As both cell phone and VHF is dependence on "line of sight" communication the sounds is problematic due to teh deep valleys and high hills in the area.
GENERAL ADVICE
SATELLITE SMS
SPOT
InReach
VHF Handheld
Handheld VHFs are a great emergency asset (great reading here) and do not require a license for emergency or requests for assistance operation. Althoguh these too are line of sight there abilty to communicate is alos rdirecly related to their output power. Handheld VHFs coem in a range of power i.e. "watts" ratings. Some are designed purly for commnicating with a nearby base and thus are lower output typically 2W / 2.5W whereas others are deisgned for standalone communciation with a maxumu wattage of 5W. Although normal VHF sets are somewhere around 25W,
DO NOT store the VHF in your gear compartments - atahc it too yout PFD. Buy a 5W sumerible VHF - casue it is goign to get wet! The oint hen you need it most is probalby gogin to be in less than ideal weather ad you might be eve in teh water yourself.
VHF CHANNELS
Often a handlehld witll have a Watch/monitoring mode where cahnnel 16 and sometimes channel 9 as well as possibly a thrid a user deisginated cahnnel (triple watch facility).
Channel 16 - i Energenecy cahnnel constantly montiored by Maitime Radio (aka the OCastguard)
Channel 9 - calling chanel where one boat will call up another athen "switch" to another cahnnel to as not to congest the calling channel (see: here).
Channel 63 - is the Marlbourfhg Radio channel for boating in the Queen Charlotte and is used by boaties in that area. Although this requires a VHF licence sn aregertration it can be useful for infroamtion. Other parts of the sounds have their own dedicated repeater and VHF channel (see here). It is funed by loacls for loacl use - see here ofr anewspaper article
make sure your unit is et to "internaitonal" as this enables and duplex repaeter stations to operate and extend your coverage(see: Here)
TRAINING COURSES
List of Coastguard afternoon trianign course are avaible here - every sunday for the picton area VHF trianing
VHF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Although anycontact made via a VHF that communicates an emergency will be responeded too there is a set format for emerency calls - see here
Ypu houdl have a breirf outline how to do a
radio check
PANPAN
MAYDAY
and...
MAYDAY RELAY
Simpley turnign teh VHF and listening will give you agood handle on what an dhow to use the radio perform radio checks and call fro aisstence. Callign for assistence is supriisnign not that uncommon - after there is not any breakdown service out here - only the coastyguard and other boaties!
Really googd discusion in this fourm on raiod use - and using it on a regualr baissi see here .. probalby us non-emerggncey call up on channel 16 as the local b
THE FULL MANUL : made avaible by the new zealand coastguard is avialbem here
CALLSIGNS
you might want o do a short VHF course and get a callsign if you will e suing your set for communication purposes its cheap and can be done online (see)
TRIP REPORTS
This is basically - tellign somene where you ar egoign - in this case the caostguard - details on how to file one are in the manual produced by the coastguard here on page 41.
there is a good disucssion about VHF radio use here - utining the need to get into the habit - regereter na dget licnesed
VHF RADIO CHECKS
A radio check should be performed when you are goign out - just to make sure its working.
It is quite
Make sure you "lock" the phone as if the microphone button is pushed it can block the channel for other users in an emrgencey ( see)
Mobile Phones
There are two options of carrier in the sounds Vodafone or Telecom. IT is useful to print out the coverage maps of your carrier. Often markign a good reception point and timing lunch or a rest there is benifical for upadting on wweather forecasts and family/ friends (or business!) - especially as many campsites are deep in the valleys and have little reception.
It is alos useful in an emergency- you know where to sned someone to get a signal out.
DO NOT STORE in a compartment - keep it on yur PFd and sotre in a watertight sumersaible containter or pack - te time you are most liekly to want to use it is gogin to be in not oitmum conditiosn.
AM/FM Radio
GENERAL ADVICE
SATELLITE SMS
SPOT
InReach
VHF Handheld
Handheld VHFs are a great emergency asset (great reading here) and do not require a license for emergency or requests for assistance operation. Althoguh these too are line of sight there abilty to communicate is alos rdirecly related to their output power. Handheld VHFs coem in a range of power i.e. "watts" ratings. Some are designed purly for commnicating with a nearby base and thus are lower output typically 2W / 2.5W whereas others are deisgned for standalone communciation with a maxumu wattage of 5W. Although normal VHF sets are somewhere around 25W,
DO NOT store the VHF in your gear compartments - atahc it too yout PFD. Buy a 5W sumerible VHF - casue it is goign to get wet! The oint hen you need it most is probalby gogin to be in less than ideal weather ad you might be eve in teh water yourself.
VHF CHANNELS
Often a handlehld witll have a Watch/monitoring mode where cahnnel 16 and sometimes channel 9 as well as possibly a thrid a user deisginated cahnnel (triple watch facility).
Channel 16 - i Energenecy cahnnel constantly montiored by Maitime Radio (aka the OCastguard)
Channel 9 - calling chanel where one boat will call up another athen "switch" to another cahnnel to as not to congest the calling channel (see: here).
Channel 63 - is the Marlbourfhg Radio channel for boating in the Queen Charlotte and is used by boaties in that area. Although this requires a VHF licence sn aregertration it can be useful for infroamtion. Other parts of the sounds have their own dedicated repeater and VHF channel (see here). It is funed by loacls for loacl use - see here ofr anewspaper article
make sure your unit is et to "internaitonal" as this enables and duplex repaeter stations to operate and extend your coverage(see: Here)
TRAINING COURSES
List of Coastguard afternoon trianign course are avaible here - every sunday for the picton area VHF trianing
VHF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Although anycontact made via a VHF that communicates an emergency will be responeded too there is a set format for emerency calls - see here
Ypu houdl have a breirf outline how to do a
radio check
PANPAN
MAYDAY
and...
MAYDAY RELAY
Simpley turnign teh VHF and listening will give you agood handle on what an dhow to use the radio perform radio checks and call fro aisstence. Callign for assistence is supriisnign not that uncommon - after there is not any breakdown service out here - only the coastyguard and other boaties!
Really googd discusion in this fourm on raiod use - and using it on a regualr baissi see here .. probalby us non-emerggncey call up on channel 16 as the local b
THE FULL MANUL : made avaible by the new zealand coastguard is avialbem here
CALLSIGNS
you might want o do a short VHF course and get a callsign if you will e suing your set for communication purposes its cheap and can be done online (see)
TRIP REPORTS
This is basically - tellign somene where you ar egoign - in this case the caostguard - details on how to file one are in the manual produced by the coastguard here on page 41.
there is a good disucssion about VHF radio use here - utining the need to get into the habit - regereter na dget licnesed
VHF RADIO CHECKS
A radio check should be performed when you are goign out - just to make sure its working.
It is quite
Make sure you "lock" the phone as if the microphone button is pushed it can block the channel for other users in an emrgencey ( see)
Mobile Phones
There are two options of carrier in the sounds Vodafone or Telecom. IT is useful to print out the coverage maps of your carrier. Often markign a good reception point and timing lunch or a rest there is benifical for upadting on wweather forecasts and family/ friends (or business!) - especially as many campsites are deep in the valleys and have little reception.
It is alos useful in an emergency- you know where to sned someone to get a signal out.
DO NOT STORE in a compartment - keep it on yur PFd and sotre in a watertight sumersaible containter or pack - te time you are most liekly to want to use it is gogin to be in not oitmum conditiosn.
AM/FM Radio
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