday out with a single press of a button, then get on with dealing with the emergency.

Also, so can the kids.

that makes good sense about the safety... and one I shall have to recomsider once I get further North where mountains and things get in the way

I am curious about the marina experience - was that because other people were transmitting at higher power - or did they have a fault - perhaps they were on a handheld down in an office - curious


batteires I can manage

the whole ship is run on packs of AAs from maplins, torches, radio, TV, audio recorder

I am now getting fairly good at battery management

Dylan

 

[maxcampbell]

I ended up fitting a lead acid battery because I wanted a fixed DSC VHF - I reckoned it was the most significant bit of safety equipment there is.

As well as almost guaranteed power from the battery, higher transmission output than a handheld, there is antenna height, which from the top of even a gaffers mast will double or treble your radio horizon, compared to a handheld in the cockpit.

My mast is hollow, so I ran the co-ax up the middle.

 

[lustyd]

Cowes has several marinas all running on the same frequency. Add to this hundreds of amateur boaters who don't realise they are on a duplex channel and therefore can't hear the other boats talking and you have effectively a VHF dead zone. When in cowes use the phone or park and walk to the office to discuss otherwise you'll go mad trying to contact a marina.

 

[baltic]

I use a motor bike battery and small solar panel asi havnt an engine with a charger it serves me fine

 

[prv]

Add to this hundreds of amateur boaters who don't realise they are on a duplex channel and therefore can't hear the other boats talking

It's always struck me as pretty daft that we use a duplex channel for marinas. Was there ever a reason for it?

Maybe I should bring my old scanner along so I can hear the other half and fit into a gap?

Except that I haven't called a marina for a berth (VHF or mobile) in nearly two years

Pete