Marine Radio

I have been looking at Marine Radios.
Anyone have any advise?
Can’t say for sure that I need one, but interested in how others use them and how that might fit my use.
Thanks

I usually only use mine on Lake of the woods. Listen to the launch chatter. If you have a problem out there and need a tow, usually you can get a resort if your phone doesn’t work. Last year we had a bad storm come in. The resorts were relaying the weather to their guides. Considering its only a couple hundred dollars, id definitely get one!

These were so popular just 7-8 years ago, but cell phone technology and service has just about made them obsolete.

Not true. If you fish the Great Lakes and venture far enough off-shore, you may as well turn your phone off. The VHF radio will potentially be your only life line.

If you have a newer fish locator, with GPS and mapping, many of them network with the marine radios being sold these days.

The radio will then send your GPS location to folks on the lake with a similar setup and your boat will show up as an icon on other boats electronic maps. Also, you will get boat icons on your map.

The key to adding this type of equipment is to know which NMEA network your current gear uses. NMEA 0183 is for older equipment , like mine, and NMEA 2000 is for newer equipment. You can get adapters to to make different network types talk, but they’re expensive.

If you want this feature to work, make sure you get a radio compatible with your current electronics.

cougareye wrote:

These were so popular just 7-8 years ago, but cell phone technology and service has just about made them obsolete.

I would disagree…. based on where you use it.

On Lake MI, sure I could use a phone if close to shore to call for help, but not all the time, or out a ways. The chatter on what is working and such out there is very helpful as well. Same when I was on Lake Erie, even more so. Also, you get notices when the large ships are moving…. hear special announcements, and some unique weather info. On big waters like these I have no doubt it is a quicker way to get help if needed as well. Plus if a terrible issue came up and I got into the water, having it on my side… the floating model as well, it is far better than a cell. I have a good handheld, and feel better with it for sure, in my situation and use. Base your thought on the water you fish…

I use mine all the time with club members out on the lake. If you buy one I would steer away from ray Marine radios. 2 new boats I purchased had a ray radio on them and both failed. I replaced them with a uniden on one boat and a cobra on the other and never had an issue with either of the replacements. Ray were twice the money too.

A marine radio is very important. If you have an emergency and need immediate help, it’s much better to have boats that may be in your area come to your assistance right away. Sure you can try your cell phone, but the help you need will probably take much longer to get there. Marine radios also have weather alerts and you will get notified of severe weather as soon as the alert comes out. They are not expensive considering what everyone spends on other fishing electronics and may save your life someday.

Thanks guys, great input.
Biggest water I get on is LOW, Winnie, Red.
Plan on bigger water now that I have upgraded the boat.
Sounds like it sure is nice to have when you indeed need it.

A radio can only be as good as its antenna. Also, signal works on line of sight. Meaning height is a factor for both receiving and sending end of a call.

Pushing you towards Standard Horizon Steve. The company took very good care of me after the warranty period. The lock operators say it’s loud.

Check out JollyAnn Marine for some great prices. I just ordered one for a friend. Send Ben an email for the best price.

[email protected]

Chuck Melcher wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>cougareye wrote:</div>
These were so popular just 7-8 years ago, but cell phone technology and service has just about made them obsolete.

I would disagree…. based on where you use it.

On Lake MI, sure I could use a phone if close to shore to call for help, but not all the time, or out a ways. The chatter on what is working and such out there is very helpful as well. Same when I was on Lake Erie, even more so. Also, you get notices when the large ships are moving…. hear special announcements, and some unique weather info. On big waters like these I have no doubt it is a quicker way to get help if needed as well. Plus if a terrible issue came up and I got into the water, having it on my side… the floating model as well, it is far better than a cell. I have a good handheld, and feel better with it for sure, in my situation and use. Base your thought on the water you fish…

How or where do you find what channels are used in the different areas. If you are in a new area it would be nice to now the best channels to monitor.
My radio has a scan feature, but Its not very effective in finding the best channel. any of the channels wanted, must be busy when you do the scan.

16 is always the call channel (once contact is made, move to another channel)
14 Lock traffic
13 Tow Boat traffic (most monitor 14 as well)
Above is the most used channels for the Mississippi River.

Here’s the official list of channels and what they are to be used for.
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtvhf

One note, “legally” if there is a radio in your boat it should be turned on and monitoring channel 16. Scanning other channels meets this requirement also.

16 is also used to contact Treasure island and the gas docks in Red Wing.

For the folk that haven’t heard this before.

Radio Watchkeeping Regulations

In general, any vessel equipped with a VHF marine radiotelephone (whether voluntarily or required to) must maintain a watch on channel 16 (156.800 MHz) whenever the radiotelephone is not being used to communicate.

