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Marine VHF Radio for Truck
I am going to be providing shore monitoring for a kayak trip and will be
using a VHF radio from my pickup. I am thinking of installing a unit rather than using a handheld. I took a look at what there is available and it seems like the prices start at just over $100 for the unit itself running up to $500 for a fancy unit that is mounted somewhere hidden and all the controls in a hand held mic. Other than the obvious features like the remote mic unit, what should I look for in getting a quality unit that will work the best without breaking the bank. I don't want to pay $500, but I will pay $200 or more if there is a useful difference with the ~$100 units. I doubt I'll be mounting this in a boat although that is a possibility someday, I do have a ski boat. But more likely is that I'll mount it at my house on a lake to provide some amount of emergency monitoring. So I expect to mount it in the pickup so it can be easily removed and brought into the house. I guess that means a second antenna too. Words of advice? -- Rick |
Marine VHF Radio for Truck
On 9/1/2013 6:38 PM, rickman wrote:
I am going to be providing shore monitoring for a kayak trip and will be using a VHF radio from my pickup. I am thinking of installing a unit rather than using a handheld. I took a look at what there is available and it seems like the prices start at just over $100 for the unit itself running up to $500 for a fancy unit that is mounted somewhere hidden and all the controls in a hand held mic. Other than the obvious features like the remote mic unit, what should I look for in getting a quality unit that will work the best without breaking the bank. I don't want to pay $500, but I will pay $200 or more if there is a useful difference with the ~$100 units. I doubt I'll be mounting this in a boat although that is a possibility someday, I do have a ski boat. But more likely is that I'll mount it at my house on a lake to provide some amount of emergency monitoring. So I expect to mount it in the pickup so it can be easily removed and brought into the house. I guess that means a second antenna too. Words of advice? The first question would be - what country are you in? The next question woulds be - what licenses do you hold? (Very little is available without a license). I am assuming since you are asking these questions you don't hold an amateur radio license. The third question would be - what radios/bands are legal for that license? Without even knowing what country you are in, the rest of the questions are meaningless. -- ================== Remove the "x" from my email address Jerry, AI0K ================== |
Marine VHF Radio for Truck
Jerry Stuckle wrote:
On 9/1/2013 6:38 PM, rickman wrote: I am going to be providing shore monitoring for a kayak trip and will be using a VHF radio from my pickup. I am thinking of installing a unit rather than using a handheld. I took a look at what there is available and it seems like the prices start at just over $100 for the unit itself running up to $500 for a fancy unit that is mounted somewhere hidden and all the controls in a hand held mic. Other than the obvious features like the remote mic unit, what should I look for in getting a quality unit that will work the best without breaking the bank. I don't want to pay $500, but I will pay $200 or more if there is a useful difference with the ~$100 units. I doubt I'll be mounting this in a boat although that is a possibility someday, I do have a ski boat. But more likely is that I'll mount it at my house on a lake to provide some amount of emergency monitoring. So I expect to mount it in the pickup so it can be easily removed and brought into the house. I guess that means a second antenna too. Words of advice? The first question would be - what country are you in? From the wording of the post, most likely the US. The use of $100 and $500 is a big clue, though he could be in Canada, Autralia, New New Zealand, or Trinidad. I would highly doubt it is any of the Asian countries that have the dollar as the national currency. The next question woulds be - what licenses do you hold? (Very little is available without a license). I am assuming since you are asking these questions you don't hold an amateur radio license. If it is the US, no licence is required for VHF marine radio for any vessel that is NOT required to carry radio equipment and traveling in US waters. If it is Canada, essentially the same applies. The third question would be - what radios/bands are legal for that license? VHF marine radios are legal for the VHF marine radio band without regard for country. Without even knowing what country you are in, the rest of the questions are meaningless. Anyway... Like everything else these days, the Internet is full of reviews of VHF marine radios. Google is your friend. -- Jim Pennino |
Marine VHF Radio for Truck
Jerry Stuckle wrote:
