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.