| VHF Radio
Sailing lexicon: VHF Radio
The most important topics and terms around the ship!
The bigger the antenna, the bigger the range. Two yachts with a 9m antenna could reach each other up to 15 sea miles quite good. Shore stations have higher masts and therefore a range up to 60 sea miles. Sometimes the range is bigger, but you may not count on it. The bigger the antenna.
Attention!
No radio without license. Whoever wants to use a VHF unit has to pass an exam (there are also lessons on weekends). Buy only licensed units and let it only be built in by a professional.
Ship-to-ship traffic
- Handling of audible communication between two ships
- Free of charge
- Call on channel 16
- Handling on other channels, pleasure vessels preferably 69 or 72, in the Netherlands only 67 is
- allowed (“Marifonie”)
Example: the yacht „Wind“calls channel 16:
“Eagle, eagle, eagle, this is wind, wind wind, over”
Eagle answers: “Wind, this is eagle, please on channel 69, over.”
Thereupon both switch and talk on channel 69.
| 16 | Emergency and call channel | 10 and 77 | ship-ship-channel for fishermen |
| 06 | International ship-ship-channel | 67 and 73 | ship-ship-channel for diggers |
| 08 | Vessels | 69 and 72 | ship-ship-channel for yachts |
| 09 | Coast guard | ||
| 13 | Authority vehicles |
Ship-shore-traffic
- Conversations betweens ships and shore stations, also free of charge (there is only a charge on telephone calls to shore participants)
Radio conversation – Everybody who has a radio on board can speak to persons on shore anytime, provided there is a radio station nearby.
This is the procedure:
- Find out the next coast radio station (range max. 30 sea miles, find out working channel)
- Bear your own call sign in mind
- FIRST LISTENING, THEN SENDING
- Take the handset and call. If the coast radio station does not answer immediately, the radio operators are overloaded. Wait and try again after a while.
How to announce a radio conversation:
The last word “over” signalizes the interlocutor that it is his turn to press the button and speak. At the end of the conversation you just say “out” instead of “over” which does not need a reply.
