Help Please! Marine Radio

[Debro]

Could someone help with advise on a marine radio.
We were thinking of a hand held type.
We've never had a radio before and would appreicate some advise on what we should be looking at.
Brand, Type and Cost and where best place to buy one.
Any idea what distance they cover?

My husband Bazza, has got me doing all the ground work again.
So if anything goes wrong, you know you gets the blame!!!!
So Guys - need your help please.

Many thanks
Debro

[goldfish]

Deb where do you plan on useing it? rivers, lakes, bay, off-shore ect

[trueblue]

hand helds are good for big boat to tender, and not much more. They have very little transmission power, and also do not have the advantage of a tall arial.

The highest transmission power of a hand held is equal to about the lowest level of power on a fixed unit.

They have their place as a supplement to a proper marine radio, but that is all.

cheers

Mick

[Noelm]

depending on the area you want to go Boating, then a simple and cheap 27Mhz radio will be OK, no licence required, easy to install and operate, for more serious and offshore work, then a VHF is best, but a "certificate" is needed to legaly operate one, it is very easy to get and cost bugger all, VHF is covered/monitored more widely than 27meg, and 27 meg is slowly getting used less and less, but is still quite servicable.

[Donny Boy]

Bias are pretty good.

www.biasboating.com.au
www.biasboating.com.au/c-74-transceivers-communications.aspx

I just bought an Axis MA2710 27 meg marine radio from them...$ 99.00
Does the job for me until I get my VHF Licence & Radio.

[Mindi]

depending on the area you want to go Boating, then a simple and cheap 27Mhz radio will be OK, no licence required, easy to install and operate, for more serious and offshore work, then a VHF is best, but a "certificate" is needed to legaly operate one, it is very easy to get and cost bugger all, VHF is covered/monitored more widely than 27meg, and 27 meg is slowly getting used less and less, but is still quite servicable.

And in the process of getting a VHF certificate you learn heaps about how to use and when to use...well worth it..and not at all hard to do.

[Debro]

Hi Goldfish
We like to fish offshore out from the Southport Seaway about 3 klms, The Pin,
Up the Noosa River, Great Sandy Straits.

Aprreciate any assistance you can give me.
Thanks
Debro

[Debro]

Thanks for your detailed reply.
Seems like the way to go.
Where do we go to get a licence and to buy radio?
Got a rough idea of cost?
Appreciate your help,
Thanks
Debro

[goldfish]

ok deb. i would recomend a vhf they start at around $180 up to $400+ but you have to add the areil & base to that (about $50 areial & $35 base) they are easy to fit (2 wires & a fuse & areial lead) i bought my latest one off ebay for $180 it is a crobra & although only 4 months old it seems fine. also hooks upto the gps so it can send your postion with a disrtess call. (but i think most of them do this now.) you can do a course at vicky point (i think about $150) (although there are a lot of people using the unlienced, although i wouldn't recomend that. :-X .. as for distance it depends on the areial more than anything but if you work on 20knts you would be fine although i can get from bribi to southport. if you want to know more about the crobra & where to get let me know.
cheers
rick

[trueblue]

PM Peter, "QF3 MROCP" for details on how and when you can do your radio certificate at Redcliffe Coast Guard

[QF3 MROCP]

Thanks for your detailed reply.
Seems like the way to go.
Where do we go to get a licence and to buy radio?
Got a rough idea of cost?
Appreciate your help,
Thanks
Debro


Debro:

Firstly, DON'T get concerned about the use of the word 'Licence' - it is not a licence, it's a certificate of proficiency and basically confirms your attendance and pass mark to a course. Once off, never to be renewed... and only needed for generally radio use - not distress calls!!

Go for a VHF unit. as there are used by around 85% of recreational boaties and all commercial vessels have to maintain a listening watch on VHF. Also in your area (assume your'e a mexican south of the river - Brisbane that is!!) repeater channels are also available.

If Scarborough/Redcliffe is too far, send me a PM of your location and I'll get you some details, otherwise why not make it a holiday and come up to the sunny part of the coast...

Details of our course FYI..

The course starts 08:00 Sharp on Sunday 22nd February 2009.

