I had a very interesting conversation with a seasoned boater last week RE the need for marine communications on todays close to shore boats. This boater's view, I have learned, matches many other recreational boaters on the water today. A controversy has arisen over the need and the use of the VHF radio or ship to shore radio which has been the main source of communication for boaters for the past 40 years. The VHF radio is used to talk to other boaters, marina's and to call for help from agencies like the Coast Guard. Many boaters feel cell phones are more reliable and are easier to use and ultimately are making the VHF radio obsolete. Well I am on the pro VHF side of this controversy and here are my experiences and reasons why the VHF is still very much alive and very much needed.

Lets first take a look at how the VHF radio works and why it is so important. VHF frequency range for marine purposes is between 156 to 174 MHz. It mostly uses a "simplex" transmission style where communication can only take place in one direction at a time. This type of transmission is the same used in aviation, fire and rescue departments and our national security. It is far more reliable and allows the person talking to be heard uninterrupted by other transmissions or the person on the other side of the communication. The VHF radio has only three major components. The radio, antenna and the coax. It is a very simple system and utilizes very little in the way of moving parts and things to break. Best of all you can install the entire system on your boat for less than $200.00. To use a VHF radio is also simple. First there is a microphone with a transmit key that is used to talk into. Mounted directly on the unit is a speaker for listening. The main channel to monitor is channel 16. This is the international hailing and distress channel. Once you have called and located the boat, person or marina you wish to have a conversation with you must switch channels to a "working" or free channel. Channels 68-74 are all working channels and may be used to have any length conversation you wish. When your conversation is over you should return to channel 16. In the stand by mode channel 16 should be displayed and monitored.

When would I use the VHF radio before using my cell phone and why? The boater I mentioned above was dead set against installing a VHF on his new boat. I listened to his reasoning and took notes of his opinion. His thoughts were he would never use it and it would take up precious space on his fly bridge. "Why purchase and install something that you know will never be turned on" he claimed, "no matter how little the cost". And then it was my turn to talk.

Lets say you are out fishing or Evening cruising. You notice another boat a few miles away or even right next to you. If you wanted or needed to talk to this boat for whatever reason, how would you do it? Could you call them on the phone? How about when your cruising offshore or on the Inter coastal and you are in need of the Coast Guard or perhaps Sea Tow. Would you know what to tell the phone operator as to your location in relation to the nearest Coast Guard station? Would your cell phone even have reception in the body of water you are in? And then there is the Weather. Weather is something all boaters have a grave respect for. Weather can start out beautiful. Light breezes, sunny skies and then turn to gale force winds with hurricane like conditions. Having a VHF radio allows a one button feature to listen to updated reports from NO AA weather. Another feature the VHF has in this department is the ability to listen to other boaters report on adverse weather they have encountered in your area not to mention alerts from the Coast Guard on pending weather issues, sighted marine life, endangered species in your way, distress calls from other boaters. Can your cell phone do that? I don't think so.

After explaining the many uses and roles the VHF plays and the importance of their existence on every boat I felt I won my case. Proof of this came several weeks later when I received a call from my boater friend talking to me on his newly installed VHF.