VHF... are you up to speed?

I've grown accustomed to people showing up at the Cove and tending to want to use 69 because they feel it's a "kayaker" channel, or they may feel that we need to have our own channel away from the local talk.  I maintain that we should be on the local channel - 68 - because it's very important to hear what the powerboaters and other local voices are saying, and they should hear us too.  Not only is it very helpful for fishing info, but safetywise it's huge.  If a powerboat, the tractor launch, or any other local is trying to hail a kayaker we don't want them wondering what channel we're using.

I am not sure about so many of us using channel 68 for GS. With all the fish id, size, and bag limit questions asked over VHF each tournament, the locals will probably think we are a bunch of clueless out of towners there to kill all their fish, more so than usual. Unless they already think that of us. Then by all means, use 68 for all the fishing regulation questions.

Pop quiz on regs and yelloweye ID before being allowed to launch a GS make sense to me. The basic regs chatter is embarrassing.

I always set my vhf to scan multiple channels (like 11, 16, 68, 69). And if there's a lot of people OTW, I try to establish a 'alternate channel' with my crew/partner...just in case I want to transmit proprietary info...i.e., "Hey ginger, switch over to the secret channel; I found a hot sanddab bite."

It should also be noted that most commies know each others' MMSI #s, so they use DSC to communicate the good info.


In Santa Cruz/Monterey: 9 is comms w/harbor, 11 & 19 are used by sporties, 18 & 74 are used by commies. But many people often use 68 & 69 to chitchat.
In HMB: 74 is comms w/harbor, 19 is used by sporties, and 18 is used by commies. 69 also popular for chitchat.
In SF bay: 12 & 14 are for vessel traffic svcs or harbor comms, 68 is used by sporties. 88 is used sometimes by partyboats.


Below is copy & pasted from Coastside:
9- Bodega
07-Harbors
09-Primary Channel for bridges on the Delta
10-Out of Noyo
11-Santa Cruz/Monterey
13-The Montezuma Lock monitors this channel
19-Half Moon Bay/Coastside in general
67-GG Charter Boats
68-Inside SF Bay and the GG
69-Kayak Anglers
88-San Pablo Bay
68,69, 71, 72, 78 – These are the proper channels to use for vessel to vessel communications
27, 28, & 86 -Stockton Marine operator – upriver from Pittsburg
26, 84, & 87 -San Francisco Marine Operator – downriver/Susuin from Martinez to San Francisco Bay and beyond


More info: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtvhf



 

I watched the GS3 rescue on you tube and you all did an amazing job coordinating. Not sure who took coms command but they sounded like they had plenty of experience in managing emergencies.Hats off gents, it was awesome to watch.

That was thanks to Don Danglin. He managed the comms in that situation brilliantly.

I personally like 77 to 69.......since I would get 8 more 

The basic regs chatter is embarrassing.

Why? I'm glad to answer such questions whenever it might help somebody avoid a possible violation...

The basic regs chatter is embarrassing.

Why? I'm glad to answer such questions whenever it might help somebody avoid a possible violation...

Because you should know the regs before you go fishing. And if you don't, that's bad and you should feel bad.

Answering the question once it has ben asked isn't a problem of course. The problem is needing to ask in the first place.

I always research the regs for the area I fish. Sometimes I catch a species I wasn't expecting and don't know if it's a legal take. And I don't carry a full guide for regs on board. Heck I was out with Pablito Pescador and he had to send CenCoast a picture of a fish to identify. Turned out to be a Starry.
It can be aggrivating when you devote a lot of time to a hobby and some noobs can't stop asking about simple regs. I get it.
What's the slot limit on Garibaldi north of pigeon point?

I always research the regs for the area I fish. Sometimes I catch a species I wasn't expecting and don't know if it's a legal take. And I don't carry a full guide for regs on board. Heck I was out with Pablito Pescador and he had to send CenCoast a picture of a fish to identify. Turned out to be a Starry.

That's a bit different then "What is the legal size of a lingcod?" when you are intentionally targeting lingcod.

What's the slot limit on Garibaldi north of pigeon point?

4cm-8" fork length.

AbKing wrote:<snipped>

When people get carried away with chitchat it takes away from everyone else's ability to communicate - people need to keep this in mind and self regulate, or others should speak up and remind heavy users of this, IMO.

This one is the one that drives me nuts. The rundown on what the folks onshore had for lunch, the trinkets purchased and "tell me about every fish you've caught, honey". Don't do that.

I have always thought of hooking a base (VHF) unit up to my kayak trailer for use at events. The reason is that a base unit would not only transmit farther,  but receive a signal from a weaker (5 amp) handheld at a farther distance.

I've got one in the RV and Jeep to monitor transmissions ; however, i believe extended use ship-to-shore is not permitted....

Yah,
After talking with FCC, I might have to hold off on mounting an antenna to the building. The license will cost me $480. A little more than I want to spend just to hook up.
Apparently, just using your handheld from shore requires the same license.
Although, the nice guy at the FCC did say that if I hooked up the radio to a cart or mobile device, it would probably never be an issue (although still illegal ) as long as I was limited and discreet with use.

This discussion has brought me to this conclusion:  I wish people would just use the VHF for necessary communications - most of us do.

If it's a slow day with no one really using it, then a bit of an extended discussion is fine - it's appreciated even!  But when we're in a tournament setting with 200 people on the water and more in the campground who monitor the talk, people need to keep perspective and have some discipline!

It's all relative to the situation you're in, and that, I'm sure, is how it works for those with a land-based unit too.  No one's going to bust a guy for having it - only for abusing/misusing it.

As for knowing the regs, I don't want to judge those who are discovering the sport for the first time, but in a tourney setting, if you don't know the regs then you should be disqualified.

This discussion has brought me to this conclusion:  I wish people would just use the VHF for necessary communications - most of us do.

If it's a slow day with no one really using it, then a bit of an extended discussion is fine - it's appreciated even!  But when we're in a tournament setting with 200 people on the water and more in the campground who monitor the talk, people need to keep perspective and have some discipline!

It's all relative to the situation you're in, and that, I'm sure, is how it works for those with a land-based unit too.  No one's going to bust a guy for having it - only for abusing/misusing it.

As for knowing the regs, I don't want to judge those who are discovering the sport for the first time, but in a tourney setting, if you don't know the regs then you should be disqualified.

i agree
if you want to chat , get the cheap 2 way radios.
at a tournament last year there was so much talking, i ended up turning off the radio.

Thanks to Eric and Pat both for those links as only an occasional user with a bad memory it's great info.

Other than ch 69 and 16, I think Ill make a little laminated cheat sheet to go with my minature RF ID card.

AbKing wrote:<snipped>

When people get carried away with chitchat it takes away from everyone else's ability to communicate - people need to keep this in mind and self regulate, or others should speak up and remind heavy users of this, IMO.

This one is the one that drives me nuts. The rundown on what the folks onshore had for lunch, the trinkets purchased and "tell me about every fish you've caught, honey". Don't do that.

Yes!
And with 200 kayakers OTW you are likely close enough to someone else to paddle over and ask the regs questions instead of broadcasting. Like someone else here stated, it's embarrassing.