The fun casual day is made up of theory and practical components and generally finishes around 16:00. Morning and afternoon tea is supplied, however you will need to provide lunch for yourself. There are local cafes and fish & chip shops if needed.

The theory subjects we cover:

Frequencies of VHF Radio
Major Parts of a Radio
Repeater Stations
Limited Coast Stations – “Who’s Listening”
Operator Requirements
Operating Procedures
Authority and responsibilities of the master or skipper
Watch keeping
Secrecy of Communications
Log Keeping
Phonetic Alphabet – Alpha Bravo Charlie…….
Routine Calling Procedures
Distress Calling
Mayday Mayday Mayday
Digital Selective Calling – DSC
EPIRBS
Search and Rescue Transponders
Marine Batteries
Sample Exam Questions
The practical will be an actual roll play call on two VHF channels which demonstrates how to log your vessel in and out with Coast Guard.

Because the certificate is internationally recognised, an assessment examination must be completed. This comprises of a 25 question multiple answer examination paper. A pass rate of 70% is required.

This takes approximately an hour to complete on the following Sunday, starting at 08:30.

Along with your certificate application, you need to supply a standard passport photograph which is impregnated into a credit card size id card.

The cost of the course includes the exam application fee, VHF Handbook and course notes.

If you would like to reserve a seat, please either:

Return PM e-mail
Phone the Redcliffe Radio Room on 3203 5522Peter - aka QF3 MROCP

[Debro]

Thanks for the info Peter.
We live at Broadbeach GC.
I don't think Bazza (husband) wants to go to all that trouble.
He just wants to keep me safe when he takes me out to sea.
But it certainly seems as though this Course and VHF is the way to go.
I'll chew it over, know who to contact now.
We're members of the VMR Gold Coast - I could check with them if they do courses too.
Many thanks for all the information.
Very much appreciated.
Debro

[Debro]

Rick, Thanks for your info. You have answered all my question.
The licencing thing is a bit of a drag just to have safety. No doubt the course is full of important information but for irregular uses theres a lot involved.
Apart from Ebay, where do you reckon would be the best place to buy one?
Debro

[trueblue]

yeah, its a real drag when you have an emergency, and you can't communicate properly to ensure you get rescued.

you might want to check with bazza to see what other safety items he doesn't want to go to the trouble for....

[mik01]

Rick, Thanks for your info. You have answered all my question.
The licencing thing is a bit of a drag just to have safety. No doubt the course is full of important information but for irregular uses theres a lot involved.
Apart from Ebay, where do you reckon would be the best place to buy one?
Debro

Deb,

hate to say it, but if you are going offshore currently without a radio then you are just plain tempting fate.

1 day, and a few $$ to do a radio course is a pittance when you consider the consequences - I don't understand what the point is of getting a radio 'for safety' in the first place if no one knows how and when to use it?

sorry - but as a responsible boat user, you owe it to yourself and all who come onboard, to have proper means of communication and correct safety gear on board.

if you want 'any old radio' then get 27meg and chat away on it.
vhf should be for those who have proper certification to use it.

ps - on a constructive note - yes, ask your VMR who holds vhf certification locally - they will point you in the right direction.

and, once you get your certification, check out Fishon (still a sponsor?) in the 'electrics' forum on ausfish. prices are cheap and delivery from the US in only a few days - very trustworthy.

[Jabba_]

Thanks for your detailed reply.
Seems like the way to go.
Where do we go to get a licence and to buy radio?
Got a rough idea of cost?
Appreciate your help,
Thanks
Debro

Don't waste your money on a 27meg... Sure they will do the job, just, and you won't need to get a VHF licence. But when it come to getting home safely and you need the assistance off VMR and Coast Guard and your a long way off shore, you want the best communications you can afford...

Believe me, it is not a pleasant feeling sitting 12km off-shore and having the westerly wind blowing you out further, or current taking you further away...

Get a VHF, then when you can afford it do your licence,,, $110 and it includes membership with Coast Guard....

I bought a Lowrance VHF and have a 7ft aerial.. Got it from Bias Boating....
Stay away from GME radios, there are having a lot off units failing...

