It’s no secret that smartphones have revolutionised how we communicate with each other. Can you even remember life BS (before smartphones)? Try and explain to a teenager and they’ll stare blankly back at you, uncomprehending that such dark ages existed.
Let me remind you… It was 2007 when the first touchscreen iPhone hit the market, with Steve Jobs promising to “reinvent the phone”. That he did. Smartphones changed everything. Though, Jobs wasn’t the first tech geek to put worldwide communications into our hands. The first mobile phone was actually launched back in 1973. It’s laughable now to think that a mobile phone the size and weight of a house brick was applauded as ‘mobile’.
Marine radios were hooked up to the original ‘wi-fi’
Marine radios on the other hand have been around since the late 19th century. The sole purpose of the first commercial marine radio was to enable ships to send a distress call in an emergency. Radio rooms were the size of today’s household bathrooms, with the first radios communicating Morse code via wireless telegraphy. Yep, the original wi-fi.
This new fangled technology came into its own on an icy-cold North Atlantic night in 1912. After the Titanic struck an Iceberg, radio operators became the heroes of the mammoth rescue mission, tapping out increasingly urgent coded messages as the lifeboats were launched.
“Come quick. Engine room nearly full,” was tapped out in Morse by senior wireless operator Jack Phillips. It was the last message sent before the Titanic sank. Then, nothing. Nada. Zip. Literally, radio silence.
At the time, the Titanic was carrying the biggest and best wireless equipment in the world. Radio communication was considered such a novelty that well-heeled passengers sent chatty messages to friends – just as we send texts today.
Can you imagine the consequences if the Titanic was not trialling this new technology? Certainly, without the means to communicate her dire situation more lives would have been lost.
Much has changed in marine technology in the 100+ years since. But one thing that remains unchanged is the crucial role that marine radios still play.
Which is best – marine radio or smartphone? The Crucial Choice for Boater Survival
Knowing the different types of marine radio and how to use them is an important part of any boaters safety plan.
Oh sure, smartphones are enormously useful too, with their apps for weather forecasting, navigation and tide tables making them invaluable. But smartphones also have their limitations, what with their limited battery life, poor screen visibility in bright sunlight and that delicate smartphones are not built for a saltwater-encrusted marine environment.
Conversely, marine radios are built tough. They are designed to operate in a marine environment. They come in three different types:
- 27 MHz radio (known as 27meg)
- VHF radio (Very High Frequency)
- MF/HF radio (Medium/High Frequency)
The difference between the three essentially is the distance that you want to communicate from your ship station.
27MHz marine radio
27 MHz is for short range communication in visual line of sight and would typically be used by boaters operating in protected waters. Like lakes or rivers for instance or coastal regions where you don’t venture far from shore. A licence is not required for the radio nor for the radio operator. They are gradually being phased out by Marine Rescue, no longer being available after September 2028.
VHF marine radio
VHF will transmit and receive over longer distances than 27 MHz, within line of sight of the other station’s aerial. One VHF radio is generally considered the minimum for recreational boaters. VHF radios can be installed and hard-wired into the boat or may be handheld and portable. It’s often useful to have one of each. Distress and safety messages are broadcast on VHF CH16 (supplementary CH to 16 is 67) and the channel is monitored 24 hours a day. At least one person onboard the vessel must hold an operator’s licence.
MF/HF marine radio
MF/HF marine radios offer medium to long-range communications. If bluewater voyaging is in your plans, a MF/HF radio will provide a link to the outside world when the land disappears over the horizon. You’ll need an operator’s licence along with a licence for the MF/HF radio.
DSC (Digital Selective Calling) ability is highly recommended. Learn more about DSC alerts here.
Learn how to operate a marine radio
No matter which type of marine radio is installed in your boat, it’s essential you know how to use it, particularly in an emergency. But also how to utilise the information services which are broadcast to mariners. Whether an emergency at sea involves your own boat or another, the mariners code dictates that assistance be offered (if the situation doesn’t endanger you, your vessel or your crew/passengers). You may be called upon to assist another vessel and its crew simply by virtue of being within frequency of a distress call. It’s no exaggeration to say that your ability to operate a radio efficiently and effectively may save lives.
Want to know more? Enrol in our Marine Radio course to get yourself up to speed with radio lingo. The self-paced course can be completed in your own time, with an online assessment upon completion. We have 100% success rate.
While marine radios are an essential piece of equipment for your boat, smartphones too have their place. Each have their upsides and down, depending on where you’re boating and whether you’re venturing far offshore or pottering around inshore rivers. Both are useful and we’d recommend having both onboard.
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