Atmospheric conditions and VHFs...

[seabob4]

So I mounted Bryan's VHF in the shop with my makeshift antenna going up to the roof.  Normal reception on WX chan 2 for our area is excellent, 5 is a bit raspy (we're on the cusp between Tampa Bay and points N).

Tonight, can barely get 2, no dice on 5...but chan 3, for the EAST coast, is coming in pretty good!  Volusia, Brevard, St. Lucie...BTW Pete, the west wall of the stream is 21 NM out of Sebastian!  Peanuts!  Tunny!  Sails!

[John Jones]

Yep, pretty common.  Mostly caused by sunspots and very upper atmospheric conditions in the troposphere and ionosphere.  The weather we see has some bearing on it but mostly it's the very upper atmosphere.  In CB and Ham slang it's "skip".   When I had a radio in the garage Palmetto sometimes CG Sectors Mobile and New Orleans would boom in when I could barely hear St. Pete.

[pete]

Thanks Bob,who needs NOAA anyway!

[pigbike]

Is a hand held VHF radio any good. A Raytheon heldheld came along with the boat I bought. It turns on but i didn't hear anything on the channels. I only played with it for a minutes and lost interest. Maybe I need to try it again.

[pete]

hand held is a good backup,will have more range over open water as they are line of sight.

[RickK]

Is a hand held VHF radio any good. A Raytheon heldheld came along with the boat I bought. It turns on but i didn't hear anything on the channels. I only played with it for a minutes and lost interest. Maybe I need to try it again.

Seatow has an automated response for radio tests on Ch 26 & 27 - try them out.

[seabob4]

Is a hand held VHF radio any good. A Raytheon heldheld came along with the boat I bought. It turns on but i didn't hear anything on the channels. I only played with it for a minutes and lost interest. Maybe I need to try it again.

Seatow has an automated response for radio tests on Ch 26 & 27 - try them out.

I use 27. Turn your squelch so it's just on the edge...static in and out.  And stand on the gunwale!

[GoneFission]

Is a hand held VHF radio any good. A Raytheon heldheld came along with the boat I bought. It turns on but i didn't hear anything on the channels. I only played with it for a minutes and lost interest. Maybe I need to try it again.

A 5 or 6 watt handheld can save your life!  It's amazing sometimes the range you get on one of those.  And the newer ones are waterproof and float if you drop them overboard.    That could be very useful if you have a really bad boating day sometime...