BaysideBob wrote: > > Fear of spouse will certainly make me take stupid risks so she won't "worry" > about me. If I spent the night on a beach waiting for safer conditions, > she'd call the Coast Guard, then tear into me when I got back. [snip] > > My question is: > What's the best device to contact home and tell her I haven't drowned and > I'll be late? Cell phone? [snip] VHF radio? [snip] > VHF radios have probably been discussed to death on this list. Some discussion here, for sure. Marine VHF's have the same characteristics as any VHF radio (ours are FM, not AM). You can look up the handbooks of the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in your local public library for more than you want to know about VHF. A couple bottom lines: handheld marine VHF's are: 1. good for "line of sight" only -- they won't go around or over mountains; 2. their range if you are seated in your yak is somewhere around 3 - 5 miles (max), and about 8-10 miles (max) if you are standing on the beach or on a short knoll maybe 15 feet off the water [caveat: if the local CG has a repeater antenna on a high location, you might be able to reach them at greater distances]; 3. sometimes not usable due to jerks improperly broadcasting on 16 (the emergency channel); and, 4. what the CG recommends for marine users -- you can normally get a message through to them (maybe by relay off a power boat) so when your wife calls the CG, they can tell her your status. If your paddling is in a metro area (Bay area, yes, Bob?), a cell phone is probably quicker and more direct for reaching your wife. In addition, there is a direct dial routine in many areas on a cell phone which gives you a direct linkup with the CG. I'm out of my expertise here, but I doubt there is anyplace near the SF Bay metro area from which a cell phone will not work. YMMV. Two disadvantages for using a cell phone (vs. VHF) in an *on-the-water* emergency: limited battery life, and the CG can not use its signal to "home in" on you. Oh, yeah, I forgot: don't think cell phones come in a truly waterproof version, unlike some VHF's (Ralph D. knows the models which are, also what the "best buy" is these days). I paddle in remote areas, mainly, and a VHF works best there. If I paddled in the Bay area, I suspect a cell phone might be the better choice. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 17:37 02/29/2000 -0800, Dave Kruger wrote: [snip] >I paddle in remote areas, mainly, and a VHF works best there. If I paddled in >the Bay area, I suspect a cell phone might be the better choice. > on 2 seperate occasions, we were rescued thanks to the cell phone coverage in our area... once was due to a storm that changed directions, the other time was during high water, and we had lost a boat on the river. note, 1. i'm in colorado, far from the ocean, but cell coverage is getting better and better. 2. both times we were on dry ground calling for help. i know of plenty of horror stories involving drops of water & a cell, they don't tend to mix... mark YMMV, etc -- #------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com-------------------------------------- mark zen o, o__ o_/| o_. po box 474 </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~ http://www.jacknjillz.com/paddler [index of Paddling websites I manage] Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club, Colorado River Flows, Poudre Paddlers The Colorado Paddlers' Resource, Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page -- Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. --Pablo Picasso *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote, "... two disadvantages for using a cell phone (vs. VHF) in an *on-the-water* emergency: limited battery life, and the CG can not use its signal to "home in" on you. Oh, yeah, I forgot: don't think cell phones come in a truly waterproof version, unlike some VHFs ..." One issue --- one lost issue, Dave. In July 1999, the FCC licenced GPS receivers for integration into cell phones; the net effect is that, with these new phones, the owner can press a few buttons and make his/her cell phone into a tactical EPIRB on the cellular system. Position --- with standard commercial accuracy --- is transmitted to 911 emergency stations or to the Coast Guard on standard dial-up or on the two button dial-up net, where available, along with whatever voice reports are necessary. Qualcomm is big in this, as is Garmin; there is even discussion going on in Washington of requiring future cell phones to include this capabiltity. For more details and an example of this technology, see www.garmin.com/navTalk.html. As to waterproof cell phones, I saw an article in a periodical I receive that included a new, rubber-clad, "waterproof" cell phone now on the market. (Did not claim "submersible" qualification.) But I can't find the article. Will look again if there's interest. (As to cell phone battery life, I have a new Bell Atlantic system [Don't know the manufacturer] that's good all day and into the night in frequent use without a recharge; for emergency purposes, it'd probably be good for at least a week.) So I guess we need a submersible, survivable, rugged, hi-viz GPS cell phone that floats and will last a week's expedition on one battery charge --- or that can be converted to AA battery operation. (Maybe a strobe in the top?) Piece of cake. All the building blocks area there. Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
JCMARTIN43_at_aol.com wrote: > For more details and an example of this technology, see www.garmin.com/navTalk.html. > > As to waterproof cell phones, I saw an article in a periodical I receive that included a new, rubber-clad, "waterproof" cell phone now on the market. (Did not claim "submersible" qualification.) But I can't find the article. Will look again if there's interest. FWIW, the NavTalk from Garmin has the same waterproofness rating as their other GPSs. Downsides: high price and analogue only (but my cell operates in analogue mode only in most areas I kayak). Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 05:37 PM 02/29/2000 -0800, Dave Kruger wrote: >BaysideBob wrote: >> >> Fear of spouse will certainly make me take stupid risks so she won't "worry" >> about me. >If your paddling is in a metro area (Bay area, yes, Bob?), a cell phone is >probably quicker and more direct for reaching your wife.... I doubt there is >anyplace near the SF Bay metro area from which a cell phone will not work. Actually there are a number of dead spots for cell phones on the Bay and coastal waters. You would be amazed at where they won't work. I had to paddle 1-1/4 miles to find a spot where the thing would work a few weeks ago. Further, they are pretty much worthless on the lakes around here. I carry both the cell phone and VHF. One distinct advantage of VHF is that most of the decent models are water resistant. The cell phone is not. Another advantage of the VHF -- no monthly fees. (My cell phone costs only $11.99 per month.) There isn't a whole lot to learn about VHF -- you just buy it, charge the battery, and keep it safe until you need it. No license required for a kayak. To make a telephone call on your VHF, you set the channel to (around SF Bay) 25, 26, 84 or 87 (I think this is location specific) and ask 3 times for "Marine Operator". Some say collect calls are OK ... I've never done it. jerry. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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