Sandy
Well-known member
Can you imagine the outbreak of mass panic amongst the sailing community if they did not.
Radio checks why oh why
- Thread starter billyfish
- Start date
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
I’ve driven commercial vessels and on small ones don’t ever have to recall being required to report to the CG our movements. With multiple means of calling any distress what’s the point?
ryanroberts
Well-known member
And while we're at it, why do Forum members persist in contributing to all those threads started to complain about people calling on Ch.16 for radio checks?
I am a noob, so getting annoyed at things is quite novel still
JumbleDuck
Well-known member
Wouldn't it be more fun to reply "Your signal is very weak and broken up", while crumpling up a couple of crisp packets next to the microphone?
Homer Simpson's Lovechild
Member
Be thankful you don’t have to deal with a constant chorus of animal impressions, followed by the inevitable “Fillipeeeenohhh monkeee !!!“ which resonates around the large commercial anchorages of the world.
In aviation , we have an organisation known as “The Guard Police” who will inform anyone - including genuine distress calls, within a microsecond of transmission on 121.5 MHz that they are “ON GUARD!!!”
In aviation , we have an organisation known as “The Guard Police” who will inform anyone - including genuine distress calls, within a microsecond of transmission on 121.5 MHz that they are “ON GUARD!!!”
Gary Fox
N/A
Yes, 'Minky minky' is a common one; also I've often heard something like, ' Diddikoy diddikoy', it can't be the same as the word used here for gypsies presumably, so it must mean something unforgiveable in Filipino..I wish the Solent was as colourful..
LadyInBed
Well-known member
These days, I would call CG on first outing of year to confirm that they could see me on AIS ?
Little Dorrit
Well-known member
I have a VHF splitter and can see my boat on an AIS phone app presumably indicating the VHF Tx works and my GPS shows other boats so Rx must be working I assume?
lustyd
Well-known member
In theory, yes, but really no not at all. If there's someone right next to you feeding the app with data then just as I said earlier it proves nothing at all. VHF sets work just fine locally even without an antenna (as said, they might in theory get damaged, although usually don't) so whatever your testing regime you just need to be sure that the reveiving set it at least several miles away, with an app you can technically find that info. A marina you're in is a terrible test, as is an unknown AIS receiving station (the apps are fed from many sources). It's possible the AIS receiver is 5 miles away, in which case you've proved that a single digital packet which has error correction built in made it 5 miles. That says nothing of your ability to communicate with analogue voice.
doug748
Well-known member
An interesting suggestion. Radio malfunction. what would they do next?
Telephone the Coastguard, set off an Epirb, go to the pub, go home? Or set off anyway, like the rest of us, with the bloody thing switched off.
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Bi111ion
Member
Have a look over your course notes for your SRC or other radio qualification. There is a good reason regular radio checks are a recmmended part of GMDSS. Practically coax and plugs corrode on small boats, and you might be able to reach the marina but what matters is you can contact the CG at some distance.
Adios
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Sounds like a confession
Rappey
Well-known member
Would the ones that do a radio check every time they go on their boat also do a life jacket test?
I've never asked for a radio check. If I'm hearing from a reasonable distance then it's more than likely I'm also transmitting ?
We often go out with 3 boats. At 1.5 miles I could barely hear one boat on his handheld.
The other boat was at 3 miles yet said he heard him fine.
Time to replace my 27 year old antenna and coax !
Going with rg214 this time around. Will be interesting to see the difference over rg58
I've never asked for a radio check. If I'm hearing from a reasonable distance then it's more than likely I'm also transmitting ?
We often go out with 3 boats. At 1.5 miles I could barely hear one boat on his handheld.
The other boat was at 3 miles yet said he heard him fine.
Time to replace my 27 year old antenna and coax !
Going with rg214 this time around. Will be interesting to see the difference over rg58
Gary Fox
N/A
A 'confession'? Are you suggesting that there is something wrong with making a radio check?
Joking aside I often do so, in fact whenever I feel like it. (My chosen method and channel is another question.)
If every yacht and gin palace tested their radio today, I bet 5-10% would have some kind of potentially dangerous fault.
Please everybody, test your installations now!
Adios
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This is page 4 of the thread, whats left to say apart from joking?! And thread drift of course
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Adios
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Is receiving range of an installed set the same as or an indication of transmitting range? Same antenna connection anyway. So if you can pick up a distant CG station replying when the pompus windbags do their thing and your marina was able to hear you earlier in the day its most likely there is nothing wrong with your set?
Blue Sunray
Well-known member
Adios
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Come on now its never that simple
Buck Turgidson
Well-known member
Well, yes it is.
You can unplug the antenna and still receive but you won't transmit anything.
Adios
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Well I'll get back to jokes and thread drift then as I suspected there was nothing else sensible to say