Channel 68

[NoBozo]

I think the rule that you MUST monitor Ch 16 has been around FOREVER. There is NO Way anyone can monitor YOU..for NOT having your radio turned ON.....OR... tuned to CH 16. If your radio IS ON or OFF, no one has the capability to know that.

I don't think anyone here is suggesting that VHF doesn't have a value...It does...but On The Lake : No One is listening. That's just a fact..in spite of some who have had positive results. NB

On SALT Water; The chatter on Ch 16 is incessant. It will drive you CRAZY. You will turn it off. Just the way it is. NO BS.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

I think the rule that you MUST monitor Ch 16 has been around FOREVER. There is NO Way anyone can monitor YOU..for NOT having your radio turned ON.....OR... tuned to CH 16. If your radio IS ON or OFF, no one has the capability to know that.

I don't think anyone here is suggesting that VHF doesn't have a value...It does...but On The Lake : No One is listening. That's just a fact..in spite of some who have had positive results. NB

NB, why do you keep saying no one is listening?? Are you really that stubborn! I am on the VHF every weekend on the lake and during the week at times and I can tell you I am far from being alone!

If you don't believe me fine, I will stop wasting my time responding to you since you seem to know everything and no one will convince you.

Have fun

Dan

[Rich]

How did we go from 'VHF Is dead on the lake' to "there is so much chatter on CH16 it will disturb the peace and quiet on the lake"??

Just in case anyone is wondering, we don't have that much 'chatter' on CH16 on the lake. I always have my radio on CH16 when I'm on the water, and it's mostly silent, but it is used and monitored.

Let me tell you, if you have a problem and call for help, and get an answer, you will be happy that there are people monitoring CH16.

[pjard]

OK...so back to the question at the start of this thread, who is it on 68? I thought all the fishing stuff was on 12.

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by pjard

OK...so back to the question at the start of this thread, who is it on 68? I thought all the fishing stuff was on 12.

Who's On First: I feel your pain. No one has answered your question. I WILL: ANYONE can use 68. When you want to contact somebody....You Hail them on 16. Your party will respond....and recommend an alternate channel...by mutual consent, which might be 68.

Ch 16 is a hailing frequency ONLY. Having a conversation on 16 is NOT condoned. You Hail your party..make contact..then switch over to an alternate frequency....Like 68..or maybe 72..to have your conversation. Your choice. NB

[Kamper]

The law I referenced above is called "The Jones Act." This is the statute that defines Federal authority in US waters.

Even though USCG & SOLAS rules may not apply where you are boating many of them are good common sense.

FCC and other agencies have rules that still apply almost everywhere.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by pjard

OK...so back to the question at the start of this thread, who is it on 68? I thought all the fishing stuff was on 12.

Who's on 68?

Only me and all my friends...

I bought it, so only my friends from the Winni Forum will have a place to talk when on the lake and away from an internet connection.

[Kamper]

License...

If you get a station license, you have to get a "Radio Telephone Operators License." They used to be free but now there's a charge.

USCG...

I can't remember the name of that law they changed a few years ago but Congress finally defined 'Navigable waters of the US' to be (roughly) waterways that you can take a boat to another state, country or international waters. That should leave most of NH's lakes in the clear from those reg.s.

[V ger]

One correction to the Channel Assignments chart is that channel 83A is also used for MRASS (Mariner Radio Activated Sound Signal) The coast guard is implementing this system wherein keying a VHF mike 5 times on channel 83A will activate sound signals in range for 30 to 60 minutes. While this will be of no use to people on the lake people who boat on both the lake and ocean should know that this system has already been activated at many sites in Maine and NH.

The CG regulations represent the right and proper way to conduct ones self on the water. It seems that many people feel that if a particular regulation is not strictly required on a particular body of water they are free to act as marine anarchists no matter what dangers they are unknowingly exposing others to. Learning and practicing proper seamanship can be a great source of satisfaction whether on a fresh water puddle or the ocean. It also makes the waterways safer and more relaxing.

I could not agree more with NB regarding the chatter on Channel 16 (and many other things) as well as Channel 9. I suspect the fishing talk at the lake lacks the purpose and discipline intended for VHF and might be better suited for CB or GMRS.

[V ger]

NB

You are right to say that no one will monitor if or what channel you are tuned to. It is however a simple task. In order to provide optimum amplification the incoming signal is mixed with a frequency created by your radios internal oscillator to create a fixed intermediate frequency which is further amplified within your radio. This internal oscillator is controlled by the channel selector. Since few commercial radios have adequate shielding to prevent all emissions of this oscillator frequency anyone with a suitable receiver and a spectrum analyzer can tell exactly what channel you are monitoring.

