I am looking to re-do my VHF radio system on my trailer sailor and want it to work for a couple situations besides the normal safety applications.
In one case, we are traveling with a group of boats and there will be occasional communication between the boats. This is while we are traveling (either motoring or sailing) so Im sitting somewhere in the cockpit. I need to hear the radio com and also need to be able to respond while sitting in the cockpit. Everyone I need to communicate with will be less than a mile away.
Second is in a Christmas parade where I am sitting all the way to the back of the cockpit and Im running the tiller and motor. I may have up to five other guest on board (making a LOT of happy noise LOL) and I need to be in radio communication with other boats that are close by. I need to hear com from the other boats and also need to be able to immediately respond still sitting in the back running the tiller and outboard.
What Im doing now.. I have a VHF radio inside the cabin that is left on high volume but just has an internal speaker. I keep a completely separate hand held VHF radio (adequate distance wise) with me in the cockpit.
The idea is that I will hear any com from the radio in the cabin but respond with the hand held in the cockpit. Problem is that I often cant hear the radio in the cabin (especially if guest on board in the cockpit).. The hand held mostly works for this but the one I have doesnt charge the battery when the radio is turned on. I have a way to charge it from where Im sitting but since I leave it off to keep it charged, Im not using it to hear any chat going on. The hand held is water resistant so is fine out in the cockpit.
So.. Im wondering if some sort of external speaker and mic setup might be what I need to change to.. The radio would still need to work inside the cabin and I want an internal GPS. But how to accommodate the cockpit use where you also may get rained on and general weathering.
In one case, we are traveling with a group of boats and there will be occasional communication between the boats. This is while we are traveling (either motoring or sailing) so Im sitting somewhere in the cockpit. I need to hear the radio com and also need to be able to respond while sitting in the cockpit. Everyone I need to communicate with will be less than a mile away.
Second is in a Christmas parade where I am sitting all the way to the back of the cockpit and Im running the tiller and motor. I may have up to five other guest on board (making a LOT of happy noise LOL) and I need to be in radio communication with other boats that are close by. I need to hear com from the other boats and also need to be able to immediately respond still sitting in the back running the tiller and outboard.
What Im doing now.. I have a VHF radio inside the cabin that is left on high volume but just has an internal speaker. I keep a completely separate hand held VHF radio (adequate distance wise) with me in the cockpit.
The idea is that I will hear any com from the radio in the cabin but respond with the hand held in the cockpit. Problem is that I often cant hear the radio in the cabin (especially if guest on board in the cockpit).. The hand held mostly works for this but the one I have doesnt charge the battery when the radio is turned on. I have a way to charge it from where Im sitting but since I leave it off to keep it charged, Im not using it to hear any chat going on. The hand held is water resistant so is fine out in the cockpit.
So.. Im wondering if some sort of external speaker and mic setup might be what I need to change to.. The radio would still need to work inside the cabin and I want an internal GPS. But how to accommodate the cockpit use where you also may get rained on and general weathering.