John,
I usually only pay for functionality, so if it’s the number one selling unit at West Marine that’s usually not my choice. I’ve run boats aground a couple of times, it was a soft bottom both times and I was looking right at the paper chart. It only took seconds to get off each time so more of an embarrassment than anything else. At that point I started looking for forward looking solutions. Beep beep bam result from depth alarm doesn’t get it done if it’s a dredged channel wall in front of you. At one point I sent a company letter with a product idea after seeing their product being manufactured on an assembly line in Singapore. They have formally disavowed ever receiving the letter but they released that product a year later. It was too expensive for my blood so I kept after it asking questions at boat shows etc. I found PC navigation software for commercial vessels that provided a “bow projection alarm” but the company failed before going main stream. Standard Horizon was the first (and the only as far as I know) to integrate a forward looking alarm function into (all) their chart plotters. I watched for a sale and bought a B&W display unit with I got the functionality I wanted. IMHO phase one of the Rescue 2000 program should have been to install a SH DSC VHF & SH CP on every mobile asset in the CG inventory. I saw the need for the DSC Distress system but never understood who benefited from the giant military system approach. Instead of using the new DSC technology they focused on a new analog triangulation system. Even if I was sailing more than 25 miles from any other vessel it only takes a single DSC distress packet to hone in on my location. If I were sailing out of range I’d get (or rent) an EPIRB. Imagine if the C-130 only has to pass within DSC VHF range to know my exactly location, well ok about 10 feet of my exact location. Big search efforts get very efficient all of a sudden. We just had to do our part. I think the best part of my RAM unit is the wire. Besides being a tether it is immune to radio interference and it still keeps that 25 watt transmitting antenna up away from the rest of my systems. I think many skippers including myself have discovered that not all the electronics on a boat enjoys being blasted at close range with even the 5 watt HH VHF. I know the USCG had a loss of life incident at their heavy weather school when a HH transmitted next to an auto pilot remote. We had a similar abrupt turn incident into oncoming high speed traffic but we were under calm conditions and got it recovered in after a few hectic moments. Just one of those unforeseeable things, my wife answered a hail on the HH VHF by keying it in its holder rather than picking it up. Which put its antenna very close to the auto pilot controller, it turned the rudder hard over as fast as it could. Phil Agur <http://www.catalina27.org/public_pages/profile270.htm> s/v Wing Tip C270 LE #184 MMSI 366901790 From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John Jennings Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 12:00 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: RE: RE: [IC27A] Fixed Mount VHF Radio Phil and Mark Thanks for your thoughts on the subject. I really like the idea of a wireless mic but I have not priced it yet. Phil, I am positive that I will never have the electronics that's on Wing Tip, but I will have to say it's very impressive. John J.. Mar 15, 2010 02:44:28 PM, [email protected] wrote: John, I was just wearing my Standard Horizon hat over the weekend. There’s little doubt IMHO opinion that they are the brand to buy for VHF radio and small Chart Plotters. I don’t think the Spectrum DSC VHF we have is still being sold but that should deter you as I expect current unit to only be better. Wing Tip has a wired RAM (mic) which is really a small control panel mic and speaker for the VHF and PA system as well. The combination of the SH DSC VHF and a SH GPS Chart Plotter really shines because they were made to function together. I have the CP-150 in the cockpit and the DSC VHF at the nav station. The DSC VHF displays LAT/LON data so you can do your paper chart chores down below and the Chart Plotter plots all incoming DSC distress calls as a waypoint as they are received. The CP-150 also drives my Autohelm ST4000 if I want to follow a route/goto but the real nice feature is the depth alarm. The CP-150 will read the charted data in your path and sound an alarm if it is less than your setting for depth at your set range. A forward looking alarm! http://www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=83&isArchived=1&DivisionID=3 Phil Agur <http://www.catalina27.org/public_pages/profile270.htm> s/v Wing Tip C270 LE #184 MMSI 366901790 From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John Jennings Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 2:41 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: RE: [IC27A] Fixed Mount VHF Radio Group I will be replacing a circa ' 83 VHF radio and relocating it from port to starboard side. I am interested in a small $200-$350 range unit that will serve my purposes of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. I also want one with a remote control (mic) from the cockpit. If it has to be hard wired the connection should be in back of the radio. I also understand some manufactures have full function wireless mics that alleviate the need for additional cords on the boat. Additionally, I understand all new VHF radios are equipped for digital selective calling (DSC) and all DSC radios are not the same, Class D and SC-101, allowing for flexibility in monitoring and receiving. I would appreciate any and all advice on the subject. John Jennings Barjoh, '83 C27, #5267 Middle River, MD
