What is the proper way to do a communications check using a VHF radio?

"Charlie Brown" wrote in message
...
What is the proper way to do a communications check using a VHF radio?

Go to a channel not 16 or 9 and ask. Find the local fishing channel.

Charlie Brown wrote:
What is the proper way to do a communications check using a VHF radio?


harbour traffic
harbour traffic
harbour traffic
this is
Sandpiper
Sandpiper
Sandpiper
Request radio check
over

Charlie Brown wrote:
What is the proper way to do a communications check using a VHF radio?


What station does your marina monitor?

Around here, it is typically 66A.

When ready to leave the slip, hail the marina office.

Stay off the hailing and distress channel. Nothing is more irritating
to hear "Radio Check on 16" followed by eight different guys responding
"loud and clear from Swampy Shoals!" etc. over, and over, and over, all
day long. Plus, these "radio checks" could step on emergency traffic.
One doesn't need to boat very long to encounter situations where the CG
is working an emergency on 16, and in the middle of some 10-15 second
period of silence between inquiry and response some CB oriented yahoo
jumps in with "Breaker, Breaker, 16, anybody got their ears on? Need a
radio check, please...."


Another option is to hail a friend's boat, in the normal manner, at a
time when you know he has his radio on.

I always listen to the weather channel as the boat is warming up and
I'm getting ready to depart. That confirms that the VHF is receiving. I
guess there are conditions under which a radio will receive but won't
broadcast (defective mike, or something), but -knock wood-
I've never personally seen a radio that receives but won't broadcast.
Boats with two helms and two hard-wired VHF radios probably don't need
to do a radio check every time they set out. I have only one hard-wired
VHF, and a hand held backup, and I don't fiddle with radio checks
either. If the hard wired radio eve fails to broadcast, I will use the
hand held.
Odds of them both being gunny sack at the same time are very minute.

Around 12/10/2005 8:07 AM, wrote:

I guess there are conditions under which a radio will receive but won't
broadcast (defective mike, or something), but -knock wood-
I've never personally seen a radio that receives but won't broadcast.

Heh; I've got a VHF with exactly that problem sitting in my closet.



--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Harry,
It is a small world. I too had a Standard Horizon (I think they called it
PLUS). It would scan multiple channels. It was a nice white one. What
color was yours. I had mine mounted into the dash area right under the
wheel. Horizon used to make a adapter so it looked built in. Very
professional.

I sold it when I sold the boat, and my new VHF is a Icon.

Are you happy with your new Horizon?


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Garth Almgren wrote:
Around 12/10/2005 8:07 AM, wrote:

I guess there are conditions under which a radio will receive but won't
broadcast (defective mike, or something), but -knock wood-
I've never personally seen a radio that receives but won't broadcast.

Heh; I've got a VHF with exactly that problem sitting in my closet.


I had one, too. Standard Horizon. Several years ago. Sent it back to the
factory (through West Marine, where I bought it), came back as a new unit,
which worked. If I remember, the microphone circuitry or something like
that was burned out.







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