VHF weirdness

[kilkerr1]

Hi all

Approaching Newhaven marina on Sunday afternoon - will post re. our adventures getting there from the Medway later on - I did the dutiful thing and called up on channel 80 to request a berth on my new handheld. Did this twice, no answer. Went inside tried again on the fixed VHF. Twice. No answer. Called on mobile and apparently they'd heard me and replied, but I never heard nuffink. Now, the new handheld was used only a couple of days before and everything was fine. The marina said our transmission was patchy and the signal kept breaking up. What could be the problem? Handheld worked fine 2 days previously...and have never had problems with the fixed set. We're sailing from Newhaven to Brighton this evening and I want to be able to call 'em on 80 if I can...should I do a *gasp gurgle splutter* radio check with the coastguard to see what's what? Or at least call him to log our passage thingy wossname?

Cheers, Just.


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[StugeronSteve]

Sounds like the prob is at there end! Maybe a dodgy coax connection or something.

I would call CG on their working channel, log your passage report and get a radio check to boot. You could be really cheeky and ask if it's ok to call back on the hand held for a check as well.

Enjoy the trip.

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

 

[kilkerr1]

See, that's what I thought. There's plenty of other dodginess at Newhaven marina from what I can tell so a problem with their VHF stuff wouldn't surprise me - approaching our allocated finger pontoon, which is listing rather alarmingly, I was half expecting it to just disappear from underneath me once I set foot on it.

Anyway, enough of that. I'll call CG on working channel etc. to check. Thanks.


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[AndrewB]

Check you are on the International not the US setting for ch 80. If the latter, they'll hear you, you won't hear them.

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[kilkerr1]

Good point, will do. Thanks.


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[StugeronSteve]

Unlikely that two sets of differing type and manufacture are both on US settings, but worth a look.

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

 

[AndrewB]

Eh? *DELETED*

 

[StugeronSteve]

Re: Eh?

What I meant was that Kilkerr1 had tried the marina office on both hand held and fixed sets with the same outcome and I thought it unlikely that both of her sets are on US Ch80.

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

 

[AndrewB]

Sorry .. my mistake

Deleted just as you reposted.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Re: Sorry .. my mistake

No probs /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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

 

[kilkerr1]

Re: Eh?

Yup, you're right. Thought this might have been the prob with my handheld (bought in US) but unlikely with fixed. Have managed to scuttle home and just checked the handheld and it's setup for international channels so all's well there.

Cheers!


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[simonwood]

Re: Eh?

When doing a radio check i will always do it with my marina or a friendly neighbour, kinda makes sense to leave the coastguard alone!

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[StugeronSteve]

Re: Eh?

But when the marina can't hear you and you have reason to call CG. (Two birds/one stone.

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

 

[Nickel]

Re: Eh?

Gonna show my ignorance here, but what would be wrong with sending HWMO off tuther side of marina with handheld and do a radiocheck between SWMBO on the fixed and HWMO on the handheld? To stay the right side of no marine VHF on land rules, HWMO could step aboard a boat on a far pontoon?

Or is this a silly question?

<hr width=100% size=1>Nickel

Being paranoid simply means - having all the facts.

 

[kilkerr1]

Re: Eh?

Erm, can't think of anything wrong with this myself, it never crossed my mind. Sounds sensible to me - though I think that dodgy floating pontoon hardly counts as land. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif Anyone with serious objections to this idea should voice them in the next hour or so 'cos we're off to Newhaven to try this out...



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[Beagle]

Re: Eh?

Perhaps the only advice could be (or should be??), use a simplex channel. In Holland we use 77 (aka the bs-channel).

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[StugeronSteve]

Re: Eh?

This is in danger of getting a little silly. Solent CG tends to object to the massive volume of radio checks that they are asked to perform (on Ch16). In most other areas, where the volume of traffic is lighter, there are no such objections. Very often they are asked for a check by the same boats week after week, I know I have heard them! They will not object to a radio check in your situation and you need to contact them anyway, in order to log your passage. Do it on a working channel and you will have the reassurance that your set can be heard from a remote station.

You will then enjoy your passage without any niggling doubts.

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

 

[kilkerr1]

Re: Eh?

Fair enough. I just know that the CG is, as you rightly say, inundated by these calls and thought we might not bother them. Working channel it is then.

Off we go...



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[StugeronSteve]

Re: Sorry can\'t hear you

Just a little joke (very little). Bon voyage. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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

 

[kilkerr1]

Re: Sorry can\'t hear you

Thanks. Will let all know how we get on. It's only 7 nm, what could possibly go wrong... /forums/images/icons/wink.gif


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