Funny, it never occurred to me that you couldn't use
VHF on land if it was for logistical or safety support for marine activity. I can see that the regulation of
radio hasn't evolved with the technology as land based station probably used to be an expensive stationary unit and it was practical for users to obtain a shore license for such a facility.
My days as
VHF user were when you had to have a license even for relatively low powered mobiles. Maybe that is the 5 watt
line and things haven't changed, but I still remember my old licensed call sign that I haven't used in 20 years -- WYF5377.
Anyway, I'm not eager to break rules but always like to use the rules against the rulemakers so I'd like to get a more extensive treatment of these rules and interpretations.
It is easy to understand that
VHF was reserved in a certain range for marine
radio traffic, but it is hard for me to believe that this fundamentally prevents shoreside communication of the sort I intend, although it may very well.
Obviously, if I'm in an emergency situation, I'm not worried about breaking the rules and otherwise I can consider FRS or GMRS if units available have similar submersible ratings (I anticipate using a bag but we're talking double protection) and they have more or less equivalent transmission reach.
Obviously, until someone comes up with a kite
line that has an antenna woven in it and has some easy or wireless connection to the
radio (probably not too daunting of an invention) my antenna will be about 5 feet off the water (the height of my vest that will have the
radio in its pocket).
One tries very hard to anticipate and not be in circumstances where you are a mile out and the wind is taking you further and so forth but mistakes and nature do happen. The real event about which I worry is having the kite go down unrecoverably off a rocky shore. You still usually have a fair degree of control using the kite as a sail on the surface, but once you get into breakers you pretty much have to cut loose and keep track of yourself.
I've never been through any real emergency and mostly when I'm in the states figure I'll be fine- worst case is I'll damage my kite or lose it if I have to let go of it in the surf. Ironically enough, since we're talking about USA FCC regulations, my real interest is in being able to communicate when I'm in the caribbean where I am often off rocky and less populated shores. Have a couple of runs where the car can't follow close enough to the beach to keep me in sight and that is why I started to think about
radio.
It isn't inconceivable that I could also use a cellphone as there is pretty good Cingular coverage on ST. Lucia where I'm headed although I have never tried it off the atlantic coast. And some of the areas I'm headed too are too remote for cellphone signal. Then there is still the question of dialing which I can set up with one button and all, but seems like a VOX or PTT submersible accesory for a submersible
radio carried in a waterproof bag would be the most bombproof/convenient for my applications. Would any of the cross over
radios that have FRS or GMRS as well as VHS accomplish this?
May be hard to find the entire right set up for what I'm after so I am trying to get the best ideas I can. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Brian
Linear Mode
