VHF radio/flares
Discussion
If it is a one-off event I wouldn't bother with the licence - just get a handheld VHF. Set it to channel 16. Google how to make a Mayday call.
I believe you need the licence to operate the set, not to own it, and, if you have an emergency, the legalities will not be the most imporant consideration.
Re flares, I don't think helicopters like having them fired up at them.
I believe you need the licence to operate the set, not to own it, and, if you have an emergency, the legalities will not be the most imporant consideration.
Re flares, I don't think helicopters like having them fired up at them.
My father used to charter his Squadron 60 out. One evening, a group of fine, upstanding footballers took the boat for a party along with a number of highly paid young ladies. At about 0200, one of the guests decided it would be funny to put out a Mayday as they had run out of Charlie.
The Coastguard were not overly impressed.
The Coastguard were not overly impressed.
Do not let off any flare anywhere near land! I have heard of them landing before extinguished and causing fires!
As for the VHF, you need the certificate of competence as has been said. As for the licence, well four days after my exam I was off Flamborough Head when the gearbox went in the boat I was on. After a Pan call we were towed to launch by Flamborough Lifeboat and met by the Coastguard. I fessed up that we had no VHF licence, to which they replied 'forget it, we rather you be here to confess'.
As for the VHF, you need the certificate of competence as has been said. As for the licence, well four days after my exam I was off Flamborough Head when the gearbox went in the boat I was on. After a Pan call we were towed to launch by Flamborough Lifeboat and met by the Coastguard. I fessed up that we had no VHF licence, to which they replied 'forget it, we rather you be here to confess'.
chris123321 said:
On a side note, ive got a parachute flare here thats well out of date but obviously still dangerous, any chance of it going off randomly?
How the hell do i get rid of it? don't want to let it off as I live in a mountainous area and don't want someone thinking it's a climber in distress.
Wait till 5th November ;-)How the hell do i get rid of it? don't want to let it off as I live in a mountainous area and don't want someone thinking it's a climber in distress.
If you're worried about it, just leave in a bucket of water.
In all seriousness if you do let it off be careful, they go with a real whoosh! ;-) (Don't ask)
Cheers for the advice guys, I've been given a bit more info and we'll likely be part of a safety team who do have their own radios and flares but none for us. Part of this will be motor boats with (presumably) proper radios. The main event organisers are now aware of the issue and are working on it as well, so hopefully all will be well...worse comes to worse we'll have flares but no radio. Only one of the radios linked to looks even half way acceptable for a one use buy and at £70 a shot its pushing it... particularly if i couldn't use it as a toy afterwards.
On a technical point are the flares hand held but shooting something up (on a parachute) or is it the thing in your hand that burns? Or are there both types? I presume most of the ones for around £10ish are the later type in which case beyond being damn bright I wouldn't have any real issues letting them off in a residential area.....parachutes not so!
To the person who asked where its in Torridon. I would say I've been asked not to tell you any more info (locations/routes) than that but I'm very hazy about whats involved anyway!
On a technical point are the flares hand held but shooting something up (on a parachute) or is it the thing in your hand that burns? Or are there both types? I presume most of the ones for around £10ish are the later type in which case beyond being damn bright I wouldn't have any real issues letting them off in a residential area.....parachutes not so!
To the person who asked where its in Torridon. I would say I've been asked not to tell you any more info (locations/routes) than that but I'm very hazy about whats involved anyway!
mcdjl said:
On a technical point are the flares hand held but shooting something up (on a parachute) or is it the thing in your hand that burns? Or are there both types? I
Both types.Some shoot something up on a parachute, some you hold in your hand and it makes a bright light (usually white) , some you hold in your hand and it generates clouds of smoke (usually red).
Miniflares shoot something up but don't have parachutes.
Ayahuasca said:
Both types.
Some shoot something up on a parachute, some you hold in your hand and it makes a bright light (usually white) , some you hold in your hand and it generates clouds of smoke (usually red).
Miniflares shoot something up but don't have parachutes.