[black runner]

GME GX600 is a good solid and widely used Australian made radio and can be purchased new for about $250 (add $100 for the DSC model), a 1.8m or 2.4m antenna wil cost another $70.

I have had one for several years and hasn't missed a beat. The unit is rated to IP67 which means fully sealed against dust and water immersion to 1 metre and can be either flush or bracket mounted. They are a nice compact unit with local support.

Don't be tempted to use a splitter on the antenna cable for connecting am/fm radio etc. This will affect the performance of the VHF and is not recommended.

Be fussy about the install for maximum performance and to limit interference.

Cheers

[PADDLES]

g'day deb, an entry level vhf like the gme gx600 described above will well and truly cover you for the boating you do know and even looking into the future it'll still cover you if you decide to head further out offshore. budget on spending up to $400 on getting everything you need and installing it yourself. shop around between bias, whitworths, bcf or even your local boat chandlery for whoever is giving the best deals at the moment.

[QF3 MROCP]

Thanks for the info Peter.
We live at Broadbeach GC.
I don't think Bazza (husband) wants to go to all that trouble.
He just wants to keep me safe when he takes me out to sea.
But it certainly seems as though this Course and VHF is the way to go.
I'll chew it over, know who to contact now.
We're members of the VMR Gold Coast - I could check with them if they do courses too.
Many thanks for all the information.
Very much appreciated.
Debro

your welcome Debro - at least you showed some interest.

"Generally it's more of the female partners who come along to be able to look after the- he who must be obeyed"

I also fly light aircraft and all my wife wants to learn is how to land the bloody thing!!

thanks again for your VMR / Coast Guard support
Peter

[QF3 MROCP]

yeah, its a real drag when you have an emergency, and you can't communicate properly to ensure you get rescued.

you might want to check with bazza to see what other safety items he doesn't want to go to the trouble for....



now now trueblue !!! hahahahahahaha :-*:D

[QF3 MROCP]

Thanks for the info Peter.
We live at Broadbeach GC.
I don't think Bazza (husband) wants to go to all that trouble.
He just wants to keep me safe when he takes me out to sea.
But it certainly seems as though this Course and VHF is the way to go.
I'll chew it over, know who to contact now.
We're members of the VMR Gold Coast - I could check with them if they do courses too.
Many thanks for all the information.
Very much appreciated.
Debro

have Bazza have a read of this thread..

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=140279

I hope you see the relevance to what others are saying

and just give some thought as to why the VMR and Coast Guard exist...

If everyone had no problems on the water - I'd be out of an unpaid job...

[trueblue]

Originally Posted by trueblue http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?p=951892#post951892)
yeah, its a real drag when you have an emergency, and you can't communicate properly to ensure you get rescued.

you might want to check with bazza to see what other safety items he doesn't want to go to the trouble for....



The licencing thing is a bit of a drag just to have safety.
Debro


Got to keep it in context though Peter.....



My apologies Debro if my comment was a little strong...

Please consider making safety your highest priority on the water. If you have safety right first, your day will always be a better day.

Cheers

Mick

[QF3 MROCP]

Got to keep it in context though Peter.....



My apologies Debro if my comment was a little strong...

Please consider making safety your highest priority on the water. If you have safety right first, your day will always be a better day.

Cheers

Mick

time we went to bed... love your saying.. that's go on my slide presentation..

[goldfish]

hey deb.
give whitworths a go, theres one at southport i have found them to be pretty good with most things & the guys that work there know a bit about what they are doing & most of them have boating experance. i'd steer clear of bcf unless you know excatly what you want as the kids that work in the stores i've been into wouldn't know the hull from the deck let alone detailed info on radios.
if you see VMR400 at southport i'm sure they would do courses from time to time.
good luck with it all.
rick

[Debro]

Deb,

hate to say it, but if you are going offshore currently without a radio then you are just plain tempting fate.

