Which VHF

[Castle 610]

I am going to install a VHF. I already have 27Meg but some events require VHF.

Any ideas which brands are good and what people use.

I was thinking of getting DSC as this is pretty common now.

regards
Stephen
Castle 650

[INMA]

I have two VHFs, a handheld and a fixed one.

I use the hand held all the time and seldom turn the fixed on let alone use it.

[Furstin]

I went handheld this boat around, as I will take it to the next boat. We got the Raymarine which is water proof, but not floating. Icom ones float. It is good to have it in the cockpit IMO.

I received Sydney Radio from Port Stephens with it last week on 16 & 67 clear as a bell - pretty sure thats not repeated.

So in short it is adequate for our uses.

Cheers,
Mat.

[ozsailer]

Hello Stephen,
Unless you are considering going to a larger boat or off shore I would not worry about the DSC. I say this for a number of reasons, first off there are very few rescue organisations that are set up to monitor this function. The VMR set up to monitor this is few and far between from the literature I have read to date. For the DSC Function do you have the compatable GPS or chartplotter to interface with the unit.
We have two VHF radios on board, one hand held and one permanently in the cabin. While this one does have the DSC function there is no one in the Newcastle area who monitors this function to my knowledge but we bought it knowing we will be going further afeild in the not to distant future. With our trailable the VHF was most useful in the Whitsundays where 27 meg was very uncommon. From my limited experience the cheaper VHF radios work just as well as the more expensive ones - just that they dont have some of the fancy extra's. Ebay is a great place to shop for a VHF.

[zebedee]

[huwp]

I am pretty sure that VHF does require a licence. I did the certificate last year.

I have a GME Marinised VHF on my boat. Works well, I dont have to worry about it getting moisture in it. I dispensed with teh DSC for the reasons mentioned aboive, and given I dont ususally sail out of site of others/land in this boat, and I carry a hand held, I bank on that and flares in the event of an emergency. I think it cost about 250-300. I like the 25 watt compared to the hand held just in case.

I have just bought a Icom Hand Held. I have had 2 Unidens in the past 2 years, and the water resistant claim is crap as far as I am concerned. Sure the Icom costs more, but over the weekend it spent 3 days in downpour and worked a treat. Cost around 350. I use the hand held on the big boat as well so it serves multiple purposes.

Like you I have a 27 Mhz on the boat as well, but found out on the weekend Tx doesnt work, but I am not going to bother replacing it.

I have no association, but I also have a marineised GME am/fm CD player which works well also.

[PipeDreams]

DSC is good for the follow me function if you are traveling with other boats with DSC radios. Fisho's sometimes use it to find out where there mate is fishing as it will give you his gps location. To use DSC you need a MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) and you can only get that if you have a Maritime radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP). There is curently no licence required for VHF but operators must have the MROCP.

Cheers
Scott
Pipe Dreams

[Castle 610]

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I am leaning toward the handheld for the reasons described and the general versatility.

Huw - which Icom is it? There is the IC-M35 VHF in whitworths for $389. 5w output. Or is yours the fancier one?

Regards
Stephen
Castle 650

[MurrayF]

I purchased one of these and couldn't have been happier...
http://www.benelec.com.au/standard%20horizon/HX270S.htm
And... if your HX270S ever fails for any reason including water damage during normal use in the first three years, Benelec will repair it free.

Regarding licencing (from the ACMA website)
Class licences authorise the operation of a number of devices commonly used on vessels. These include:
* 27 MHz and VHF marine radio equipment;
* Mobile and satellite phones;
* Inmarsat communications equipment;
* Marine radar;
* Low power on-board UHF equipment;
* EPIRBs; and
* Citizens Band (CB) radio equipment.
Class licences are open, standing authorities that allow anyone to operate particular radiocommunications equipment provided that the operation and the device are in keeping with the condition of the licence. Class licences do not have to be applied for and no licence fees are payable. If any condition of licence is breached (for example, operating on a frequency not mentioned in the Class Licence), the operator is no longer authorised to operate under the Class Licence. In this instance, the operator would be liable for prosecution.

