VHF Radios

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When out on the water and under the sun, no one plans on having an emergency. The truth is, they happen. The best way to be prepared when and if they do is to have some sort of way to communicate with others and get the help you need. VHF radios are a great solution. Not only are they good for ship-to-ship contact and communications but also for those from ship to shore. VHF or very high frequency radios are a must on any pleasure or commercial ship and are usually used in coastal and inland waters. They are monitored 24 hours a day by the Coast Guard. Not only could they save your life, but they can also be used in many other ways such as communication with nearby boaters or to hear the latest weather forecast.

History

In the 1930s, they were first created as HF or high frequency radios. As the use of air travel began to grow, the need for better communication devices led to the development of VHF radios. The first production run was delivered in the fall of 1941 for commercial airline use. In a few months, the attack at Pearl Harbor sparked U.S. military interest in VHF radios, too. The Navy found a factory already building them and took the entire lot, stepping up production for the duration of the war.

Types and Features:

Handheld VHF Radios

VHF handhelds also offer many of the same features found on fixed-mount units. One advantage is the portability of a handheld such as that of a cordless phone. They may be just perfect for a dinghy or a small boat without its own electrical system. Handheld VHF radios do have a limited range of five miles due to their short antennas. They also have a maximum output of six watts. Connecting an external antenna or using a telescoping antenna can achieve a significant increase in range.

Battery life on hand helds vary with the size of the battery pack. Many models have optional battery packs with longer operating times, or greater transmitting power, or both. Some have battery saver circuits that turn off the receiver to save power. The battery life of a handheld can be increased by switching from full transmit power to one watt of transmit power. Options of different kinds of batteries range from Ni-Cd to alkaline to lithium.

Fixed Mount VHF Radios

Fixed mount VHF radios have a maximum output of 25 watts. This is the maximum allowed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). Since the system that is used by VHF radios is a line-of-sight system, meaning the radio waves will not bend to follow the curvature of the earth, than the height of the antenna is more important than the radio wattage. The antenna of the radio must "see" the antenna of a distant station, which allows the effective useful range of a VHF radio to be about 20-25 miles.

Waterproof / Water Resistant

Another quality of VHF radios is the varying levels to which they are waterproof or water resistant. The Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) for water resistance uses a "0" to "8" scale to define the level of water ingress protection built into each product. The various JIS classes are defined below.

"0" - No special protection
"1" - Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect (Drip resistant 1)
"2" Dripping water at an angle up to 15 degrees from vertical shall have no harmful effect (Drip resistant 2)
"3" Falling rain at an angle up to 60 degrees from vertical shall have no harmful effect (Rain resistant)
"4" Splashing water from any direction shall have no harmful effect (Splash resistant)
"5" Direct jetting water from any direction shall have no harmful effect (Jet resistant)
"6" Direct jetting water from any direction shall not enter the enclosure (Water tight)
"7" Water shall not enter the enclosure when it is immersed in water under defined conditions (Immersion resistant)
"8" The equipment is usable for continuous submersion in water under specified pressure (Submersible) One helpful tip when it comes to lengthening the life of your radio is to spray off any salt with fresh water after an outing. This will improve its longevity and help it to work for many years.

Necessary VHF Channels

The most important channel on a VHF radio is Channel 16, the international distress and calling frequency. Channel 9 is used for hailing, radio checks, plus some other functions. Channel 6 is for ship-to-ship safety calls after contact is made on another frequency. Channel 13 is for boat-to-boat navigation. Channel 22 is for emergency transmissions once directed by the Coast Guard to switch from another channel. Channels 24-28 and 84-88 are where you'll find a marine operator available to connect you to a land-based line. For a complete list of channels and their uses please visit the FCC website at http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/marine/vhfchanl.html

Weather Alert

When bad weather is headed your way, the automatic alert function in some VHF radios can be another lifesaver. With the SAME (Specific Area Message Encoder) technology, you'll never be woken up at 3 AM to Weather Alarms 4 or 5 counties away again! You can specify if you want to receive alerts for only one county, up to 15 selected counties, or your entire area. You can then rest assured knowing if the alert does go off, it is in the area which you specified, virtually eliminating all false alarms.

Whether you are on the open sees enjoying a relaxing day in the sun or traversing up the inland waters, it is important to have the equipment necessary to help you out in the event of an emergence. VHF radios offer a wide world of options; from hand held to fixed mount and from weather services to communications solutions. Assess what your needs are and find the one that works best for you.