How to spend £50 on Amazon?

[whisper]

Buy a sea fishing rod & reel combo and catch some fish and cook it on the beach look for ABU or Penn

A pop up tent for beach camping, look for quechua

Get a wind proof stove for making a brew or get a thermos flask.

Try some sealskin gloves (not real sealskin though)

Get a dry suit or some waterproofs.

Get a jetski anchor and rope in a padded bag

[IanH]

I have decided to see what Icom announce at the boat show then if nothing exciting I will probably put it towards an Icom M91D. Bit of overkill for my needs where a £50 vhf would have done the same job but Xmas pressies are meant for toys.

[Nos4r2]

Liking your thinking, but why not just grab an M35? I'm not sure the extra expense on DSC is really justified on a handheld. I'd be surprised if you ever actually use DSC.

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

I'd be surprised if you ever actually use DSC.

I would HOPE you never need DSC, but if you do need it...then you better have it! Today I wouldn't buy a VHF that didn't have DSC for many reasons, including having the ability to assist someone else with DSC. The Icom M91D is a nice radio.

[Copinsay]

By the way, if you are shopping on Amazon, if you start from this link:

Amazon.co.uk: Low Prices in Electronics, Books, Sports Equipment & more

For every purchase Amazon will donate a minimum of 5% of the value of all orders to the RNLI.

PS - this is not a scam - see:
RNLI Amazon

Please share and add it to your bookmarks etc :o)

Cheers

Steve

[Gilles]

sd card for your go pro

[IanH]

Originally Posted by Gilles

sd card for your go pro

Why would I want a gopro a video device that requires 4 hours of ones own activity to be edited down to 3:50 minutes longer than it should be and for interest needs to be padded out with 4 minutes of loud copyrighted music that someone else has produced?

Maybe if it needed skill and talent to use it may be of more interest, but sticking one on the side of a car, back of a boat facing the wrong way or side of a helmet then watching 4 hours of video to get 10 seconds of interest then having to work out how to pad another 3:50 minutes by slowmo, text overlays and apparent artistic shots has no interest for me.

Its the video equivalent of Facebook self appreciation.

[Gilles]

well ...just burn your voucher !

[IanH]

Maybe I should take a video of the burning of the voucher? I recon I could pad that out to 4 minutes with slowmos.

[Boats&Outboards]

Originally Posted by IanH

Maybe I should take a video of the burning of the voucher? I recon I could pad that out to 4 minutes with slowmos.

You could do, you've already padded out spending it

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ www.BoatsandOutboards4Sale.co.uk ~ 07930 421007

[whisper]

Originally Posted by IanH

Maybe I should take a video of the burning of the voucher? I recon I could pad that out to 4 minutes with slowmos.

Go on then...... Burn it!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Liking your thinking, but why not just grab an M35? I'm not sure the extra expense on DSC is really justified on a handheld. I'd be surprised if you ever actually use DSC.

Nos in many ways I agree with you, but it provides GPS functionality (which on a SIB might not be available or at least is redundancy without carrying another device). DSC also introduces some useful features...

Originally Posted by Peter_C

I would HOPE you never need DSC, but if you do need it...then you better have it! Today I wouldn't buy a VHF that didn't have DSC for many reasons, including having the ability to assist someone else with DSC. The Icom M91D is a nice radio.

DSC is much more than a 'distress' device anyway. On small noisy craft the ability to make the radio "alarm" for an incoming call could be very useful as could the ability to "poll" a friend's position and not have to write down the coords in a wet open boat.

I wouldn't go as far as to say I wouldn't buy one without it - but it would certainly be a serious consideration.

