Do you TAG any channels on your radio?..Over

[Red Fox]

Do you TAG any channels and if so which ones and why? What is the advantage of doing this? ...Over.

[ShinyShoe]

Tagging lets you tell the radio which channels to search.

So your radio probably has Dual and Tri watch by default. Dual will be CH16 plus another channel - say 08. It Checks 16, then 08, then 16, then 08 etc. Tri watch would add a third channel say 06 and depending in the set would do 16 - 08 - 16 - 06 - 16 - 08... or maybe 16 - 08 - 06 - 16

If you have a working channel one of those options is probably all you need. So you might want to listen to 16 plus a VTS channel like 11 or 12 and if you normally chat on 08...

Now consider that you might want a 4th, or 5th channel. Or maybe you just want to know whats going on out there. So you pick Scan on the radio and it will go thru' every channel on the set. Thats pointless because half the channels are pretty much dead these days with mobile phones replacing ship to shore stuff. Plus the majority are duplex so you would only get alf the conversation. So you might then simply tag the channels you would want to use.

Typically I have:

06, 08, 09, 11, 12, 13, 16, 37A, 67 and 72 tagged (never heard anything on 09 or 13 up here so pointless!). That means I know if someone calls me and I need a working channel that 06 and 08 are probably free if I haven't heard anything. Local VTS on 11, VTS at a different port locally on 12. 37A as i'm involved in WAFIs and they use that, 67 for knowing what non urgent stuff is going to CG and 72 is the weather round here.

My set does a channel then 16 then next channel then 16...

Over

[Red Fox]

Shiny Shoe, Shiny Shoe, Shiny Shoe, that's really helpful. Thanks for the suggestions. A tagging I will go.

[Red Fox]

VTS means?

[ShinyShoe]

VTS = Vessel Traffic Service, If you don't have a proper port then you may not have one, or the may just be called Port Control.

You can't call a VTS on CH16 as they don't listen there. Usually harmour master boats in VTS controlled ports will call on the VTS channel first, and all big shipping will be on VTS channel in the port. Plus you will hear pilot requests etc coming in and so you know about stuff happening before you hit it...

[j.i.wilson]

I think I am right in thinking that "useful" channels vary from place to place.

Anyone on here willing to suggest a set of useful channels to tag in the west Solent?

Standing by..........

[chris.moody]

Originally Posted by j.i.wilson

I think I am right in thinking that "useful" channels vary from place to place.

Anyone on here willing to suggest a set of useful channels to tag in the west Solent?

Standing by..........

In The Solent

11 Portsmouth Queens Harbour Master
12 Southampton VTS
16 You need this one
23 Solent inshore shipping forecast
67 Coastguard routine traffic
Your preferred working channel so you know if it's free to use out of 06 08 72 77

Over

[martini]

My main set is always on a tagged search when not in use-channel islands:

14 st helier vts
16
20 guernsey CG
82 jersey CG

Someone's bound to grass me so ill 'fess up, i listen to 00 as well :o

Sent from my portable speaking device using Rib.net

[j.i.wilson]

Originally Posted by chris.moody

In The Solent

11 Portsmouth Queens Harbour Master
12 Southampton VTS
16 You need this one
23 Solent inshore shipping forecast
67 Coastguard routine traffic
Your preferred working channel so you know if it's free to use out of 06 08 72
Over

Roger, now to figure out how to enter them,



Ian W

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by j.i.wilson

Roger, now to figure out how to enter them,



Ian W

Usually you go to the channel and press the tag button. May need held down for 3 seconds.

Beware on solent tracking all those channels will pick up a LOT of traffic. You may miss something because another channel is busy...

[ShinyShoe]

And while you are at it, you usually set the calling channel by going to the channel and holding down the CH16 button for a bit.

You'd either set this to your working channel or 67. It depends who you are calling lots. If you are in solent and want to talk to CG a lot then you need to be on 67 so make that your calling channel and you can flick to 67 easily. If you regularly sail in company and use a working channel to talk to your mates then make that your calling channel and either call them on it or call on 16 and move to working.

[xr770a]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Tagging lets you tell the radio which channels to search.

So your radio probably has Dual and Tri watch by default. Dual will be CH16 plus another channel - say 08. It Checks 16, then 08, then 16, then 08 etc. Tri watch would add a third channel say 06 and depending in the set would do 16 - 08 - 16 - 06 - 16 - 08... or maybe 16 - 08 - 06 - 16

If you have a working channel one of those options is probably all you need. So you might want to listen to 16 plus a VTS channel like 11 or 12 and if you normally chat on 08...

Now consider that you might want a 4th, or 5th channel. Or maybe you just want to know whats going on out there. So you pick Scan on the radio and it will go thru' every channel on the set. Thats pointless because half the channels are pretty much dead these days with mobile phones replacing ship to shore stuff. Plus the majority are duplex so you would only get alf the conversation. So you might then simply tag the channels you would want to use.

Typically I have:

06, 08, 09, 11, 12, 13, 16, 37A, 67 and 72 tagged (never heard anything on 09 or 13 up here so pointless!). That means I know if someone calls me and I need a working channel that 06 and 08 are probably free if I haven't heard anything. Local VTS on 11, VTS at a different port locally on 12. 37A as i'm involved in WAFIs and they use that, 67 for knowing what non urgent stuff is going to CG and 72 is the weather round here.

My set does a channel then 16 then next channel then 16...

Over

Excellent cheers !

[Copinsay]

Lots of useful stuff here... just to point out that some VTS do listen on ch 16 as well as ch 11, so best to check out the local situation where you are, eg:

Port Vessel Traffic Services | OIC Marine Services

Listening for a bit will often do the trick.

Here's a handy intro to the concept for VTS newbies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDCr5LhhhxI

And:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cGia5mmkM

Cheers

Steve

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

VTS = Vessel Traffic Service, If you don't have a proper port then you may not have one, or the may just be called Port Control.

You can't call a VTS on CH16 as they don't listen there. Usually harmour master boats in VTS controlled ports will call on the VTS channel first, and all big shipping will be on VTS channel in the port. Plus you will hear pilot requests etc coming in and so you know about stuff happening before you hit it...

[HDAV]

Good list for unknown areas http://www.coastalradio.org.uk/freql...arinebases.pdf

[boristhebold]

Channel 6 around poole harbour is an entertaining channel at times, two fisherman seem to use it a lot to have long conversations, last weekend one of them was haveing a long chat which included talking about his wife who apparently gets agressive and argumentative when shes had a few too many vodka's. Not that im a voyuer it was rather amusing though.

[wavelength]

Ch 8 around here is used by the local small boat anglers whilst ch6 is used by the inshore trawlers. I should say was cos since our stocks were decimated the inshore lads have all but disappeared. Back in the day ch6 was a good one to listen to and try to work out just how many f...ings it was possible to get into one sentence. The number of adjectives those lads could get into a sentence before any noun was outstanding! I don't use scan or dual watch at all these days, just put the various h/h radios onto what is required at the time such as port ops (esp if its foggy) or ch8 to listen to the half truths about the fishing and leave the fixed set on ch16