On 9/1/2013 9:22 PM, wrote: Jerry Stuckle wrote: On 9/1/2013 6:38 PM, rickman wrote: I am going to be providing shore monitoring for a kayak trip and will be using a VHF radio from my pickup. I am thinking of installing a unit rather than using a handheld. I took a look at what there is available and it seems like the prices start at just over $100 for the unit itself running up to $500 for a fancy unit that is mounted somewhere hidden and all the controls in a hand held mic. Other than the obvious features like the remote mic unit, what should I look for in getting a quality unit that will work the best without breaking the bank. I don't want to pay $500, but I will pay $200 or more if there is a useful difference with the ~$100 units. I doubt I'll be mounting this in a boat although that is a possibility someday, I do have a ski boat. But more likely is that I'll mount it at my house on a lake to provide some amount of emergency monitoring. So I expect to mount it in the pickup so it can be easily removed and brought into the house. I guess that means a second antenna too. Words of advice? The first question would be - what country are you in? From the wording of the post, most likely the US. The use of $100 and $500 is a big clue, though he could be in Canada, Autralia, New New Zealand, or Trinidad. I would highly doubt it is any of the Asian countries that have the dollar as the national currency. Yes, but those make a difference. And BTW, last time I was in Hong Kong, they also used $. It has been close to 20 years, though. $100 Hong Kong is $12.89 US; I doubt you will find many VHF marine radios $12.89 US. And I wouldn't want to get the op in trouble by providing information incorrect to the country he is in. The next question woulds be - what licenses do you hold? (Very little is available without a license). I am assuming since you are asking these questions you don't hold an amateur radio license. If it is the US, no licence is required for VHF marine radio for any vessel that is NOT required to carry radio equipment and traveling in US waters. Are you sure about that? I do remember Dad had to get a radio license for his boat, even though he was operating in U.S. waters off the Gulf coast of Florida. That was a few years ago, though. And the license was free. And at one time CB and private aircraft had to have a license; none do anymore. Air and marine radars also used to require a license; not anymore. However, he also was talking about SHORE monitoring - which definitely requires a license, even for marine band. Nope, there is a VHF marine channel specifically for chit chat from ship to shore. If it is Canada, essentially the same applies. The third question would be - what radios/bands are legal for that license? VHF marine radios are legal for the VHF marine radio band without regard for country. Not entirely true. Depending on the country. Some still require licenses, for various reasons. That wasn't the issue. The VHF marine band seems to be essentially the same with some differences in channel assignment world wide. Without even knowing what country you are in, the rest of the questions are meaningless. Anyway... Like everything else these days, the Internet is full of reviews of VHF marine radios. Google is your friend. And many of those are illegal to operate in some countries, even though they aren't marked as such. Since he is asking here, I would expect he wants to ensure he is legal. I don't think reviews are illegal to operate in any country, though maybe North Korea... Oh, perhaps you meant buying a radio from the Internet; no I wouldn't reccomend that unless the dealer was in my country if for no other reason than to make sure the channels were set up for the idiosyncrasies of my country. -- Jim Pennino |
Marine VHF Radio for Truck
In article , rickman
wrote: I doubt I'll be mounting this in a boat although that is a possibility someday, I do have a ski boat. But more likely is that I'll mount it at my house on a lake to provide some amount of emergency monitoring. So I expect to mount it in the pickup so it can be easily removed and brought into the house. I guess that means a second antenna too. Rick- I am assuming you can manage the legal requirements for use of the radio. As others mentioned, a license may be needed. One question you must address, is what kind of range do you need to cover? VHF radios are essentially line-of-sight. Due to the curvature of the earth, the "radio horizon" will limit your range. You can estimate the distance in miles to the radio horizon, as the square root of twice the altitude of your antenna in feet. For example, the antenna on the roof of your truck will be approximately five feet off the ground. The square root of ten is about 3.2, so your horizon on level ground will be about 3 miles away. You can add the distance to the kayak's horizon to yours. So it would matter if the kayak is on a mountainous stream or on the open ocean or lake. If vehicle mounting does not provide the range you need, a tall antenna may be required at the house. (Have you considered using cell phones?) Fred K4DII |
Marine VHF Radio for Truck
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Marine VHF Radio for Truck
On 9/2/2013 12:01 AM, wrote:
Jerry Stuckle wrote: On 9/1/2013 9:22 PM, wrote: Jerry Stuckle wrote: On 9/1/2013 6:38 PM, rickman wrote: I am going to be providing shore monitoring for a kayak trip and will be using a VHF radio from my pickup. I am thinking of installing a unit rather than using a handheld. I took a look at what there is available and it seems like the prices start at just over $100 for the unit itself running up to $500 for a fancy unit that is mounted somewhere hidden and all the controls in a hand held mic. Other than the obvious features like the remote mic unit, what should I look for in getting a quality unit that will work the best without breaking the bank. I don't want to pay $500, but I will pay $200 or more if there is a useful difference with the ~$100 units. I doubt I'll be mounting this in a boat although that is a possibility someday, I do have a ski boat. But more likely is that I'll mount it at my house on a lake to provide some amount of emergency monitoring. So I expect to mount it in the pickup so it can be easily removed and brought into the house. I guess that means a second antenna too. Words of advice? The first question would be - what country are you in? From the wording of the post, most likely the US. The use of $100 and $500 is a big clue, though he could be in Canada, Autralia, New New Zealand, or Trinidad. I would highly doubt it is any of the Asian countries that have the dollar as the