Arte CB radio and VHF Marine radios the same basic items and can one use a CB Radio on a boat with equal results?
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Nope!
They basically operate on different frequencies. Different CB and VHF channels. I think the only exception in Ch16. I found out by accident a number of years ago while travelling over a bridge in CT.
They basically operate on different frequencies. Different CB and VHF channels. I think the only exception in Ch16. I found out by accident a number of years ago while travelling over a bridge in CT.
Not even close to the same
Paul provides some incorrect advice, marine VHF channel 16 and CB channel 16 are NOT the same frequency - by a wide spectrum! Marine VHF channel 16 is 156.800 Mhz CB channel 16 is 27.55 Mhz CB can be used on boats for informal, boat-to-boat / buddy to buddy communications, but for not much more. Marine VHF is a much more formal set of frequencies/channels, established for marine use, and most importantly, internationally recognized that Channel 16 (156.800 Mhz) is designated for Disress calling (and for establishing initial intership communication). The Coast Guard Monitors (and records) transmissions on Channel 16, and in the event of an emergency on the water, utilizing channel 16 on your VHF radio will most probably be your best bet for contacting someone to help! Good Luck! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
Paul provides some incorrect advice, marine VHF channel 16 and CB channel 16 are NOT the same frequency - by a wide spectrum! Marine VHF channel 16 is 156.800 Mhz CB channel 16 is 27.55 Mhz CB can be used on boats for informal, boat-to-boat / buddy to buddy communications, but for not much more. Marine VHF is a much more formal set of frequencies/channels, established for marine use, and most importantly, internationally recognized that Channel 16 (156.800 Mhz) is designated for Disress calling (and for establishing initial intership communication). The Coast Guard Monitors (and records) transmissions on Channel 16, and in the event of an emergency on the water, utilizing channel 16 on your VHF radio will most probably be your best bet for contacting someone to help! Good Luck! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
Get VHF with DSC
CB isn't in the same league as VHF and I wouldn't want my life to depend on a CB while out sailing. Buy a VHF with DSC since channel 16 has been abandoned in parts of Europe and will be abandoned by the Coast Guard in Canada and the States, sooner rather than latter. Channel 70 with DSC will be monitored instead. With DSC hooked up to a GPS, you push a button for five seconds and your position, type of boat, owner and time are continuously broadcast over channel 70 indicating you are in distress (or a Mayday situation).
CB isn't in the same league as VHF and I wouldn't want my life to depend on a CB while out sailing. Buy a VHF with DSC since channel 16 has been abandoned in parts of Europe and will be abandoned by the Coast Guard in Canada and the States, sooner rather than latter. Channel 70 with DSC will be monitored instead. With DSC hooked up to a GPS, you push a button for five seconds and your position, type of boat, owner and time are continuously broadcast over channel 70 indicating you are in distress (or a Mayday situation).
Keep it simple
By a handheld marine radio if necessary. No trucker can come to your rescue out there.
By a handheld marine radio if necessary. No trucker can come to your rescue out there.
cb/vhf
Not only are the frequencies different but also the modulation ie CB=am or sideband and marine vhf=fm modulation
Not only are the frequencies different but also the modulation ie CB=am or sideband and marine vhf=fm modulation
Tim, please explain to me then...
...why a few years ago I was picking up boaters on channel 16 while I was communication in my car to another car? We had boaters all around us. Was I "stepping on" marine CH16 with my CB? When I inquired to the other car that this sounded like a marine channel, a boater cut in and was terse with me for using CH16 to communicate to the other car. *o I'm not being snotty, but I'd like to know, simply for curiosity sake, since I no longer use a CB in my car.
...why a few years ago I was picking up boaters on channel 16 while I was communication in my car to another car? We had boaters all around us. Was I "stepping on" marine CH16 with my CB? When I inquired to the other car that this sounded like a marine channel, a boater cut in and was terse with me for using CH16 to communicate to the other car. *o I'm not being snotty, but I'd like to know, simply for curiosity sake, since I no longer use a CB in my car.
How much "sooner"?
I read everything boating that comes across my bow, from BoatUS magazine to the various sailing mags to the free newspapers, plus this and other forums, plus the instructions that came with my new VHF radio, and have never heard even one peep that somehow channel 16 was being phased out or that it was already being phased out in Europe. If that is true, someone has a big education job to get started on. Am I the only one who doesn't know about this or is RSN the only one who does? What's the timetable? And when did anyone plan to tell the boating public?
I read everything boating that comes across my bow, from BoatUS magazine to the various sailing mags to the free newspapers, plus this and other forums, plus the instructions that came with my new VHF radio, and have never heard even one peep that somehow channel 16 was being phased out or that it was already being phased out in Europe. If that is true, someone has a big education job to get started on. Am I the only one who doesn't know about this or is RSN the only one who does? What's the timetable? And when did anyone plan to tell the boating public?
