Boatist
Rear Admiral
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2002
- Messages
- 4,552
Re: vhf radio
Wildcat1<br />You got a lot of good information here.<br />I think you first VHF radio should be a fixed 25 watt unit.<br />With a good antenna expect about 10 miles to other boats with good antennas.<br />Out here two Coast Guards stations I listen and talk to most<br />have their antennas on top of mountains of 1200 feet and over 2000 feet.<br />The one at San Francisco I can talk to from the Sacramento River<br />between two 40 feet high leaves and still reach them over 80 miles away.<br />I like the Shakespeare 5225 8 foot antennas very much.<br />I have help so many fix a radio that cut in and out and<br />have poor range by installing a Shakespeare 5225 antenna.<br />A good 8 foot 6db will help more than a name brand radio.<br />I also like ICOM and Standard for a fixed radio.<br />When you get your second radio then think about a good hand held.<br />Out here I find small inland lakes do not have many boats with VHF.<br />Coastal waters and large lakes like the great lakes or Lake Tahoe do have a lot of vhf radios.<br /><br />If your new to boating I recommend you and your family take a boating class.<br />The cost is only the cost of the books they are useing in the class, the instruction is free.<br />They teach "Rules of the road", Navigation Aids, Saftey, Boat requirements,<br />VHF RADIO use, Boat Maintenance and troubleshootting, and Basic Navigation, Chart Reading.<br />The class will usually have some new boater and some <br />experienced boater that can give you pointer for your area.<br />If you take a class try and find the longer 13 week class they cover so much more.<br />Both The US Coast Guard Aux and the US Powers Squardons have great classes.<br />Out here many of the classes have been shorttened to 9 week or less.<br />I ask the Coast Guard why and they said they were having trouble<br />Getting people to sign up for the longer classes.<br />He said most only sign up to get the discount some insurance company give when you pass the class.<br />My whole crew has taken both long classes and had fun and learned a lot.<br />I have taken at least 5 classes because I enjoy the classes and have always learned something new.<br />I try to take one about every 5 years and the 13 week class is much better.
Wildcat1<br />You got a lot of good information here.<br />I think you first VHF radio should be a fixed 25 watt unit.<br />With a good antenna expect about 10 miles to other boats with good antennas.<br />Out here two Coast Guards stations I listen and talk to most<br />have their antennas on top of mountains of 1200 feet and over 2000 feet.<br />The one at San Francisco I can talk to from the Sacramento River<br />between two 40 feet high leaves and still reach them over 80 miles away.<br />I like the Shakespeare 5225 8 foot antennas very much.<br />I have help so many fix a radio that cut in and out and<br />have poor range by installing a Shakespeare 5225 antenna.<br />A good 8 foot 6db will help more than a name brand radio.<br />I also like ICOM and Standard for a fixed radio.<br />When you get your second radio then think about a good hand held.<br />Out here I find small inland lakes do not have many boats with VHF.<br />Coastal waters and large lakes like the great lakes or Lake Tahoe do have a lot of vhf radios.<br /><br />If your new to boating I recommend you and your family take a boating class.<br />The cost is only the cost of the books they are useing in the class, the instruction is free.<br />They teach "Rules of the road", Navigation Aids, Saftey, Boat requirements,<br />VHF RADIO use, Boat Maintenance and troubleshootting, and Basic Navigation, Chart Reading.<br />The class will usually have some new boater and some <br />experienced boater that can give you pointer for your area.<br />If you take a class try and find the longer 13 week class they cover so much more.<br />Both The US Coast Guard Aux and the US Powers Squardons have great classes.<br />Out here many of the classes have been shorttened to 9 week or less.<br />I ask the Coast Guard why and they said they were having trouble<br />Getting people to sign up for the longer classes.<br />He said most only sign up to get the discount some insurance company give when you pass the class.<br />My whole crew has taken both long classes and had fun and learned a lot.<br />I have taken at least 5 classes because I enjoy the classes and have always learned something new.<br />I try to take one about every 5 years and the 13 week class is much better.