Steve wrote:

My VHF has a H/L button for selecting high or low power on various
channels.. Some channels, when selected, are preset at Low power. If I push
and hold the HI/Lo button the indicator shifts to HI..

Am I actually overriding the preset low power when I do this??

Is it legal to do this on a channel that is suppose to be LO power (ie.
channel 13)??

Or if legal, is it ethical??

I believe the radio isn't supposed to do something that was illegal when
it was type-accepted, so if it switches to high power, it was probably
acceptable at the time. Ethical? I'd say yes, particularly if you try
the low power first and get no response. I'll have to see whether ours
does the same thing.

SOME operators will keep the squelch and volume up high so they only get
the nearest calls as they "putter about", so the high power setting
might break through a little bit earlier.

The reason I ask, Monday, I was trying to reach the Hood Canal Bridge
operator and I was still several miles away.. He wasn't answering on his
working channel or channel 16.. snip

I wonder what people do who go sailing without a cell phone?? Maybe, pull
over and use a payphone??

Didn't we use to use horn signals to communicate with bridge tenders?


On the Chespeake, some of the bridges are still primarily opened by
horn. The Sassafras bridge comes to mind.... For all I know, it's simply
an affectation, but an awful lot of boats honk through. [The water
taxiis also responds to two toots, too]

In the US, except when otherwise posted, water traffic takes preference
over land traffic, so while it's nice to give them that hour warning,
I'd park far less than 800 yards from them as I waited... 20 feet
wouldn't be unreasonable in some cases.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

The use of 25W any time 1W will make communications is illegal......on
any channel.

The radio presets Ch 13 because you are normally speaking ship-to-ship
in or near visual range where 1W is appropriate for good
communications.

Communications should always be on 1W switching to 25W if that fails
or is reported to be noisy.

Of course, all rules/regulations ARE suspended in the event of a life
threatening emergency aboard. You can run 1000W or 10KW in a
life-threatening emergency.

One of our biggest problems on Channel 16 is MARINAS. Some idiot at
the FCC allows these marinas to have TALL TOWERS and 25W radios which
are always left on 25W parking boats 200' from the 70' tower on the
dock. Marinas need licenses that say they may only use 1W radios with
antennas no higher than 10' above the floating docks. Anyone
listening to Ch 16 for a day knows why. Marinas also need to have
their asses busted for transmitting on ship-to-ship ONLY channels in
the range from Channel 68 to 72. Some of these channels are ONLY for
ship-to-ship traffic, not marina operations.

I think all marina operations should be handled on the COMMERCIAL
channels set aside for operations, like Channel 10. Marinas ARE
commercial marine businesses, you know, just like tugboats and
sightseeing boats.



On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 16:11:54 -0700, "Steve" wrote:

My VHF has a H/L button for selecting high or low power on various
channels.. Some channels, when selected, are preset at Low power. If I push
and hold the HI/Lo button the indicator shifts to HI..

Am I actually overriding the preset low power when I do this??

Is it legal to do this on a channel that is suppose to be LO power (ie.
channel 13)??

Or if legal, is it ethical??

The reason I ask, Monday, I was trying to reach the Hood Canal Bridge
operator and I was still several miles away.. He wasn't answering on his
working channel or channel 16..

I know that they like to have at least 1 hour notice to schedule a draw span
opening and I couldn't get through on their phone number (seems someone
changed the phone number but didn't tell me about it ;o( ).

After about an hour and finally laying-to 800 yards from the bridge and no
response in either HI or Lo power, the US Navy Bangor operating center came
up on 13 and gave me the correct phone number.

From that point on, the bridge tender was overly attentive (maybe got his
ass chewed for not monitoring his radio).

As I am told, in my cruising guide, the bridge crew works on maintainance
while someone is suppose to be monitoring the radio.. In truth, I think they
just monitor the 'Hot Line' phone from their own operating center.

Oh Well! An interesting experience and I have the correct phone number
posted at the chart table.

I wonder what people do who go sailing without a cell phone?? Maybe, pull
over and use a payphone??

Didn't we use to use horn signals to communicate with bridge tenders??

Steve
s/v Good Intentions





Larry W4CSC

Maybe we could get the power grid fixed if every politician
regulating the power companies wasn't on their payrolls.

Larry W4CSC wrote:

The use of 25W any time 1W will make communications is illegal......on
any channel.