Source: FCC 47 CFR §§ 80.148, 80.310, NTIA Manual 8.2.29.6.c(2)(e), ITU RR 31.17, 33.18, AP13 §25.2

trytoofish wrote:

How or where do you find what channels are used in the different areas.

As Brian said, 16 is a mandatory, (and a good) channel to have as part of your auto scan. It differs by area. Like Lake Erie, there are one or two channels that contain 80% of the chatter and sharing. I found a local forum before I went, and they were quick to fill me in. That same channel was used here out of Milwaukee. Like 83 or 84?

When I got my radio it came with a list of channels to be used at what times…

I have a good handheld (IMO)… bought as it floats, has in or out of charger power. AC or DC charge/power. Two power packs, high enough power and some easy to use buttons compared to a few others. I’m happy with it and the reach it has.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AU5XROG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Uniden MHS126

Thanks Brian.

Brian,
What model of Standard Horizon do you suggest?

IMO they are very handy and an absolute necessity for boats that go out on the Great Lakes. I find it very reassuring to have a second means of communicating because I don’t trust cell phones to work when you need them most.

It’s also just nice to be able to communicate boat to boat without having to pick up a phone and dial, wait for a call to connect, wait for them to pick up, etc, etc. If they’re out there in range, you know they heard you on the radio.

Also, this doesn’t apply to little fishing boat guys with small boats less than 18 feet, but when you’ve got a biger boat and maneuverability becomes an issue like coming in and out of small marinas, docking, etc. It’s very handy to just be able to pick up the radio and make a quick radio call into to marina to find out which dock to go to, find out if anyone’s fueling currently so that it’s better to jog outside the harbor until it’s clear, etc. Just really handy thing to have.

I’ve got all Unidens, hand held and mounted units. Never had a problem with any uniden.

Grouse

Standard Horizon Eclipse $149 a bass pro. I’m not sure what Ben is selling them for and the prices on the website aren’t typically the prices charged…they are lower.

But this is a personal choice. It’s pretty plain jane for a marine radio, but it has the features that I use.

@BenGarver

I typed this once and got some robot verification screen and see my response didn’t post so let’s try again!

The channels: 9 and 16 are for hailing, the coast guard has been encouraging more people on Lake Michigan out of Milwaukee to hail on 9 and leave 16 for emergencies, they have been vocal about it the last couple of summers.
68,72, 78 are generally reserved for recreational traffic and should be switched to and used after hailing. Some channels, like 88, are reserved for commercial traffic only. Best bet is to Google VHF channel list and learn what the channels are designated for. I posted it once but cannot locate where.

I like the Standard Horizon radios better than some less expensive models I have had.

Channel List link:
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtvhf

I am also a believer in having a good radio/and better antenna. Cell phones are fine, but in an emergency, yu (probably) will not have the number of the closest boat to you. I spend some time on lake superior(think isle royale) and knowing that most, if not all boats within site are quickly reachable via VHF is a ice feeling.

Timmy wrote:

quickly reachable via VHF is a ice feeling.

Good pun for this time of year.

I agree with all the others saying a marine radio is good to have. My tmobil only works in less then half the places I fish. Worst case one of the dams will hear me if I have an emergency.

Many times I’ve picked up traffic from local boaters about approaching storms (that I can’t see because of trees). Much more accurate then the folks at NOAA looking at the radar screens. Rivers and big water is the place for a marine radio. Smaller lakes without much boat traffic not so much.

Would a radio be helpful on a lake like Trout or Basswood in the BWCA?

I would think so Tim. Do you have cell coverage in that area?

A boat on the water or a base station by a Park Service Ranger beats an out of area cell overtime.

Never fished that area but have thought about it a lot.-Might have to get a radio plus it appeals to my inner geek (outwardly cooler than Hank Moody)
Thanks

Digging up this old thread….

Just bought a new (to me) boat and it has a VHF. I’m headed up to LOTW on Wednesday and wondered if anyone knows the channels the charter boats/resorts use for chatter? Weather depending, we are planning to drive the boat from the south shore up the Flag Island.

Any info helps.

Thanks

Greg Perz wrote:

Digging up this old thread….
Just bought a new (to me) boat and it has a VHF. I’m headed up to LOTW on Wednesday and wondered if anyone knows the channels the charter boats/resorts use for chatter? Weather depending, we are planning to drive the boat from the south shore up the Flag Island.

Any info helps.

Thanks

Does your radio have a “scan” mode? Worth taking a look, my Unidien has a “watch” mode where it monitors 3 channels and then an “all scan” mode where it watches everything. The bad thing about the “all scan” mode is it misses some of the transmission, but at least you pick up which channels are active.

Grouse