iangrant
New member
How many times should I do a radio check?
Once a season first time out
Every time I go out
once a month
Never sure.
Regards
Ian
Once a season first time out
Every time I go out
once a month
Never sure.
Regards
Ian
Should I do a radio check?
- Thread starter iangrant
- Start date
tony_brighton
New member
Ch16 or 67?
ChrisJ
New member
I do one about twice a season on Channel 16.
Never at weekends (too busy).
But I also speak to marinas and locks at least every month.
Cheers, Chris
Never at weekends (too busy).
But I also speak to marinas and locks at least every month.
Cheers, Chris
Mirelle
N/A
No.
Do you let all your flares off and inflate your lifejackets and liferaft to check them? Your VHF is extremely reliable.
Do you let all your flares off and inflate your lifejackets and liferaft to check them? Your VHF is extremely reliable.
iangrant
New member
Re: No.
Ooh, that was my next question, how often do you replace the gas bottles?
Ooh, that was my next question, how often do you replace the gas bottles?
G
Guest
Guest
I am that sad person
I inflate each lifejacket about once every 4 years ie once then throw out and replace after 8 (mine are usually v. tatty by then). Someone else on this forum said that they had 6 and replaced one each year.
Regarding Mirelle's advice about not checking VHF, I reckon that you check them as often as makes you feel comfortable. Me? I don't check, I just use it for calling up marinas and friends. I'm no radio engineer but I don't imagine that there is anything to be gained from specifically using 16 or 67 for the test
Chris Enstone, Rival Spirit
I inflate each lifejacket about once every 4 years ie once then throw out and replace after 8 (mine are usually v. tatty by then). Someone else on this forum said that they had 6 and replaced one each year.
Regarding Mirelle's advice about not checking VHF, I reckon that you check them as often as makes you feel comfortable. Me? I don't check, I just use it for calling up marinas and friends. I'm no radio engineer but I don't imagine that there is anything to be gained from specifically using 16 or 67 for the test
Chris Enstone, Rival Spirit
G
Guest
Guest
Re: No.
I inflate my lifejacket to check that it has no holes in it. I intend to test the auto-inflate because being a sceptic I have difficulty in believing that that sort of thing really works. My crew and I also intend to fire off a couple of (white) flares in the near future for familiarisation. Next time my liferaft is serviced I intend to try inflating it.
Lots of New Year's resolutions.
As for radio checks, I use the radio and it seems to work OK, so wouldn't bother to radio check unless I had reason to believe something was wrong with it. But I guess that is lazy and illogical in view of all my other resolutions. But it is very boring in the Solent listening to all the radio checks. Last Saturday in the Solent the traffic was much more interesting. We turned the radio up and marvelled at all the excitement.
I inflate my lifejacket to check that it has no holes in it. I intend to test the auto-inflate because being a sceptic I have difficulty in believing that that sort of thing really works. My crew and I also intend to fire off a couple of (white) flares in the near future for familiarisation. Next time my liferaft is serviced I intend to try inflating it.
Lots of New Year's resolutions.
As for radio checks, I use the radio and it seems to work OK, so wouldn't bother to radio check unless I had reason to believe something was wrong with it. But I guess that is lazy and illogical in view of all my other resolutions. But it is very boring in the Solent listening to all the radio checks. Last Saturday in the Solent the traffic was much more interesting. We turned the radio up and marvelled at all the excitement.
jollyjacktar
New member
Only if your radio is not working!
It is too late to find out your radio is not working when you need it to work in an emergency. Test it often through a proper radio check with a reply to you on strength and readability or by contacts with other users at sea or on shore stations.
It is too late to find out your radio is not working when you need it to work in an emergency. Test it often through a proper radio check with a reply to you on strength and readability or by contacts with other users at sea or on shore stations.
ianwright
New member
Call for a radio check every time you go out, once while you are sailing, once motoring, use the full (i,e names X3) method of calling each time. Get the coasties to check your signal on 16, 67, and all your most used chatting channels. Let your kids call their little pals on other boats to discuss Pokemon cards. In adition,place a TR with the CG whenever you sail out of sight of your mooring.
That should do it.
IanW.
That should do it.
IanW.
iangrant
New member
Do I say over and ought each time?
incognito
N/A
Yes!
Just checking your radio each time you go out, whether for a day or a week, seems sensible to me, but not making yourself a pain in the backside. I am only interested in checking absolute failure, not reception patterns, transmission strength or all channels working.
Having a handheld and a fixed means that I can do this quickly and easily as a routine procedure: I just get outside the cabin with the handheld, call up on an agreed channel (we usually use 9, after checking all nice and quiet) and my first mate responds on the fixed radio. That simple procedure checks the TX and RX on both, takes about 5 seconds of air time, and disturbs nobody.
This once pointed up a faulty connector on the fixed set microphone, which stumped TX, and was fixed within the hour, no pressure. Imagine if it had been seriously needed and I discovered it in my hour of need?
Just checking your radio each time you go out, whether for a day or a week, seems sensible to me, but not making yourself a pain in the backside. I am only interested in checking absolute failure, not reception patterns, transmission strength or all channels working.
