Bill,
The signal strength still needs to be strong enough for the CG to receive
the signal. Is it your theory that the CG can receive the 1 watt
transmission just as strong as the 25 watt transmission because they have
larger antennas and better receivers?




"Bill McKee" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Lord Reginald Smithers" Ask me about my driveway leading up to my
manor. wrote in message
...
Kevin,

Most handhelds will transmit power is between the ranges of 1 to 5 watts,
the 1 wattage for short distances and 5 watts longer distances. Most
Fixed mount VHF will transmit using at 25 watts of power, with a setting
for low wattage 1 - 5 watts for short distance broadcasting.

My understand is the Coast Guard will actually broadcast at a much
stronger wattage than 25 watts and will have a tall antenna placed on the
tallest land mass or building available. I have always heard that the
low wattage handhelds will be able to receive the Coast Guard broadcast
without any problems, but the Coast Guard will not be able to receive the
low wattage units for anywhere near the distance of the higher wattage
units.

Kevin, if your theory is correct, why do the fixed mounted units use 25
watts, if the 5 watts are adequate to insure an adequate broadcast than
can be received from the maximum distance of the LOS based upon the
broadcasting and receiving antennas? If the 5 watts will travel just as
far as the 25 watt broadcast? Why doesn't the 1 watt broadcast travel
just as far as the 5 watt broadcast?

I am always willing to learn, so help me understand the theory of low
wattage transmission verses higher wattage transmissions.




wrote in message
oups.com...

Lord Reginald Smithers wrote:
Kevin,
With the low wattage output of a handheld you will not be able to come
close
to 30 nm.
even with an external antenna.


See Bill's reply, he's right.




The CG has a higher antenna and better receivers?

I was told by my friend, an electrical engineer with NASA, that the CG could
pick up the transmission on my 5w handheld most everywhere on Lake Erie.


"Lord Reginald Smithers" Ask me about my driveway leading up to my manor.
wrote in message ...
Bill,
The signal strength still needs to be strong enough for the CG to receive
the signal. Is it your theory that the CG can receive the 1 watt
transmission just as strong as the 25 watt transmission because they have
larger antennas and better receivers?




"Bill McKee" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Lord Reginald Smithers" Ask me about my driveway leading up to my
manor. wrote in message
...
Kevin,

Most handhelds will transmit power is between the ranges of 1 to 5
watts,
the 1 wattage for short distances and 5 watts longer distances. Most
Fixed mount VHF will transmit using at 25 watts of power, with a setting
for low wattage 1 - 5 watts for short distance broadcasting.

My understand is the Coast Guard will actually broadcast at a much
stronger wattage than 25 watts and will have a tall antenna placed on
the
tallest land mass or building available. I have always heard that the
low wattage handhelds will be able to receive the Coast Guard broadcast
without any problems, but the Coast Guard will not be able to receive
the
low wattage units for anywhere near the distance of the higher wattage
units.

Kevin, if your theory is correct, why do the fixed mounted units use 25
watts, if the 5 watts are adequate to insure an adequate broadcast than
can be received from the maximum distance of the LOS based upon the
broadcasting and receiving antennas? If the 5 watts will travel just as
far as the 25 watt broadcast? Why doesn't the 1 watt broadcast travel
just as far as the 5 watt broadcast?

I am always willing to learn, so help me understand the theory of low
wattage transmission verses higher wattage transmissions.




wrote in message
oups.com...

Lord Reginald Smithers wrote:
Kevin,
With the low wattage output of a handheld you will not be able to come
close
to 30 nm.
even with an external antenna.


See Bill's reply, he's right.




The CG has a higher antenna and better receivers?

Without pictures, kevin will not be able to understand much about it.

"Lord Reginald Smithers" Ask me about my driveway leading up to my manor.
wrote in message . ..
Kevin,
You may want to read this post.


"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 20:24:54 GMT, "Bill McKee"
wrote:


"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Bryan wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Bryan wrote:
Any handheld VHF recommendations?

Looking for quality, functionality, affordability, ...

Which and why? And best recent price you've seen?

The internal electronics are all about the same, regardless of
brand
name.

That changes the equation a bit.

Almost any major brand will be built well enough to withstand
normal
use and even some abuse, so you're down to deciding how many, and
which, bells and whistles you want and which models are the most
ergonomically usable for you as an individual. Range and the degree
of
water-resistance will also be major considerations.