[zebedee]

[Shaun]

Some compelling reasons for handhelds above.
It all depends on what type of sailing your doing..inland, harbour, lake etc handheld combined with your other means of attracting attention V-sheet etc would be sufficient, & that Cobra handheld on eBay looks great value, also no need for wiring in antenna, & maintaining charge to ships battery(a unit with rechargable battery/s is a must), ive been amazed at the range of my Hummingbird handheld VHF.
If your going coastal sailing then a ships VHF, with a back-up of a handheld(anyway!) is the go, imo.
I have a Lowrance lvr250 VHF ships radio with DSC, but havent been able to connect it to GPS for compatibility problems with my old GPS, plus as said in previous posts, DSC hasnt really been taken onboard by the VMR or boating community (yet!)

[oz4me]

Talk about Govt Speak...Murray's posting about NOT requiring a license for certain radio equipment including VHF radios is correct but the following Paragraph states:
Operator qualifications

VHF and MF/HF marine radio equipment and Inmarsat (A, B, C) Satellite communications equipment carried on board a vessel must be under the control of a qualified operator at all times. All coast stations must also be under the control of a qualified operator.

Most operators choose to obtain a Marine Radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP), which covers the operation of both VHF and MF/HF equipment. The Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency (MROVCP) has a somewhat simpler syllabus, but only covers the operation of VHF equipment.

Now doesn't that make it as clear as mud.

[huwp]

Yes my handheld is the IC-M35

Yes to operate you do need the certificate for VHF but not for 27Mhz

[zebedee]

[zebedee]

[Ian and Marie]

Stephen,
The posts above should have you sorted with regard to MROCP. The "exam' is not difficult, and I would reccommend the course to everyone. The certificate lasts a lifetime, so there are no ongoing renewals etc.

As to the choice of VHF:
1. I can't understand why people have been so slow on the uptake of DSC, it only costs an extra $100 or so, and the reassurance of hitting the red button and sending out your position and problem is a no-brainer. You can manually enter your position every 24hrs, if you are not linked to a GPS.
While VMRs may not be able to receive your DSC message, all commercial shipping can. The whiz-bang bits about having your mates position on your chartplotter, and calling up via an address book are just bonuses.

2. With regard to hand-held radios, there is a trade-off between convenience and transmission range. Basicaly, to get maximum range, you need to get your antenna as high as possible - mashead antennas are there for a reason. Also, a hand-held will only transmit at 1 or 5W, while a "proper" radio will put out at 1 or 25W. This is a mixed blessing, as you do not want to be putting out an excessively strong signal if you are only calling the race c'ttee boat!

It all comes down to where you want to go. For PPB and similar, a hand held is ideal. If you get up to the Whitsundays or Fraser, you may well be grateful for the extra coverage, even with the repeater stations. We actually carry both, and it came in hand for keeping ion touch with the tender on some of our shore trips.

Cheers
Ian

[Castle 610]

I have gone and bought a ICOM handheld for now and will consider a permanent unit in due course. I am aware of the limited range of handheld and the need for a licence.

regards
Stephen
Castle 650

[rseydler]

Wonder if anything will come from this http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_311900

[Frank Peters]

Hi everybody, one of the most common and reliable equipment on the boat

in 21 century is a mobile phone. It will make others obsolete and no license is

necessary!!!!!!!!! And it only gets better as the time goes on.

Regards Frank

[MargGannet]

But a mobile does depend on where you are sailing and there are still places where there is no reception - even at the Gippsland Lakes. Dependent on carrier and coverage!

[Frank Peters]

Hi everybody, mobile phone has hundreds of application, including maps,

camera, triple O for emergency, GPS, has no borders, rings right round the

world, I don't have a problem on Gipslland Lakes, not even on Whitsundays.

And booking a pen in the marina,they answer the phone before your radio.

Technology is taking over whether we like it or not, unstoppable.


Regards Frank

[Cruisinpete]

My mobile phone is doing weird things after the marlay point overnight race.
Might have to look into a waterproof phone

Pete

[zebedee]

[Slammin]

I'm hearing you Frank but I think if you're going that route then satphone. 3g still doesn't cover all areas.

[Graham Holloway]

May I point out that a cell phone connects with the number you call and no one else.
A radio call is broadcast to all turned on radios, on channel, so if help is needed it could be just around the headland.
Try talking to the whole fleet in company on a cell phone - a hand held will do the job in one hit.