Re: marine radio
A cell phone would be my last choice. I happen to maintain 2 911 dispatch centers in my job. When a call comes in from a land line dispatchers knows your address, where the nearest fire station, where the nearest police station. If someone hangs up they automaticaly dispatch police to your address thinking someone broke in and grabbed the phone out of your hand and hung it up or a domestict fight. They them call back the number. If get no answer a police officier is going to show up. If it a fire they will dispatch the fire department. Hit one key and they can tell fire what map page it on.
Cell phone 911 call out here go to California Hwy Patrol. They have no idea where you are. If you need police or fire they will ask what city your in and what you address is they transfer the call to the right agency to get you help. If your lucky they will get the right group on the first transfer.
If you on the water they have no idea where you are. They may transfer you to the Coast Guard who still have no idea where you are. If you have Lat and long then they can start to find out your problem and decide if you need Coast Guard or a tow Service.
Inland Cell phone work in most population areas, But get 5 miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean most of the time you will have no service.
In the future Cell 911 call will be checked as to how many towers you hit and they will try to get at least a general location to dispatch. Since most dispatch center do all the agency they will get your exact problem and send police or fire.
However today the 911 centers I maintain recomend cell phone users program in police and fire numbers for their home and call direct instead of useing 911. It can save 10 to 15 minutes.
Many small rivers and lakes inland will have very little or no VHF Marine use. These locations a cell phone or CB radio may be the best you can do.
Large rivers and shipping channels, The Great lakes, and the Oceans VHF Marine is the best choice.
In small lakes and rivers you may hear someone calling for help 1/4 mile away.
Out in the Pacific with 30MPH winds, 6 to 8 foot swells common all summer long and white caps you will not see or here anyone even 100 yards down wind. You may not see the boat 30 feet ahead who is in the trof on the other side of the swell just ahead. This is why the very first thing you do in a man overboard drill is to assign one person to watch the person and nothing else.
