Proper VHF Pre-Trip Test Ediquette?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Capt. Debbie

Please be mindful that the 5 or 6 watt handheld does not have the range or reception gain of a 25watt fixed station radio with the high gain antenna tip 15 feet above the water.

Usually it's only a mile or two range with a handheld.

Excellent point. For this reason if you make a distress call on 16 you may be able to reach a nearby boat but not to the coast guard so what you can do is ask them to be your relay.

Also people don’t like others clogging up the open channels like 68 with long personal conversations or idle chit chat so it’s common courtesy to move to another channel to carry on those conversations by saying something like let’s go up (or) down 2 meaning go to 66 or 70 or same a specific channel you want to move the conversation to.