Radio On While At Anchor?

Once we have the anchor set and engines off, we turn off all of the "running" breakers, including both radios.

In this area there is a constant chatter from USCG, SeaTow, hailing boaters, that we just don't need to listen to when sitting reading, cooking, and overall enjoying the anchorage.

However, when cruising past an anchorage or marina and we see a boat we know, I try my luck at raising them on the VHF to see if they are listening and to chat. I would say in around 30% of the time they respond!

Do folks on here leave their radios on until they bunk down for the night? If so, what's the thinking?

I sure don't.
I can barely stand that racket while I'm underway.
But I do it for safety.

Big exception to that is listening to weather.

You can always turn the squelch up so you just pick up local messages .

most radios have 1W or 25w transmit, too bad they don't have the same for receive. But then the CG would still be heard.

We leave our radios on 24/7 for safety reasons but often have the volume turned down very low we so don't hear the chatter. But if there is a May Day, the Coast Guard triggers the alarm and we hear it. Or if someone pushes their DSC Distress Alarm, it will set off the alarm on our radio and display lat/Lon of the distress location.

I leave the VHF radio on while I'm at anchor.

In South Australia, Sea Rescue (a volunteer group) handles VHF calls from 7am-7pm only. There is no chatter after 7pm. Any calls on channel 16 would be distress calls.

If I'm on the boat, the vhf is usually on, but squelch is set up tight enough to ignore all but the strongest signals. Used primarily for weather alerts and DSC calls.

Off at anchor. Radio would disrupt the tranquility. (well, peaceful until the next boat anchors too close, runs their generator all night to keep the TV's and AC running)

Depends. Some times want more redundancy in anchor watch so leave electronics on and ships radio. Most times turn all electronics off but leave handhelds on. One at 16 and the other at whatever is the local frequency for the cruisers net of that harbor (if in a harbor). Handhelds sit in their chargers so they’re still good to go when we leave in the dinghy.

Chatter can be annoying, but sometimes you hear interesting stuff. One Fourth of July we were at a mooring in Edgartown, Martha's Vinyard watching the fireworks show. All of a sudden f#$%, f#$%, f#$% came over the VHF. Apparently the fireworks barge had caught fire. Listening to the fire response (the fire truck came out on the Chappaquiddick ferry to put it out) as well as some of the later recriminations was fun and sad.

Interesting things come over the VHF at anchor.

David

Soo-Valley said:

most radios have 1W or 25w transmit, too bad they don't have the same for receive. But then the CG would still be heard.

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Some do. My Icom M504 has a LO/DX button that does exactly that.

In some anchorage like in the Bahamas the VHF is the community contact board and telephone exchange .


IN the USA too many VHF are used to keep children occupied.

It depends on where I am and how much garbage chatter there is. Near home on Lake Ontario, I tend to leave them on unless I'm in a particularly low traffic area, although I'll turn them off before bed if we're staying out. In somewhere more isolated, I'm less likely to leave them on. Same goes if there's a bunch of useless chatter. I don't mind the occasional USCG chatter and such (good for situational awareness), but if it's constant, I'm likely to either squelch up or turn the things off.

FF said:

IN the USA too many VHF are used to keep children occupied.

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And by children, do you mean adults on 16 doing radio checks, fishing chatter and having a ten minute conversation to arrange a slow pass?

I leave on on almost constantly... so yes, at anchor and even in our home slip, but not while we sleep (which I may change).


Several years ago, friends of ours were anchored out just a mile away. Once they sun went down they decided to return to the slip. In the dark they managed to get stuck on a shoal. They spent six hours there trying to hail anyone at the marina while waiting for TowBoatUS. Ever since then, we leave it on. Plus like David mentioned, you get to hear some interesting stuff sometimes. We are way up river in New Bern and there really isn't a ton of superfluous radio traffic like down near Morehead City, so it is quiet enough to leave on.

Towards the end of this season, I did realize a flaw in having the radios on at anchor. If I'm anywhere below, I can't really hear them, as both radios are at the (only) helm, which is up top. So I added a pair of remote mics hung on the wall in the salon to ensure that I can hear the radios if I'm in the salon. Can't hear them well from the aft cabin, but I don't need to hear them while sleeping, so that's not a big deal.

Usually on while at anchor, squelch up to minimize chatter. Too much chatter and it gets turned off. In the Bahamas it stays on. In S Fla, the chatter is annoying so usually off.