1 day, and a few $$ to do a radio course is a pittance when you consider the consequences - I don't understand what the point is of getting a radio 'for safety' in the first place if no one knows how and when to use it?

sorry - but as a responsible boat user, you owe it to yourself and all who come onboard, to have proper means of communication and correct safety gear on board.

if you want 'any old radio' then get 27meg and chat away on it.
vhf should be for those who have proper certification to use it.

ps - on a constructive note - yes, ask your VMR who holds vhf certification locally - they will point you in the right direction.

and, once you get your certification, check out Fishon (still a sponsor?) in the 'electrics' forum on ausfish. prices are cheap and delivery from the US in only a few days - very trustworthy.

Okay all you Guys, I've got your message loud and clear - had to explain it to Bazza though :o !!!

We take on board all your information and knowledge.
We had to make a start as we knew nothing about Radios.
All this 27MZH and VHF meant nothing to me until now.
You guys have explained it to us and very much appreciated.

Suppose our real delimena is we only have a small boat, we don't go far off shore only when calm water and not that often, just don't trust our mobile phone coverage. Hope you can understand our delimena.

Bazz is a fanatic with maintenance which is a good thing, but we know things do happen and go wrong. Like the time I lost his biiiig Cobia - I couldn't gaff it!!
Still haven't heard the end of it.

Should we have one of those Ebirb things and forget the radio??

I know you going to say we should have both - but how many safety items do you have. Flares, V Sheet, Life Jackets, the list goes on.
Just want to go fishin a day out in the boat and be safe sensibly.

All you information is taken on board and we'll look into it further. Many thanks.

Debro

[Debro]

Originally Posted by trueblue http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?p=951892#post951892)
yeah, its a real drag when you have an emergency, and you can't communicate properly to ensure you get rescued.

you might want to check with bazza to see what other safety items he doesn't want to go to the trouble for....




Got to keep it in context though Peter.....



My apologies Debro if my comment was a little strong...

Please consider making safety your highest priority on the water. If you have safety right first, your day will always be a better day.

Cheers

Mick

I'd rather get the message loud and clear then have all though fuzzy bits.
That is the trouble with life today - too many fuzzy bits and people are not catching on with what is right and what is wrong.

I do appreciate the softness in you heart also.

Thanks Debro

[Debro]

your welcome Debro - at least you showed some interest.

"Generally it's more of the female partners who come along to be able to look after the- he who must be obeyed"

I also fly light aircraft and all my wife wants to learn is how to land the bloody thing!!

thanks again for your VMR / Coast Guard support
Peter


Yeah Peter! I'm alway glad and relieved when where back inside through the Bar (Southport)
But jezz's then you face the crazy speedsters tearing around inside the bar area just for fun. Then all of a sudden you feel it was safer out at sea.

Thanks for your protecting me from Trueblue :-[ But I respect what he said.

Debro

[on-one]

If you have to choose between an epirb and a radio I think you should get the radio as it can be used to get help before things go horribly wrong

[mik01]

Okay all you Guys, I've got your message loud and clear - had to explain it to Bazza though :o !!!

We take on board all your information and knowledge.
We had to make a start as we knew nothing about Radios.
All this 27MZH and VHF meant nothing to me until now.
You guys have explained it to us and very much appreciated.

Suppose our real delimena is we only have a small boat, we don't go far off shore only when calm water and not that often, just don't trust our mobile phone coverage. Hope you can understand our delimena.

Should we have one of those Ebirb things and forget the radio??

I know you going to say we should have both - but how many safety items do you have. Flares, V Sheet, Life Jackets, the list goes on.
Just want to go fishin a day out in the boat and be safe sensibly.

All you information is taken on board and we'll look into it further. Many thanks.

Debro

Deb - all those safety items you mentioned are mandatory, as well as an epirb if you are travelling offshore (beyond 2Nm) - even if only once in a blue moon.
http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/home/safety/epirbs/

the long and the short of it is you need all the above AND a radio.

