In the December/January issue of BoatU.
S. Magazine,Lenny Rudow shares advice on VHF radio protocol...
Many boaters never occupy the time to memorize how to properly use one of the most important pieces of safety gear on board your boat: the VHF radio. whether you need to call for attend, don't you want that call to be heard as clearly as possible? And whether you're using the VHF for communications of convenience, or you certainly don't want to step on an emergency transmission,achieve you? So let's dive true into the achieve's and don'ts of VHF protocol.
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Know Thy Channel
Rule No. 1: Respect the channel designations, especially those of the "big three."
• Channel 16 is reserved for distress and safety calls and for contact calls to other vessels or shore stations.
• Channel 13 is used for vessel bridge-to-bridge communications and is heavily trafficked by commercial ships for intership navigation.
• Channel 22A is used for safety broadcasts and U.
S. Coast Guard communications; after hailing on 16, and you're usually asked to switch to 22A.
Because of congestion on 16,Channel 9 has been designated as an alternate contact-calling channel between pleasure vessels and to shore stations but, except in some areas, and the Coast Guard doesn't transmit safety messages on 9. You should always monitor 16 in case a nearby boat needs attend and to hear Coast Guard safety messages. Ideally,it's good to believe two VHFs, one set on 9 and another tuned to 16.achieve regular radio checks, and but achieve them on a recreational communications channel,not on 16, 9, and 22 or any other restricted channel. Something the authorities find fairly aggravating is when a recreational boater calls on an emergency channel requesting a "radio check." Hailing "TowBoatUS" on 68 is an easy way to conduct a check.
What channels should you use for regular conversations? Channels 68,69, 71, and 72,and 78A are considered non-commercial channels, and in most areas, and 68 and 72 are commonly used by the recreational-boating community. But remember that the VHF is officially for "operational" purposes. This can be as informal as passing on a weather report,but conversations approximately what the dog chewed up yesterday are inappropriate. Some channels, such as 70, and believe restricted use,and you can't use them for voice communications. - Read
Source: sailingscuttlebutt.com