VHF and GPS questions

Tacklebuster · 04-23-2002, 10:48 AM

I usually do the CB thing but I purchased a nice little VHF radio on my trip up north. After reading the manual, I have come up with the conclusion that you always have to moniter channel 16 and when you want to contact another vessel for recreational purposes, you hail them on 9 and then switch to 68 or 78a to chit chat. Am I right on this or do you use another method. Also, what channels do you program on your radio to constantly scan besides 16 and 9. Seems to me if you put all of the channels in, you would constantly be hearing someone saying something and might miss out on an important call. Also, which channel do you Ifish personell use to chit chat back and forth on the river and big blue?

Ok, now on to the GPS question. Have any of you had any luck with the Garmin Mariner? I gave her a quick look over and it looks to be an easy and dependable unit to use. Looks as if all the buoys are preprogramed in the unit for the Coastlines off Oregon and Washington. I have a Magellan which I hate and I need to find a better unit that has a backtrack option and updates pretty fast.

Thanks for any responses.

DK · 04-23-2002, 12:01 PM

had the garmin mariner took it back and payed a little more and got the map76, tracback feature,and can be down load on to your computer, and garmin supplys all the up dates for free right off the computer, has a lot more bells and whistles, dk

Pilar · 04-23-2002, 12:14 PM

I monitor 16 to hail and because that is where Coast Guard or emergency announcements are made. 22 more announcements, 77 - ifish channel. In the river I might add 9, 11, 13 for the ship and barge traffic.

It usually stays on 16.

burliest · 04-23-2002, 02:59 PM

I know 16 is for hailing.

Check out this link:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/marine/vhfchanl.html

Threemuch · 04-23-2002, 11:09 PM

Almost all the hailing around here happens on 16. I know 9 is used at busier ports. Currently I scan 16 and 77, which is the channel the people we know here usually switch up to.

Down in CA, we had different channels for different harbors. Monterey Bay was 11, Halfmoon Bay 18, SF Bay and outside of SF Bay, 88. If we were offshore tuna trolling we would be on 10. Sure wish we did that here.

KB

AngleThis · 04-26-2002, 05:58 PM

Around here we hail on 16, and since that's what everybody is supposed to monitor, that works out well. The CG monitors 9 as an emergency channel, as well as 16. Other than that, you have it right.

DC