last "ditch" VHF
 

hi again folks,

i'm curious what VHF you would suggest for emergencies, the one you're
going to be listening in on when your floating in the middle of the
ocean next to your EPIRB after tragedy has struck. i'm thinking of a
radio that you keep with you at all times when on deck, the one that
never leaves your side.

last "ditch" VHF
 

The fade today for coastal navigation is the DSC (Digital Selective
Calling).
This new breed of VHF is connected to a GPS and has a distinctive signature.
In order to make use of this DSC you have to register it with the coast
guard. They logged in your signature, call sign, boat description,
navigational equipment, emergency and survival gears. Then the information
is programmed into their data bank. As I witnessed, when you call the
coast guard, traffic and other vessel with the proper equipment the name of
your boat with its position appears on the their computer/digital radar
system. This way when your are in distress and use your DSC they know your
GPS position, the name of your boat and monitor your position. When you are
outside of the coast guard radio range some people are using sat/phone and
EPIRB. Last week a 36 foot sailboat was rescued by the US guard at approx
200 NM from the coast of Nantucket.

"purple_stars" wrote in message
ups.com...
hi again folks,

i'm curious what VHF you would suggest for emergencies, the one you're
going to be listening in on when your floating in the middle of the
ocean next to your EPIRB after tragedy has struck. i'm thinking of a
radio that you keep with you at all times when on deck, the one that
never leaves your side.

last "ditch" VHF
 

last "ditch" VHF
 

The other emergency device that the around the world racing sailors are
using is the French Argo system.
This system was primary designed and indented for the French Military. It
uses satellites to receives signal from the Argo buoys locate on vessels
and then shows the position on a digital computer screen. This way they can
track down the position of the racing sailboats at all time and advise of
alternative route to avoid hurricane and storms or just giving updates on
the race. This Argo system is not public and requires permission to use.
Today, if you're looking for audio entrainment while awaiting rescue or just
sailing the new Sat/radio could be a good thing to have on board.

"chuck" wrote in message
...
wrote:
The fade today for coastal navigation is the DSC (Digital Selective
Calling).
This new breed of VHF is connected to a GPS and has a distinctive
signature.
In order to make use of this DSC you have to register it with the coast
guard. They logged in your signature, call sign, boat description,
navigational equipment, emergency and survival gears. Then the
information is programmed into their data bank. As I witnessed, when
you call the coast guard, traffic and other vessel with the proper
equipment the name of your boat with its position appears on the their
computer/digital radar system. This way when your are in distress and
use your DSC they know your GPS position, the name of your boat and
monitor your position. When you are outside of the coast guard radio
range some people are using sat/phone and EPIRB. Last week a 36 foot
sailboat was rescued by the US guard at approx 200 NM from the coast of
Nantucket.

"purple_stars" wrote in message
ups.com...
hi again folks,

i'm curious what VHF you would suggest for emergencies, the one you're
going to be listening in on when your floating in the middle of the
ocean next to your EPIRB after tragedy has struck. i'm thinking of a
radio that you keep with you at all times when on deck, the one that
never leaves your side.




I'm not sure you need to be talking to people while you're floating next
to your EPIRB! You want to be rescued. If the EPIRB is working, they will
know where you are. If it is dark, you might wish you had a flare to help
them. But what are you going to tell them on the VHF? You can't just say
you're 20 yards south of a used car lot or something.

And what would you listen to? The weather?

Save the VHF and bring some water and food instead!

Others will see this situation differently, I'm sure.

Good luck.

Chuck

last "ditch" VHF
 

purple_stars wrote:
hi again folks,

i'm curious what VHF you would suggest for emergencies, the one you're
going to be listening in on when your floating in the middle of the
ocean next to your EPIRB after tragedy has struck. i'm thinking of a
radio that you keep with you at all times when on deck, the one that
never leaves your side.


I have a Standard Horizon HS460S handheld VHF. I attach it to my PFD
with a lanyard so it's always with me. (if not wearing PFD, I attach the
lanyard snap clip to a 'D' ring on my vest)
You do realize your transmission distance is around 5 miles, although
you may hear messages from farther away.

last "ditch" VHF
 

It's ARGOS. I use it and in essence you're correct but what the
satellites see is a function of the transmitter. Basically you can send
a data packet, what's in that data packet is up to you. We have some
ocea buoys with GPS and other instrments attached.

You can triangulate a transmitter location from the sat passes but the
accuracy is in the 1.5 nautical mile range, not the sub 50m range with
GPS.