Cool, I shall avoid parachute ones, though mini ones sounds potential fun as well, so long as they don't hit the ground burning. Well ok, funs the wrong word, but acceptable for triggering at home. Hand held preferable though.Some shoot something up on a parachute, some you hold in your hand and it makes a bright light (usually white) , some you hold in your hand and it generates clouds of smoke (usually red).
Miniflares shoot something up but don't have parachutes.
Thanks again!
Personally, I'd value some form of PLB over VHF comms if it all goes horribly wrong - a decent PLB will keep screaming blue murder, along with a GPS fix, long after you've lost the ability to make any use of a VHF handset (and that may not take very long at all).
Quite how much use you telling the SAR helicopter 'I'm (glub) on the (glub glub) rocks (glub glub glub) but I don't know where' and quite what they'd be able to tell you to do - other than hold on for dear life - isn't clear.
eharding said:
Personally, I'd value some form of PLB over VHF comms if it all goes horribly wrong - a decent PLB will keep screaming blue murder, along with a GPS fix, long after you've lost the ability to make any use of a VHF handset (and that may not take very long at all).
Quite how much use you telling the SAR helicopter 'I'm (glub) on the (glub glub) rocks (glub glub glub) but I don't know where' and quite what they'd be able to tell you to do - other than hold on for dear life - isn't clear.
That is a very fair point.Quite how much use you telling the SAR helicopter 'I'm (glub) on the (glub glub) rocks (glub glub glub) but I don't know where' and quite what they'd be able to tell you to do - other than hold on for dear life - isn't clear.
But on the other hand if you just want to ask the boat that is within sight to come and give you a tow, a VHF is more use than a PLB.
Edited by Ayahuasca on Wednesday 13th June 00:04
Ayahuasca said:
eharding said:
Personally, I'd value some form of PLB over VHF comms if it all goes horribly wrong - a decent PLB will keep screaming blue murder, along with a GPS fix, long after you've lost the ability to make any use of a VHF handset (and that may not take very long at all).
Quite how much use you telling the SAR helicopter 'I'm (glub) on the (glub glub) rocks (glub glub glub) but I don't know where' and quite what they'd be able to tell you to do - other than hold on for dear life - isn't clear.
That is a very fair point.Quite how much use you telling the SAR helicopter 'I'm (glub) on the (glub glub) rocks (glub glub glub) but I don't know where' and quite what they'd be able to tell you to do - other than hold on for dear life - isn't clear.
But on the other hand if you just want to ask the boat that is within sight to come and give you a tow, a VHF is more use than a PLB.
Two flags and a woggle are perfectly adequate for visual comms.
Edited by eharding on Wednesday 13th June 00:48
eharding said:
In which case I would assert the OP is a lightweight.
Two flags and a woggle are perfectly adequate for visual comms.
I shall learn my sephamore then as I wouldn't want to be thought a light weight. However being Scotland in the summer is rely on visual comms a good idea? Two flags and a woggle are perfectly adequate for visual comms.
Edited by eharding on Wednesday 13th June 00:48
mcdjl said:
eharding said:
In which case I would assert the OP is a lightweight.
Two flags and a woggle are perfectly adequate for visual comms.
I shall learn my sephamore then as I wouldn't want to be thought a light weight. However being Scotland in the summer is rely on visual comms a good idea? Two flags and a woggle are perfectly adequate for visual comms.
Edited by eharding on Wednesday 13th June 00:48
daz3210 said:
Do not let off any flare anywhere near land! I have heard of them landing before extinguished and causing fires!
This. Very much this.Parachute distress flares - unlike fireworks - are designed to stay burning all the way down to the ground. Letting them off over land constitutes a much higher fire risk to property than with fireworks.
Even letting time expired handhelds off for fun isn't without risk - there was a Yachmaster instructor who routinely did this with his students so they'd know what to expect if they ever had to let one off in anger - it burnt unevenly as a consequence of being out of date and effectively exploded in his hand serious burns.
The Coastguard used to accept out of date flares - not sure if they still do.
Talking of VHF, I have just bought a Land Rover Defender that has a two-way radio and very large aerial fitted. I thought it was a CB set, but on examination it turns out to be a VHF with a power output of 65w! Never used a land based VHF before and seems a bit overkill for car to car comms. Doesn't have the regular marine VHF channels programmed in, but I am sure I could assign channels to the corresponding marine channel frequencies. But apart from talking to ships miles out at sea, what use can it be?