national currency. Yes, but those make a difference. And BTW, last time I was in Hong Kong, they also used $. It has been close to 20 years, though. $100 Hong Kong is $12.89 US; I doubt you will find many VHF marine radios $12.89 US. There are amateur radios available for $500 HK. That is not out of the question. And I don't know what other countries use the dollar, but I'm sure there are. And I wouldn't want to get the op in trouble by providing information incorrect to the country he is in. The next question woulds be - what licenses do you hold? (Very little is available without a license). I am assuming since you are asking these questions you don't hold an amateur radio license. If it is the US, no licence is required for VHF marine radio for any vessel that is NOT required to carry radio equipment and traveling in US waters. Are you sure about that? I do remember Dad had to get a radio license for his boat, even though he was operating in U.S. waters off the Gulf coast of Florida. That was a few years ago, though. And the license was free. And at one time CB and private aircraft had to have a license; none do anymore. Air and marine radars also used to require a license; not anymore. That could be for boats. I don't know, because I haven't checked. However, he also was talking about SHORE monitoring - which definitely requires a license, even for marine band. Nope, there is a VHF marine channel specifically for chit chat from ship to shore. Which does not mean short stations do not have to be licensed. They still do. If it is Canada, essentially the same applies. The third question would be - what radios/bands are legal for that license? VHF marine radios are legal for the VHF marine radio band without regard for country. Not entirely true. Depending on the country. Some still require licenses, for various reasons. That wasn't the issue. It is exactly the issue. You can't say whether a license is required or not until you know what country the OP is in. The VHF marine band seems to be essentially the same with some differences in channel assignment world wide. That does not mean the licensing requirements are the same. Without even knowing what country you are in, the rest of the questions are meaningless. Anyway... Like everything else these days, the Internet is full of reviews of VHF marine radios. Google is your friend. And many of those are illegal to operate in some countries, even though they aren't marked as such. Since he is asking here, I would expect he wants to ensure he is legal. I don't think reviews are illegal to operate in any country, though maybe North Korea... But you don't know. As I said before, in the U.S., marine stations still need to be licensed when on land (the same is true of aircraft radios, BTW). Oh, perhaps you meant buying a radio from the Internet; no I wouldn't reccomend that unless the dealer was in my country if for no other reason than to make sure the channels were set up for the idiosyncrasies of my country. It doesn't matter where you buy the radio. There are shady brick and mortar dealers also who try to make a buck by buying cheap overseas crap and reselling it at a higher markup. And just because the radio is legal in your country for some uses does NOT mean it is legal in your country for ALL uses. -- ================== Remove the "x" from my email address Jerry Stuckle JDS Computer Training Corp. ================== |
Marine VHF Radio for Truck
Jerry Stuckle wrote:
On 9/2/2013 12:01 AM, wrote: snip $100 Hong Kong is $12.89 US; I doubt you will find many VHF marine radios $12.89 US. There are amateur radios available for $500 HK. That is not out of the question. $500 is 5 times $100, which is the amount in question. And I don't know what other countries use the dollar, but I'm sure there are. I already told you what they are. snip Which does not mean short stations do not have to be licensed. They still do. Yes, but the original question was about monitoring, and no license is required for that. snip It is exactly the issue. You can't say whether a license is required or not until you know what country the OP is in. How much are you willing to bet he is in neither the USA or Canada, both of which have essentially the same rules. Also, he said he wanted to monitor on land. snip That does not mean the licensing requirements are the same. They are for the USA and Canada. snip I don't think reviews are illegal to operate in any country, though maybe North Korea... But you don't know. As I said before, in the U.S., marine stations still need to be licensed when on land (the same is true of aircraft radios, BTW). Which has nothing to do with what I said; read it again. -- Jim Pennino |
Marine VHF Radio for Truck
Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
wrote: I don't think reviews are illegal to operate in any country, though maybe North Korea... Another speed reader... What I said was "I don't think *reviews* are illegal. The US has specific rules and regulations about land use of marine frequencies. It would be best to find them out, there is a rumor floating around the internet about an FCC officer happening to be at return end of a boat rental stopping people and issuing NALs for people using non approved or unlicensed radios for FRS GMRS and marine services. Basically, you are licensed by use of a VHF marine radio ON A BOAT, but having or using that radio in a car or building, or using it on land, for example in a boat in your backyard is restricted. He said he wanted to monitor on land. Monitoring on land is not restricted. There also is a story floating around the internet of a logging company using marine radios on their boats and trucks being fined by the FCC. Which is an obvious violation. -- Jim Pennino |
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