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boat to shore communication
I am looking for a way to communicate from boat to my spouse on shore over
distances of less than 10 miles. This is due to some medical issues I have. I have looked at VHF radios, but there seem to be few that plug into 110 for cabin use. I could just go with a couple of hand helds if that would have the range. Does anyone have experience with the range of VHF Handhelds? Any suggestions for a unit for the Cabin? Or do I just get a boat unit, a battery and a charger? Unfortunately there is no cellphone coverage in the area. At least not with our carrier. del cecchi |
"Del Cecchi" wrote in message ... I am looking for a way to communicate from boat to my spouse on shore over distances of less than 10 miles. This is due to some medical issues I have. I have looked at VHF radios, but there seem to be few that plug into 110 for cabin use. Not legal either. I could just go with a couple of hand helds if that would have the range. Not legal either. Does anyone have experience with the range of VHF Handhelds? Two or three miles over open water. .. Any suggestions for a unit for the Cabin? Even FRS is only good for 5 miles max. If you are up to taking a pretty simple test then a Tech class ham license will allow you to use radios that will work. Handhelds if you have a repeater nearby. Good ole CBs may be a solution. Cheap and can generally do 10 miles. Doug, k3qt Or do I just get a boat unit, a battery and a charger? Unfortunately there is no cellphone coverage in the area. At least not with our carrier. del cecchi |
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Message-ID: X-Complaints-To: X-Abuse-Info: Please forward a copy of all headers for proper handling X-Trace: npbhgpngjbkmjfegdbdpiflmbcekedmfhojhikkbagflhcboml kibcjhgakienhmejgjiijhoejndpjjidmpleaiinijddbialpn flbapfokdkpeondnhmgimenceljkfgcmmgfccglpemhihedcfm holdhlfghb NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 05 May 2005 09:50:47 EDT Organization: BellSouth Internet Service Date: Thu, 05 May 2005 13:50:47 GMT Xref: number1.nntp.dca.giganews.com rec.boats.electronics:60024 On 2005-05-05 said: CB it's all according. Sometimes 10 miles can be a push if you've got the skip rolling good and some loudmouth redneck yelling "how 'bout it skipland!!!" when you're trying to talk between you. Skip isn;t a possability at 10 miles. Groundwave only. True but the skip can easily overwhelm the ground wave station you're trying to hear at 10 miles. without a good gain antenna at both ends chances are good you're going to be fighting to be heard over the trash. True, so install a good antenna. YEs but I'd still suggest something vhf or uhf. gO marine vhf or gmrs. GMRS is legal, marine isn't. YEs there is the problem of the shore station on marine vhf. YEs both require some licensing, but it's well worth it in the long run. License or not, marine is illegal for the proposed situation. in the market here boys! Who's gonna be the first to plug it? HEre in the states we've got the new Murs service on vhf. DOn't know how that would do you for a 10 mile range but with a decent antenna on both ends it might work. YOu could probably use your same marine vhf antenna for the murs frequencies. YEs indeed a hole in the market, but I wouldn't ever want to depend on cb for anything except maybe running up and down the highway and communicating with the vehicles within a mile or two of me. Have seen times when to get ten mile range I had to put a little more fire in the wire than the legal 5 watts. Richard Webb, amateur radio callsign nf5b active on the Maritime Mobile service network, 14.300 mhz REplace anything before the @ symbol with elspider for real email -- |
Sounds like you want to move quickly.
