VHF Radio reminder

[Suz]

Hey - out for a wee little paddle on Saturday and south of Odiorne Point and almost off Wallis Sands beach I came across a fishing boat who hailed me over and requested HELP. Hmmm, been there and watched that before, no way would I consider towing a power boat any distance... better pull out the radio.

Mind you, I haven't used my radio for a real call to the coast guard ever and I was a little nervous. Really thought the boaters should be calling Seatow or BoatUSA or whatever those two services are.

I found it interesting though and remembered after a few responses that I am supposed to say "over" when I am done talking and things like that.

I used Pan Pan giving my location and that I was a kayaker unable to assist a stranded power boat. The coast guard responded after a few minutes of repetition. I think they probably responded earlier but I was unable to hear. I found I needed to hold my radio up as high as I could reach to hear them but then had to bring the radio down to my mouth to transmit. They instructed me move to channel 22.

First question was what the emergency was. Then then asked how many people were on the boat. They asked me to find out if there was anyone with a medical emergency on board. They then instructed me to have them put on their life jackets. They did ask me for lat/long and as I was without a chart, I couldn't supply it. I provided them with my distance off shore and two points that I could see visually that they would know - Wallis Sands beach house and the square cement tower. They asked me to stay with the boat until they could arrive.

When they arrived, they told me that they had a very hard time hearing me. I showed them where I was holding the radio so I could hear them and that when I transmitted I would have to hold down to my mouth.

I left at that point but eventually noted that they appeared to tow the boat in the direction of Rye Harbor.

Happened to see Julie Casson on Sunday and she told me that my iPhone will provide me with lat/long. In this instance, I wouldn't have wanted to take out my phone from the day hatch and from within the pelican box as I knew enough local info for them to figure out where we were. BUT, if was useful information and if there was a life threatening emergency or in fog, I would have done so.

iPhone users - open the compass app, roll to calibrate and once it is calibrated, it would provide lat/long. I do keep my phone in airplane mode while on water though (so I don't waste battery while it is searching for signal and so it won't ring or get texts while it is in my hatch...)

Things I learned - I did have to take my radio out of the waterproof bag to hear and for the CG to hear me. Once I did that, all I had to hold on to was the little wrist strap that comes on the radio. I will put a longer tether on the radio for "next time". That would mean that I wouldn't have to worry about losing it while I am maneuvering holding position in the wind and holding it high in the air and paddling with one hand... I had tested it prior through the bag and for line of site test communication it worked find but it didn't for communicating this time.

If the radio had been tethered, I might not have minded pulling the phone out if it was necessary. It would have been a fiddle though to have the untethered radio and opening day hatch and finding the pelican box with the phone it and pulling it out...

Things I was glad about... My radio was charged and operational! I was able to help.

[JulieC]

Suz, I am so glad you were able to help!

Can I add one thing for the iPhone users?

If you do want to use the compass for providing the lat/long, you do need to make sure that the location services for the compass app are turned on. Otherwise it will not provide the information. Just go to Settings>Privacy>Location Services>Compass and select on

I know we talked about it when I saw you, but after I realized that I carry a radio, but don't always remember the correct usage of it if I was in your situation. How often do we actually have to use our radios? I have never fortunately... So I looked and found on my computer this morning a cheat sheet that I had downloaded the link a while ago from an old article on paddling light of "How to use a VHF Radio" that I will now laminate for my PFD... I am sharing for others who may want.

http://www.paddlinglight.com/pl/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/VHF-Radio-Cheat-Sheet-2.pdf

Julie

[Suz]

One more thing I forgot to mention.... interesting fact is that even in airplane mode, the GPS function and maps works. I found that out on a recent trip to Europe when I was leaving my phone in airplane mode to avoid costs and then turning it on wireless when I was in free wireless locations.

When in airplane mode you can see the flashing dot of your location and street names. It can only show you within a limited map range. That allows you to follow a street map with names and locations of a previously found position.

I tried the compass function today within airplane mode and it calibrated and then provided a GPS location.

[beckt]

Ah ha - thanks Julie! For both tips.

[JulieC]

Suz, that is good to know! I always put my phone in airplane mode too!!!

[Inverseyourself]

As you all know, there are GPS-capable VHFs (e.g.Standard Horizon HX 851 with GPS and DSC). You can read the lat-lon off the monitor as you are talking to people. I guess that in rougher seas you would probably want to avoid managing two electronic devices (VHF and i-phone) while trying not to capsize and managing the emergency at hand. Of course I'm stating the obvious. Above device can also give you your speed and can be a GPS (with waypoints and all) and functions as a "light" beacon because of its DSC-function, of course not equivalent to PLB. It's a little more pricey but then again not too pricey considering what you get. Only negative, it's rather clunky but fits well in my Astral front "hand warmer pocket" (I learned this from Phil) without any issues during rescues (including cowboy).