I have been pulled over and my gear gone through by the water police - don't think they will never do the same to you.

sadly, it costs money for all this gear - but if you can afford a boat you should be able to afford the correct safety gear too. otherwise its a luxury you can't afford I guess.

if you know nothing about radios etc then the following might help you get started -

what type of boat do you have and where will the unit be mounted? you say its a small boat - is it a tinny or enclosed boat? sounds like you need a simple, small unit.

where will the antenna be mounted? make sure you go out to the boat and visualise where you have available room to mount these.

look up prices on BIas, Whitworths, bcf and your local chandlery - compare features and prices and work out your budget. head down to your local chandlery and chat to them and get them to show you features.

presume you can do the install yourselves?

any other questions just ask

cheers,
Mick

[mik01]

list of safety requirements here -
http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/resources/file/ebc1130cce3ad8f/Pdf_rec_safety_equipment.pdf

[trueblue]

I got pulled up by the water police last time i was out. The list of things they asked for item by item was as follows:

1. Registration label on boat
2. Show 1 PFD 1 life jacket for each person on the boat
3. Demonstrate that the youngest child knew how to put the life jacket on by himself.
3a. I was at this stage cautioned by the police that none of my life jackets were small enough for one of the children and that while I was not going to be given a ticket on this occasion, that I must get a smaller life jacket before bringing that child on the boat again. The childs weight fell precisely within the weight classification of the life jacket, but they thought he was a bit small for it.
4. Show flares, and that they are in date
5. Show V sheet
6. Show epirb, that it is a 406 and that it is registered with the registration sticker on the side of the epirb
7. Show that I have a means of navigation
7a. I said I use my gps, and police said that I must be able to show them another means of navigation because the gps could fail. I had to show a relevant marine chart for the area and the compass.
8. I was then asked to show that i had a bucket on board for bailing, and a signalling mirror.

They were extremely curteous and professional, but very no nonsense.

Cheers

Mick

[goldfish]

If you have to choose between an epirb and a radio I think you should get the radio as it can be used to get help before things go horribly wrong
deb if you can only get one. get the radio first & learn how to use it, then save for the e-pirb but stay inside the bay/broardwater untill you have BOTH. as mentioned these are both needed to be offshore & they both have very different use's. i had to miss going outside for 2 months when my (in date e-pirb) was made reduntent untill i could get the new 406MHz. you say that you will only use it once in a blue moon but once you have both you may spend more time offshore than you think you will now. theres a lot to do out there from reef fishing, light game & whale watching in winter.
but bascialy the point i'm trying to make is that when something goes wrong offshore you want to be able to contact as many people as possable.

its a big ocean & your only a little person you have to make it as easy as possable for people to find you. & you should log on to the seaway tower every time you head out so they know where you are & when you will be back ect.
cheers
rick.

[FISHAWN]

Excellent read here guys. Deb, i too have just been through the safety side of things since getting sick of fishing the broadwater and wanting to take my 4.3 tinny with 40Hp YAM tiller steer outside.
Initially it all does seem like a lot of money and you ask yourself ' do i really need all of this crap' but when you are out there on your own, or with a partner and things turn a bit hairy or the motor decides to play up etc the gear is much appreciated.


For instance, last week i was out on the 36's and it started to blow up quite a bit and the swell just kept on increasing by the minute! we decided that we had had enough and it was time to come in.Went to start the motor and 1st pull.... NOTHING, second pull the cord got caught inside the motor somewhere... SHIT! ok so now the water is starting to break over the back of the boat and the cord wouldn't free up. Luckily this had happened to me before inshore so i knew it was a matter of pulling the cover off the motor and a bit of prodding etc with a screwdriver to release the cord. I did not have a VHF radio and what if i wasnt able to free the cord? there was no mobile reception and it wasnt a Huge enough deal AT THIS STAGE to activate the EPIRB and have a big search party come look for me.


The best solution for this small problem would have been to simply put out a call for assistance on the radio and i trust that someone out of the hundreds of boats out there would have come and given me a hand.
I have now gone out and bought myself a GME GX600 on special, complete with antenna and all the fittings screws for around $300 from bias marine at harbour town.


I am sorry to crap on Deb, but even if you are planning on venturing not far outside, a small problem can turn into a relatively big problem very quickly and you could find yourself being dragged way out wide if conditions decide to take a turn for the worst.
The cost of it all is nothing for the peace of mind you get and you will probably find that you will soon become quite addicted and want to go further out on a good day.