The legal options are amateur radio, citizen's band radio, and GMRS. Amateur radio and GMRS require licenses, the latter is obtained for only a fee, the former requires an exam. You don't say what kind of boat. A high-gain antenna on the boat and/or high power would probably give you the range you need with GMRS. It is a UHF system. FRS would probably not do the trick, as Doug suggested. Do a web search on GMRS and you'll get all your questions answered. There is a news group of sometime questionable protocols that might be willing to help you determine whether CB radio would work for you. It is rec.radio.cb. Give it a try. Good luck Chuck Del Cecchi wrote: I am looking for a way to communicate from boat to my spouse on shore over distances of less than 10 miles. This is due to some medical issues I have. I have looked at VHF radios, but there seem to be few that plug into 110 for cabin use. I could just go with a couple of hand helds if that would have the range. Does anyone have experience with the range of VHF Handhelds? Any suggestions for a unit for the Cabin? Or do I just get a boat unit, a battery and a charger? Unfortunately there is no cellphone coverage in the area. At least not with our carrier. del cecchi |
wrote in message ... On 2005-05-04 said: There is a news group of sometime questionable protocols that might be willing to help you determine whether CB radio would work for you. It is rec.radio.cb. Give it a try. Good luck Nah I wouldn't suggest using cb for anything, maybe cb'ers for target practice. HEre's why. THe original poster says: Del Cecchi wrote: I am looking for a way to communicate from boat to my spouse on shore over distances of less than 10 miles. This is due to some medical issues I have. I have looked at VHF radios, but there seem to be few that plug into 110 for cabin use. I could just go with a couple of hand helds if that would have the range. Does anyone have experience with the range of VHF Handhelds? Any suggestions for a unit for the Cabin? Or do I just get a boat unit, a battery and a charger? NO cell phone coverage in the area, get a regular marine unit for the cabin, forget the charger unless you want battery backup. Even then get a 12 volt dc power supply to power the radio and/or float charge your battery so that you have the radio powered even if the cabin loses electrical power from mains service. YOu can install a decent antenna on the roof of the cabin or somewhere else and have 10 miles or so easy. And the fact that there is a big fine if you get caught isn;t a factor? CB it's all according. Sometimes 10 miles can be a push if you've got the skip rolling good and some loudmouth redneck yelling "how 'bout it skipland!!!" when you're trying to talk between you. Skip isn;t a possability at 10 miles. Groundwave only. AT ten miles without a good gain antenna at both ends chances are good you're going to be fighting to be heard over the trash. True, so install a good antenna. gO marine vhf or gmrs. GMRS is legal, marine isn't. YEs both require some licensing, but it's well worth it in the long run. License or not, marine is illegal for the proposed situation. Ham has the same thing with rigs, not many vhf/uhf rigs made to run off a/c mains power, so in those cases a decent power supply to power a mobile and a decent base station antenna will be better investments than a cb radio for reliability. Richard Webb, amateur radio callsign nf5b active on the Maritime Mobile service network, 14.300 mhz REplace anything before the @ symbol with elspider for real email -- |
On Wed, 4 May 2005 14:30:19 -0500, "Del Cecchi"
wrote: I am looking for a way to communicate from boat to my spouse on shore over distances of less than 10 miles. This is due to some medical issues I have. I have looked at VHF radios, but there seem to be few that plug into 110 for cabin use. I could just go with a couple of hand helds if that would have the range. Does anyone have experience with the range of VHF Handhelds? Any suggestions for a unit for the Cabin? Or do I just get a boat unit, a battery and a charger? Yes, or just a 12-Volt DC supply. Look at the radios in marina dock offices. They are standard fixed mount marine radios. Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a The meme for blind faith secures its own perpetuation by the simple unconscious expedient of discouraging rational inquiry. - Richard Dawkins, "Viruses of the Mind" |
Doug Dotson wrote:
wrote in message ... On 2005-05-04 said: There is a news group of sometime questionable protocols that might be willing to help you determine whether CB radio would work for you. It is rec.radio.cb. Give it a try. Good luck Nah I wouldn't suggest using cb for anything, maybe cb'ers for target practice. HEre's why. THe original poster says: Del Cecchi wrote: I am looking for a way to communicate from boat to my spouse on shore over distances of less than 10 miles. This is due to some medical issues I have. I have looked at VHF radios, but there seem to be few that plug into 110 for cabin use. I could just go with a couple of hand helds if that would have the range. Does anyone have experience with the range of VHF Handhelds? Any suggestions for a unit for the Cabin? Or do I just get a boat