Boat and Land Communication

G'day Jagger,
I think what you are proposing for local (near camp) is good. I would get a strong zip lock clear bag for the handheld in the dingy. It will protect it from water splashes and give you time to retrieve it if it goes over the side. If your going to be remote, hire a sat phone incase you need emergency assistance and an EPIRB for the dingy. Legislation may require you to have the EPIRB anyway but I'm not a boaty so not sure.
Cheers
Jason

Jagger

Ha ha - a hand held for the handbrake.

There may be some boating regulations depending on how far off shore you will be going. It varies from state to state. Mostly, if you are more than two miles off shore you need a marine radio. Unsurprisingly, the NT is open slather where you don't need a license or even to register your boat.

Regulations aside, even a low power UHF has plenty of range across water. I agree with your proposed setup of a base unit in the car and a handheld for the boat and the leader of the opposition. You can pick up 5W handhelds for $100 (Wouxan) or even less (Baofeng).

Bob

One addition to what Jason and Bob have said already.

If your radio has an external speaker socket then I suggest that you get an external speaker for the car. When you are out in the boat the speaker can be plugged into the radio and placed on the roof of the car giving Mum an easier job monitoring it instead of carrying a hand held around all the time. Two hands to get your dinner ready!!!!! But that can annoy others within earshot.

Handheld to base has much more range possibilities than handheld to handheld.

Phil

Hi Jagger, just a couple of questions, relevant to your plans.
Are you visiting from overseas or are you from Aus ?
A UHF radio is fine for short distances, 5-15 km, depending on terrain.
If you intend to travel off the bitumen and into remote areas then a UHF radio is useless to you, well almost.
You will need either a SAT Phone or a HF radio.
Both of these can be hired.
In that case I would also strongly recommend that you become a member of VKS-737 National 4WD Radio Network.
If you do get into trouble in a remote area or any area for that matter, You will be able to request assistance 24/7.
I would be happy to provide more info if required. Cheers

I have the main unit in the vechile and also use two hand helds. If i go walkabouts doing my photography the missus can still reach me and vice versa. If i get back to the vechile and she is missing , i know that she has the other hand held. We can always contact each other on a preset frequency. If you are going on water a epirb would be handy as i own a plb - Epirb for water as they float and a plb for land but you could use a epirb for land. The epirb is bigger and baulky as they need to float whereas the plb is small and compact. If you intend to use a plb or handheld radio in your dingy, place them in a plastic bag but also put them into a floatable container. Its no go if they go to the bottom of the lake etc
Good luck

A VHF handheld in a boat will help you log on with Vmr/coastguard, call someone other than your wife when on the water, transmit your position in an emergency (optional), receive weather updates, direct the rescue boat to your position, access the marine repeater system and numerous other boring maritime operations. They are also generally waterproof, mine even floats, has an emergency strobe light and makes cups of tea. It was about $130 (uniden 5w)
There is a reason why pretty much every serious boat on the planet carries a VHF. Whether or not you choose to buy two to speak with the mrs is your decision, but you should definitely have at least one on board with you if you are serious about not taking chances.


As stated an epirb should be carried in the car/boat as a matter of course in remote areas.

I would deem a handheld UHF as a 'nice to have', but not a serious form of marine Comms.

Sorry, I thought the bit where he said he 'didn't want to compromise his safety' was actually about 'not compromising his safety'. Obviously compromising the feelings of some labrat in Canberra who's trying to create a job for themselves is more important? Sorry.
You can get the mrocp (marine labrats radio proficiency certificate) course content online and do it yourself these days, or do it in a night session at the local VMR, then you'll have the certificate that says you can safely turn on and use a radio.
I did my base operator's license in 1988 when I did my class 4 master's license. Since that day during countless checks, not one official has ever asked if I have a radio license - serious stuff indeed.
So to sum up.
If my backside was in a tinny, floating out to sea, engine not working blah blah blah, I'd want an epirb and a handheld VHF to not 'compromise my safety'.
A handheld UHF is great for chatting with the mrs and asking what time the roast will be ready, but to rely solely on one as a safety device in a BOAT is turning your back on orthodox maritime safety systems.

hi jagger
also don't know whether its a standard set of rules for all boaties in the whole of Australia
but here in western Australia
i'm pretty sure you have to have and pass a test and obtain a skippers license to take a boat out on the ocean
which also includes the boat to be in a seaworthy condition and equipt with marine radio/flares/life jackets/epirp /an approved anchor /rope and/or chain
all in good and working condition
some one will correct me if i'm wrong
cheers