PDW

wrote:
The other emergency device that the around the world racing sailors are
using is the French Argo system.
This system was primary designed and indented for the French Military. It
uses satellites to receives signal from the Argo buoys locate on vessels
and then shows the position on a digital computer screen. This way they can
track down the position of the racing sailboats at all time and advise of
alternative route to avoid hurricane and storms or just giving updates on
the race. This Argo system is not public and requires permission to use.
Today, if you're looking for audio entrainment while awaiting rescue or just
sailing the new Sat/radio could be a good thing to have on board.

"chuck" wrote in message
...
wrote:
The fade today for coastal navigation is the DSC (Digital Selective
Calling).
This new breed of VHF is connected to a GPS and has a distinctive
signature.
In order to make use of this DSC you have to register it with the coast
guard. They logged in your signature, call sign, boat description,
navigational equipment, emergency and survival gears. Then the
information is programmed into their data bank. As I witnessed, when
you call the coast guard, traffic and other vessel with the proper
equipment the name of your boat with its position appears on the their
computer/digital radar system. This way when your are in distress and
use your DSC they know your GPS position, the name of your boat and
monitor your position. When you are outside of the coast guard radio
range some people are using sat/phone and EPIRB. Last week a 36 foot
sailboat was rescued by the US guard at approx 200 NM from the coast of
Nantucket.

"purple_stars" wrote in message
ups.com...
hi again folks,

i'm curious what VHF you would suggest for emergencies, the one you're
going to be listening in on when your floating in the middle of the
ocean next to your EPIRB after tragedy has struck. i'm thinking of a
radio that you keep with you at all times when on deck, the one that
never leaves your side.




I'm not sure you need to be talking to people while you're floating next
to your EPIRB! You want to be rescued. If the EPIRB is working, they will
know where you are. If it is dark, you might wish you had a flare to help
them. But what are you going to tell them on the VHF? You can't just say
you're 20 yards south of a used car lot or something.

And what would you listen to? The weather?

Save the VHF and bring some water and food instead!

Others will see this situation differently, I'm sure.

Good luck.

Chuck

last "ditch" VHF
 

wrote in news:%_phg.18671$A26.428180@ursa-
nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca:

designed and indented for the French Military

Scary....very scary...(c;

(I have a thousand jokes flashing before my eyes, but am laughing too hard
to focus on them right now...(c;)

last "ditch" VHF
 

Thanks for the correction Peter.
You're right it should have spelled Argos instead of Argo.
The 1.5 nautical mile range accuracy is not all that bad when you are at
sea. However for coastal navigation when you are crossing shipping lanes in
the Bay of Fundy when the fog gets very thick it is not too good. Here the
coast guards are using DGPS on the coast. I do not know how far the land
correction bases can send their signals to validate and correct a GPS
position? The same thing would apply to the WAAS. My old Loran is still
functioning well and when need it I use it to validate my GPS position or
back up.

"Peter" wrote in message
oups.com...

It's ARGOS. I use it and in essence you're correct but what the
satellites see is a function of the transmitter. Basically you can send
a data packet, what's in that data packet is up to you. We have some
ocea buoys with GPS and other instrments attached.

You can triangulate a transmitter location from the sat passes but the
accuracy is in the 1.5 nautical mile range, not the sub 50m range with
GPS.

PDW

wrote:
The other emergency device that the around the world racing sailors are
using is the French Argo system.
This system was primary designed and indented for the French Military.
It
uses satellites to receives signal from the Argo buoys locate on vessels
and then shows the position on a digital computer screen. This way they
can
track down the position of the racing sailboats at all time and advise of
alternative route to avoid hurricane and storms or just giving updates on
the race. This Argo system is not public and requires permission to use.
Today, if you're looking for audio entrainment while awaiting rescue or
just
sailing the new Sat/radio could be a good thing to have on board.

"chuck" wrote in message
...
wrote:
The fade today for coastal navigation is the DSC (Digital Selective
Calling).
This new breed of VHF is connected to a GPS and has a distinctive
signature.
In order to make use of this DSC you have to register it with the
coast
guard. They logged in your signature, call sign, boat description,
navigational equipment, emergency and survival gears. Then the
information is programmed into their data bank. As I witnessed, when
you call the coast guard, traffic and other vessel with the proper
equipment the name of your boat with its position appears on the their
computer/digital radar system. This way when your are in distress and
use your DSC they know your GPS position, the name of your boat and
monitor your position. When you are outside of the coast guard radio
range some people are using sat/phone and EPIRB. Last week a 36 foot
sailboat was rescued by the US guard at approx 200 NM from the coast
of
Nantucket.