Back when the BBC had a TV monopoly in England they used this technique to determine who was receiving their programing without paying the TV tax. They actually had vans with directional antennas that would drive around to find the none payers.

[V ger]

Replace GMRS with FRS above

[RUGMAN]

This will be my first year on the big lake, See a lot of talk about getting a radio . Any recommendations about what one to purchase and what details it should have, we have a pontoon boat and would want one that is portable. I look at all the ones on the Overton site, too many to chose from.

[V ger]

When selecting a VHF radio you will probably be best served by selecting a model from a major manufacturer such as Icom or Standard Horizon. Avoid store brands as they often fall short on service and parts availability over time. I have seen handhelds that had to thrown away because the batteries or chargers were no longer available. Often store brands are private labeled products by less than stellar manufactures. For use on the lake a basic model should fill all your needs and will be easy to use by a newbie boater and his friends who are also likely to be neophytes.

Points to consider with a hand held radio
Cell phones typically have a .3 watt output yet there are health concerns.
Hand held VHF radios typically have 5 0r 6 watt outputs with a selector switch for 1 watt. Always use the lowest setting you need to achieve your desired communication except for emergencies. This will also minimize interference with others on the same channel.
VHF communication is line of sight so range is largely dependent on antenna height. A rough approximation of the distance to the horizon is the square root of the observers eye or antenna height in feet. Thus if your eye is 4 feet above the water your horizon is approximately 2 miles away. If you are using an antenna 4 feet above the water to speak to someone with an antenna 9 feet above the water you will have effective communications up to about 5 miles ( 2 miles for your antenna + 3 miles for the 9 foot antenna).
The short antennas on handhelds also tend to limit range as they have a toroidal radiation pattern ( picture a donut with antenna in the middle of the hole). The longer antennas of a fixed radio have a flatter radiation pattern which projects more energy horizontally.
You must make sure you keep the batteries charged
Handhelds can be dropped overboard. Get a floating model or use a tether.
Waterproof models are obviously desirable especially since they can be used to call for help if your boat sinks.
No installation required and you can take it with you to your next boat.

Fixed radios require installation but with 25 watts of power and better antennas they out perform handhelds in every way. They cannot be dropped overboard. Mount the antenna as high and as far away from people as possible bearing in mind that you may need to pass under bridges. A laydown mount will help with bridge clearance.

[NoBozo]

Back in 1974 I bought a Modar VHF. At a cost of $1200. It was excellent. I didn't realize how excellent it was until a few years later when I bought my next boat and installed a Standard Horizon which cost about $275. You get what you pay for.

At the time, the range for a VHF with a wire antenna on a 35 foot mast was about 30-35 miles on "High Power" (@25 Watts.) The Modar had a range of about 40 miles with excellent reception. The Standard Horizon (eight years later) had a range of about 25-30 miles..with marginal reception quality. Just my experience... NB

EDIT: Those figures are for open ocean with no mountains in between.

YES, I do have some experience. As one of my fellow forum members recently said..I know everything:

[Descant]

Originally Posted by RUGMAN

This will be my first year on the big lake, See a lot of talk about getting a radio . Any recommendations about what one to purchase and what details it should have, we have a pontoon boat and would want one that is portable. I look at all the ones on the Overton site, too many to chose from.

I have always had great service from Raymarine. Not needed a lot, but handy to just walk in the door in Nashua and drop stuff off, get a call a day or two later to discuss solutions.

I always carried a VHF on my jetski. A Koozie on either end for protection and stored in a waterproof flotation bag. If you're not using it a lot and it's in a drawer, the Koozie protection is probably still a good idea.

Depends on your boat set up, but a charging system for whatever your boat has (12V or 110V shorepower) is convenient and probably prudent, especially if you want to leave it on board rather than taking it to the house to charge and then forgetting it there when you go boating. I think some handhelds may have a jack so you can connect to a remote speaker. I like that to be able to hear better over wind and engine noise. Even so, it is hard to hear when engines are running at cruise RPM, on plane. If you have to slow down to use your cell phone, the same will likely apply to the VHF.


Radio protocol: This is not a CB. It is a major piece of safety equipment. Adults only. Learn to call and respond properly, not "Hey good buddy, Jack, you out there?". Teach your crew how to make an emergency call and/or an assistance call, describing your vessel, location, nature of the emergency.