How to use VHF radio - An interview with the US Coast Guard and some basic procedures
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มิ.ย. 2013
- How to use a VHF, An interview with the US Coast Guard and some basic procedures on hailing a marina and other boaters
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#coastgurad #howtousevhf #uscoastguard
I REMEMBER back when I was a teenager, some old man in our neighborhood was selling two VHF marine radios for like $20 for both. Me and a friend had mopeds (the ones with the pedals) and we installed them on our mopeds and we used to go all over town talking to each other. Boat people used to get on all the time and tell us to get off the radio. At the time I just thought they were walkie talkies. Finally this one guy on the radio acted all buddy buddy and told us we should meet up in the shopping center to talk about our mopeds. We show up and its two guys from the Coast Guard. We had a station near by. They were very unhappy and schooled us on the use of the radios, took them from us, and had me go to a payphone to call my mom. This was before cell phones. My mom and dad roll up. They tell them the situation and give them our radios. I got grounded for weeks over that. We never used the radios again except when we put them up for sale and turned them on to test them for the buyer who showed up.
@Trent williams Funny you say that. After we sold them, we used the money and went to Radio Shack and bought mobile CBs (the ones that go in cars), antennas, and we got a few of those huge 6v flashlight batteries. The mopeds didn't provide enough power to run them so we connected two 6v to make 12v. Long story short we could never get the CBs to work right because the ignition from the mopeds gave off so much interference. The VHF radios, when we had them, were fine because they were a much higher frequency. So we took them off and installed them a few later in our cars when we were old enough.
Great story... classic!
Really good story!
Awesome story!
That's insane 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
As some one who was a Coast guard radioman in the mid 1970's that was an excellent description of how to use Ch 16. Thanks
Good job. thank you for taking the time. I'm a newbee to VHF and you def helped me out.
Awesome, thank you in advance CG!
Thank you for sharing all this information. Very helpful for me.
great vhf radio info thanks so much.
I once had to say, "Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan. Hello all stations, hello all stations. This is United States Coast Guard, Galveston Texas Group. Motor Vessel Alvenus hard aground, Calcasieu Entrance Channel, spilling oil. Shift channel 22 alpha. Out". That was the start of many bad days. I was very proud of the performance of all the Coast Guard units that responded to the incident, and the hundreds of workers, volunteers and agencies who worked so hard to cleanup the spill, rescue thousands of birds and other wildlife and restore the Louisiana and Texast coastline to it's former beauty. As far as I am concerned, the UmS. Coast is the most rewarding military service of all of them because it is always ready to respond when disaster of any kind strikes, big or small. With such a great responsibility in the hands of so few, it's members are the highest caliber, able to improvise and adapt to any situation, and make the impossible look routine.
Thank you for your videos! I've learned a lot within the past two days watching them. Thinking about getting a sailboat and need to learn as much as I can. Take care.
KinoQuentin youcan pratice
thanks brother - appreciate the basics! just learning VHF and this content is gold.
thank you :)
As a former paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, I could come up with all kinds of slangs for crusty coastie’s. But I won’t. I thank God for them and pray for their safety. Thanks for the video!
your welcome and thank you for watching :)🇺🇲
Thanks for the tips.
Great video - very helpful for new boater learning how to use the VHF on the water! Thank-you.
thanks for watching :)
🚤🏄
Great video with Coast Guard solid info....
Great Job...... Thanks😎
Great info here. Thanks!
tks
Brand new to VHF this was all solid info thanks
:) thanks for watching
Very, very nice. Thank you for this informative video.
😎Thank you for watching
🟥🟥🟥 Great info. Keep em coming
Actually DSC stands for "Digital Selective Calling" it is not just for distress.
Yeah, it shows how much he knows....
Great content.
👍Terrific info. Thank you. 💝
than k you for watching
Great video
thank you
This was quite informative, thanks! I used to go out on Lake Erie with my Grandfather as a child and we never had a radio of any sort. Thankfully we never needed one, but I can remember not seeing anyone else for as far as I could see in any direction either. If we had needed help we sure wouldn’t have had any
thanks for watching :) glad you never needed to call for assistance. That lake can get rough. Happy Holidays
Thank you US COAST GUARD!!
