VHF Radio Setup

Got my first one recently - a Standard Horizon 210.

How do most folks setup the channels? It has memory slots, scan mode, etc. I understand the priority emergency channel to be 16 but the hope is to never need that. How do most setup the radio to be used for people out currently fishing in the area conversations with the priority channel available?

I just set mine to 69 and lock. Sometimes have to play with the squelch settings when static.

I don't do dual channels bc it drains the battery in busy spots.

You will likely find that 69 is referred to as the go-to channel by kayakers.  I have never been a fan of using a different channel than the local boating community.  Up here the local channel out of Eureka is 68 - same with Shelter Cove:  68.  I stay on 68, and I might monitor 69 if there are lots of kayakers around - like at my tournament, where there might be over 200 kayakers.  A tournament situation is pretty much the only time that I devote much time to being on 69.  At all other times, I remind my fellow kayakers that the local channel will have talk of the conditions, hazards, the bite, presence of sharks...etc.  The local boaters may be talking about kayakers, and they may be trying to talk TO kayakers.  It may be significantly different in more populated areas, but I still don't think it's wise to separate ourselves from the local boating community that we're participating around.

We are local boaters, so I encourage using the local channel for your port.

Also, while we're on VHF's, I am a firm advocate for redundancy in communication and navigation devices - especially if you go offshore, and certainly if you go solo.  That is to say, have more than one VHF, and have more than one compass and GPS.  Some of the most experienced people on this board - people who go far offshore and who kayak solo on the ocean - have admitted that their VHF battery was dead or died while they were boating that day.

I usually carry 3 VHF's.

I'll be on the side.   

https://coastsidefishingclub.com/vhf-radio-channels/

You will likely find that 69 is referred to as the go-to channel by kayakers.  I have never been a fan of using a different channel than the local boating community.  ......   

OK, great information. So, it sounds like the scanning of the radio shouldn't be my first choice. Instead to lock it onto say... 69. Good suggestion regarding redundancies.

https://coastsidefishingclub.com/vhf-radio-channels/

Thanks, that will go in my dry compartment.

I usually start on 69 but on a busy day that quickly becomes like listening to a  daytime soap opera, at which point I will go to 68. Good to also monitor 16.

If your lonely play around and setup scanning between 68, 69, 11, 9 and catch a lot of boaters and harbor traffic.  But like others I usually lock on 69 and maybe change squelch and volume.  The button in the lower left that says 16/s hit that if you need to use it to switch to 16 immediately (and back).  Learn the basics of VHF radios and how to make a call in an emergency, know the difference between PAN PAN and MAYDAY, and how to give your position.

If your lonely play around and setup scanning between 68, 69, 11, 9 and catch a lot of boaters and harbor traffic.  But like others I usually lock on 69 and maybe change squelch and volume.  The button in the lower left that says 16/s hit that if you need to use it to switch to 16 immediately (and back).  Learn the basics of VHF radios and how to make a call in an emergency, know the difference between PAN PAN and MAYDAY, and how to give your position.

Thank you, will do.

I always monitor 16.  I will also monitor the harbormaster's channel if the nearest port has one (e.g 9 for Santa Cruz, 74 for Pillar Point).  I then monitor either 68 or 69, whichever the local crowd tends to favor.  If that channel is too noisy, I'll switch my buddy and I over to the other for less chatter.

If your radio has weather alert breakthrough, configure it for that, too.  That way if there's a major change in weather for the worse, you will get a heads up via the weather freqs.  On days where I expect the weather to change, I'll monitor the weather radio for a few minutes each hour and mentally note what the buoys are seeing and how the change is coming in.  That way, I can figure out if the change is as expected (stick to the plan), worse than expected (start heading in early before the fan really turns on) or better than expected (extend my float plan to stay out a little longer).

We are local boaters, so I encourage using the local channel for your port.

Good advice. I usually monitor channel 11 in Santa Cruz. I've heard boaters report shark sightings that kayakers on channel 69 would be unaware of...

I mostly follow 19 if I'm around boats, 69 if just around kayakers, and sometimes 16 if alone or those 2 are too loud.