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VHF radio lets boaters have two-way contact with other vessels, rescue services, and anyone else using VHF radios. While they used to be a one-size-fits-all product, these days they have a range of extra features that may better suit your requirements. Here are the features you can choose from at your next marine radio installation.  ...

If you have a DSC-equipped radio, flip up the cover on the DSC button and press the button for 3 to 5 seconds. Some radios will allow you to choose your problem from a list (Fire/Explosion, Flooding, Collision, Grounding, Capsizing, Sinking, Adrift, Abandoning Ship, Piracy, Man Overboard) so that vessels receiving your transmission will automatically know what happened.  ...

The Coast Guard must respond to about 60,000 emergency calls each year (while saving nearly 5,000 lives annually) using limited resources. According to Coast Guard say, “Of the roughly 100 digital selective calling distress alerts we are now receiving each month, approximately nine out of 10 do not have position information (i.e., do not have a GPS navigation receiver interconnected to their DSC-equipped VHF radio), and approximately six out of 10 have not registered their MMS  ...

The ability to call for help or signal for assistance is imperative. With a VHF or DSC radio you can transmit a Mayday call to the Coastguard and other vessels and a distress or emergency beacon will transmit your location to the search and rescue services  ...

Marine VHF radio is installed on all large ships and most seagoing small craft. It is used for a wide variety of purposes, including summoning rescue services and communicating with harbors, locks, bridges and marinas, and operates in the VHF frequency range, between 156 to 174 MHz. Although it is widely used for collision avoidance, its use for this purpose is contentious and is strongly discouraged by some countries, including the UK.  ...

VHF protocol is to repeat the name of the boat you’re calling two or three times, followed by “this is…” and the name of your vessel twice.After making contact, request to switch from the hailing channel (16) to a working channel such as 68, 69, or 72 for conversation. The other person should reply confirming that channel, or propose another. Without confirmation, you can find yourself scanning channels to find where the other person went, or if they heard you clearly.  ...

According to the FCC regulations, most ships must be equipped with VHF marine radio. Some ships have it, while some cheap ships do not. If your ship happens to have no marine radio, you need to install one to ensure safety. So where is the right place to install the marine VHF radio?  ...

This system is used by shipping. It allows another vessel or coast station to use equipment that can interrogate the radio in order to learn the course, speed, type of vessel, cargo, etc. It is also available to recreational vessels.  ...

How to broadcast a MAYDAY emergency call if a vessel or person is in grave and imminent danger and immediate assistance is required: Check that your VHF radio is on and high power setting is selected  Select Channel 16 (or 2182kHz for MF)   ...

There are many ways to communicate with others at sea. What makes the VHF DSC radio the best form of short range communication and why is it recommended?  ...