A basic explanation of VHF Marine Radio

VHF (Very High Frequency) radio allows communication between your boat and others, whether it's other boats, marinas, coast guards, bridges, etc... This is the most common method of short-range communication in the marine industry and the preferred one as well.

They usually work as an array, carrying the sender and receiver ( transceivers) combined that work onå frequencies or "channels".

The operating range is 156-162MHz, where 156-157MHz are different channels for radio communication and 161-162MHz for AIS. These channels are constant around the world, which ensures that no matter where the ship is, the frequency of specific channels will always be the same.

An example of; this is channel 16, which is always 156.800MHz frequency. This is important because channel 16 is the international distress, safety and call channel, which all VHF-equipped vessels must monitor.

An important point to raise forward with channels and frequencies is that although the frequency of each channel remains internationally constant, the function of that channel does not. For example, the British Coast Guard works onå 156.000 MHz (channel 0), while the US Coast Guard operates onå 157.050 and 157.100 (channels 21 and 22).

*Note: all frequencies mentioned above refer to Ship Frequency rather than Shore Frequency. Simplex channels have the same ship and shore frequency. which allows ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication. Duplex channels do not have the same frequency, soå they cannot be used for ship-to-ship communication.

Types of VHF radio
Which type of VHF radio you choose depends on on requirements and preferences.

The twoå the main choices are handheld and fixed. There is a third type of radio called HF / SSB (Single Side Band), but it does not hear VHF, and it works differently. it will not be heard.

Handheld VHF Radios
Handheld VHF radios have the advantage of being lightweight , portable and usually very easy to use thanks to the limited number of controls on; the radio.

If you find yourself in an emergency situation, it is definitely worth having a handheld VHF, as you may not be able to reach; a fixed VHF depending on the scenario. In addition, if the battery were to fail on board, a fixed-mounted VHF would cease to function, while the hand-held unit would continue to function. A hand-held radio also does not require the installation of a VHF antenna.

The limitations of a hand-held radio are also; simple enough. The most important ones are battery life, power and range.

Since the radio is battery powered, it is important to always have an extra battery or battery charger on board, otherwise you will almost like having a flat VHF radio.

The lower output power and the short antenna means that the range is limited... the range is up to suitable for operation in a recreational boating scenario, but larger vessels and commercial vessels will typically opt for fixed-mounted VHFs.

Fixed-mounted VHF radios< br>Fixed VHF radio options also haveå advantages and disadvantages.

Since they require a constant power supply, there is no worry about battery life and needing to charge or replace them.

< p>Quite often they have independent external VHF antennas on board as well, which allow more power from a fixed VHF, which in turn shortens the range of the VHF radio.< /p>

In modern VHFs there is quite often an internal GPS as well, which means that functions such as DSC (Digital Selective Calling) also can be used, provided that an MMSI has been claimed for; and assigned to the vessel.

The only real disadvantage of a fixed VHF is that it is fixed on location, which means you must consider the installation point before mounting. It should be on a practical place where it is available when needed, such as the helm.

På large installations it is very common to find both a fixed and handheld VHF on board, where the handheld is carried by the crew who are not located near the installation location for is the fixed VHF.