Just tried to hail 2 C-Dorys heading up the Mississippi. Probably coming back from the Iowa meet. No response but that's not unusual in my experience. Is our group radio shy or do they just use their radios in emergencies? I always thought if you had one it should be on. Personally I don't clutter the airways with a lot of unnecessary chit chat but those guys just missed some C-Dory fellowship and hospitality!
Radio silence
- Thread starter Fairbro
- Start date
Although it is not enforced, you should have your radio on channel 16 when you are underway. I have two radios, so that I can also monitor the traffic channel. Along the ICW is the tugs is channel 13. In some harbors it is channel 12 It is possible that if these two boats were running together they were on channel 68 or one of the other ship to ship channel.
Barry Rietz
New member
Gary & Gerrie, The two C-Dory's you saw from the window of your riverfront condo at Prescott left the "gathering" mid-day Sunday. They will cruse to Minneapolis before returning to Savanna, Illinois where their trailers are temporarily stored. If you are interested, I could provide an Email address for Tex Allen, and then you could have them stop on the return leg. (The "eagles" get upset when they hear the radio chatter if you get my drift!)
colbysmith
Active member
If I'm on my boat, except for sleeping at night or a few other rare occasions when not underway, I've always got 16 up. I also run a second radio on a more local freq... Ie 13 on the Mississippi for tug bridge to bridge or 14 for locks, and 9 on Lake Michigan as that is the calling freq. Colby. Ps chech here and I think you'll find who you were looking for. 
http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... c&start=15
http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... c&start=15Barry Rietz
New member
Gary & Gerrie, Tex Allen's Email address listed on this website is not working? My suggestion is to post an alert for "Bixby's Cub", the 22 cruiser that belongs to Tex, on the home page. I know Tex checks his Emails only periodically and most likely will do so at Minneapolis. Good luck in catching up with them as they both (Pelican & Bixby's Cub) will pass right by your place in the very near future.
Stan Major
New member
I have a hand held floating Standard Horizon HX 300. So far I have not had much luck using it. I have it tuned to channel 16 but do not hear anything. Is there a step I am missing?
Stan Major":1kmnazxn said:
Stan,
Could be. Check the volume. Tune to the WX or weather channel and set an acceptable volume there, then go to 16. Now decrease the Squelch until you hear the background static -- hissing -- then bump the squelch up one step to quiet the hissing. If your antenna is tight, you should be in operating mode now. Find someone who will give you a short radio check, (NOT on 16) and see if it works. Be sure you do not cover the tiny mic hole with a finger or thumb so you can put out a transmission.
Good luck,
Harvey
SleepyC
Stan Major
New member
Thanks Harvey. I'll give it a try. I'm also stopping back at West Marine where I bought it today.
There are a number of automated radio check stations put up by BoatUS (I think). They are located where there is a lot of boating (there are several around where I live). You dial them up and send a message and the station rebroadcasts it. This lets you check xmit, receive, and range of you setup.
ssobol":24mroms9 said:
Do you know how/where to find the listing of such stations?
There is one in the San Juan Islands at Friday Harbor that I use on a regular basis (every launch) to check both radios. From my home launch I only do the high power, but have checked both when closer to the radio check station. (I regularly get a good hit from Sequim Bay on both radios.)
By the way, it is Channel 28. Select 28, listen for clear air, then key up, and do a short "Radio Check, Boat name, and location" then unkey and listen. You will get a short message, your recording, and then another short safety message.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
http://www.seatow.com/boating-safety/au ... dio-checks
Appears that they are mostly on the East Coast. There are more radio check stations in MN than WA.
Appears that they are mostly on the East Coast. There are more radio check stations in MN than WA.
Stan Major":2n0qdi34 said:
I have the hand held floating Standard Horizon HX 290. I have a similar problem. I can get the weather channel but nothing else. I have spent hours following the instructions in the book, but no success. So I took it back to the chandlery where one of the staff is a wizz on marine radios. He could not figure it out either. So the shop are holding on to it and waiting for the 'rep' to come in and sort it out.
Martin.
Things to check.
1. Volume adjust
2. Button Lock
3. Squelch setting
4. Is the antenna turned on to the post tightly?
These are all simple and you probably have already done them, but if not these are where I would start. My SH handheld performs flawlessly, frequently. AND it works even better now that I remember to lock the buttons after setting it, so they don't change while I am wearing it on my PFD.
Harvey
SleepyC
1. Volume adjust
2. Button Lock
3. Squelch setting
4. Is the antenna turned on to the post tightly?
These are all simple and you probably have already done them, but if not these are where I would start. My SH handheld performs flawlessly, frequently. AND it works even better now that I remember to lock the buttons after setting it, so they don't change while I am wearing it on my PFD.
Harvey
SleepyC