What are the limits of a 27 meg radio and when should I consider an upgrade to VHF.
Does 27 meg give good enough coverage around areas like the Gold Coast reefs out to say the 36fathom or up at Hutchies? Is it better to have both? I have never had a problem with 27 meg in morton bay but is an upgrade worthwhile for these other areas?
If you already have a 27 system keep it and buy another VHF. IMO Hutchies should be OK for 27 but if you go round the front of moreton or further out from Hutchies you will need to upgrade to VHF. Once you have a VHF you wont touch the 27 again though.
Cheers
Greg
Steve, the 27Meg and the VHF are both in the same (similar) frequency range so, in theory, they have about the same range and same penetration. In practise though, Coast Guard, VMRs etc, monitor many more of the VHF channels than the 27 meg. Also, the VHF radio offers the advantages of being able to go through repeater channels and the newer radios are equiped with a feature called DSC. This allows you to automatically send your position in the event of an emergency (provided you have a GPS wired in) together with a host of other features. The VHF allows you to select either 1 or 24 Watts transmit power and the cost of a good VHF is around $400 and once you make the commitment, you will be happy to leave the 27 meg with the kids.
Oh yes, you need a certificate of proficiency to operate it legally, but there is a definite case of "blind eye" between non-licensed operators and the base stations.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the advice. Are there any brands that should be avoided or are they all much the same, and is a 2.4 antenna better than a 1.8 metre job?
Not sure about the antenna Steve. I have just purchased a Navman 7200 VHF and I am really pleased with it.
VHF operates on line of sight. So the higher your aerial and the higher you mount it in your boat, the longer the range you will have.
Jeremy
"The underlying spirit of angling is that the skill of the angler is pitted against the instinct and strength of the fish and the latter is entitled to an even chance for it's life."
(Quotation from the rules of the Tuna Club Avalon, Santa Catalina, U.S.A.)
Apathy is the enemy
Go the VHF - much clearer reception and more reliable.
I did the 'certificate of proficiency' course at Mooloolaba Coastguard and it was terrific - lots of useful information.
Guys do get pinched for having a VHF without a license here and with litigation / duty of care issues nowadays, I'd say get the license.
I have to agree with Fisho - get the license. It takes a 2 x night course at Victoria Point VMR and it is run by an Ausfish member, Lloyd Sims, from time to time.
No argument an no debate here, only ONE for the average rec fisho!! VHF...
Whilst we are talking about this, I am going to ask what is probably a VERY stupid question. ???
I have just installed a Navman 7000 and fitted the antenna etc and I can't hear anything but squelch when going through the channels to test it out. How far from the Coast should I expect to recieve reception? I live in Ipswich, so am I completely off the radar in terms of being able to pick any signal up? ??? Or do I deserve a slap in the face for being so dumb?
Michael - good choice with the 7000, but I would have purchased the DSC option.
Not a dumb question at all. From Ipswich, I would expect that you should get a little traffic on a good day, but it would not be usual; you should expect 50km range in a "line of sight" situation. Try on a Sunday - turn the squelch right down so that you hear the crackle, then listen on the calling channels 67 and 16. If there is traffic on one of the repeater stations, you are more likely to hear this and these are channels 80, 81, 82 and to a lesser extent on 21 and 22.
Unless you are high on a hill, you will have little chance of being able to have one of your transmissions heard on the coast, but you could try to call a mate who is local - that should work.
Thanks for that Wyoming- I will try that list of channels and see what happens. Where I live is at the bottom of a large hill and at the top of that hill about 300 metres away are power tranmission lines so I think I am on a backfoot for a start.
I might wait until my boat is ready to go to the water.
I was going to get the DSC option, but I figured I didn't need it because I am not going to go outside (eg other side of moreton). The boat is only a 14ft (now 16 foot thanks to the addition of my pod) fibreglass savage, and as such it probably wont ever see blue water. The only reason I even went VHF rather than 27mhz is because the 27 is becoming obselete and not supported as closely as VHF.
Mad Mic I live in ipswich to I can pick up Raby Bay and hear north straddie on my navman 7000 but people dont talk on it all day so you might have to be patient also try turning the sqelch down a little. if you contact me we could try talking to check it
With the GME GX-600 VHF, is the DSC option compatible with a Furuno 7000 GPS? Any idea on how to link these two together?
If you've got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow. JOHN WAYNE
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