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First of all, make sure that your VHF is capable of ATIS transmissions. Otherwise, you will have to acquire the appropriate model, there is a choice of ATIS-enabled radios from different manufacturers on the market. Before traveling on inland waterways of RAINWAT countries, you must enable the ATIS mode of your VHF radio transceiver. This function is programmed by the manufacturer or your local dealer (on your request).  ...

The ATIS signaling protocol is based on the protocol used for Digital Selective Calling (DSC), with the ATIS transmissions having the format specifier field set to 121. While the DSC transmission is exclusively on Channel 70, the ATIS digital signal is transmitted on the same VHF channel as the voice transmission.  ...

Radio is an important safety tool for all mariners who venture out on the water, whether offshore or on inland waterways. VHF marine radios are used for a variety of purposes including; contacting harbours & marinas, summoning rescue services or ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship communication. Knowing what radio to choose can be quite confusing because of the range of models and features available. Here we go through some important considerations when choosing a VHF marine portable of fixed radio?  ...

Living is easy in the Summertime, and having reliable communication when on the water will help ensure that your days are safe and worry-free. A marine radio is a vital piece of safety equipment for every boat, and you have options when it comes to choosing the best marine radio for your circumstances – and a lot of questions to answer. Do you need a fixed mount radio, or will a handheld model be a better choice? How important is GPS? Are marine radios waterproof?  ...

The distress call should only be used if your vessel is threatened by grave and imminent danger and you are requesting immediate assistance. It has absolute priority over all other transmissions and may only be transmitted on the authority of the skipper or the person responsible for the safety of your vessel. Repeat the distress call as often as necessary until you receive an answer. If no answer is received on distress frequencies  ...

There are three types of marine radio available. 27 MHz marine radios, commonly called 27 'meg', are popular for use on recreational boats and provide short-range communications, but not the range or performance of a VHF radio. VHF marine transceivers provide better short-range communications than a 27 MHz radio. MF/HF marine transceivers offer medium to long-range communications.  ...

Waterproofing has increased with many of the best handheld marine radios now able to float for sustained periods of time without any damage to the internal electrics. Many of these floating handheld VHFs also offer some form of automatically activated strobe to help you find it in the dark if it has been dropped in the water. RM40 is a feature-rich, top spec handheld VHF, with impressive functionality.  ...

Significant improvements in a number of areas in recent years have seen handheld VHF marine radios move from being purely portable communications devices to something altogether more useful. As technology has shrunk, battery life improved and screens become clearer, handheld VHFs can now offer many of the safety features that used to be available only on fixed marine radios. As a sailor who often uses marine aircraft, you should know some of its technical terms.  ...

The inland waterways are becoming busier with increased commercial traffic and new pleasure craft. Many new boaters may not be fully familiar with the waterway or with traditional means of communication such as sound signals or flags. Both these factors have produced a situation where marine VHF radio on pleasure craft is becoming an essential piece of equipment leading to an improvement in safety.  ...

All DSC-equipped shore stations and vessels will hear your distress signal as an alarm. It will be repeated every 4 minutes until acknowledged. A DSC alert signal has a 15% greater range than a voice transmission and therefore is more likely to reach a vessel or rescue centre.  ...