Coast Guard and GMDSS, the official word
From the NAVCEN GMDSS FAQ at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/faq/gmdssfaq.htm#channel GMDSS ships will be allowed to cease guarding VHF channel 16 on February 1, 2005, and have already ceased watchkeeping on 2182 kHz. Is that safe? How will ships not equipped with GMDSS (i.e. digital selective calling) be able to contact such ships in an emergency? That question was raised at the International Maritime Organization. It was to prevent this interoperability problem that the date GMDSS ships may cease to guard VHF channel 16 was deferred six years, until 2005. DSC should be common on new radios, and presumably, on ships not subject to GMDSS, by that date. 2182 kHz watchkeeping is another matter. In that case, an interoperability problem already exists. Most SOLAS-regulated ships guarding 2182kHz do so using an autoalarm receiver, which can only be triggered by an autoalarm signal transmitted on 2182 kHz. Autoalarm receivers and signal generators are not new;SOLAS-regulated ships have been using them for decades. Since few ships not subject to GMDSS carry an autoalarm generator, they could not initiate contact on 2182 kHz with most SOLAS ships. Extending the 2182 kHz watchkeeping date on those ships would benefit no one. For that reason IMO decided to allow GMDSS-regulated ships to discontinue watchkeeping on 2182 kHz on February 1, 1999, as originally scheduled. The U.S. Coast Guard will, of course, continue a listening watch, with a live watchstander, on both VHF channel 16 and 2182 kHz.
From the NAVCEN GMDSS FAQ at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/faq/gmdssfaq.htm#channel GMDSS ships will be allowed to cease guarding VHF channel 16 on February 1, 2005, and have already ceased watchkeeping on 2182 kHz. Is that safe? How will ships not equipped with GMDSS (i.e. digital selective calling) be able to contact such ships in an emergency? That question was raised at the International Maritime Organization. It was to prevent this interoperability problem that the date GMDSS ships may cease to guard VHF channel 16 was deferred six years, until 2005. DSC should be common on new radios, and presumably, on ships not subject to GMDSS, by that date. 2182 kHz watchkeeping is another matter. In that case, an interoperability problem already exists. Most SOLAS-regulated ships guarding 2182kHz do so using an autoalarm receiver, which can only be triggered by an autoalarm signal transmitted on 2182 kHz. Autoalarm receivers and signal generators are not new;SOLAS-regulated ships have been using them for decades. Since few ships not subject to GMDSS carry an autoalarm generator, they could not initiate contact on 2182 kHz with most SOLAS ships. Extending the 2182 kHz watchkeeping date on those ships would benefit no one. For that reason IMO decided to allow GMDSS-regulated ships to discontinue watchkeeping on 2182 kHz on February 1, 1999, as originally scheduled. The U.S. Coast Guard will, of course, continue a listening watch, with a live watchstander, on both VHF channel 16 and 2182 kHz.
CB is OK on a lake
We used a CB on a lake where few boats had VHF radios. Our dock also monitored the CB. We gave the kids CB's to reach us while we were out on the lake. But generally a CB is worthless. A VHF is worthless too if you are the only one on the lake using a VHF. Tom
We used a CB on a lake where few boats had VHF radios. Our dock also monitored the CB. We gave the kids CB's to reach us while we were out on the lake. But generally a CB is worthless. A VHF is worthless too if you are the only one on the lake using a VHF. Tom
Still make 'em?
Gee... I did not know that they still made CB radios. I thought that they went away with bad Burt Reynolds movies and the Dukes of Hazard
Gee... I did not know that they still made CB radios. I thought that they went away with bad Burt Reynolds movies and the Dukes of Hazard
CB Radio's uses
CB (Citizen's Band) radio's are regularly used by chatty fishermen etc. The FCC use regulations are much looser & you can communicate pretty much anything you want as long as you aren't swearing, or doing something illegal. I'll leave the tech talk to someone else...
CB (Citizen's Band) radio's are regularly used by chatty fishermen etc. The FCC use regulations are much looser & you can communicate pretty much anything you want as long as you aren't swearing, or doing something illegal. I'll leave the tech talk to someone else...
Paul, CB and VHF are very different
CB is a much different frequency and completely different modulation method. To hear marine VHF communication on a CB is one thing (a very very unlikely type of interference) but to have two way communication between these two services is virtually impossible. It would be like getting an AM radio station on your TV. There are always wierd stories of people hearing radio stations through fillings in their teeth but that is at least possible.
CB is a much different frequency and completely different modulation method. To hear marine VHF communication on a CB is one thing (a very very unlikely type of interference) but to have two way communication between these two services is virtually impossible. It would be like getting an AM radio station on your TV. There are always wierd stories of people hearing radio stations through fillings in their teeth but that is at least possible.
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