Marine radio etiquette is something im not really sure about, so i did a little research. I was wondering what are channels that are monitored by the Coast guard and how would one transmit an emergency call. If we are in distress, how can we transmit our location without a GPS. Is DSC (Digital Selective Calling) important feature to have on a radio? What is VHF? What is the range of a handheld radio? Why is wattage important? Most of all, how does all this apply to us kayakers sharing the same waters as boater.
So for basic radio protocols etiquette here is a link i found.
http://www.coastalboating.net/Cruisi...dioBasics.html
TL;DR Channel 16 is used for hailing and distress signaling.
This link gives good examples of "DONTs" of radio etiquette and some explanation of radio jargon:
http://www.frugal-mariner.com/Ettiquette.html
TL;DR its a good read. go read it.
Some information for VHF radios;
http://www.sierracgaux.org/vhfradios.html
TL;DR
VHF- Every channel on VHF radio has a specific purpose and transmission power is generally 6 watts or less and the transmission or the radio is directly related to its antenna height.
DSC- is an acronym for Digital Select Calling. This feature is a part of the Coast Guard's modernization of our nation's marine communications known as Rescue 21. As the name indicates, DSC is a digital transmission over channel 70 in the vhf spectrum. You must register any radio with DSC to be able to use the feature. Once registered, your radio will have a unique MMSI number ( Maritime Mobile Service Identity ). When you register, you give important details to the Coast Guard including the name of the vessel, type and length of vessel, home port, emergency contact information, and owner information. DSC can also be utilized to privately contact another vessel with a known MMSI number. This is akin to having a contact number of another cell phone. The receiving station can send a digital response. Communications would then be established by voice on a working channel such as vhf channel 68. All newly manufactured radios must have DSC. A future boating education article will go into further detail about DSC, an important innovation in marine communication.
As for GPS, it can locate your exact location when using DSC. Im not sure if paying for the extra money for the GPS feature warrants the buy, but it does give some peace of mind if youre in distress.
Since most of us are not going to hail a bridge or be out in the high seas, at least i dont think you guys do, while on our kayaks, I thought it was still good to know the procedures, protocols and etiquette of our boater brethren. I am new to kayaking and anything marine related, so looking for all this information has given me a better idea of what to expect. This is not the end-all info for radio etiquette and I am sure others can chime in and add or counter anything that i posted.
Didnt mean to hi-jack this thread, but I was looking for a marine radio and these are the issues I was wondering about. I hope this will help educate others as well. /tangant
Airborne