Recommend me a hand held VHF

[st599]

If the operator is licensed, he can operate on a rig ginned up out of baling wire and old vacuum tubes, if he can make it work on the permitted frequencies. Kind of the point of amateur radio.

With the caveat that most of the amateur bands are at multiples of frequencies, so if you do design a crap output stage, the harmonics ruin other Ham bands. That's not true of the Marine band.

 

[wonkywinch]

With the caveat that most of the amateur bands are at multiples of frequencies, so if you do design a crap output stage, the harmonics ruin other Ham bands. That's not true of the Marine band.

Not true. Not all ham bands are harmonics of each other. Take the 2m band for example (almost adjacent to the marine SRC band).

2nd harmonics of the marine band could potential interfere with aviation ILS (instrument landing system) frequencies and 3rd harmonics emergency service communications.

If anyone chooses to buy a $10 Baefungdung transceiver and use it in the UK, and plenty of people do, I don't see that as any different from other selfish behaviours like not having or using black water tanks in bays or rivers. Users just don't see the trail of crap they leave behind.

 

[Dockhead]

With the caveat that most of the amateur bands are at multiples of frequencies, so if you do design a crap output stage, the harmonics ruin other Ham bands. That's not true of the Marine band.

Maybe not so much harmonics, but a baling wire output stage may certainly splatter across adjacent frequencies.
Liddish, but not prohibited on the amateur bands so long as you are not violating any of your various no harmful interference obligations.

 

[Mark-1]

2nd harmonics of the marine band could potential interfere with aviation ILS (instrument landing system) frequencies

Doesn't really detract from your point but google says Marine Band is 156-162 MHz and ILS is 108-112 MHz, or 329-335 MHz for glide scopes. So no overlap of the 2nd harmonics.

I'd have thought the low hanging fruit would be for Trading Standards to utterly stamp on importers of counterfeit radios. That's already illegal, easy to prove and damaging UK businesses.

 

[wonkywinch]

Doesn't really detract from your point but google says Marine Band is 156-162 MHz and ILS is 108-112 MHz, or 329-335 MHz for glide scopes. So no overlap of the 2nd harmonics.

I'd have thought the low hanging fruit would be for Trading Standards to utterly stamp on importers of counterfeit radios. That's already illegal, easy to prove and damaging UK businesses.

Twice 162.00 is 324.00 MHz which pretty close to the glide slope band (328.60 to 335.40MHz) so a bit of spectral splatter from a cheap transceiver could easily interfere with the glideslope receiver of an approaching aircraft. It's why you need a licence to transmit so you have knowledge of these potential issues.

 

[Frank Holden]

Not convinced DSC is useful in coastal waters, the alerts, certainly in the Solent, are so common as to generally be ignored.

A pro word (pan or mayday) on CH16 is sure to prick the ears of everyone in radio range. The DSC with position and MMSI would then be useful info for CG. I know this is not the recommended way round but in an emergency I want someone on the way asap, not a hundred fingers pressing the "cancel alert" button and going about their day.

Since it is so busy in the Solent, I end up with the main VHF on tri watch, CH16, CH12 (Soton VTS) and CH68 (Hamble River) and the handheld to hand to speak to the marina on CH80 if I'm short handed and want them to pop down and catch a line.

Listening out on CH16 and CH12 in the Solent brings a lot more situational awareness especially if I intend to tack through the precautionary area.

Thankfully the Solent is not the world.
MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic
I monitor 16/14 but can't recall when I last actually spoke to anyone on it.

 

[Dockhead]

Thankfully the Solent is not the world.
MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic
I monitor 16/14 but can't recall when I last actually spoke to anyone on it.

I use the VHF a lot, outside of the Solent, for a lot of different purposes.

Even whilst complying with MGN 324 and avoiding unnecessary radio chatter for collision avoidance purposes.

I use HF radio, too, even having Starlink on board.

Obviously, YMMV.

 

[Mark-1]

Twice 162.00 is 324.00 MHz which pretty close to the glide slope band (328.60 to 335.40MHz) so a bit of spectral splatter from a cheap transceiver could easily interfere with the glideslope receiver of an approaching aircraft. It's why you need a licence to transmit so you have knowledge of these potential issues.

Well we both have licenses to transmit and I think even a really poor‑quality radio isn’t going to stretch its harmonic energy 5 MHz upward. Spectral splatter is measured in tens of kHz, not millions of Hz. Splatter is narrow. Even the dirtiest transmitter won’t magically shift its 2nd harmonic by 5-6 MHz into the glide slope band.