Handheld or mounted VHF?

[baixamar]

Originally Posted by Doug Stormforce

Jim

As already said you are best of with both, however if you are only going for one .
The advantages of a hand held are
1/. Not dependent on the boats power supply, ie if your battery shorted out due to shipping to much water you still have a radio.
2/. The hand held is more flexable ie you can take it on different boats
3/. The hand held is cheaper
4/. You dont have to leave the HH on board so better for security

The advantages of the fixed set are
1/. DSC option
2/. Cant drop it overboard
3/. Cant leave it at home by mistake
4/. Better range due to a higher arial
5/. More power , fixed sets can transmit at 25W, HHs only at 5W
6/. You dont need to re charge the battery
7/. the fixed set can be mounted where convienant

Over all the fixed sets is better however all of my boats carry both for flexability and safety.

DOUG

From ICOM Website:
http://www.ybw.com/ybw/vhf/dsc.html

"How DSC will affect you?
From 1 February 1999 SOLAS vessels are no longer required to monitor the 2182kHz MF distress frequency.
From 1 February 2005 they will no longer need to monitor the Ch16 VHF distress channel. On the same date, Coastguard rescue centres will cease to keep a dedicated headset watch on Ch16, and rescue centres in other countries may stop listening on the channel altogether."

It seems that if you do not have DSC, a distress signal in channel 16 cannot be received because other boats and rescue centers are listening only channel 70 (DSC).
As there is no portable radios with DSC we have to install a fixed unit (with DSC of course)
Is that right?

regards
Pedro (baixamar)

[gingercoastie]

Merchant and pleasure vessels are still monitoring channel 16.


And you can buy a hand held dsc.

[gingercoastie]

The coastguard still listen to channel 16 as well.

[Jon Brooks]

Feb 2005 has been pushed back to 2007 now.
Some of the UK HMGC are now on a loud sppeaker watch and not a full headset watch.
HMGC say they will continue a watch for the for seeable future.

They are nice guys like that

Regards

Jon

[Brian]

Alex/|Jon
Which h/h has got DSC then?

[Jon Brooks]

Originally Posted by Brian

Alex/|Jon
Which h/h has got DSC then?

Simrad had, up until Sept 2004 a DSC hand held.
It was not a full class D and was really only an alerting device.
It was with drawn from sale as it was decided it was not in line with current EU legislation.

It was called the HT52, some shops may still have stock.
Once they are gone its gone.
Its GPS input was via its charging shoe once out of the shoe the data would very soon de out of date.

I am sure that a hand held class D will come.
Will be a while of though

Regards