Re: [Paddlewise] VHF radios/Cell phones

Don Watson wrote:

> 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.

I have never experienced this, although I don't have enough attempts at contacts which "should"
happen, and did, to be even 90% certain I would "never" have a problem such as the one you
describe.  I believe under the worst conditions, the handheld should be good for at least 2 - 3
miles, seated yakker to seated yakker.  To the whip on your outfitter's boat, from the beach, you
should get about 8-10 miles, barring obstructions.  VHF *is* flaky, with multiple path interference
probably being the most likely culprit in the situation you describe.  Another possibility (this
actually happened to me in Canada) is that the pickup boat was using an INTERNATIONAL configuration
for the channel, and you were using a US configuration for the same channel (or, its A/B variant). 
When this happened to me, I could hear the other guy, but he could not hear me.  I believe I was
listening in simplex (same freq TX/RX), but he was listening in duplex (same freq for TX, but
different RX freq -- the lashup used for ship-shore radiotelephone communications).

> 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?

Sometimes, yes.  There must be a cell phone tower within line of sight.  In Barkley Sound, even
though it is "remote", cell phones work.  Problems:  1. short battery life.  2. not designed for a
marine (wet) environment.  3. the CG can not use RDF to locate you by your TX signal.  OTOH,
anywhere near any populous area, there WILL be a cell phone tower, and your call, directed straight
to the SAR people, will get a faster response than a (relayed) Mayday, most likely.

> 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. 

Know the problem.  That's why I went to alkaline power on my radios.  (I used to fly RC airplanes,
and learned to distrust/hate Ni-Cads!)  The rechargeable units do not have enough TX time to be
useful on an overnight trip, let alone a week, especially if you leave the radio on in RX mode for
monitoring.  

I'll score you as a "no."  Thanks for the informative reply.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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