My thoughts: Is this handheld going into a ditch bag, or intended
for
use merely as a backup to a hard-wired system? In that case, the
fewer
the gizmos, gadgets, fancy tricks,
and electro magics built in- the better. You wouldn't want to be
without a radio in an emergency because some peripheral,
non-essential
toy feature crapped out and took another circuit down in the
process.

If the handheld is going to be the primary radio aboard the boat,
you
might want to opt for
some of the fancier features.......but the previous paragraph could
also apply just as
easily in that case.

Primary and ditch. Need dependable 30 NM range maximum.

Won't happen without an external antenna.


You won't get a "dependable" 30 nautical mile range with a handheld,
period.

The CG should be able to talk with a handheld 30 miles away. Their
antennas
are tall and they have more power available. It is amazing at times how
far
away from the CG transmitter, you get reception. North of the Golden
Gate,
you get CG Monterey transmissions. You do not hear the boat, but the CG
is
loud and clear. And that is at least 60 miles distant.

It's not that unusual for you to hear USCG because they use 1KW
transmitters on tall towers with phased antennas. However, talking to
a handheld 30 miles out defies physics and the inverse square law with
regard to energy in free space.

There is a HUGE difference between talking to a boat with some height
on it's antenna ABOVE the surface of the water and attempting a chat
with somebody using a 5 watt handheld ON the surface of the water.

Without getting into a whole host of technical issues, just wave
action alone would make it impossible with the signal being
obstructed, antenna orientation with reference to the body and then
there about a bizzillion technical issues like signal ground effect,
small antennas, yada, yada, yada...

In short, it's not only a dumb idea to only rely on a handheld that
far out, it's impossible from a technical standpoint.

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 13:27:52 -0500, " *JimH*" wrote:

I was told by my friend, an electrical engineer with NASA, that the CG
could
pick up the transmission on my 5w handheld most everywhere on Lake Erie.

Not possible.

Why not?

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
*JimH* wrote:
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 13:27:52 -0500, " *JimH*" wrote:

I was told by my friend, an electrical engineer with NASA, that the CG
could
pick up the transmission on my 5w handheld most everywhere on Lake
Erie.
Not possible.

Why not?

Tom previously explained.

--
Alternative energy: New locations to drill for gas and oil.

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
*JimH* wrote:
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 13:27:52 -0500, " *JimH*" wrote:

I was told by my friend, an electrical engineer with NASA, that the CG
could
pick up the transmission on my 5w handheld most everywhere on Lake
Erie.
Not possible.

Why not?

Tom previously explained.



Sorry, I missed that.

I will be seeing my friend next weekend and have him give me his reason for
thinking otherwise.

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:31:02 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

*JimH* wrote:
I was told by my friend, an electrical engineer with NASA, that the CG could
pick up the transmission on my 5w handheld most everywhere on Lake Erie.

==================================================

Total BS. If you get 10 miles with a handheld you are doing well.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:31:02 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

*JimH* wrote:
I was told by my friend, an electrical engineer with NASA, that the CG
could
pick up the transmission on my 5w handheld most everywhere on Lake Erie.

==================================================

Total BS. If you get 10 miles with a handheld you are doing well.


I am not talking about ship to ship. I am talking about ship to Coast
Guard.

So why is that total BS Wayne?

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 14:40:34 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:31:02 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

*JimH* wrote:
I was told by my friend, an electrical engineer with NASA, that the CG could
pick up the transmission on my 5w handheld most everywhere on Lake Erie.

================================================= =

Total BS. If you get 10 miles with a handheld you are doing well.

Well...it really depends on antenna height and gain. You certainly are
NOT going to get a 10 mile range on a rubber-duck antenna, but 5 VHF
watts on a high mounted, high gain antenna could do very well over
flat seas.

I also heard a few years ago, that the CG has solar powered, buoy
mounted, VHF repeaters throughout the US Great Lakes. I haven't seen
any documentation to prove this, but if that's the case, your NASA
buddy may be right.
__

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."

http://home.columbus.rr.com/ckg/

On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 06:31:21 GMT, "Bryan"
wrote:

Any handheld VHF recommendations?

Looking for quality, functionality, affordability, ...

Which and why? And best recent price you've seen?

===============================

Just got an EMAIL on this one. Their price is $109, $40 under MSRP.

Looks like a good value to me, just ordered one.

http://www.pyacht.net/cgi-local/Soft....htm?E+scstore

or

http://tinyurl.com/a2ewj