Re: [Paddlewise] VHF radios/Cell phones

I have had really variable results with my Icom VHF. Sometimes line of sight
of even a mile is too much due to mountains or ant mounds or I don't know
what getting in the way. I have radioed a kayak carrier, who I could see,
who was across the Fjord from my party of kayakers, looking for us to pick
us up, and he couldn't pick us up on his boat radio, which was tuned to the
hailing channel. This type of thing isn't at all uncommon.
What I'm wondering is if cell phones, outside of urban areas, are getting to
be a reasonable alternative to VHF radios. I know that they are not too
feasible in remote areas, but what about more popular places to paddle that
are popular destinations?
To answer your question, Dave, I don't leave my VHF on to monitor a call
channel because my batteries are never going to last out the trip. It is
only motor launches that may be able to intercept your mayday and transfer
your need to others, unless you are fortunate enough to be within line of
sight of a repeater on top of a ridge or mountain. But perhaps I am wrong
and others on this list have had good results summoning aid with their VHF
radios.
Cheers, Don W.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
To: sullivaned_at_pop.mts.kpnw.org <sullivaned_at_pop.mts.kpnw.org>
Cc: paddlewise <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net>
Date: Tuesday, December 01, 1998 10:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] VHF


>Edward Sullivan wrote:
>>
>> In Barkley Sound in October I started thinking a VHF might be a nice
>> thing to have, as there was nobody around to see my aerial flares. My
>> ham buddy tells me VHF is line-of-sight range. [snip]
>>
>> I know it's a hail mary kinda gadget, but do I have a good chance of
>> getting heard when my Caribou has burned down to the waterline? Assuming
>> I'm out there.
>
>I'm glad you raised the question, because the answer is a rather large
"depends."
>
>"Depends?"  On what, you ask?
>
>I think it depends on whether or not other *sea kayakers* leave their VHF's
on, and tuned to Channel
>16, the universal hailing/emergency channel.  Face it -- in places like
Barkley Sound, the nearest
>craft is a sea kayak, not a fishing vessel or a sailboat (and there are a
lot of sea kayaks in
>Barkley Sound!).  Yeah, sure, it would be better to reach the Coast Guard,
or a motor vessel, but we
>are probably the best "safety net" in places like Barkley Sound.  Same's
true many other places I
>paddle -- but not everywhere.
>
>I believe the Canadian CG has a sizable antenna on a ridge overlooking
Barkley Sound, so they
>*might* pick up your weeny 5 Watt transmission from your handheld -- but
that depends on good
>line-of-sight to their antenna -- which is at least 5 - 8 miles off,
depending on where you are on
>Barkley Sound.  Eight miles is getting close to the *practical* range for a
5 Watt handheld
>(assuming the standard rubber ducky antenna), though I have now and then
gotten 8 miles
>beach-to-beach, handheld to handheld, a tougher shot.
>
>OTOH, I have *regularly* made successful transmissions to other handheld
VHF's in the hands of sea
>kayakers, also in their yaks, in the water, over a distance of 2 - 3 miles,
sometimes *over an
>intervening ridge.*  In Barkley Sound, that range probably includes a half
dozen sea kayakers.
>
>Now, if they only had their VHF's ON.  And, I bet they DON'T, because most
sea kayakers (in my
>experience) only turn the VHF on to listen to the weather, yak briefly at
other yakkers, or to send
>out a Mayday.  In other words, most of us are so selfish that we don't want
to be part of the
>"safety net" to help others -- but we DO expect somebody else to hear us,
and respond.
>
>How about it?  Do you leave your VHF on, tuned to 16 (and whatever "call"
channel fits your area)
>while paddling?  Bet you don't.
>
>I'll collect responses and summarize the results -- no one needs to confess
to the Paddlewise throng
>they are selfish.  I promise to maintain confidentiality.  Just email me.
>
>--
>Dave Kruger
>Astoria, OR
>--
>P.S.  Most of my own paddling is in the Lower Columbia River, where I
monitor 16 and 13 (shipping
>traffic).  I think down here I could raise a pleasure craft, duck hunter,
or maybe a pilot on a
>freighter, but not a sea kayaker.  Not many of us around, and the area is
too huge for me to expect
>other sea kayakers to form a "safety net."  I also am able to monitor
current conditions by
>listening to the barge traffic and freighters exchange info.  I leave it
on, down here, but have yet
>to hear another sea kayaker asking for help.  Have heard lots of power
boaters requesting aid from
>the CG, however.
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