General radio procedures likely say only one radio operator need sign out, more specifically, probably the base station. Once he signs out, he's assumed to have instantly turned his radio off as all communication has been taken care of.
good to know
DIGITAL Selective Calling. This was very good coverage of the VHF Marine Comms system. People should also have a "float plan" - where you're going, what you're doing, when you're supposed to return - so that someone can get assistance if you don't show up... Even if just fishing or kayaking inland waters.
A better idea than that, and less hassle, would be to always carry an EPIRB or PLB.
ditto on 'digital'
Thanks for this info. Very informative and straight to the point. Same as we are expected to us those channels!! Cheers!!
tks, please pass it on :)
I wish channel 16 had a repeater on it so that I could listen to everything on it
DSC stands for Digital Selective Calling. Its not specific to distress purposes, but generally intended in radio as a way to avoid hearing radio traffic outside of your party by not opening the squelch unless the code is heard. This seems to be adapted for marine use as a boat ID number, but thats not the original purpose.
exactly what i meant in my comment too
Digital selective calling
All bridges, locks, articulating railways over water should have a sign posted on the side of the control house with the suggested channel they want you to communicate to them on. This would save time speaking on channel 16 to begin with and to me should be a no brainer but it's not that way.
Roger that 😎🤙
6:40 Channel 9 VHF is The Boaters Calling Channel, too.
yes, but most don't us it, I do
Dont forget about ch 72
Kewl!
PAN PAN is "Urgency" not "Distress".
MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! is “Distress”
Annapolis md 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Am I the only one that wants to rename their boat after watching this??
"36 Seas" for the win! 🤣
LOL, i did change the name to Epicurean
Great video...but I think DSC is short for Digital Selective Calling (not Distress...). Sorry for the nitpicking. 🙂
you are right, i don't know how that one got away :), nitpicking is good, Thank you for watching
I had to call Coast Guard one time, they came out right away. Very friendly guys, I would much rather they come out than Shore Patrol or anybody else from the government LOL
Good video, but you didn't tell us how we can get our MMSI number so DSC can be usable.
sorry, that is in another video th-cam.com/video/8W4ntoOWZ-s/w-d-xo.html thank you
doees channel 22 work the same in capemay as like in cheasepeak area?
There is a particular CSX railroad draw bridge in Pascagoula Mississippi we go under all the time. Im getting a T-top installed on the boat now and will then need the bridge raised to pass. I've been searching for information for what channel the bridge uses but can't find any. There should be a draw bridge data base with the VHF channels used or a big sign on the bridges displaying VHF channel.
Edit June29,2019- installed a Simrad RS35.
A steal at $171. Again it is disappointing why draw bridges and articulating rail roads over waterways do not have a sign posted on the bridge or control hut with VHF Channel they suggest contacting them on. Sure seems like it would be a normal thing even before DSC. Only one website in the world selling the RS35 for $171, all other sites are still selling it for $400
most bridges and locks use channel 13
Call the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol and/or Dept of Transportation, get the phone number for the bridge, and call them
There's a lot of good info here
thank you
sir if i am not wrong DSC in gmdss communication is Digital selective Calling. Like for Ch 16 its ch 75 or for Mf 2182 khz is 2187.5 khz
DSC is not "Distress Select Calling", it is "Digital Select Calling"
When did VHF discontinued licensing your radio back in the 80's we had to use a call sign. Ours were Fairwinds Whiskey Yankee Papa 2460. Why don't they do the same thing with HAM Radio discontinue licensing?
i think they stopped in the late 90's however as i did go to Canada with the boat i needed to have a FCC registration # in my name not the boats name, ??????
