Although you can generally get a fairly good signal on your cell phone in coastal waters, if you want to keep in touch with other boats, or get help in an emergency, a functional marine radio system is an essential piece of equipment on practically any sea going vessel.

The importance of being able to communicate with other vessels is vital at sea.  Because of this, you need a radio system that is designed with power and flexibility in mind.  Specialist marine radio systems that have been built with use at sea as a priority are the only viable option if you are venturing out of the safety of coastal waters, and you need to ensure that your system is fully functional every time you put to sea in order to maximise the protection that it affords you.

Marine radio transmits in the VHF band between 156 and 174 MHz, and broadcasts on a simplex system – this means that only one path of communication is open at a time, unlike a cell phone, where you can talk with a person as you would in person.  This means that whenever you communicate using a marine radio, you will need to send and receive the signal, letting the person you are speaking to know when you have finished talking by saying over and closing the channel.

Larger boats and ships will generally have a single person dedicated to monitoring communications over the VHF radio system, and advising the navigation and other crew of any information that they need to know.  It is the job of the radio officer or communications officer to stay in contact with any nearby boats to warn them of any action that the ship is taking, and to communicate with the harbor or port authorities and request permission to land or assistance.

It is also the job of the radio officer to monitor the emergency channel on the radio (usually Channel 16 – 156.8MHz), and relay any SOS or emergency assistance messages to the rest of the crew in order to provide help in an emergency.  It is also incumbent on the marine radio system operator to liaise with the navigator in order to make an SOS call and provide accurate information about location and conditions in the event of an emergency.

The fact is that the safety of all on board a boat or larger ship is dependent on the capability of the radio officer to provide information in the event of an emergency.  Until marine radio was introduced in the early 20th century, ships would disappear without trace at sea with the loss of all on board simply because it was not possible to contact other ships in an emergency and request assistance.

A top quality VHF Marine Radio can transmit a signal over a distance of 60 nautical miles.  There are two main factors in determining just how far your signal will travel, and how far away you will be able to receive a signal from, and these are the power of the radio transmitter, and the height above the water which it is mounted at.  Generally, marine radio systems offer between 1 and 25 watts of power – you should choose a transmitter that best suits your usage.  For coastal waters you do not need as much power, while the further out at sea you are the more power you will require to keep in touch with other vessels. 

The other factor that governs how far your signal will reach is the height above the sea level that you mount your transmitter.  The higher that your transmitter is mounted, the greater area that will be within its apparent horizon and therefore the further away that you can get a signal from.

It is essential that the radio is appropriate to your boat.  It should be left on at all times in a receiving mode in order to allow you to pick up a signal from any nearby vessels, and because of this it can be a drain on the power of your batteries.  Smaller boats will only be able to support a less powerful radio for long periods of time, while a bigger ship will easily be able to provide enough power to give you access to wide range radio systems that cover a huge area without significantly depleting the battery.
Choosing a Marine Radio System

There are a huge number of different kinds of radio system for use at sea available on the market, ranging from small hand held emergency radios through to complex fully functioned computer control stations that are designed for multi channel communication with a number of different boats at the same time.  Choosing the right marine radio system for your needs is a matter of comparing the different products available and finding the one that best suits your needs and budget.

The first thing that you need to think about when choosing a marine radio system is what kind of system you want.  Radio sets fall naturally into two main categories, handheld and fixed mount.  If you have limited space on board, and your boat does not have a dedicated cabin area, then a VHF handheld radio will be necessary.  If you choose this kind of model, you should be aware that you will need to keep enough batteries on board to power the radio at all times, and also remember that it will only offer a limited amount of power, and therefore be restricted in terms of the range that it offers.

For larger boats, where there is space to mount a radio within a cabin, it makes sense to install a two piece radio system with a base and a microphone in order to allow you to communicate over a wider area, and enjoy a better signal at sea.  Fixed mount radio systems require more power, but as they take this from the main generator or batteries of the boat rather than from a set of cells, you do not need to worry so much about keeping a stock on board.  It is worth mentioning that in the event of an accident or emergency, it is always a good idea to have a back up radio on board any boat, and a handheld radio is the perfect back up system, as it is portable and easy to carry off the boat.

Generally all marine radio systems are specially designed to be weather proof, so you do not need to worry too much about water getting into the circuits and damaging them, although you should always do your best to protect your device from the elements as well as possible to avoid any possible accidents.

The prices that you pay for hand held and fixed mount marine radio systems vary dependent on a number of factors including the power and the complexity.  There are many different brands that produce marine radio systems, including ACR, ICOM, and Cobra.  When you are buying a marine radio, you should always use a specialist marine products dealer, as they will be able to advise you properly about the most appropriate kit.  Specialist shops will also only carry the best quality products from top name manufacturers.

Because a marine radio system is probably the most important piece of equipment you will buy for your boat, it makes sense to get the best one your budget will stretch to.  Even if you have to skimp slightly on your GPS system, it still makes sense to spend more on the radio, as it is the device that could well prove to be the most important purchase you have ever made.

While there is not generally a great deal of difference between different models at the same price point – after all, radio technology has been around for a long time, and had plenty of time to even itself out, what you are looking for is reliability, power, and quality.  You want a radio that will give you the maximum range, the best protection from the elements, and one that you can be sure will be functioning when you need it most.

If you are looking for a handheld VHF radio, make sure it is completely waterproof for use on a life raft, or if you fall overboard, and that it floats.  Also, it should also be multi channel, to allow you to try different frequencies in order to get a contact in an emergency.  With fixed mount radio systems, you should look for ones that are simple to maintain, reliable, and powerful.  They should at minimum support the full spectrum of radio frequencies available on marine radio, and combine well with the antenna that you install on your boat to provide you with a good quality signal.