On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 16:40:38 -1000, renewontime dot com
wrote:

Generally speaking though, a cell phone is better than nothing at all,
but has several shortcomings for emergency communications, in
particular:

Of course. Digital is only about 1.5 miles range, IMO.

the CG cannot take RDF bearings of your signal, so no
position can be found from your signal alone.

I am in more trouble than a cell phone can solve if I can't provide a
bearing, a lat/lon or a range.Even from the log and estimating a DR
pos based on course and time since last plot.

Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus. So I
suppose if I get hit by lightning in the fog and am knocked out until
the water lapping over the coamings wakes me up.

That might be bad.

There have been several
cases of sailors and fishermen here (Hawaiian Islands) who have run into
trouble, had only enough power or signal for a brief call on their cell
phone to the USCG, but the CG was unable to assist. Because the CG
wasn't able to take bearings of the signal, no position or even rough
idea of the distress caller's position was known, so CG assets weren't
deployed.

A marine VHF would have probably been better, but is still limited to
line-of-sight distances (which because the CG antennas are on top of
mountains equates to about 24 - 30 miles). In these particular
situations a 406 EPRIB would have been many times more effective in
summoning help.

Offshore (as in "out of sight of"), or in busy sea traffic, fishing
fleet areas, I would definitely consider it, if only because it goes
off if you are bobbing in the water unconscious.

Good argument for an automaitc PFD, too, but I have the manual and my
wife has the dual man/auto SOSpender models.

R.