Excuse me, but while I agree with your intention.... "illegal"? hardly.
A waste and annoyance? Yes.

One of our biggest problems on Channel 16 is MARINAS.

Hardly, at least in our area. Most of the time, I can hear the boater,
but not the marina and except in a few cases, the only thing the marina
says on 16 is "Ack and switch to ....". Quite a bit of the time, they're
talking 100mw on a handheld anyway.

I think all marina operations should be handled on the COMMERCIAL
channels set aside for operations, like Channel 10. Marinas ARE
commercial marine businesses, you know, just like tugboats and
sightseeing boats.

I strongly disagree. I'll use 10 and such only to talk to our towboat
operator. I'd like it as clear as possible. I don't want the uninformed
(marina or boater) getting used to using these channels. If they're
using low power, they hardly contribute to the congestion on the "CB"
channels.

'Course, I will call up tugs and freighters on 13....

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

As I understand it, the Hi/LO setting applies only to the transmit mode. You
would use the LO setting for contacting locations closer to you (ie: 1 mile)
and the HI setting for anything further away.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
My VHF has a H/L button for selecting high or low power on various
channels.. Some channels, when selected, are preset at Low power. If I
push
and hold the HI/Lo button the indicator shifts to HI..

Am I actually overriding the preset low power when I do this??

Is it legal to do this on a channel that is suppose to be LO power (ie.
channel 13)??

Or if legal, is it ethical??

The reason I ask, Monday, I was trying to reach the Hood Canal Bridge
operator and I was still several miles away.. He wasn't answering on his
working channel or channel 16..

I know that they like to have at least 1 hour notice to schedule a draw
span
opening and I couldn't get through on their phone number (seems someone
changed the phone number but didn't tell me about it ;o( ).

After about an hour and finally laying-to 800 yards from the bridge and no
response in either HI or Lo power, the US Navy Bangor operating center
came
up on 13 and gave me the correct phone number.

From that point on, the bridge tender was overly attentive (maybe got his
ass chewed for not monitoring his radio).

As I am told, in my cruising guide, the bridge crew works on maintainance
while someone is suppose to be monitoring the radio.. In truth, I think
they
just monitor the 'Hot Line' phone from their own operating center.

Oh Well! An interesting experience and I have the correct phone number
posted at the chart table.

I wonder what people do who go sailing without a cell phone?? Maybe, pull
over and use a payphone??

Didn't we use to use horn signals to communicate with bridge tenders??

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Channel 13 is not a ship to ship channel, it's a bridge hailing channel
which ias why you don't need 25w to Tx. You'd blow their ears off at 25 w
(considering you're within line of sight when you normally contact a bridge)

If You're hailing Mrina's on 16, you'll never get an anwer as the hailing
channel for marina's is 68, been that way for over 20 years! This is to
help reduce the clutter on 16,, though this hasn't helped much. There are
still too many mulletheads talking on 16.

Pierre
"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
The use of 25W any time 1W will make communications is illegal......on
any channel.

The radio presets Ch 13 because you are normally speaking ship-to-ship
in or near visual range where 1W is appropriate for good
communications.

Communications should always be on 1W switching to 25W if that fails
or is reported to be noisy.

Of course, all rules/regulations ARE suspended in the event of a life
threatening emergency aboard. You can run 1000W or 10KW in a
life-threatening emergency.

One of our biggest problems on Channel 16 is MARINAS. Some idiot at
the FCC allows these marinas to have TALL TOWERS and 25W radios which
are always left on 25W parking boats 200' from the 70' tower on the
dock. Marinas need licenses that say they may only use 1W radios with
antennas no higher than 10' above the floating docks. Anyone
listening to Ch 16 for a day knows why. Marinas also need to have
their asses busted for transmitting on ship-to-ship ONLY channels in
the range from Channel 68 to 72. Some of these channels are ONLY for
ship-to-ship traffic, not marina operations.

I think all marina operations should be handled on the COMMERCIAL
channels set aside for operations, like Channel 10. Marinas ARE
commercial marine businesses, you know, just like tugboats and
sightseeing boats.



On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 16:11:54 -0700, "Steve" wrote:

My VHF has a H/L button for selecting high or low power on various
channels.. Some channels, when selected, are preset at Low power. If I
push
and hold the HI/Lo button the indicator shifts to HI..

Am I actually overriding the preset low power when I do this??

