vhf radio question

[gradywhiteman]

Just started using our boat with a new radio (never had a vhf before) and I don't hear any transmissions other than the weather forecast just wondering what I might have done wrong? I just thought there would be a lot of talking going on out there. Thanks.

 

[magicalbill]

Rule of thumb..If you can pick up the weather, your antenna and radio are working and you should be able to get ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore also.

1.) Make sure you dial your squelch knob so that you hear background noise. Turn it counter-clockwise until the noise appears, then back it off clockwise slightly until the noise JUST goes away. This allows you to pick up more transmissions.
2.) Run Channel 16/9/68/69. Those are generally the busiest channels. 16 is not as used as it once was since they designated #9 as the new hailing frequency a couple years ago.
3.) Try hailing someone and asking for a radio check on 9/68/69/71. Make sure you get a location of the person you hail to compute how far your radio is transmitting.

Keep in mind also that I'll go for long periods(30-45 minutes sometimes) without hearing another transmission.
Let us know what happens.

 

[magicalbill]

Crap..One more thing I forgot.
Use the "Scan" feature( you probably have one) and program the channels I listed above so it will cover them all. It'll stop whenever it hears a call on whatever channel you have programmed into the scan mode.
This is easier than just monitoring one channel at a time and you won't miss a call on Ch.#9 when your listening to #16, for example.

 

[seasick]

Please, get a manual and read it. I seems that you are unfamiliar with the operation of the radio and if you were to have an emergency you mght not be able to call for help.

BTW, you are tuned to a weather channel.

 

[30marlin]

Could be a shorted connector.

Just fixed a simialer problem with mine. The previous owner had all the electronics installed by a professional installer.

I discovered that I can't hear anyone off in the distance. I can hear Coast Guard and Seatow base stations that transmit at a higher power but can't hear anyone else. Channel 16 was very quite compared to my old boat. I can't transmit more than a half mile and only get the New York NOAA station.

Depending on the antenna construction it will test open or shorted when checking the outer and inner terminals with an ohm meter. You can find specifications at the manufactures web site. I have the shorted type. I cut off the old connector and found the connector was shorted.
I ground open the connector and found two center core wires were bent back and had been solder to the outter jacket wires.

I solder on a new connector and now the radio works great. I get six NOAA stations from Long Island down to Delaware and out to central Pennsylvania. I can know hear all traffic on the radio just as good as my old Icom set up on my old boat.

Good luck

 

[gradywhiteman]

Thanks for your replys. I took the boat out tonight and the radio worked well. I was concerned because I had to solder the tip of the ant. connector to the cable and I thought maybe the solder joint wasn't any good. I am going to program those channels in to the scan mode and see how it works. Thanks again.