VHF again and again and again...

[Robin]

Having spent 5 weeks in lovely S Brittany we returned to find no change on the incessant stream of radiocheck please calls, we even heard them as far south as Lorient (Solent CG who keep saying they won't do it anymore). Our last few days were St Peter Port/Cherbourg/Poole and we heard very very few French voices on the VHF other than Joburg Traffic and Barfleur Signal Station, but we did hear non stop seemingly from Solent and Portland and Brixham even Falmouth CGs, almost all of it replying to radiocheck requests. French radio sets must be so much more reliable than ours, at least the owners seem to trust them!

On another favourite topic of DSC, when we DID want to listen to the VHF for a forecast, twice from a French station and one from Brixham G we were cut off by a DSC alert switching us to another channel, thus missing the forecast completely for a message of no interest to us usually coming from many miles away. It seems that the alert transmission on Ch70 with no other noise carries much farther than the regular message it switches to be it on 16 or 80 or whatever, so you get an irritating jump overboard alarm for nothing!




<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[snowleopard]

last friday there seemed to be unusual propagation conditions for VHF. we went out to the eddystone and could hear coastguards from falmouth, brixham, portland and solent plus alderney and corsen from the other side. what a racket!

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[Robin]

High pressure seems to do it, but still the major number of transmissions are from the Brit side of the channel, we must drive the French mad!

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[StugeronSteve]

DSC Alerts. Dontchajusluvum. We invariably receive one whilst undertaking some delicate berthing manoeuvre needing quiet and calm instructions to be given from the helm.

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.

 

[StugeronSteve]

"we must drive the French mad!" Is this an instruction or an observation.

<hr width=100% size=1>Think I'll draw some little rabbits on my head, from a distance they might be mistaken for hairs.

 

[Robin]

Followed by 'switch that fff....lipping thing OFF' whence it stays silent and unheard....

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[pessimist]

I think I'll take it as an instruction.

<hr width=100% size=1>A pessimist is an optimist in full possession of the facts

 

[Sans Bateau]

First time that I experianced a DSC alert was earlier this year, halfway across the channel. It went off around 3.00AM, oh yeh and I was off watch, sleeping! (lucky I was wearing underwear)

Sorry! To much information!!!!!!!!

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[Sybarite]

Last summer I could hear Falmouth CG at Belle Ile.

John

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[Sybarite]

My very first post on this forum was to suggest a dedicated VHF channel for continuous recorded weather forecasts as they do (did ?) in the Med.

I still think it's a good idea.

John

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[Robin]

Now that would be useful John so it will never happen. Correction, it will be offered but will require an additional license fee!

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>