Originally Posted by IanH

Why would I want a gopro a video device that requires 4 hours of ones own activity to be edited down to 3:50 minutes longer than it should be and for interest needs to be padded out with 4 minutes of loud copyrighted music that someone else has produced?

if I had been a dragon on the den then I would have been "out" when the idea was presented for the first time too. I got a cheap equivalent for mountain biking given to me by the kids for chrimbo and the jury is still out. I've never been a big fan of home videos anyway. However if as your sig. implies you maybe do a bit of instruction / coaching then it could be a really useful tool (would be better with 'instant playback')

Maybe if it needed skill and talent to use it may be of more interest, but sticking one on the side of a car, back of a boat facing the wrong way or side of a helmet then watching 4 hours of video to get 10 seconds of interest then having to work out how to pad another 3:50 minutes by slowmo, text overlays and apparent artistic shots has no interest for me.

I suspect this is where the skill actually lies (as well as setting the camera up in a good place in the first instance). If you have the patience, creative ability and time then it could be something to do on a day you can't go boating.

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

You could do, you've already padded out spending it

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Poly

Nos in many ways I agree with you, but it provides GPS functionality (which on a SIB might not be available or at least is redundancy without carrying another device). DSC also introduces some useful features...

My thinking is that it's as much more as a 2nd hand handheld GPS, but the GPS functionality on a VHF screen won't be exactly useful. Bearing also in mind the only time I've ever heard a DSC alarm go off it's been the French sending out a Securité. Most people etc don't know how to use it.
Regarding it being useful to be able to send your position-the handheld has to be close enough to a coastguard mast for them to pick it up-otherwise you're limited to it being displayed by boats that have the gear aboard to plot it (not that many.)

Remember, half the boats in the Solent cost the owners less than the trailer for a 6.5m RIB...

[Copinsay]

[Copinsay]

Originally Posted by [URL="http://www.rib.net/forum/members/nos4r2-2497.html"

Nos4r2[/URL]]] Bearing also in mind the only time I've ever heard a DSC alarm go off it's been the French sending out a Securité. Most people etc don't know how to use it..

Was very handy to hear the DSC alarm when running at WOT (and so stop asap to see what was happening) when this helicopter went down a few miles from me (but out of sight) the other month. VERY impressive way to get your attention when it counts. I think the helicopter triggered that alert itself, as CG call followed a few minutes later.

BBC News - CHC, Bristow and Bond helicopters halt some flights after ditching

If it was my life in peril, I'd be very glad of how DSC really gets your attention and pinpoints the location in your plotter when it counts, at least up here. Seem to be many deaf folk on 16 at times....

All on board were safe BTW - phew.

Steve

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Copinsay

Was very handy to hear the DSC alarm when running at WOT (and so stop asap to see what was happening) when this helicopter went down a few miles from me (but out of sight) the other month. VERY impressive way to get your attention when it counts. I think the helicopter triggered that alert itself, as CG call followed a few minutes later.

BBC News - CHC, Bristow and Bond helicopters halt some flights after ditching

If it was my life in peril, I'd be very glad of how DSC really gets your attention and pinpoints the location in your plotter when it counts, at least up here. Seem to be many deaf folk on 16 at times....

All on board were safe BTW - phew.

Steve

Fair comment up in Orkney-but for a sib on the South coast, and a handheld DSC it's not the same deal.

Up your way I wouldn't be without a fixed DSC set. Horses for courses.

[Copinsay]

Quite agree - I have the fixed set and the SH-290E clipped to my lifejacket. Interestingly both alerted, but seeing the location on the plotter was far more helpful.

Also, DSC does help wake up the rest of the crew when they've wandered off CH16 or ignoring my calls on our local working channel :o)

BUT - it is all down to people knowing how to use it, which still seems a big issue. I guess I'm more with it due to setting up recently.

I'd still always go for a handheld DSC if I was relying on it - eg kayak.

Plus a good way of seeing if any other Ribnet members are about:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/ribnet-group-mmsi-6937.html

All the best

Steve

[Copinsay]

If I'm being honest, when I said "Was very handy to hear the DSC alarm" that was a euphemism for saying "frightened the bejezzus out of me" :o!

Still had the right effect though

Steve