[EEL]

I'm surprised the CG came out to tow them. My impression has been that in non-emergency situations they won't come out to tow, etc. if there is a commercial service which can be called/used.

Regarding the radio cheatsheet and likely just demonstrating OCD, I'm not so sure that it is appropriate to say "out" when going from one channel to another. "Out" means the conversation is over and no reply expected, but that is not what is happening since the conversation is simply moving to another channel. I have used/heard something along lines of "Moving to channel X" or "listening channel X" in response to request to change channels.

Ed Lawson

[gyork]

as I was without a chart, I couldn't supply it. I provided them with my distance off shore and two points that I could see visually that they would know - Wallis Sands beach house and the square cement tower.

Good exercise to practice use of VHF in a non-emergent setting. Here one might try triangulation, with lessons from Professor Huth's blog, remembering to choose 2 points of reference that are close to 90 degrees from one another to increase accuracy, IF you can sight them. Suz, were you able provide bearings to the 2 sites cited, using your hand compass?

[Nancy Hill]

All VHF radios have power settings for transmitting. Mine has a choice of 1, 2.5 or 5 watts. The higher the power, the further you should be able to transmit (but, kayaks are low in the water and that is a disadvantage). When you are paddling among other kayaks and you want to communicate, you should stay on the lowest power that will work so you are not unnecessarily broadcasting over a wide area. Check and see what your transmit power is set to on your radio. If you did not boost your power to its highest setting to call the CG, that may have been why they had trouble hearing you.

-Nancy

[Gcosloy]

I have used my VHF to call the CG several times in the last decade: a few Securitay's when attempting to cross a busy channel, a Pahn-Pahn to notify the CG about an abandoned floating oil drum off Gerrish Island and a single M'day when I lost track of a paddling partner in Essex Bay/Castle river (she was blown by high gusts between two anchored pleasure boats and jammed in.) Where did she go? VHF is always fully charged and on my PFD ready to be employed in an emergency and I also carry a GPS which with a single button press (Find) revels my current location. Sometimes if others in our pod has a VHF we can communicate if several wish to take another heading than the group or if the wind/waves are too loud to communicate by voice alone. (I know this latter is frowned upon by some members.)

Edited October 27, 2014 by GCosloy

[JohnHuth]

Anyone know how the compass works in iPhones? Magnetic field or GPS?

Seems like it follows the magnetic field - but I haven't looked into it.

[Michael_Crouse]

http://store.apple.com/us/question/answers/iphone/is-the-compass-in-my-iphone-magnetic-or-gps-generated/QFJAXH2FFTU9A9X7X

Seems to be magnetic

[Suz]

I'm surprised the CG came out to tow them. My impression has been that in non-emergency situations they won't come out to tow, etc. if there is a commercial service which can be called/used.

Regarding the radio cheatsheet and likely just demonstrating OCD, I'm not so sure that it is appropriate to say "out" when going from one channel to another. "Out" means the conversation is over and no reply expected, but that is not what is happening since the conversation is simply moving to another channel. I have used/heard something along lines of "Moving to channel X" or "listening channel X" in response to request to change channels.

Ed Lawson

I was surprised the CG did too. I must admit that we didn't linger after the CG arrived. Maybe they waited until someone else came?? I didn't see the usual suspects come past us as we made our way back to Odiorne,

[Suz]

All VHF radios have power settings for transmitting. Mine has a choice of 1, 2.5 or 5 watts. The higher the power, the further you should be able to transmit (but, kayaks are low in the water and that is a disadvantage). When you are paddling among other kayaks and you want to communicate, you should stay on the lowest power that will work so you are not unnecessarily broadcasting over a wide area. Check and see what your transmit power is set to on your radio. If you did not boost your power to its highest setting to call the CG, that may have been why they had trouble hearing you.

-Nancy

I verified that I was on high when I initially couldn't hear a response and I could only hear if I held up high.

[Suz]

After a bit more googling on the iPhone, It appears that the ability of the iPhone to track you when in airplane mode is from it's ability to use the wireless towers to locate you, it also appears that this functionality is lost when upgrading to the new IOS 8.1.

I will delay updating until after next months trip to Germany!

