www.iFourWinns.com

I live in Florida not Alaska the state is blanked with cell service and my cell is waterproof. It's completely worthless for me to have a high power setup since I'm not an offshore fisherman or on the great lakes with line of sight. VHF does not go through trees or around river bends AT ALL.

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1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

So ric lets say you don't have a VHF and there is a boat sinking about 300 yards away, out of your line of sight, you could have saved those people, if you had your VHF on #16.....How would you feel if you could have rendered assistance but didn't because you were like the radio operator on the Californian?? What's the Californian you say? Well that's the ship that was 20 miles away from the Titanic and did not hear their distress call because the wireless guy went to sleep. That is why commercial ships must monitor #16 24 hrs.
You don't have to be an off shore fisherman to need and use one of these. How nice would it be, if you had a problem, either taking on water or a breakdown and did not have to wait for the CG to get there?
I get weather reports from Brookhaven Labs in Upton Long Island. which is a long distance from where I have the boat, as it at least 25 miles over land that is hilly in spots. In fact my hand held will pick them up easily in the house if I hold the antenna to the window.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I take it you don't have kids.



However it would reach other boaters nearby who "might" have their radios on as well... And trust me - no state or area is "Blanked" or blanketed with cell phone service that is guaranteed reliable 24/7/365. Anyone who has spent a day arguing with AT&T or Sprint can tell you that.

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2008 Four Winns h180 Bowrider
3.0 Volvo Penta

2013 Dodge Durango HEMI

I'm not saying don't get a VHF, but depending on your geographical surroundings it might just be burning money to get a hardwired setup with expensive antenna and holes in your boat when a handheld will perform just as well.

_________________
1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

Yes there are situations where the better hand helds will fit the bill. They are much better than in years back. We're lucky that we have the CG right nearby in Eatons Neck NY being able to contact them quickly gives a great sense of security.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Not very good advice. Lou is right!

I have a PLB (personal locator beacon) not as good as a EPIRB as in power, auto TX, and battery time. To add, you just don't use one a emergence situation. Define "emegence", that you need Seatow?

This is were a fixed VHF comes in. Case in point: I go to P-town from Boston once a year and from the half way point I am at least 6 miles off shore and it can gey rough out there. If I need help, the VHF is used and I can "explain" the need so the right type of help/need comes out. I also have a ditch bag with PDFs, flares and a PLB. If I can I will grab the portable VHF off the charger if needed. If I deploy the PLB, the boat is going down!

So what Ric is saying that a portable with 3 to 5 watts of power and a small ant. is almost is good as a fixed VHF at 25 watts and a bigger ant. And if the portable doesn't work, well you have your cell phone. And in any emergency, just deploy your EPIRB. They need him at M.I.T.

Again, depends where you boat. VHF doesn't work unless you can see what you're talking to. If everything you see to talk to is within 1-2 miles a handheld is all you need. If you're further out on the Great Lakes or Ocean yes a hardmount would be great for a few extra miles.

I can't stress this enough. VHF does not go around river bends. VHF does not go around trees. You could have 25 watt setup with a 6db antenna that works crystal clear 20 miles out in the ocean trying to talk to the coast guard 1000ft away around a river bend behind trees. They're not going to make out a single word you said. So don't be depending your life and safety on a technology that might not be correct for you.

_________________
1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

VHF is line of sight, in may ways your right. In some ways your wrong.

Power of the radio, antenna's db, hight of antenna and the same at the other end is all a factor in this.

Case in point: I was looking for another boater in Boston Harbor. We were to meet up at one of the Islands and he was no were to be found. I got on the VHF, to find out the he was on the other side of that same island. Could I see him, no. But the VHF signal will reflect off of objects and go though trees to a degree. There is a whole lot more to this. But could I reach some one down stream 2 bends away and the area was wooded, yes it is possible. It is not that cut & dry that both ant. must see each other. Would it work better out in the open ocean, yes. On the River, it just reduces distances.

i think we were bouncing. all i know is that we can talk to the city marina when we are 60-75miles off. i do not know how big the marina tower is but i do know it is one of the 3 pole towers that you can climb up that has cables holding it up way taller than the sailboat masts. so i think that is making an impact not he range.


non the less a powered base is ten fold better than a hand held is my point.

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Not Penny's Boat

1993 190 Horizon 5.0L EFI
http://www.smwebhead.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11136
1977 14' CMF Skiff SOLD
2015 Emotion Stealth Angler 11

I must have a magical VHF radio; I can get a signal through trees, small hills, buildings, and when there is a band opening, all the way from my car to half way around the world, or even beyond when the ISS is overhead.

Oh, and it can be heard by MANY people at one time, not just the person I dialed some of the time.

You do know that the UHF frequency your cell phone uses has much shorter range, right?

Wow. Reading further down the thread here just makes me sad that you are so ignorant. Where on Earth do you get such wacky information, dude?

Physics class. On a lucky day if the weather is right you can bounce the signal off boundary layers in the atmosphere and get a little better range, but these folks claiming 75+ mile range on a boat are doing one of two things: Lying and Lying. Two identical boats using identical 9db antennas 30ft off the ground at 25 watts in the open ocean COULD get up to 60 miles yes. Add anything between? The range goes down to nothing. Most boats are using 6db antennas about 15ft off the water. Range? MAYBE 15 tops in perfect conditions.

Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-meter_band

And this:
http://www.hamuniverse.com/k4msghowfar2meters.html

_________________
1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread

Again M.I.T. needs you.

It's basic high school math

_________________
1981 Columbia 8.7
2015 Yamaha FZR - 87mph - sold
2006 Yamaha GP1300R - sold
2003 Chaparral 215 SSI - sold
2009 Stingray 195CS - sold
2000 Four Winns H180 - sold
1976 O'day Daysailer II - sold
Rick's Four Winns H180 Mods/Upgrade Thread