your VHF - do you trust it?

[Sangstercraft]

I'm often out of cell signal on the water, and in spots where there's no other boats around. I can hear Victoria or the US coast guard calls on the radio but rarely do I pick up other boat's calls. Do you guys trust your VHF radios to get a call out if you're in distress?

Does the antenna need to be straight up? Mine is tied back to the radar tower at an angle.

 

[jasonj]

The antenna should point straight up and as high as possible for best reception. People often like to angle the antenna to the stern for looks but it results in poorer reception.

Unfortunately, good receiving reception is not a good indicator of sending reception. The only easy way to measure sending reception is to do a radio check with the coast guard. Call channel 83A in Canada (not 16) and call the coast guard to request a radio check. They will respond with the quality of your signal. Note that VHF units often have a low and high sending power. Select the high power for your radio check.

I do a radio check every once in a while in the areas I travel. This gives me confidence that VHF will work when needed. I have also had to replace faulty VHF units because the radio check has failed so it’s good to check it regularly.

 

[Sangstercraft]

The antenna should point straight up and as high as possible for best reception. People often like to angle the antenna to the stern for looks but it results in poorer reception.

Unfortunately, good receiving reception is not a good indicator of sending reception. The only easy way to measure sending reception is to do a radio check with the coast guard. Call channel 85A in Canada (not 16) and call the coast guard to request a radio check. They will respond with the quality of your signal. Note that VHF units often have a low and high sending power. Select the high power for your radio check.

I do a radio check every once in a while in the areas I travel. This gives me confidence that VHF will work when needed. I have also had to replace faulty VHF units because the radio check has failed so it’s good to check it regularly.

Great advice. Thanks.

 

[agentaqua]

Another trick - you know where your coaxial cable attaches to the bottom of the whip antenna? Well ev 5+ yrs or so - it pays to back that off and clean the contacts. Salt spray (esp.) can get in there and corrode the contacts. That substantially reduces your output - when that happens. You can receive fine enough - but your transmission radius becomes severely limited because the electric power gets used-up by resistance. Check that coupling if you notice a reduction in your range of transmission...

 

[halimark]

Good question? Thank god I only needed once for a holly **** OMG moment. Pushed the red button and spoke, instant Comox Coast Guard, they relayed to North Island RCMP and they came and got us. Now I turn on each trip, down here in Vic radio check gets instant response. North Island where we fish =silence. Do get marine forecasts and squelch so know it works. Maybe try the Coast Guard radio check mentioned above, better peace of mind.

HM

 

[Sir Reel]

VHF is for the most part line of sight. 2 boats with antennas 8’ high only have a range of 4 miles each or 8 miles total.
So 10 to 12 miles might be a norm in real life. Wave height can easily change that too. Your antenna needs to be straight up for best reception and distance.
US and Canadian Coast guard have repeaters all up and down the coast and that is why you can hear them so well but not the other side of the conversation from the small boats. However they can repeat your conversation so that other boats nearby can hear or can respond to an emergency. Best bet is to test your radio regularly with boats around you and keep all your connections clean. The VHF is an important safety tool in your boat.

 

[Saxe Point]

The antenna should point straight up and as high as possible for best reception. People often like to angle the antenna to the stern for looks but it results in poorer reception.

Unfortunately, good receiving reception is not a good indicator of sending reception. The only easy way to measure sending reception is to do a radio check with the coast guard. Call channel 85A in Canada (not 16) and call the coast guard to request a radio check. They will respond with the quality of your signal. Note that VHF units often have a low and high sending power. Select the high power for your radio check.

I do a radio check every once in a while in the areas I travel. This gives me confidence that VHF will work when needed. I have also had to replace faulty VHF units because the radio check has failed so it’s good to check it regularly.

Typo. Radio checks with Coast Guard in Canada are on channel 83A, not 85A. In the US, Coast Guard radio checks should be made on channel 22A.

For me, once I get west of Jordan River I can no longer reach the Victoria Coast Guard for radio checks, so I do a check with the US Coast Guard at Neah Bay, and they are easily reachable.

 

[jasonj]

Typo. Radio checks with Coast Guard in Canada are on channel 83A, not 85A. In the US, Coast Guard radio checks should be made on channel 22A.

For me, once I get west of Jordan River I can no longer reach the Victoria Coast Guard for radio checks, so I do a check with the US Coast Guard at Neah Bay, and they are easily reachable.

Thanks for finding my typo and for providing the US channel. Yes it is 83A for Canadian Coast Guard.