Because Amateur radio is far more encompassing than the VHF Marine radio spectrum. And more operators. But I get the feeling you already know this... I doubt what you wish for will ever happen
When you offer your location, if you do not have DSC, how many decimals out do you go? My system shows a lot of decimal places. Thanks?
i go out 3 i have seen some systems that show something like this 39.707638 which is also 39 42' 27.48N
Thank you
My radio experience elsewhere is that pan pan is used for urgent but not life threatening situations. Is that not the case for marine radio?
that is what i thought, but i go with the Coast Guard :)
@@VagabondEpicurean The Chief mis-spoke: At 3:34 "in Distress just call the Coast Guard". Negative, Make a Distress Call. A Distress call, Mayday is grave and imminent danger, Urgency, Pan Pan, is when a vessel needs assistance, but not Distress. It indicates the calling station has a very urgent message concernming the safety of a ship, aircraft, other vehicle or person. At 5:06 Pan Pan would not be used to alert others to a vessel in Distress. It would be Mayday Relay. I have been Radio Exminer for over 35 years.
its Digital Selective Calling...
how to set to channel 22a?
what about inland water lakes. not like the huge ones up north but the smaller ones around the country. ive never heard anybody on my lake here in north east Georgia. Lake Hartwell, keowee, tugalo
i guess if the Coast Guard is not there a marine VHF is not of much help
@@VagabondEpicurean nope all ive ever heard is a drunk guy with a pirate voice asking of there is any hookers (lass) want to come to his boat. lol
I just connect my DSC to a gps, how can I check if its working?
most VHF have a TEST mode, for DSC
Hmmm Ill have to check
What's the protocol to warn other boaters of danger, a dangerous boater etc....
i call call the coast guard on 16 to report it, that way other boaters hear it and the Coast Guard can do a hazards broadcast
I remember my uncle use to announce little league baseball. He handed me the mic and told me (10 years old) to read this... and announce the next batter. I screwed it up so bad started correcting myselfand studdering. Everyone in the stands looked up at the announcement box wondering what the heck this little boy is doing..i ducked down and im not sure if i ever fully recovered from that... 20 years later. Thats how I feel when I pick up my VHF mic lol!!
lol thanks for watching
5:07 "pon pon" lol
interesting
If someone calls on channel 16 and wants a radio check, is it OK to respond and confirm their radio is working?
i usually respond t, but keep it short. if a lot of people start responding or asking for checks the Coast Gard will come on and remind everyone 16 is not for radio checks ☢️
The boat is only as good as the water and the powder over the next few and far between tides and currents in the future of the most. Also the first one of the bialle time and consideration in this case the powder.
Video starts at 2:00
thks, i will look into this
So i want to get into radio and just casually using one, are marine radios not supposed to be used on land at all? I guess i just thought a radio is a radio
The marine VHF is set with marine frequencies, you would not get channels that are used by a CB radio, the marine VHF can have a land base but is for marine use . The are not to be used as Walkie talki.
@@VagabondEpicurean Thanks! sucks because the Marine radios have so much more features it seems like every one has GPS and is waterproof. Any cbs like that?
@@BrownTownJamacia not that i know of :(
Dude, have you looked into getting a HAM radio license?
@@discgolfkosmo yes i have, it would be a good idea. Thank you
I’ve heard mayday, mayday, mayday but do you say Ponpon, ponpon, ponpon?
Would just like to know
Thank you for watching, MAYDAY calls are used for life-threatening emergencies. Pan-Pan calls (pronounced "pahn-pahn") are used for urgent situations that are not life-threatening such as your pleasure craft is broken down, out of gas, or lost in fog.
Vhs is not a toy but there are a large number of channels anyone can use just to have a chat or even a game of battleships, but remember its not a toy.
I have never seen a scenario where a life vest fitted VHF couldn't have saved a sailing disaster by early rescue. Ever.
me neater but it is better than nothing, and it could
Actual conversation with Galveston Coast Guard. at 3am … we have struck the jetties and boat is on dry land … coast guard will send some police officers and here is a phone to a tow company. another call was for dead motor 5miles from land before dark . how many people on board do you have food and drinks ...call a friend or tow company. another call reporting a Tornadic waterspouts but coast Guard took 2 minutes to answer the call by then the waterspout had fizzled .
