VHF or 27 MEG?

[Scope]

G'day all.

I've got another marine electronics question for those in the know........

Before I ask I have to inform everyone I have never used the radio in my boat... I know only that it works because I've turned it on.

So here goes.........

I've got what I'm assuming is a 27meg radio. (I'm pretty sure, the guy at the shop told me if you switch it on and 88 comes up its 27M, 16 means VHF - hope this is right)

The aerial is a fixed one, which i had to remove in order to get the boat into the garage.

I wanted to get a removable screw in type. So I went down to the shop(big name boat store) told the guy what I wanted and he reckoned I might be better of switching to a vhf. He seemed to think no one used 27 meg and it was weak etc etc.

I only have a 4.35 m tinny that gets out in the rivers and the bay.

So my question is.... what does everyone use? will 27meg be sufficient for moreton bay and other close in missions?

I don't really want to have to buy a whole new radio set up if I don't have to

Cheers - Jono

[straddiebrad]

i use 27meg and a lot of other people on here use the same should be good,i think they have a range of 5 mile.

[Scope]

Thanks Brad, how far do you go mate?

I've never been anywhere in my boat where my mobile phone didn't work. So I'm guessing 27mhz is pretty safe for the bay?

Cheers - Jono

[goldnugget]

I guess the main question is which one is more likely to be of use if you really need it. As far as I am aware, most VMRs monitor both bands. However, without knowing what most boaties have (its probably 50/50 out there) I couldnt give you a definite answer. Around Brissie you would probably be ok with either, but as you have experienced, the consensus seems to be moving to VHF and if you are going to upgrade, then that may be the shot. The other thing to do before you do anything else is get together with another 27 meg user, you go one way, they go the other, and see if your current radio does actually work properly.

[tugger]

i got a 27meg only because most of my mates boats have them and i would want to contact them while i'm out and the other is i don't go far offshore to warrant a vhf, the other thing if your thinking of using a vhf is you need a radio license to use 1 legally so you must ask yourself who you might fish with if you want to talk to other boats and what they have and are you travelling far away enough to need a vhf

[Scope]

Cheers for the replies guys.

It would seem that from reading through the old posts, that the consensus is in fact that plenty of people use 27MHZ. I think the guy from the shop might have been one of these yachting types who heads offshore a fair bit. As good as his intentions were, I probably didn't explain everything properly to him...

I don't head far enough out to warrant an upgrade, I guess I'll just stick with 27...

Thanks for all the input guys, I really appreciate it

- Jono

[noname]

johnno, i use both at different times, also, note there are 2 different length aerials for the ol 27 meg. go the longer 1 if ya can, and get a reputable brand of radio, i have a good working vhf if you want 1, just needs an aerial, but keep min mind that like mark said , you do need a licence to be legal,,, to use a vhf...i use a navman 27 meg as it was a much better unit than the gme brand and i use the new icom vhf radio, as it to is way better than the gme and also better than the oregon scientific. but vhf are all pretty similar but 27 megs can be a bit hit n miss with certain brands. thats just my findings.

rob.

[Scope]

double post sorry

[Scope]

Ahhh ok cheers Rob. I'll go for the longer one then. I think mine is just run of the mill gme. I'll give it a go and see what happens. Thanks for the advice mate

Jono

[mick fillet]

27 meg will do ya. its all i use .

somthing i have noticed is that on a mid week trip where there are not that many boats on the water with there 27 meg radios on the reception and range isnt all that great maybe 10-15 km lucky in the bay i know this cause i can hear the location there talking of in relation to where iam.

and on the weekends when there are heaps of boats on the water with there 27 megs on the range is fantasic. i have been in the spitfire chanel and heard tugger at boat rock. also been at mud and talked to mates up coloundra way

i think the frequency skips between the boats bit like a steping stones, iam not sure if its waht they call a repeater channel? rob might clear the air on this

anyway go 27 meg

[Scope]

Thanks Mick, I found some of your old posts on the subject too, very helpful. Cheers for the advice

Jono