Need Tech help and advice on Cell phone or UHF radio?

[Guest]

What do you think is the best communication tool is for a boat for the inland waters boater?

1. Cell Phone?

2. UHF marine band?

3. Something else? (Drums, pigons, a note in a bottle, or two cans and a string?)

4. Nothing at all.

Once I gather some constructive feedback I will share my thoughts on what we inland boaters may need to consider in days to come, and why.

Thanks,

Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding "ED on the RED"

[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 04-17-2003).]

[Paul Rohweller]

I've got both in my boat. I use my cell alot more, there is nobody to talk to around here on the marine band. But I do like the noaa weather channels for up to date info on what just blew over ya (sarcasam)...Theyre usually a little late. Paul

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Paul Rohweller
Pine to Prairie Guide Service
218-962-3387
N.P.A.A. 425
http://fishingminnesota.com/pinetoprairie

[Guest]

I have both as well and like Paul I like the weather channels on the Marine Band. I have the AT&T unlimted nights and weekends plan for my cell.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
651-271-5459
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[Guest]

Eddie,
I have both in the boat. Many times I have the phone shut off because I'm not available!
I installed a new marine band last spring, never turned it on!! Don't even know if it works. I guess I have it for emergency use and I probly should check it out to be sure it works.
I love Rainy Lake and my cell won't work there that is why I put in the marine band.

[upnorth]

I have a Cell but there are definetly dead spots, so it is not always dependable. I have no experience with a marine radio, so I am no help there. The drawback I would think with a radio you can on contact or be contacted with another radio.

[Guest]

Ok Eddie,
Spill the beans!! What's on your mind?

[Guest]

...he just wanted to show-off that pic in here again!

NICE EDDY!!

Maybe you can show me that technique sometime..?

"LUND-MAN"

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"Leave NO Trace"

[Dennis Steele]

I only have my cell phone.
Eddy has something in the oven!
I am all ears.

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Minnesota River Guided Fishing
"fishhead"
[email protected]
www.mnriverguidedfishing.com

[deadeye]

I use my cell phone all the time, I get a huge coverage area and I have even used it in the boundary waters. ><>
deadeye

[maxx rpm]

I am curious to see his point too. I have a few thoughts,,,
1-In hunting, it is illegal to use any of these devices to communicate between hunters, it is considered unethical or whatever. Would this correlate to someone calling a buddy about a hot bite?
2-He didnt say with whom he was communicating. For someone not on the lake, i would say a cell. For someone on a lake, you may have a better chance on the vhf, especially if you dont know who is on the lake, hard to get their number unless you ask, easy to scan the used vhf channels.
3-The weather channels are good, i suppose you could call a weather update on a cell also, although maybe easier to leave the radio on than pay for cell charges.

So,,to guess what is on tap here:
-the dnr wants to ban them
-they will no longer fund the noah channels
-a health study of vhf radio waves
-some other organization wants to use the marine band.
-radio waves are making fish sterile.
Am i close?

By the way, when i am anchored within 20 feet of shore or a weedbed and a boat drives between at full throttle, i find "the bird" to be the best communication tool!

[This message has been edited by maxx rpm (edited 04-18-2003).]

[Mueske]

Funny, CB radio was not mentioned in any posts so far. Here in the west half of the boats have either VHF/marine bands or a CB. Most have cell phones as well until someone leans over with it in their pocket.
During the 1970s in Minnesota most charter vessels/launches had CBs and did communicate, in code mostly, where the bite was best. At least with captains from the same lodge. I don't recall anybody questioning the ethics of that then. Perhaps we should have.

Kevin

[Guest]

Maxx rpm,

In a experience such as you described in your post-reply at the bottom of it with the " you're anchored/full throttle boater rips by"...ever try the Paint-ball Game-plan? 'Tis a handy tool!

"LUND-MAN"

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"Leave NO Trace"

[Guest]

OK, I didn't forget about ya guys, just been away the past couple of days.

I was wishing to see what was the top picks, I suspected it would be cellular communication.

For many it is the best option these days, especially with the Walkie-Talkie features now offered. The digital network is closing ranks and dead spots are getting fewer every month.

Marine bands are the real deal on big water by most accounts. Yet they can also be limited at timed, so to I hear?

I and others are running into a deal on the Red where the Coast Guard is mandating A Coast Guard radio be in the rigs of all guides.

That would not be so bad, even though they are spendy, but yell as loud as you can and you will get the same answer as using the CG Bands in the region. You actually would have a better chance yelling, then with the CG Band, as there are no CG stations in the whole **** region. What a joke!

So if the CG does not see this useless piece of technology in a guides rig here on the Red, you get fined. If you file a 100 or so protests stating the uselessness of this system in this region you may get a hearing that may allow you to use a dedicated cell line as the primary CG contact radio link.

Ridiculous, yet true. You could talk tell you turned blue into a CG Band radio here on the Red and nobody could hear it. But they are dead set in telling the guides they have to buy them.

The new digital GPS phones will likely be the wave of the future for marine use. They are capable of satellite and land line connections with GPS confirmation and tracking. If all the talk is true they will be capable of connecting anywhere on earth at any time, we will see?

I am still waiting to hear from the CG to see if we will get an exemption for the Red to use cell lines. They are dead set at mandating those radios is what I am hearing.

What a darn JOKE! Really burns my @ss Eh, I am not the only one either who feels this way.

[chunkytrout]

Sounds like theres some manufactures' lobbyist behind this deal.