cb compatibility

[maa. melee]

i recentently installed an older (1988) working marine cb in my boat and have since been able to contact bridge and lock operators and other boats. for safety reasons i bought my parents a portable cb radio for the house (or car) to assist in contacting me (great for trailering). i read the manual twice, while the battery for the portable cb charged. anyways, with my boat sitting on the trailer in my driveway, i tried radioing myself using the boat and had no luck receiving on the new cb. both cb's had power, clear reception and were in working condition. is there something i missed? is there a difference between marine and 'personal' (the kind used at construction sites) cb radios?

[ 07-07-2005, 04:21 PM: Message edited by: maa. melee ]

[Gary E]

There aint no such animal as a marine cb....

Do you mean a Marine VHF ?

[Meerkat]

Yes, there is a significant difference: the radios work on different frequencies!

I don't recall if it's changed, but you may need a license for the "cb" (we call them VHF radios or just VHF for short) if it's permanently mounted on your boat. It's a form and (IIRC) $10 for the station license.

You should also be aware that certain channels on marine VHF are dedicated to a particular purpose and you can get into trouble if you use them for general communications. Big gun-toting people in white boats with orange stripes will come and be quite cross with you! (the Coast Guard). On the other hand, you need to know what these channels are in case you ever have an emergency on the water.

[kc8pql]

Marine VHF radios transmit in the frequency range from 156.025 to 157.425 mhz. and are FM.

FRS radios use 462.56 to 467.71 mhz FM

CB radio is in the neighborhood of 25 mhz and is either AM (older radios) or SSB

Commercial radios like those used on construction sites, taxis ect. use still other frequencies.

You may have a compatability problem.

[Bruce Hooke]

If you are in fact dealing with a VHF you should also be aware that last I checked (15 years ago now) there were severe restrictions on using a VHF radio when not on the water...

[Bruce Hooke]

On the other hand, I do recall hearing at one point that a lot of fisherman in Maine tended to use a CB rather than a VHF so maybe you are in fact dealing with a CB...

[maa. melee]

it is most definately a CB radio. whether that means all cb radios are vhf radios i dont know. of course i dont use channel 16 and channels 1-5 for broadcasting since those are emergency and weather channels. maybe i was wrong for trying to communicate on land but id rather try it out here than have to fuss around with it on a churning ocean. the radio i bought new is labeled as a '40-channel 5-watt CB walkie-talkie'. It does not require a license.
here it is:

http://www.radioshack.com/images/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/21/21-1679.jpg

the one on my boat is permanently mounted to the underside of the deck and is already registered. i have the license to prove it. i still have the manuals that came with the boat's cb radio but unfortunately they are currently at my summer house, where my boat is so i wont be able to retreive them until next week. everything seems to be in order but the damned thing just wont work.

[ 07-07-2005, 05:50 PM: Message edited by: maa. melee ]

[Meerkat]

Just because the boat's radio has been "registered", it does not count unless it's in your name. That is, if VHF base station radios are still required to be licensed at all.

[maa. melee]

the one in the boat is registered in my name. it works with no problems. i've used it before for docking, ship to lock operator communications, and receiving weather forcasts.

[ 07-07-2005, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: maa. melee ]

[Meerkat]

Originally posted by maa. melee:
the one in the boat is registered in my name. it works with no problems. i've used it before for docking, ship to lock operator communications, and receiving weather forcasts.Well, not to be pedantic or anything, but if you have used it for docking, ship to lock opererator communications, etc, then it's surely a VHF marine radio and not a Citizen's Band (CB) radio. It will just confuse people, perhaps at a bad time, if you call it a CB radio.

VHF marine "handy-talkies" do exist and are quite popular, especially for small boats and staying in touch with the mother ship.

FWIW, that CB handy-talky you showed above is illegal for use on the water. So are cell phones, but everyone seems to ignore that, even the CG.

[paladin]

I think ya got two different types of radios....

[raycon]

I think k8cql (sp?) hit the nail on the head.

*CG on a Cell Phone will put you in touch with the coast guard. Not implemented everywhere yet but there is a push for it. Cell coverage on our waters is spotty at best.

[Meerkat]

3 people up in Bellingham, WA owe their survival to being able to call the CG via cell phone. The lady was just able to call them as their crabbing boat abruptly started taking on water and sank within a minute. CG was able to find them very quickly.

[kc8pql]

Originally posted by paladin:
I think ya got two different types of radios....Yeah, me to. You've got a marine VHF on the boat and a CB portable. Ain't no way you can do what you want to do with those two radios. They're two different "services" as the FCC calls them.
Also be aware that even if they were both the same type, the range is rather short. Line of site is about it, so if the shore station is over the horizon, maybe 15 to 30 miles depending on antenna hight, it won't work anyway.

By the way, licenses are no longer required for Marine VHF if they are used only within US waters. You need the license only if you sail to another country. (This is for the US)

[maa. melee]

i could be wrong. its been a long week but ill try and get this in order. thank you meerkat and all the others. ill sort this as always and this too will come to pass. the range doesnt really bother me since i only need to talk to land-based family or friends when trailering, docking, or requesting bait or tools from shore. ill do some research and keep you posted.

[Gary E]

Originally posted by maa. melee:
i could be wrong. its been a long week but ill try and get this in order. thank you meerkat and all the others. ill sort this as always and this too will come to pass. the range doesnt really bother me since i only need to talk to land-based family or friends when trailering, docking, or requesting bait or tools from shore. ill do some research and keep you posted.Aren't you the guy who...
...wanted to cast hiz own alumin prop?
...torch cut off a chevy V8 to make a V2 or something?
...wanted to make a steam engine for a small boat?

If that's you no wonder your confused...

Do they still have payphones so you can call for help?

If that's not you, well, sorry, you do sound just like him...

[BrianW]

According to your description above, they are definitely two different kinds of radios. The differences in frequencies was already pointed out above. Just because they both use 'channels' that have the same numbers, doesn't make them compatable. There's nothing to 'sort out' between your two radios, as they ain't ever gonna talk to each other. ;)

Oh, feel free to use channel 16 on your Citizens Band (CB) radio, as channel 19 is the 'hailing channel' on those radios. Enjoy talking to friendly truckers. smile.gif You can also feel free to hit the tranmit button while on the weather channels (1-5) on your VHF marine radio, but don't be suprised if the weather dude doesn't reply, he's kinda busy. :D

[maa. melee]

i believe 16 on my onboard radio is the emergency one since it has a 'quick-jump-to' channel 16 switch in red. by 'sort out' i mean try and figure out which radio i actually need to be able to communicate with the boat.
oh and btw, the aluminum prop (which turned out wonderful) hangs from my wall, the steam engine is under construction and the cut up big block is sitting in my basement at my summer house waiting to power a sump pump. :D :D once again, thank you all for your help. its very appreciated.

[ 07-08-2005, 11:26 AM: Message edited by: maa. melee ]

[Gary E]

You can also feel free to hit the tranmit button while on the weather channels (1-5) on your VHF marine radio, but don't be suprised if the weather dude doesn't reply, he's kinda busy. That reminds me of a guy who always asks the CoastGuard for a radio check before every trip...

Guy....
Coast Guard this is the MaryJane, radio check please....

CG....
MaryJane this is the CG, we hear you LOUD and CLEAR and to DAMMED OFTEN