Regards Dave

[Debro]

Deb - all those safety items you mentioned are mandatory, as well as an epirb if you are travelling offshore (beyond 2Nm) - even if only once in a blue moon.
http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/home/safety/epirbs/

the long and the short of it is you need all the above AND a radio.

I have been pulled over and my gear gone through by the water police - don't think they will never do the same to you.

sadly, it costs money for all this gear - but if you can afford a boat you should be able to afford the correct safety gear too. otherwise its a luxury you can't afford I guess.

if you know nothing about radios etc then the following might help you get started -

what type of boat do you have and where will the unit be mounted? you say its a small boat - is it a tinny or enclosed boat? sounds like you need a simple, small unit.

where will the antenna be mounted? make sure you go out to the boat and visualise where you have available room to mount these.

look up prices on BIas, Whitworths, bcf and your local chandlery - compare features and prices and work out your budget. head down to your local chandlery and chat to them and get them to show you features.

presume you can do the install yourselves?

any other questions just ask

cheers,
Mick

Thanks Mick. We are much wiser now. Will take your advise and go shopping.
We have a 4.1m Broker Runabout. Windscreen, Tilt&Trim 40 hp. It sounds small in length but it has good depth. Got a dash - so somewhere to put radio and aerial.
Just wasn't sure that a hand held might have done the job instead but as all you guys advise VHF is the way to go to be sure of being rescued or helped.

We have certainly had some good days fishing offshore so as the information in these reviews say if we had all the proper gear I could get gamer and go further.

Up until now we've only been going (I suppose) only 2nm out. But its really hard to know or tell how far out you are. On a rough day it seems a long way on a smooth day it seems close???

Thanks again for your assistance.
Debro

[Debro]

Excellent read here guys. Deb, i too have just been through the safety side of things since getting sick of fishing the broadwater and wanting to take my 4.3 tinny with 40Hp YAM tiller steer outside.
Initially it all does seem like a lot of money and you ask yourself ' do i really need all of this crap' but when you are out there on your own, or with a partner and things turn a bit hairy or the motor decides to play up etc the gear is much appreciated.


For instance, last week i was out on the 36's and it started to blow up quite a bit and the swell just kept on increasing by the minute! we decided that we had had enough and it was time to come in.Went to start the motor and 1st pull.... NOTHING, second pull the cord got caught inside the motor somewhere... SHIT! ok so now the water is starting to break over the back of the boat and the cord wouldn't free up. Luckily this had happened to me before inshore so i knew it was a matter of pulling the cover off the motor and a bit of prodding etc with a screwdriver to release the cord. I did not have a VHF radio and what if i wasnt able to free the cord? there was no mobile reception and it wasnt a Huge enough deal AT THIS STAGE to activate the EPIRB and have a big search party come look for me.


The best solution for this small problem would have been to simply put out a call for assistance on the radio and i trust that someone out of the hundreds of boats out there would have come and given me a hand.
I have now gone out and bought myself a GME GX600 on special, complete with antenna and all the fittings screws for around $300 from bias marine at harbour town.


I am sorry to crap on Deb, but even if you are planning on venturing not far outside, a small problem can turn into a relatively big problem very quickly and you could find yourself being dragged way out wide if conditions decide to take a turn for the worst.
The cost of it all is nothing for the peace of mind you get and you will probably find that you will soon become quite addicted and want to go further out on a good day.

Regards Dave

Jeezs Davo, We've got similar size boats with a 40hp Yam. But after reading your story I'm glad we've got electric start, which we can pull start it need be (and have had to when it was new). An earth wire came loose and eventually fell off. Not tighten since new - so the guys are Marine Tune said. Good guys at Marine Tune. I'm also glad we have front steering with a windscreens. You'd get pretty wet sitting down back when the chop comes up.

Thanks for you info on the Radio, Dave, we'll do some shopping and get set up.