unit, a battery and a charger? NO cell phone coverage in the area, get a regular marine unit for the cabin, forget the charger unless you want battery backup. Even then get a 12 volt dc power supply to power the radio and/or float charge your battery so that you have the radio powered even if the cabin loses electrical power from mains service. YOu can install a decent antenna on the roof of the cabin or somewhere else and have 10 miles or so easy. And the fact that there is a big fine if you get caught isn;t a factor? CB it's all according. Sometimes 10 miles can be a push if you've got the skip rolling good and some loudmouth redneck yelling "how 'bout it skipland!!!" when you're trying to talk between you. Skip isn;t a possability at 10 miles. Groundwave only. AT ten miles without a good gain antenna at both ends chances are good you're going to be fighting to be heard over the trash. True, so install a good antenna. gO marine vhf or gmrs. GMRS is legal, marine isn't. YEs both require some licensing, but it's well worth it in the long run. License or not, marine is illegal for the proposed situation. Ham has the same thing with rigs, not many vhf/uhf rigs made to run off a/c mains power, so in those cases a decent power supply to power a mobile and a decent base station antenna will be better investments than a cb radio for reliability. Richard Webb, amateur radio callsign nf5b active on the Maritime Mobile service network, 14.300 mhz REplace anything before the @ symbol with elspider for real email Seems like there's a hole in the market here boys! Who's gonna be the first to plug it? -- -- Digital Photo-charts fo all UK areas. Remove 'nospam' to reply. |
"Dennis Pogson" wrote in message ... Doug Dotson wrote: wrote in message ... On 2005-05-04 said: There is a news group of sometime questionable protocols that might be willing to help you determine whether CB radio would work for you. It is rec.radio.cb. Give it a try. Good luck Nah I wouldn't suggest using cb for anything, maybe cb'ers for target practice. HEre's why. THe original poster says: Del Cecchi wrote: I am looking for a way to communicate from boat to my spouse on shore over distances of less than 10 miles. This is due to some medical issues I have. I have looked at VHF radios, but there seem to be few that plug into 110 for cabin use. I could just go with a couple of hand helds if that would have the range. Does anyone have experience with the range of VHF Handhelds? Any suggestions for a unit for the Cabin? Or do I just get a boat unit, a battery and a charger? NO cell phone coverage in the area, get a regular marine unit for the cabin, forget the charger unless you want battery backup. Even then get a 12 volt dc power supply to power the radio and/or float charge your battery so that you have the radio powered even if the cabin loses electrical power from mains service. YOu can install a decent antenna on the roof of the cabin or somewhere else and have 10 miles or so easy. And the fact that there is a big fine if you get caught isn;t a factor? CB it's all according. Sometimes 10 miles can be a push if you've got the skip rolling good and some loudmouth redneck yelling "how 'bout it skipland!!!" when you're trying to talk between you. Skip isn;t a possability at 10 miles. Groundwave only. AT ten miles without a good gain antenna at both ends chances are good you're going to be fighting to be heard over the trash. True, so install a good antenna. gO marine vhf or gmrs. GMRS is legal, marine isn't. YEs both require some licensing, but it's well worth it in the long run. License or not, marine is illegal for the proposed situation. Ham has the same thing with rigs, not many vhf/uhf rigs made to run off a/c mains power, so in those cases a decent power supply to power a mobile and a decent base station antenna will be better investments than a cb radio for reliability. Richard Webb, amateur radio callsign nf5b active on the Maritime Mobile service network, 14.300 mhz REplace anything before the @ symbol with elspider for real email Seems like there's a hole in the market here boys! Who's gonna be the first to plug it? Yes, it seems as if there is no solution. VHF is unlawful, GMRS is too expensive and won't go far enough if I understand correctly, at least without a elaborate base station. CB is the only hope, and it is reportedly still overpopulated with obscenity and lunacy. :-( It is only an 18 foot fishing boat on a lake in northern Minnesota. del cecchi |
"Rodney Myrvaagnes" wrote Yes, or just a 12-Volt DC supply. Look at the radios in marina dock offices. They are standard fixed mount marine radios. Marinas, radio repair shops and other businesses engaged in servicing boats on the water can apply for a land based marine VHF station license but individuals can't. It is illegal for a private individual to transmit on marine VHF frequencies while ashore, period. The penalties are pretty serious and as with the self appointed newsgroup police we have recently been infected with here, there are plenty of self appointed airways police out there just itching to turn you in. -- Glenn Ashmore I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com |
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