I know you wrote for battery advice, of which I don't have any, however with one reply bringing up VHF I had to chime in. FIRST, thank you for pointing out that some people may not appreciate their use in chat and I want to reemphasize that, strongly. Although I do have some thought on good radios. Please, Please, Please do many people a huge favor and do NOT use VHF radios for chat. Keep them for vital or otherwise specified communications or what I believe is called haling. Please whatever you do don't use ch 16 or other channels with out first knowing what they are reserved for. Do some research. There have been cases of boats sinking with the crew making distress calls on the VHF while people have been chatting over the vital communications presumable not realizing that their chat blocks out other signals from getting though. VHF radios used to be licensed but now it has gone to sort of an honor system which many serious boaters are reasonable disturbed over. ahhhh, that off my chest... OK, radios that work. A friend and I often carry a mid range motorola when we are on the water. I don't know what batteries he puts in them but they just barely last an entire weekend with intermittent use, ie maybe brief (couple minutes) conversations 5 to 10 times a day. That is at summer temps. Hope that helps. Bob Chicago ............. Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 06:35:45 -0700 From: "Mary Z" <mzuschlag_at_attbi.com> Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] walkie talkies My husband and I paddle frequently in local lagoons and bays. I tend to meander along the shore examining the flora and fauna, he likes to get a move on. We try to stay in touch via walkie talkie. We have yet to find one with a battery that lasted more than four or five hours. Any suggestions? - -- Marcia Tauber You might consider an Icom this unit is also water reistant. Here is the review: http://members.tripod.com/~jwilkers/icom.html You could get a VHF unit that will have a longer range and be fully water proof, it will cost considerablely more. I like my Standard Horizon. I am not sure they like social discussions on VHF so a 2 way may be the way to go. -- MZ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
You can also hail another kayaker on 16 (especially if that's the only channel you're able to monitor--not all VHF's can scan frequencies). Once hailed, switch immediately to 68, 69, 71, or 72, which are non-commercial/pleasure channels. Do not use 70, as this is the Digital Selective Calling channel used by newer systems to transmit a GPS position in an emergency. See the following list for channel designations: http://www.marinewaypoints.com/learn/vhf.shtml As Bob said, though, avoid chit-chat. As marine users, we have a right to use the airwaves, just as we do the waterways, but there are appropriate and inappropriate uses for these tools. "Kayak one to kayak two, meet me at camp at 2:30. Out" is appropriate on the appropriate (non-commercial) channel. "I see a bird with yellow wings and a green head, what do you think it is..." and then a lengthy discourse about bird ID, or other chit-chat is inappropriate on any channel. Keep these discussions to an FRS radio. Shawn Robert Brubaker <rbrub_at_earthlink.net> wrote: >Please, Please, Please do many people a huge favor and do NOT use VHF radios for chat. Keep them for vital or otherwise specified communications or what I believe is called haling. Please whatever you do don't use ch 16 or other channels with out first knowing what they are reserved for. Do some research. __________________________________________________ Yahoo! - We Remember 9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost http://dir.remember.yahoo.com/tribute *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hey Shawn, Thanks for the good info on the channels 68, 69, 71, or 72 non-commercial/pleasure channels. So far I have only programed mine to scan 9 and 16 for distress calls along with NOAA for weather alerts. Odd thing is if there were a boating accident other than another kayaker or other small boat, I probably would not be of much use in providing aid other than organizing and providing limited buoyancy to a few swimmers or first aid. Bob Chicago *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Don't sell yourself too short. You may be the one who sees the accident in the first place, and might be able to save precious minutes or hours by being the one who alerts the USCG or other vessels nearby who may come to the boaters' aid. Shawn --- Robert Brubaker <rbrub_at_earthlink.net> wrote: > Odd thing is if there were a boating accident other than another > kayaker > or other small boat, I probably would not be of much use in providing > aid other than organizing and providing limited buoyancy to a few > swimmers or first aid. