Marine Radio Issue

Hi All.
I experienced a weird problem with my MB radio on opener. I was at Mille Lacs, and after reading that most guys were going to be on channel 82, I decided to tune in. After hours of absolute silence, I called for a radio check. Nothing. So I went to 16 and asked again. This time I got a crystal clear response. On Sunday I fished near John “Buckshot” Blanchard in Vineland Bay. Again, I heard nothing on 82. When we got close enough to yell at each other, I called Buckshot on 82. He heard me no problem and answered me, but I heard nothing back. We both went to channel 69 and we could talk back and forth with no problem, and again, it was crystal clear.
Any ideas why I can transmit but not receive on 82??

I started to look at Marine radios a little bit here and I’m guessing this might be your problem, but I do not know much about them. I read on a few boxes, that this certain radio, could transmit on x amount of channels and receive on y amount of channels (not the same amount). Of course when I asked the salesman, what this meant, he did not know. But I’m guesing this might be your issue.

Thanks Rob.
That would be really weird. Why would they let you transmit but not receive on any channel?
Mine isn’t a fancy, high buck unit. It’s a shakespeare and from what I can tell, has all the goodies. I have an 8 ft antenna too.
Anyone else care to chime in??

Is it hard lined, or a hand held?
Wade from Jolly Ann may have more info for you. I had to do a little adjusting to my antenna on my hard wired rig. At first, I had to be really close to someone to hear. Now, if the radio is on in my garage, and I key the mike, K102 disappears! It must be putting out the full 5 watts now! I can hear the barges talk now, and pick up 5 weather channels.
Tuck

I see it is hard wired. Did you do it yourself? Also, is there a reducer in your connector? This needs to have a good soldered connection. That was my problem. I also could not heat most people at first.

It’s hard wired and everything was soldered by a professional.
I don’t have any problems with channels under 76 (although I must admit, I’ve never tried any over 76 until recently either), and I get all the weather channels no sweat. On channel 69 I’ve talked to guys more than 10 miles away. It seems like a goofy problem. I only tried 82 because all
the IDA guys were going to use it on opener.

Here is the Lowrance unit I was looking @. Lowrance Marine Radio LV850 . Look under the feautures. It says it has 54 Transmit channels and 84 receive channels?????????

Like I said, I’m far from a Marine Radio expert, but my guess, this is your problem.

At the risk of sounding like a chicken-she-it, radio checks should never been done on 16. The FCC/USCG would prefer recreational boaters to hail on 9 (to keep 16 open for emergencies and commercial vessel hailing) then switch to a working channel like 68 to do the check.

One USCG group (New England) has begun allowing radio checks between the boater and the USCG on 16. This is a last ditch effort to keep idiots from using a MAYDAY as a radio check.

Sorry I cant help you with the fix, but I also have heard of guys having problems when trying to use channels higher then 78. I think the government uses 80-81-82, perhaps thats the problem. I have never tried it. I use 68-69-71. Besides, it always sounds better to tell someone to “switch to 69”

Dave

Rob,
That’s the exact OPPOSITE of my problem. I can transmit, but can’t receive. Oh well. Like I said, In 8 years I’ve never used a channel higher than 71 and it has always worked. I guess I’ll stay with what works.