[Suz]

Good exercise to practice use of VHF in a non-emergent setting. Here one might try triangulation, with lessons from Professor Huth's blog, remembering to choose 2 points of reference that are close to 90 degrees from one another to increase accuracy, IF you can sight them. Suz, were you able provide bearings to the 2 sites cited, using your hand compass?

If necessary I could have provided bearings as I did have my hand held compass. I was considering it when I looked around and spied a vessel heading to us from open water. They actually appeared to be heading to us from the Isles of Shoals...maybe they were out enjoying the day!

[leong]

Suz,

At near full throttle, most outboard engine powerboats burn gas according to the following formula:

Gas consumption per hour = horsepower/10

For instance, a 100 HP outboard burns 10 gallons per hour = over $30/hour. Just a days outing would cost more than a new VHF radio. The powerboaters were foolhardy risk takers going out without a VHF, GPS and cellphone. I hope they had a good combat roll

How big was the fishing boat? How big were the engine(s)?

-Leon

[Phil Allen]

Hi Suz

Good of you to help out and stick around till the CG showed. Did you consider offering the folks on the boat the radio, or going up on the boat to use the radio? Better line of sight from the extra height might have made communication with the CG better.

Best

Phil

[Dave M.]

I had to use my VHF this spring for a Mday which I always have tethered to my PFD. Because of the area, conditions and boat traffic VHF was kept on Ch 16. It worked great when needed. Got responses from harbor master and Boat USA after second broadcast. I could also monitor harbor master talking to CG. Was able to monitor communications right up to rescue.

[Suz]

Hi Suz

Good of you to help out and stick around till the CG showed. Did you consider offering the folks on the boat the radio, or going up on the boat to use the radio? Better line of sight from the extra height might have made communication with the CG better.

Best

Phil

Phil,

I see from above that I didn't mention that it didn't appear that the adults on the boat could speak english as the youngster (maybe a teen...) did all the talking. The adults didn't talk. They appeared to understand english but didn't speak.

I figured they wouldn't know how to use the radio if they didn't own one.

When I asked where they came from, they pointed down the coast in the direction of Rye Harbor. I asked if they meant Rye Harbor but don't think I got an answer. Although they told me they didn't have a radio or phone, at one point I saw one of the older people with a phone to his ear. I suspect that probably they didn't know who to call.

Wow - getting on a boat with strangers sounds very intimidating. I didn't even consider that! Also the strangers were smoking while trying to repair their engine. It wouldn't have seemed prudent to join them on their boat!

And for Leon - the boat was a Bayliner over 20 feet with two outboard engines - one that had 25 on it and the other I don't remember but smaller. I thought it odd that the boat didn't even have a name on it. I thought all boats had to have a name... Don't know why I though that...

Ed suggested to me separately that my radio may not be operating correctly if it was hard for me to hear them. I will look into it next time I am on the water and around other radios... It is an older ICM-72 that I had replaced about four years ago with a M88. I had replaced it because it was having trouble charging and something else if I recall. I then promptly lost my M88 by leaving it somewhere on either Thief or Black island in Muscongus. I then tried my old one again and it appeared to be working again... So, maybe it isn't and I need to look into it a bit further or just replace it yet again!

Suz

[gyork]

I thought all boats had to have a name...

Many know "school Bus". What are your boats' names Suz?

...promptly lost my M88 by leaving it somewhere...

Consider affixing a label with your embossed/printed E address to all your gadgets. It may help with its return, and, so far, has helped me from losing any gadgets, which seems quite magical!

[Inverseyourself]

Did they start throwing bags containing white powder overboard as the CG was approaching?

[NateHanson]

Interesting to hear that your VHF was so poorly received Suz. I've had good luck talking to the CG and harbormasters around here, and have generally thought that the very tall towers that the CG has positioned along the coast would make very few VHF dark areas around here. One thing to consider is that DSC calling (the digital distress beacon that is a part of GPS-equipped VHFs) has the potential to improve transmission of messages in marginal coverage areas. Might be another reason to consider one of these more-expensive (and larger) VHFs when people have need to replace their existing set. (I too have found that the extra size of the M93 is not noticeable when stowed in the handwarmer pouch of certain vests.)

I thought all boats had to have a name...

I believe that only "Documented" vessels are required to display their name in certain places on the hull. (This is basically a way of registering your boat with the federal governement instead of with state governments).

Documented vessels are identified by their name and port, and therefore don't necessarily display registration numbers outside of the boat (though their documented number must be carved or welded into a visible structural member on the inside of the vessel.)

The vast majority of pleasure boats are just registered like a car though, and are only required to display their registration numbers on both sides of the boat in 3" tall numbers.