Dont waste calling them till you have exhausted all possible solutions and most of times you need to deploy a sea anchore or old fashion anchore as your first solution.
sorry to hear this :(
The first time I had an engine out problem, I called the CG and was advised to contact a towing service, or see if a local boater would assist. Had to wait and hour for another boater to come by and tow me in. I called the CG during that time twice to get assistance, and was refused. The second time I needed towing I had a contract with vessel assist, and called them directly and got service right away. Buy the way, the coast guard station was only one mile away from my location. :(
The music at 7:08....bwahahahahahaha smh
Pawn Pawn ???
A Pro Word (a word or words said before) for an important radio call/broadcast - in order of highest to lowest priority MAY-DAY preceding calls/broadcast involving a persons Life (sinking, fire, MOB medical emergency...) PAN PAN (Pawn Pawn) calls/broadcast not involving an immediate threat to life, but which could become one (loss of power/adrift, taking on water but not sinking, a marine accident (collision, allision, non life threatening injury...) SECURITE' pronounced SAY CURE A TAY for calls/broadcast about issues of marine safety not an immediate threat or danfer, but which could become one if ignored (missing or damaged Aids to Navigation, a grounded vessel, an abandoned or adrift vessel...) The pro words are spoken 3 times, thus "MAY DAY MAY DAY MAY DAY" - "PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN" - "SAY CURE A TAY, SAY CURE A TAY, SAY CURE A TAY" followed by the name of your vessel, location, nature of situation...
Just a cautionary word... NEVER - EVER broadcast a knowingly False MAY DAY or similar distress call over the Marine or other radio. This is a FEDERAL OFFENSE - And you WILL be prosecuted !
Guess what if you use your radio you won’t have to do a radio check because you will know immediately if there’s an issue with one of your radios🤦🏻♂️
"point " used instead of "decimal".
Background music very distracting and loud. Otherwise very useful thank you.
thank you,
Video is on however the music not so good 😂
thanks for watching, I know the music choice could have been better :)
@@VagabondEpicurean there is always someone to complain about the music no matter what.
The DSC "one button" touch can show where you are. YET, I just watched a film of a commercial fisherman in Alaska, and he stayed with his sinking ship--in spite of DSC--until he spoke to someone. I understand it cost him his life, while his crewman got off the boat. Why could he not toggle the switch and like his crew, get off the boat?
Maybe he thought that Captain goes down with the ship or he thought it's best to confirm and not solely trust the electronics (two is one, one is none)
@@terrygunderson5681; send a DSC message, then backup with an audio call on Channel 16, as not every vessel is equipped to receive DSC calls
IS THERE A CHANNEL JUST FOR CONVERSATION ?
channel 9, but not really, i use 17 some times or 68, depends on your area. scroll through the channels and listen to them to see whats gong on :) thanks for watching
Why not just use regular MURS or GMRS/FRS radios? They aren't maritime.
Ok so at the risk of asking a dumb question, why did the VHF become the standard for marine use, Wouldn't UHF have worked well in an application where you have no trees or foliage to penetrate, the marine landscape is about as clear all the way to the horizon in every direction as you're ever gonna find isn't it?? And isn't the ability to pernitrate foliage the single biggest advantage of VHF over UHF??
thanks for watching, good question and good points, i am going to look into this
this is what i found, Radios with lower frequencies (VHF) have longer wavelengths, making them ideal for work across wide areas free from obstruction, as well as outdoor use. UHF radios operate at a higher frequency, which is ideally suited for wireless communications that need to penetrate buildings, walls, concrete, or other barriers.
pawn pawn or pan pan??? LOL Its ok we know what u mean....
"Just say you need help, we'll know what to do" Keep it simple - that is music to my ears. Other sites will tell you that in an emergency to give your call sign, mmsi number, on and on, etc. All this while your ass is on fire.
very true, thank you for watching
Digital Selective Calling. I really have issues with people on You Tube coming off as a professional and they don't even know what they are talking about
Terrible music
i know but i cant change it now ;( tks for watching
Why do these guys always make simple things so ¥£€€¥£€ complicated. He says repeatedly “simplistic for you,easier to automatically locate” then some diagrams showing a boat with a lightning bolt to some land base.. with more obfuscation talk... face.. simply “ I think he is trying to say”. You should update the DSC information on your VHF radio ? How ? What information is relavant,, do they require a GPS... would they like to know how the bite is at those coordinates ??????