Marine+aero vhf

Roberto

Roberto

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The orc regulations strongly suggest a portable marine vhf radio with the additional possibility to use the aeronautical emergency frequency (121.5 MHz ?), clearly not for the satellite beacon but for voice communication with an aircraft.

Does such radio exist? I could not find it in any catalogue...
Maybe those radios with "programmable channels"? can they be setup for this frequency?

thanks
 
I understood 121.5 Mhz was the homing frequency on an Epirb... - or have I got it wrong?

dickh
I'd rather be sailing... :-) /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
 
Yes it was/still is, atl east for a few years more (121.5 and 230?MHz to be replaced by 400something), that is for a beacon being used to locate the emitter; the same frequency is used in voice communication as a distress channel by aircrafts (a bit like ch16. Orc recommend it to be able to communicate with planes to facilitate rescue as not all airplanes have access to marine vhf bands.
 
You are correct, it is the frequency epirbs 'warble' on. But the same frequeny is also used for emergency voice communication. I have seen a hand held emergency radio which allows voice transmission on 121.5 but it costs over £700. Given that you are only likely to use the functionality in a dire emergency, having the frequency as an option on a radio powered by the boats electrical system does not really seem worthwhile, since there is a good chance it won't be available to you when you need it most i.e in your liferaft after three days drifting. As I see it a 406 epirb is the first line of safety equipment with a 121.5 voice radio the second. Even then I would be tempted by another 406 epirb as my second line rather than the radio!
 
As Roberto says, 121.5 is the Aeronautical emergency frequency and when it is not being used for other purposes, most commercial aircraft keep their second vhf comms set (Box 2) tuned to that frequency. It is a communications channel and in an emergency would be used for speech but EPIRBs emit a very distinctive wailing sound which will be heard by any aircraft within range and listening on that frequency. Most aircraft do not carry direction finding equipment on comms frequencies so will have no idea of the direction from which the signal is coming but they report it to Air Traffic Control who will in turn notify the SAR services. If enough reports are recieved from different aircraft, ATC will be able to work out roughly where it is coming from.

'Reminds me of the story of the aircraft who heard an EPIRB transmission all the way to Greece..... after reporting it to several Air Trffic Control Centres it dawned on the pilot that several of the passengers were going on a flotilla holiday and one of them must have had an EPIRB in his baggage..... please note!!!

Only SAR aircraft and those specifically engaged in marine related activities are likely to carry marine frequencies.
 
I agree about epird being absolutely 1st. I just read a report where the boat had a wounded crew aboard in miserable conditions and could not speak to the rescue helicopter. The heli sent down a diver who wanted the crew to be put in the water before hauling him, captain denied, discussions followed and by the time the diver went back to the heli to explain the situation it was time to refuel...

It may be one in a million case but I suspect a suitable airband radio would have helped
 
It is so, at least in countries where SAR service is well organized. In some other places, not just a few and not that far, if one absolutely needs an helicopter they may send you the odd one from the nearest military airport, the one belonging to the hospital or others used by different military/paramilitary corps (firemen, forest guards, etc). I doubt they would be equipped with marine band vhf.
 
Thanks Ken.
Those seem to be airband only radios though, for the intended use I would prefer to have a portable marine with just the additional air distress frequency.
I wonder how all marine electronic sellers and chandlers cannot find a small place for this kind of radio among other useless gizmos!
 
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