Debro

[Debro]

I got pulled up by the water police last time i was out. The list of things they asked for item by item was as follows:

1. Registration label on boat
2. Show 1 PFD 1 life jacket for each person on the boat
3. Demonstrate that the youngest child knew how to put the life jacket on by himself.
3a. I was at this stage cautioned by the police that none of my life jackets were small enough for one of the children and that while I was not going to be given a ticket on this occasion, that I must get a smaller life jacket before bringing that child on the boat again. The childs weight fell precisely within the weight classification of the life jacket, but they thought he was a bit small for it.
4. Show flares, and that they are in date
5. Show V sheet
6. Show epirb, that it is a 406 and that it is registered with the registration sticker on the side of the epirb
7. Show that I have a means of navigation
7a. I said I use my gps, and police said that I must be able to show them another means of navigation because the gps could fail. I had to show a relevant marine chart for the area and the compass.
8. I was then asked to show that i had a bucket on board for bailing, and a signalling mirror.

They were extremely curteous and professional, but very no nonsense.

Cheers

Mick

Thanks for all this info. We had to Fishing Patrol pull up alongside us, on a perfect day at Mermaid Beach Reef. They asked a few questions about our safety stuff which we had to show them was in date and sufficient for where we were. They were more interested in the size of the fish we had caught. Checking over all of them, everything was good, they were very nice, informative and went on their way.
But now that we would like to try wider obviously we need to get the extra gear.
Which you've listed and we appreciate.

I once asked for information from the VMR at Southport on an information day and I could not get clear answers, I left with delima's. Hence my unintelligent questions.
Appreciate all your information

We now know what we need and will head of shopping. Bazz is good at the installation bits. But as his reading and writing is not good, is why he is worried about having to do an exam. When he got his boat licence he had to have someone there help him read the questions. He then passed it with flying colours.
He's a smart fella but can't read & write, flattens his confidence in this area.
We all can't be good at everything - except me, I'm his wife. ;D

Saw a Tshirt the other day which said;
"Why do I need Google when my Wife knows everything."

Thought that was great.

Debro

[QF3 MROCP]

Thanks for all this info.

I once asked for information from the VMR at Southport on an information day and I could not get clear answers, I left with delima's. Hence my unintelligent questions.
Appreciate all your information

We now know what we need and will head of shopping. Bazz is good at the installation bits. But as his reading and writing is not good, is why he is worried about having to do an exam. When he got his boat licence he had to have someone there help him read the questions. He then passed it with flying colours.
He's a smart fella but can't read & write, flattens his confidence in this area.
We all can't be good at everything - except me, I'm his wife. ;D

Saw a Tshirt the other day which said;
"Why do I need Google when my Wife knows everything."

Thought that was great.

Debro


Debro:

If you want to send me a PM with contact phone number, Coast Guard Redcliffe will come to assist with getting you and Bazz through the VHF radio course. Our intension has always been to educate, examinate and lead by example... Believe me, after presenting the course for nearly five years, Bazz is not alone.. where there is a will - there is a way.. talk soon.

Can't resist this one - ask Coast Guard Southport nex time ;D ;D ;D

Peter

[goldfish]

Debro:
Coast Guard Redcliffe will come to assist with getting you and Bazz through the VHF radio course. Our intension has always been to educate, examinate and lead by example... Believe me, after presenting the course for nearly five years, Bazz is not alone.. where there is a will - there is a way..


Peter
this is excatly why this chat board is here, so we all can help each other out in an activity that we all love.
cheers
rick.
ps: cood luck with it all deb & bazz we'll see you outside sometime soon.

[DTHCoCo]

I don't believe your size of your boat should dictate your safety equipment, our boat would be consider small i guess as it's 4.45M, But it has all the safety Feature's including 18KM Radar, Icom VHF IC-M604 DTS , 27mhz Radio & an epirb. What price do you put on your life.

[BrewGuru]

Rick, Thanks for your info. You have answered all my question.
The licencing thing is a bit of a drag just to have safety. No doubt the course is full of important information but for irregular uses theres a lot involved.
Apart from Ebay, where do you reckon would be the best place to buy one?
Debro

Debro,
the course, is a walk in the park, I did the VHF and HF course, which I think the HF is an extra 5 questions, it is certainly worthwhile getting your VHF, when going offshore, you have to spend time to get your boat licence, your proficiency in VHF, I reckon should be mandatory