One of the most important pieces of equipment on your boat is your VHF radio. It will help keep you informed of weather, unseen traffic and other navigation hazards. It can be a tremendous social boon. And, in an emergency, it can save your life. So we've restricted this section to only VHF radio. We hope you realize that one source cannot cover all the details that there are regarding this form of maritime communication. We have (somewhat) limited our scope to what pleasure boaters may need to know.
All about VHF Radio...
What can you say? When can you say it? How do you phrase it? "Got yer ears on, good buddy? What's yer 20, father trucker?' No! NO! NO! Your VHF is not a CB radio. It's not a toy. It's a tool and it's regulated. And there are fines involved for its misuse. So if you are going to have to use a VHF radio and have never used one before - you need to read this.
Conceived in the early 1970's with the intent to alleviate the heavy traffic on VHF channel 16 - the primary hailing and distress channel. All VHF radios manufactured today have Digital Selective Calling (DSC). Commercial vessels have been required to use it since 1999. But many of us recreational boaters know little about it and do not use it. Because the safety of you and your vessel is concerned, the Frugal Mariner strongly urges you to get on board with DSC - learn how to use it on your boat.
In the movies, we have all heard the phrase "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" You, as Captain of your vessel, must know and understand what constitutes an emergency requiring calling a mayday, a 'pan-pan', or 'security - security'. And it is important to train your crew and sometimes even your guests if they are going to be called upon to act as crew. This is especially true if you become incapacitated. At that point, it is probably too late to think about training your crew.
All of the VHF radios on our boats can receive the NOAA weather channels. You can usually pick up two or three at any given time. How do you know which one is for the area where we are boating? Why does your radio receive local weather on channel one, while the boat in the next slip recives the same thing on channel 3? What does FIPS mean? Here are the answers.
Tomorrow you're headed out with a friend on his boat. He says you can help out with simple chores like making a few VHF radio calls. You've never even seen a VHF radio. What the heck is the UIC button? Squelch is a funny word - what could it possibly mean? This isn't the same as reading the instruction book for the specific radio your going to be using, but it can help you get started with VHF radios in general.
One boat can hear my VHF radio and he's 20 miles away, but the guy I'm trying to reach is in the next harbor over - probably only 2 or 3 miles. And we can't hear each other. Why is this? What kind of range can I expect out of my boat's radio?
When we started this section on VHF Radio, we called it 'Communications' and we were going to cover Single Side Band (SSB), Automated Identification System (AIS), EPIRBS, SPOT messenger, Inmarsat, and more all in one section. As the research progressed we realized just how much information there is, just about VHF communications. And we've learned quite a bit we weren't even aware we didn't know.
If you have a lot of experience in this area, please realize that this information is directed first toward those with limited or no experience with VHF and don't feel we are trying to 'talk down' to you.
If you have a lot of experience in this area, please realize that this information is directed first toward those with limited or no experience with VHF and don't feel we are trying to 'talk down' to you.
What this section is about.
Who makes and who enforces the laws and regulations? What rules affect you? What channels can we use in various circumstances?
Brand and feature comparisons. What do some of these features do?
Channel Band Plan - USA
Channel Bandplan - Canada
Channel Bandplan - International
Coast Guard MMSI addresses
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Notice: While we make every effort to ensure that the information provided on this website is accurate, we can not be held responsible for any mishaps which may occur as a result of your using information found in this website without verification through other, more authoritative sources such as the U.S. Coast Guard. |
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Saltwater Suzi and Cap'n Larry's "Boating on a Budget"
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How to's, Information, Education & Fun Stuff about Boats, Sailboats, and Cruising
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