Looking for one for my small boat. Whats the go? Are the small handheld ones worse than useless? I'm guessing wattage is the best indicator of useful range? So is a 5w handheld okay for most things things one would use a Stabi 389 for?
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Looking for one for my small boat. Whats the go? Are the small handheld ones worse than useless? I'm guessing wattage is the best indicator of useful range? So is a 5w handheld okay for most things things one would use a Stabi 389 for?
Attachment 69627
This works for me.
Depends where you are, a handheld will pick up a repeater in most popular places but an aerial up a mast with more power is going to get you a lot further in places like Fiordland or Stewart Is. Its still "line of sight" but everything helps.
Can I ask do you actually use your radio Madjon or is it just there for a SHTF situation?Quote:
Originally Posted by madjon_
Is the 1w setting much use?
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I have a set in my biggest boat and it has about a 2m aerial , I have only ever turned it on to see if it goes.
Out of Whakatane where there is vol.coastguard,log in over the bar,log out on return.listen to weatherforecast.talking to mates i.e. where's birds, dolphins working.Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Down here it's in the boat.......
Most of it will be for bar crossings up here, then forecasts when out and about, not break Downs hopefyy. Plb for emergency. Phone for mates and gps Id say.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tentman
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Yep....I thought as much....Quote:
Originally Posted by madjon_
We have a coastguard but sometimes nobody to drive the boat [emoji30]
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If it is for one boat get something boat mounted. I bought a hand held unit for use in the dinghy and kayak.
get one mounted and correctly wired. get the appropriate aerial for the boat, some antenna are designed to be mounted on a metal groundplane which isnt much use in a fi-glass boat. higher you get the antenna the better and the shorter the cable between radio and antenna is better too.
After spending some 30yrs in emergency management ,I have come to realize that with out good Comms you aren't helping your self. Don't compromise your and other's safety with inadequate gear. Go to your dealer and seek proper and good advise. A full weather VHF and a good external aerial would be a start for a Runabout type boat and a water proof hand held for Kayak and dingy.
i was working at a company that among other things repaired 2 way radios. the amount of people who would come in wanting cheap nasty gear repaired was unreal. i got so pissed off at one guy after i refused to even look at his POS asked him is that all he thought his families lives mattered to him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gapped axe
Do you have any suggestions as to what to start looking at then? Or which brands to avoid?Quote:
Originally Posted by gonetropo
i'm not sure if motorola still make marine band. GME was pretty good though. Uniden was ok in performance but the fittings werent stainless and looked a mess after awhileQuote:
Originally Posted by Wildman
1W is primarily for harbour/dinghy use.
5W more range and more watts the better it gets.
As mentioned above, at these frequencies it is line of sight, hopefully to a repeater. If to another boat then the bobbing/wobbling will affect transmit/receive levels plus behind waves or such.
Separate mounted antenna, high as is the way to go.
One day you might wish for it.....
Cell phones are higher in frequency so more useless. However, more repeaters (cell towers) about the landscape and with txting can have a useful signal level where voice wont make it (plus use more power).
Dunno about brands, tho would be happy with GME as a universal, low cost solution. There are more expensive options for not much more usefulness I'd say.
OK, here goes. any "whip" antenna directs signal through 360 degrees so you transmit in all directions when you do. so obviously more power = more range. but in no way expect 5X more range from 5x more power.
Cell phones are just that, they transmit to a repeater, go through how many cells as possible then end up at the final destination. if either end is out of cell coverage or any cell in between fails you are stuffed.
Buy a decent marine radio ! get in properly installed including an SWR test. anything less is stupid. You might have spent 30k on your boat, 1k on life vests etc then to depend on a piece of junk radio is ridiculous.
Pretty much out at sea everything is line of sight as there are bugger all hard surfaces to bounce radio waves off.
One point I haven't seen mentioned.
I recall being told that in order for the ariel to work at optimum, it should be vertical. An awfull lot of boaties put the ariel down, either to avoid it bashing around or simply to enable the boat to fit in the shed.
Not sure how much effect this may have, but I guess anything that potentially improves radio performance can only be a good thing.
antenna should be vertical for best performance. If you fold it down for transport then tie it down too cause all the flapping about as you tow the boat will make people like me happy cause we get to sell ya a new aerial.
A antenna radiates 360 degrees in a horizontal direction not every direction. Actual radiation pattern depends on antenna design
From Nelson with a 25W VHF and just outside the cut you should be able to get Durville Maritime Radio (55 Nm away) loud and clear
What is a SWR test?
Checks the ariel I believe
Its a quick way to tell if your antenna is OK and you VHF is transmitting at the correct power output.Quote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Another quick test of the antenna on a trailer boat that travels with their antennas folded id to grab the antenna and pull or twist it GENTLY if it moves it is no longer watertight
Ariel/Antenna. What is the difference ?
same as diference between English or pom i guess :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Pengy
I was being serious. Is there a technical difference, or is just words
I bloody hate acronyms SWR= Short Wave Radio?
There is heaps of trades and industry's in our world with overlapped acronyms that could mean anything to anyone.
dont be a lazy cunt type what it actually is.
Just for you SWR = Standing Wave Ratio...................................does that help :DQuote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
just words no difference to meQuote:
Originally Posted by Pengy
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikee
Attachment 69742
And I have a meter here for measuring it too.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikee
Good topic, I left my radio on my boat when wife went into labour, got rained on and now doesn't go so looking for a new one. @gadgetman I'd be quite interested in your meter once all set up
I'll fish it out of the workshop.Quote:
Originally Posted by distant stalker
SWR is standing wave ratio. basically how much is flying out of the Arial compared to whats being pushed in. ideally it should be 1 watt in 1 watt out etc.
marine radios are vertically polarized and laying it horizontal will lose you 12dB of signal and even moor if its folded down alongside a metal plane as this will act as shielding.