Sleepy time everything is off. Usually even gennie unless miserable temps. Oh and fridge stays on with inverter.

menzies said:

Do folks on here leave their radios on until they bunk down for the night? If so, what's the thinking?

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Nope. Rarely on at anchor, if at all.

Off. Especially in the busy season. THere is so much yapping I don't even pay attention anymore.
Unless of course we are travelling with someone else. In that case we usually arrange to monitor another channel although that's not great either.

And I do ensure the radios are on when we are travelling including listening to the Traffic COntrol in the area. Saved us from an interaction more than a few times.

I will examine my newer VHF to see if it has a LO/DX or equivalant.

Great question from OP.

For me it depends. Once you leave the crowded areas of Puget Sound, Gulf Islands and Desolation traffic on the VHF ramps down. Coming back from Alaska, once you enter Desolation Sound B.C there is so much VHF chatter I turn the volume down. I tend to turn off the radio before we go night-night

Believe it of not I have been in areas in SE Alaska where there is no radio as we are so remote. No USCG on any channel.

Great question from OP.

For me it depends. Once you leave the crowded areas of Puget Sound, Gulf Islands and Desolation traffic on the VHF ramps down. Coming back from Alaska, once you enter Desolation Sound B.C there is so much VHF chatter I turn the volume down. I tend to turn off the radio before we go night-night

Believe it of not I have been in areas in SE Alaska where there is no radio as we are so remote. No USCG on any channel.

We leave our on 24/7 when cruising. But, we are cruising in pretty remote areas so there is not a lot of chatter to say the least. We have gone days and heard nothing. When we are in a populated area, like Puget Sound, it would be much harder to leave on.

We may soon change our tune, as we are in the middle of upgrading our VHF Antenna set up to a Morad Antenna array - it's a commercial set up used extensively in Alaska. It involves 10db antennas set at specific frequencies - so different antenna's for VHF 16, other VHF channels, and AIS. Should have the install completed over the next month.

We also leave on our main navigation computer with Time Zero running, and the accompanying anchor alarm set, our Garmin Inreach so family and friends can always find us, and our Iridium on.

Great question.
Jim
M/V Sea Venture
www.youtube.com/CruisingSeaVenture

I have no interest in local traffic when here in the home bay system especially when anchored for a day run to the barrier island - heck I am not even on the boat much when doing that. Never have a VHF on when sleeping. Always on u/w.

The idea of leaving the VHF with volume turned down to nil so that all you would hear would be a DSC mayday "howler" (it is volume knob independent on mine - yours?) is problematic for two reasons. The people most likely to be in a mayday situation either don't know how to use DSC or (even more likely) don't even have the darned thing initiated with an MMSI to make that red button functional. I see it ALL the time.

We have a few VHF radios. We have one in the salon that has a very low (intentional) antenna height. This is the one that we keep on 24/7 and is mainly used for hailing launches or close contact. This reduces the chatter a bit.

The only thing we use the VHF for at anchor is weather. As Nomad Willy says, there's an awful lot of chatter on the VHF, but we keep it on underway. We do leave the GPS antenna powered up since it takes a long time for our old Raymarine to find itself if you shut it off.

I wonder what all the super, safety conscious members think the on duty lookout watch (unless in a special anchorage) should do, leave it on, or turn it off?

Like most things in life...."it depends".

When we keep the radio ON:

1) Calling or waiting for the pumpout boat (local pumpout channel)

2) Calling or waiting for the harbormaster or mooring field manager (local harbormaster channel)

3) During a squall or bad weather (high wind). (local harbormaster (or 12*; 14*; 72; 78A if there are friends in the anchorage with us) AND 16).

4) When friends are due to arrive in the anchorage (pre-agreed channel; 12*; 14*; 72; 78A) *where these channels aren't used.

5) If one of us is out in the dinghy and the other is back at the boat. (pre-agreed channel; 12*; 14*; 72; 78A) *where these channels aren't used.

6) Listening to weather on WX channels.

Any other time the radio is off unless we're underway. When underway we monitor 16 unless we're travelling with another boat, then its (09, 16).

I don't turn on my radio from one year to the next.

We usually turn ours off after the morning "cruiser's net" broadcasts (if there is one where we are)

FF said:

In some anchorage like in the Bahamas the VHF is the community contact board and telephone exchange .

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I am told, in the islands, you can order pizza using the VHF.

I agree with the comment on VHF usage on the Great Lakes. People will call their friends and then chatter away on 16. That really pisses me off.
If you want to chat or tell them where you are, go to another channel.
Or a stuck mic.