Having a handheld and a fixed means that I can do this quickly and easily as a routine procedure: I just get outside the cabin with the handheld, call up on an agreed channel (we usually use 9, after checking all nice and quiet) and my first mate responds on the fixed radio. That simple procedure checks the TX and RX on both, takes about 5 seconds of air time, and disturbs nobody.
This once pointed up a faulty connector on the fixed set microphone, which stumped TX, and was fixed within the hour, no pressure. Imagine if it had been seriously needed and I discovered it in my hour of need?
G
Guest
Guest
Every time I come back from somewhere else ...
I keep forgetting that airlines don't like you taking lifejackets in your daysack especially when they have full CO2 bottles. It just so happens that the bottles that they have in their lifejackects under the seats are the same as I use in my life jacket.
I feel loath to 'borrow' one of theirs just in case there is a real emergency. Equally I am loathe to take time out at the other end to part with £7.00 + tax for a new bottle that won't be allowed back.
Birgitta
I keep forgetting that airlines don't like you taking lifejackets in your daysack especially when they have full CO2 bottles. It just so happens that the bottles that they have in their lifejackects under the seats are the same as I use in my life jacket.
I feel loath to 'borrow' one of theirs just in case there is a real emergency. Equally I am loathe to take time out at the other end to part with £7.00 + tax for a new bottle that won't be allowed back.
Birgitta
G
Guest
Guest
Hallelujah!!!
At last, someone with a bit of common sense!
A simple procedure that the vast majority of leisure sailors should be able to carry out, and a procedure that takes a lot of totally unnecessary traffic away from ch16.
We do a similar procedure, only my son goes for a row in the dinghy taking the hand held with him while significant other and I are getting the boat ready to go. He will call us up (again usually on 9), we will reply and job done! No 1 son gets a bit of exercise, radio check completed, CG unhindered!
Quite easy really!
At last, someone with a bit of common sense!
A simple procedure that the vast majority of leisure sailors should be able to carry out, and a procedure that takes a lot of totally unnecessary traffic away from ch16.
We do a similar procedure, only my son goes for a row in the dinghy taking the hand held with him while significant other and I are getting the boat ready to go. He will call us up (again usually on 9), we will reply and job done! No 1 son gets a bit of exercise, radio check completed, CG unhindered!
Quite easy really!
saltydog
New member
me too
I agree ... its only a backup after all .. take care of the boat and the boat .. etc .. all I do is click to esure TX light shows .. I have had no probs with it of course, else I would ask for a radio check from CG, and from diff arials ( spellcheck is off)
I agree ... its only a backup after all .. take care of the boat and the boat .. etc .. all I do is click to esure TX light shows .. I have had no probs with it of course, else I would ask for a radio check from CG, and from diff arials ( spellcheck is off)
charles_reed
Active member
Keeps everyone busy
What if there's a real emergency?
What if there's a real emergency?
charles_reed
Active member
Only in the UK, could such a question be posed
Where we have attentive CGs, RYA-certified nincompoops and a totally overcrowded radio spectrum.
Get round Europe and you'll find listening on Ch 16 quite boring - only important messages, usually from commercial shipping and CRS and yachties doing what they should, being seen not heard.
Where we have attentive CGs, RYA-certified nincompoops and a totally overcrowded radio spectrum.
Get round Europe and you'll find listening on Ch 16 quite boring - only important messages, usually from commercial shipping and CRS and yachties doing what they should, being seen not heard.
ianwright
New member
Re: Keeps everyone busy
,,,,,,then you call to mind your training, and hope that you know more than advice gleaned from a message board,,,,,
IanW.
,,,,,,then you call to mind your training, and hope that you know more than advice gleaned from a message board,,,,,
IanW.
Colinh
New member
The Solent seems to be crowded with verbose idiots, which is perhaps as well, because they leave other parts of the UK's waters free from the inane babble.
I had a problem with my boat's VHF radio. Twice I thought it was fixed. Twice it was not. Third time, I was sailing on the East Coast, and asked for a radio check. When I said I had previously had problems, the Coastguard told me where to sail to, in order to get to the most 'difficult' part of their patch. An hour later I called up again, was recognised, and got a friendly congratulations that all was well.
I was about the only person to use the radio that day.
Colin H.
I had a problem with my boat's VHF radio. Twice I thought it was fixed. Twice it was not. Third time, I was sailing on the East Coast, and asked for a radio check. When I said I had previously had problems, the Coastguard told me where to sail to, in order to get to the most 'difficult' part of their patch. An hour later I called up again, was recognised, and got a friendly congratulations that all was well.
I was about the only person to use the radio that day.
Colin H.
jeanette
Member
Re: Only in the UK, could such a question be posed
I was told only recently, by someone familiar with the Red Sea, that during Ramdan CH16 is used by the Saudi's to broadcast extracts from the Koran 24hrs x 7days.
I was told only recently, by someone familiar with the Red Sea, that during Ramdan CH16 is used by the Saudi's to broadcast extracts from the Koran 24hrs x 7days.
G
Guest
Guest
Aren't they a through-back to the era of the cat's whisker?
Solent CG must get absolutely fed up with requests of this nature
Solent CG must get absolutely fed up with requests of this nature
