[KL7AA] Maritime VHF Handhelds

[John Wolfe]

Hi Brandon,

Part of my duties as Telecom Manager for US Fish and Wildlife Service in
Alaska is spectrum management.   Marine band VHF radios will work for your
application, and that is the intent of the band - to communicate with
vessels.  The band is controlled by the US Coast Guard.  

Many people inland also use them like CBs.  This is not a sanctioned use of
the equipment but it's a way of life for many people in villages, and since
there are a lot of wide open spaces in Alaska, not a lot is done about this
unauthorized use.  Same goes for VHF AM aviation radios.  I hear people
using them all the time while I'm flying around the bush, and not much is
said about it.

To be clear, I'm not condoning that behavior.  I'm just stating my
observations.  

If I had a choice between the two, I'd probably go with an aviation hand
held because they will carry further, considering aircraft are in the air
and line of sight propagation will go further that way.  Calling to an
aircraft in an emergency would be an authorized use the equipment.  However,
you're still limited in its scope of use.

Personally, I picked up a Garmin In-Reach Explorer+ (satellite communicator
with navigation sensors and mapping) last year, and I am very satisfied with
that purchase.  When I'm out hunting or any other reason that I'm out of
cell coverage, I can text or e-mail friends and family, provide info on a
map of where I am, or press the SOS button and get help.  The maps are good
quality for navigation and you can pair it with an iOS or Android device for
even better functionality.  No license is required for the equipment.  A
subscription is required for use but it can be turned down during periods of
inactivity.  I generally go with the second to highest subscription package
when I'm using it - about $50/month for unlimited texts, e-mails, and one
basic weather forecast per day.  During periods of non-use, I back it down
to the safety package which is about $13/month with the taxes, etc.  You get
some basic service and something like 10 texts/e-mails per month.  Anything
over that is a per message charge of 50 cents or $1, but in an emergency the
cost of the message would be a secondary consideration to me.  The best part
is you can get a hold of anyone with a cell phone or e-mail account...anyone
on the planet.  I've texted family with cell phones in Germany with no
problem or additional expense.

You get what you pay for.  The high end one costs about $450, and there's a
lower model for around $350.  The units are waterproof and I think they
float, but fortunately for me,  I haven't had the opportunity to test that
feature.  You can get them on Amazon or at Sportsman's Warehouse for
certain, and I'd imagine they're available elsewhere as well.

Just another option for you to consider - and it's a multi-function device.

73,
John/AA0NN
Wasilla


-----Original Message-----
From: kl7aa-bounces at mailman.qth.net <kl7aa-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On
Behalf Of Brandon Clark
Sent: Friday, September 6, 2019 11:40 AM
To: KL7AA Mailing List <KL7AA at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [KL7AA] Maritime VHF Handhelds

It's a little off-tooic, but I was wondering if anyone on the list has
experience with maritime VHF band handhelds?

I'm in the very early planning stages of a hunting trip for next year, and
the location would be one of the islands in Prince William Sound. I was
thinking that a maritime VHF handheld might be useful for contacting passing
ships while on shore.

1. Is using the maritime VHF band while on shore an appropriate use?
2. Does anyone have direct experience using that band with lower-powered
handhelds?
3. Would it be useful in that case (on an island near the shore)?

My primary communications while on shore will be via amateur HF, and
especially the Alaska emergency channel. But a backup for local comms would
be nice, especially if I could reach nearby shipping in a pinch. Any
thoughts?

Brandon Clark, KL7BSC
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