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Agreed. I observed that, while sailing, the slow speed (not that different from the speed of a seakayak) made it unlikely that I could get to the scene of an incident in time to be of much help. I figured it really wasn't that useful as a rescue tool for me. It turns out that that was just plain wrong. I have been out a couple times when I was probably the ONLY one who saw someones flare and called it in (at night or during the winter there often isn't much traffic on the Chesapeake). Even when the victim is out of range for you to get there in a reasonable time, you can still get on the radio and report the sighting. Also sometimes you are just at the right place at the right time. This has happened to me as well. I don't think that in any of the cases that I assisted someone was it really a life or death situation, but you never know when it will be. I personally like to think of the VHF a tool to make my presence or intentions known, and as something that is likely to help someone else get assistance. I plan to never need to use it to request assistance for myself. Thinking that way keeps my decisions a little less reckless. Pete --- Shawn Baker <shawnkayak_at_yahoo.com> wrote: > Don't sell yourself too short. You may be the one > who sees the > accident in the first place, and might be able to > save precious minutes > or hours by being the one who alerts the USCG or > other vessels nearby > who may come to the boaters' aid. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (i.e. headers/footers/sig lines/comments from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.] My first response to this topic appears to got lost, so I try it again. Even if you don't see a vessel in distress and just pick up the call for help you may be the link between Search and Rescue and the victim. Their call is maybe to weak to be picked up by other vessels or the Coast Guard. You are the only one close enough to hear them. What can you do? Relay their distress call. There is a radio procedure for this, called "Mayday Relay" That's the stuff they teach you in classes required to get the operators certificate (required in Canada to operate a VHF radio). The study manual of this class (for self study) is online and contains a lot of "How to do's" http://www.vmrs.org/training/ric23.pdf Ulli > Don't sell yourself too short. You may be the one who sees the > accident in the first place, and might be able to save precious minutes > or hours by being the one who alerts the USCG or other vessels nearby > who may come to the boaters' aid. > > Shawn > > --- Robert Brubaker <rbrub_at_earthlink.net> wrote: > > Odd thing is if there were a boating accident other than another > > kayaker > > or other small boat, I probably would not be of much use in providing > > aid other than organizing and providing limited buoyancy to a few > > swimmers or first aid. Ulli Hoeger Dept. Physiology and Biophysics Dalhousie University Halifax, B3H 4H7 Nova Scotia, Canada Phone: INT 902 494 2673 Fax: INT 902 494 1685 Phone 2: 902 497 4045 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: Robert Brubaker <rbrub_at_earthlink.net> > Odd thing is if there were a boating accident other than another kayaker > or other small boat, I probably would not be of much use in providing > aid other than organizing and providing limited buoyancy to a few > swimmers or first aid. > > Bob Well, That isn't true. Ever heard about "Mayday Relay"? If you can pick up a distress call made by somebody within your radio range, he or she may be to far away to be picked up by Coastguard or other, larger boats. Here you can act as a relay station. If needed a chain of such relay stations can reach Search and Rescue or larger vessels able to render assistance.. That's one of the big advantages of taking a radio class (here in Canada you have to to get the operators certificate, mandatory for operating a VHF), you learn about all those procedures. On the web you can find the Canadian study guide for the operators certificate. Even if some details may be different in other countries, the basic radio procedures and calling codes are the same. http://www.vmrs.org/training/ric23.pdf Ulli Ulli Hoeger Dept. Physiology and Biophysics Dalhousie University Halifax, B3H 4H7 Nova Scotia, Canada Phone: INT 902 494 2673 Fax: INT 902 494 1685 Phone 2: 902 497 4045 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Peter Staehling <staehpj1_at_yahoo.com> wrote: >It turns out that that was just plain wrong. I have been out a couple times when I was probably the ONLY one who saw someones flare and called it in Good for you. And great for the folks you spotted!!! >I personally like to think of the VHF a tool to make my presence or intentions known, and as something that is likely to help someone else get assistance. I plan to never need to use it to request assistance for myself. Thinking that way keeps my decisions a little less reckless. I agree 100%. Just like gear on your PFD. Plan and prepare as if you'll never need it, but someday, you might be awfully glad it's there. It sort of makes it difficult thinking that all that extra bulk is probably never going to be used, and is just taking up space on all those trips....but just once, it might all be worth it. Besides, where can you get a better weather radio? I use mine about 98% of the time as a weather radio--both for checking the forecast before I can see the put-in, and once I'm there, to back up personal observations. Shawn __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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