"purple_stars" wrote in message
ups.com...
hi again folks,

i'm curious what VHF you would suggest for emergencies, the one
you're
going to be listening in on when your floating in the middle of the
ocean next to your EPIRB after tragedy has struck. i'm thinking of a
radio that you keep with you at all times when on deck, the one that
never leaves your side.




I'm not sure you need to be talking to people while you're floating
next
to your EPIRB! You want to be rescued. If the EPIRB is working, they
will
know where you are. If it is dark, you might wish you had a flare to
help
them. But what are you going to tell them on the VHF? You can't just
say
you're 20 yards south of a used car lot or something.

And what would you listen to? The weather?

Save the VHF and bring some water and food instead!

Others will see this situation differently, I'm sure.

Good luck.

Chuck

last "ditch" VHF
 

I bought the cheapos from west marine 2 for $70 I think they made by cobra.
I replaced the rechagables with alkaline batts and put em in their
watterproof cover and every PFD has one now. I figuer that the MOB in the
water will have a good view of where the boat is but those on the boat may
not see the MOB. These radios have very good distance and are clear. The
speakers are not great, you have to keep the volume way down or they
distort.
- Allen

"purple_stars" wrote in message
ups.com...
hi again folks,

i'm curious what VHF you would suggest for emergencies, the one you're
going to be listening in on when your floating in the middle of the
ocean next to your EPIRB after tragedy has struck. i'm thinking of a
radio that you keep with you at all times when on deck, the one that
never leaves your side.

last "ditch" VHF
 

chuck wrote:
[snip]
I'm not sure you need to be talking to people
while you're floating next to your EPIRB! You want
to be rescued. If the EPIRB is working, they will
know where you are. If it is dark, you might wish
you had a flare to help them. But what are you
going to tell them on the VHF? You can't just say
you're 20 yards south of a used car lot or something.

And what would you listen to? The weather?

Save the VHF and bring some water and food instead!

Others will see this situation differently, I'm sure.

Good luck.

Chuck

hi chuck,

i just thought it was normal to have a vhf when you were in the water
in an emergency. that way the rescuers could talk to you, or maybe if
you see their helicopter you can let them know that you see them, or
their boat, etc. i don't yell very loud! lol. it just seemed like a
good idea to be able to talk to them.

last "ditch" VHF
 

purple_stars wrote:
[snip]

thank you to everyone who answered my question, i really appreciate it.
i learned a lot from reading the responses.

last "ditch" VHF
 

wrote:
Thanks for the correction Peter.
You're right it should have spelled Argos instead of Argo.
The 1.5 nautical mile range accuracy is not all that bad when you are at
sea.

I was thinking of it from a safety POV. Having looked for small objects
in the sea quite frequently when recoveriing released moorings,
drifting buoys etc fitted with transmitters, 1.5nm still leaves a lotta
water if you're waiting on rescue. Having said that, it's a hell of a
lot better than 'somewhere in the Southern Ocean...'.

Given the cost of EPIRB's I think they're hard to beat WRT rescue
options. I don't think much of a VHF, it's only going to do you some
good if either the rescuer is within its limited range or you're a
coastal sailor, in which case a waterproof cellphone & GPS would be a
lot more useful.

PDW

last "ditch" VHF
 

Larry wrote:
wrote in news:%_phg.18671$A26.428180@ursa-
nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca:

designed and indented for the French Military

Scary....very scary...(c;

(I have a thousand jokes flashing before my eyes, but am laughing too hard
to focus on them right now...(c;)

ARGOS system works well. And no, I'm not French, but I do have a lot of
practical experience with the system, and I'm willing to bet that you
don't.

PDW

last "ditch" VHF
 

In article ,
wrote:

This system was primary designed and indented for the French Military.

Oh Yea, that's those guys that haven't won a war in........How many
years? 700, maybe......

last "ditch" VHF
 

The first thing the CG does when getting an EPIRB signal is try to raise you
on the VHF, getting an answer will speed rescue. Hopefully you will still
be on the big boat with working VHF, but if not, a waterproof handheld would
be nice. Recent scuttlebutt has noted some "Waterproof" VHFs survive
immersion, but their battery packs do not.
Lee Haefele

hi chuck,

i just thought it was normal to have a vhf when you were in the water
in an emergency. that way the rescuers could talk to you, or maybe if
you see their helicopter you can let them know that you see them, or
their boat, etc. i don't yell very loud! lol. it just seemed like a
good idea to be able to talk to them.

last "ditch" VHF
 

In article ,
"Lee Haefele" wrote:

Recent scuttlebutt has noted some "Waterproof" VHFs survive
immersion, but their battery packs do not.
Lee Haefele

It is the Charging Contacts on the bottom that cause these to short
out, when dunked in seawater......