Ayahuasca said:
Talking of VHF, I have just bought a Land Rover Defender that has a two-way radio and very large aerial fitted. I thought it was a CB set, but on examination it turns out to be a VHF with a power output of 65w! Never used a land based VHF before and seems a bit overkill for car to car comms. Doesn't have the regular marine VHF channels programmed in, but I am sure I could assign channels to the corresponding marine channel frequencies. But apart from talking to ships miles out at sea, what use can it be?
Well.... Could be useful when you got a smokey on your tail?
Ayahuasca said:
Talking of VHF, I have just bought a Land Rover Defender that has a two-way radio and very large aerial fitted. I thought it was a CB set, but on examination it turns out to be a VHF with a power output of 65w! Never used a land based VHF before and seems a bit overkill for car to car comms. Doesn't have the regular marine VHF channels programmed in, but I am sure I could assign channels to the corresponding marine channel frequencies. But apart from talking to ships miles out at sea, what use can it be?
What frequencies does it cover? Most marine VHF sets are a maximum of 25W. It may be a 2m amateur rig, in which case you shouldn't use it unless you have an amateur licence. 2m band is 144MHz to 146Mhz, but it may be able to receive other frequencies. Marine VHF is around 150-165MHz.tank slapper said:
Ayahuasca said:
Talking of VHF, I have just bought a Land Rover Defender that has a two-way radio and very large aerial fitted. I thought it was a CB set, but on examination it turns out to be a VHF with a power output of 65w! Never used a land based VHF before and seems a bit overkill for car to car comms. Doesn't have the regular marine VHF channels programmed in, but I am sure I could assign channels to the corresponding marine channel frequencies. But apart from talking to ships miles out at sea, what use can it be?
What frequencies does it cover? Most marine VHF sets are a maximum of 25W. It may be a 2m amateur rig, in which case you shouldn't use it unless you have an amateur licence. 2m band is 144MHz to 146Mhz, but it may be able to receive other frequencies. Marine VHF is around 150-165MHz.According to the manual it transmits from 144-148 MHz, although I definitely had it transmitting on Marine Channel 69 which is 156.475.
Can I go head to head with Radio 1?
eharding said:
Personally, I'd value some form of PLB over VHF comms if it all goes horribly wrong - a decent PLB will keep screaming blue murder, along with a GPS fix, long after you've lost the ability to make any use of a VHF handset (and that may not take very long at all).
Quite how much use you telling the SAR helicopter 'I'm (glub) on the (glub glub) rocks (glub glub glub) but I don't know where' and quite what they'd be able to tell you to do - other than hold on for dear life - isn't clear.
What use would a PLB be if the OP isn't the one in distress? Because it sounds like their role is to assist any swimmers who get into difficulty - like a dive boat. This could include coordinating a search with the Coastguard. In that case the SAR helicopter could be asking for vital information like the last time the missing person was seen, water currents, which boat the casaulty is on.Quite how much use you telling the SAR helicopter 'I'm (glub) on the (glub glub) rocks (glub glub glub) but I don't know where' and quite what they'd be able to tell you to do - other than hold on for dear life - isn't clear.
But TBH you'd expect the organisers to handle that(!) - surely the OP's role would be mainly limited to alerting one of the boats to come and help. So flares or a basic waterproof radio could do the job but I can't really see how a PLB would achieve that (Beyond being a sensible precaution for the safety of the OP themselves).
Ayahuasca said:
mcdjl said:
On a technical point are the flares hand held but shooting something up (on a parachute) or is it the thing in your hand that burns? Or are there both types? I
Both types.Some shoot something up on a parachute, some you hold in your hand and it makes a bright light (usually white) , some you hold in your hand and it generates clouds of smoke (usually red).
Miniflares shoot something up but don't have parachutes.
White hand held are anti-collision. There are also red hand held as well as parachute(distress)
Smoke are orange for location. They are usually a floating canister. (I can't remember ever seeing a hand held smoke? But I stand to be corrected on that.)
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