Working with Marine VHF Radios - Your Input Wanted

[Dan Foster]

I've heard from a number of club members that they'd like to have a refresher on proper or recommended radio use in a group sea kayaking setting. That refresher could be anything from a 2-hour classroom workshop, some on-the-water practice, or a laminated cheat sheet to go on the deck.

Below is a link to a Google Doc file that anyone can edit. I added a bunch of common questions about radio usage (please add more), as well as some resources in the form of links to prior club discussion on the topic. My hope is that a few club members (that's YOU!) or a dedicated volunteer step forward and just take a few minutes to start fleshing out the document by adding a paragraph or two about a radio-related topic. You don't need to be an expert - you can find most of these answers with just a few searches on the NSPN forums or on your favorite search engine.

Ideally, we'd end up with a short (one-page?) guide to radio usage that can be widely distributed to club members, and can form the basis of on-water or classroom practice for years to come.

Here's the document, please contribute:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sBsjxWn-uwU8ZuatPAhcE_mwyfgDEEJP2Ph67PnhN_4/edit?usp=sharing

This is an experiment - who knows where it will go. Feel free to take the document or the process in any direction you want. If this seems like a project you'd like to take ownership of and deliver something of value back to the club, please take it and run with it!

[Jim Snyder]

Dan, great idea! I think it would be great to have an on water workshop.

Edited April 23, 2019 by Jim Snyder

[prudenceb]

I would love to have a course.  I always felt a bit baffled by my radio, and I have trouble following the threads folks have posted on various necessary or less necessary features.  Marine Radios for Dummies...yes please!

[PeterB]

An on the water workshop would be fun. I think it would be fun if it were just a posted trip (simple paddle at one of the more familiar NSPN put- ins like Pavilion Beach , Odiorne, Manchster/Beverly etc) )  with an on-the-go  "use-our vhf radios" theme.  

 

[gyork]

Not sure how to attach this cheat sheet to the doc above, but here it is:  

VHF-Radio-Cheat-Sheet-2.pdf 

[alcoons]

Great idea.

I think on-water-is-great: 

• However, probably should start with a basic meeting first. I say this because for those that know almost nothing about their radio or who just bought one (even because this workshop might encourage it) trying to pick up basic details in a large group on the water might be hard and therefor frustrating of those just starting and the rest of the group. Topics might include:
  • How/where to mount your radio
  • How to set up your radio for very basic communications and perhaps scans
  • Basic communications (such as the above cheat sheet)
  • Care for the radio
  • Even different suggested radios. I imagine we might even get paddlers that do not have a radio but want to scope this all out off and on the water.
     
• One issue that I always worry about is whether my old, but functioning radio can really connect. I have used the Automated Radio Check Service provided by Sea Tow: https://www.seatow.com/tools-and-education/automated-radio-check. I would think we not only need to discuss inter-group use of radios while on a trip but also, build confidence and have a reality check about just how well individual radios work. Three situations pop to mind:
  • If I am paddling alone or have the only radio in a group.
  • If I end up in trouble way off the group (should not happen but everything does).
  • if split groups want to communicate
     
• Of course whatever we do we have to be careful with the logistics of many calls on (the wrong?) channel.