Is it legal to do this on a channel that is suppose to be LO power (ie.
channel 13)??

Or if legal, is it ethical??

The reason I ask, Monday, I was trying to reach the Hood Canal Bridge
operator and I was still several miles away.. He wasn't answering on his
working channel or channel 16..

I know that they like to have at least 1 hour notice to schedule a draw
span
opening and I couldn't get through on their phone number (seems someone
changed the phone number but didn't tell me about it ;o( ).

After about an hour and finally laying-to 800 yards from the bridge and
no
response in either HI or Lo power, the US Navy Bangor operating center
came
up on 13 and gave me the correct phone number.

From that point on, the bridge tender was overly attentive (maybe got his
ass chewed for not monitoring his radio).

As I am told, in my cruising guide, the bridge crew works on maintainance
while someone is suppose to be monitoring the radio.. In truth, I think
they
just monitor the 'Hot Line' phone from their own operating center.

Oh Well! An interesting experience and I have the correct phone number
posted at the chart table.

I wonder what people do who go sailing without a cell phone?? Maybe, pull
over and use a payphone??

Didn't we use to use horn signals to communicate with bridge tenders??

Steve
s/v Good Intentions





Larry W4CSC

Maybe we could get the power grid fixed if every politician
regulating the power companies wasn't on their payrolls.

Channel 13 is "the" bridge to bridge channel. (eg vessel bridge to vessel
bridge)

Duane

98stratus wrote:

Channel 13 is not a ship to ship channel, it's a bridge hailing channel
which is why you don't need 25w to Tx. You'd blow their ears off at 25 w
(considering you're within line of sight when you normally contact a bridge)

It's also the primary contact channel for commercial traffic, tugs and
freighters, at least here on the Chesapeake. That's ship-to-ship.

If You're hailing Mrina's on 16, you'll never get an anwer as the hailing
channel for marina's is 68, been that way for over 20 years! This is to
help reduce the clutter on 16,, though this hasn't helped much. There are
still too many mulletheads talking on 16.

Pierre

Again, on the Chesapeake, most marinas monitor 16. A few have recently
switched to monitoring 9. Any of the "general" channels are used for
their working channel, but few seem to monitor their working channel.
You only get them just as they're just finishing up with a different
customer and haven't switched back ot 16. Only the taxis keep to 68 or
72 or whatever, and they post that prominently on their signboards.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 22:12:58 -0400, "98stratus"
wrote:

Channel 13 is not a ship to ship channel, it's a bridge hailing channel
which ias why you don't need 25w to Tx. You'd blow their ears off at 25 w
(considering you're within line of sight when you normally contact a bridge)

If You're hailing Mrina's on 16, you'll never get an anwer as the hailing
channel for marina's is 68, been that way for over 20 years! This is to
help reduce the clutter on 16,, though this hasn't helped much. There are
still too many mulletheads talking on 16.

Every marina from VA to FL, including every marina in Charleston, SC,
monitor and use Ch 16. You can call 'em on 68 but they only got one
radio and you won't get an answer until you call 'em on 16 first.

BTW, on an FM radio, DEVIATION (how far the carrier swings with audio
modulation) determines how loud the volume is coming out of the
receiver. The difference between 1W, 25W and 100KW, using the same
deviation and deviation index produce exactly the same "volume" at the
receiver. Power extends RANGE, not volume, on an FM transmitter.

In SSB, POWER makes you LOUDER. In AM, % of modulation makes you
LOUDER and to some extent power. But not in FM




Larry W4CSC

Maybe we could get the power grid fixed if every politician
regulating the power companies wasn't on their payrolls.

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
snip

over land traffic, so while it's nice to give them that hour warning,
I'd park far less than 800 yards from them as I waited... 20 feet
wouldn't be unreasonable in some cases.

snip

I wouldn't feel comfortable going any closer when the flood is running at
about a knot and I don't know how long before the draw span will be
opened.. It generally takes 20 to 30 min to round up the operating crew ( I
think it takes 3 people) and to open one 300 ft span.

When I finally spoke with the operator and offered to wait until the next
"scheduled" opening (for navy traffic), he declined and stated that I had
the right-of-way (upon request).

I had planned my arrival at near mid day to minimize delays of rush hour
traffic.

BTW.. The contact Phone Number for scheduling Hood Canal Bridge openings was
change several years ago from the old Tacoma number ((206)593-2285) to
(360)779-3233.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions