New to VHF

[Neil]

I've got my VHF course in a couple of weeks hopefully, but I'd appreciate an insight into how the system works before hand - if thats ok.

My boat's only 17foot and likely to always stay within 5 miles of the shore line, so I'm making do with a handheld VHF for the short-time-being. A previous question of mine was how far will they transmit, and I feel quite happy I could reach the shore with a 5watt transmitter and decent arial.

The coast guard sent me some stuff though, which on first glance looks like, despite me launching in Aberystwyth, the nearest major Coast Guard station is in Milford Haven ? I'm never going to reach them with a handheld UNLESS they use some kind of "repeater" system for signals received along the coast line ?

How DOES it work ?

Any information would be gratefully received.

 

[david_bagshaw]

I cant answer for the locations in your area, but all coast guard stations have a number of transmitters along the coast, all linked to the one central station, & thus you have extended your range! the system works automatically, in that they select the best transmitter to talk to you with.

David
www.euroboating.net

 

[Rob_Webb]

You WILL find out more on your course and there are various guides out there - I think the RYA do a good one.

But in essence, VHF is a line-of-sight transmission which is usually limited to your efective view of the horizon - unless unusual weather conditions permit longer distance wave propogation - but you can't rely on this!

So in your 17footer with a hand-held, you probably have about 5-8nm range between you and another low-level station e.g. yacht. A proper shore station with a higher antenna (CG) would be able to talk to you at greater range and you should get into double figures - but I wouldn't rely on much over 15nm with a handheld. A masthead antenna will obviously give you greater range due to the line-of-sight effect (30-50nm).

If you are were doing coastal cruising up to 5nm along the south coast, then I would say a good quality handheld VHF would probably do you fine. But I don't know your area of coastline very well and it could be that concerns about reaching your local CG cause you to need a fixed set with masthead antenna and 25w capability (handhelds are limited to 5w max).

No doubt some other folk who sail in your area will have useful experience to offer?

Rob

 

[Twister_Ken]

As you'll find out on your course, even if you can't communicate directly with the CG in a distress situation, any other station that can hear you is obliged to pass on your msg if they can. It's called Mayday Relay, and we all enjoy rehearsing it because we can then have the drama of a rescue at sea without imagining that we are the duffers drowning.

 

[dickhicks]

Fit a masthead ariel and an adaptor plug to fit on your hand held vhf - I used this for several years and it works fine. The higher the ariel the better. You should be able to get an ariel for about £35 if you search around, they usually come with about 15-20m of cable. You will then be ready to upgrade to a fixed vhf. Try ringing around local electronic places and see if they have any vhf trade ins from people who have upgraded to DSC/VHF radios - they will probably sell them cheap and they will be checked. Good luck.