Canal Boat Radio

[Roger Gunkel]

Rather than yet another piece of electrical equipment which needs to be left switched on just incase someone within a 2K radius might want to talk, I have a much better solution! Most Narrowboats are fitted with solid fuel stoves, a bucket of damp grass left near the stove would be available to quickly produce large volumes of white smoke from the chimney. A small hand held tool could be placed over the chimney outlet to decrease or increase the smoke output in small bursts. Each boat could have a call sign based upon a sequence of long or short bursts, with a recogniseable code of signals to other boaters. The system has the advantage of being useable over considerable distances, providing line of sight is maintained and range could be greatly increased with a pair of binoculars. Mobile units could also be made by adapting a small can and a fire lighter.

 

I can see the system having many advantages, needing no capital outlay, using readily available materials, no use of power and utilising methods with traditional and historical roots.

 

Roger

[luctor et emergo]

Rather than yet another piece of electrical equipment which needs to be left switched on just incase someone within a 2K radius might want to talk, I have a much better solution! Most Narrowboats are fitted with solid fuel stoves, a bucket of damp grass left near the stove would be available to quickly produce large volumes of white smoke from the chimney. A small hand held tool could be placed over the chimney outlet to decrease or increase the smoke output in small bursts. Each boat could have a call sign based upon a sequence of long or short bursts, with a recogniseable code of signals to other boaters. The system has the advantage of being useable over considerable distances, providing line of sight is maintained and range could be greatly increased with a pair of binoculars. Mobile units could also be made by adapting a small can and a fire lighter.

 

I can see the system having many advantages, needing no capital outlay, using readily available materials, no use of power and utilising methods with traditional and historical roots.

 

Roger

 

 

Umm big long knife speak with fevered mind. Umm smoke signals good in desert, not so good in umm limpey Stoke valley...

 

 

 

 

[Nickhlx]

Rather than yet another piece of electrical equipment which needs to be left switched on just incase someone within a 2K radius might want to talk, I have a much better solution! Most Narrowboats are fitted with solid fuel stoves, a bucket of damp grass left near the stove would be available to quickly produce large volumes of white smoke from the chimney. A small hand held tool could be placed over the chimney outlet to decrease or increase the smoke output in small bursts. Each boat could have a call sign based upon a sequence of long or short bursts, with a recogniseable code of signals to other boaters. The system has the advantage of being useable over considerable distances, providing line of sight is maintained and range could be greatly increased with a pair of binoculars. Mobile units could also be made by adapting a small can and a fire lighter.

 

I can see the system having many advantages, needing no capital outlay, using readily available materials, no use of power and utilising methods with traditional and historical roots.

 

Roger

 

 

Naah ! It wouldn't work at night, or for blind people, or round corners :lol:

 

Nick

[Roger Gunkel]

Umm big long knife speak with fevered mind. Umm smoke signals good in desert, not so good in umm limpey Stoke valley...

 

 

Chief Luctor speak wise words, Big Long Knife think about as much use as CB in umm Limpey Stoke Valley

[luctor et emergo]

Chief Luctor speak wise words, Big Long Knife think about as much use as CB in umm Limpey Stoke Valley

 

 

Umm Big Long knive right, nothing changes umm much....

 

 

[Roger Gunkel]

Naah ! It wouldn't work at night, or for blind people, or round corners :lol:

 

Nick

 

Ah but the deluxe version includes dried leaves for making sparks for night use, blind people will just have to navigate to the next lock for help, corners....mmmmmm well how about a relay beacon

 

Roger

[bigcol]

The interesting point in this post, is that all boats on the coast should have a radio, in fact I think its a legal requirement.

I still have my radio operators licence,

 

When crusing for many years on the south coast, the radio is left on a local station, chanel 67 and of course chanel 16.

 

This way you can listen to shipping movements or op for the marina or area chanel. You can have it switched on in the background.

 

You get weather forcasts and navigational alerts, on inland this would not be imperitive but hearing problems re ICE or logs drums or cars in the canal could be usefull

Get to monitor about locks and build up in trafic and queues

On the cut could be a life saver.

 

I may be talking balmey but if on this canal radio everyone had a reconised listning chanel, you can hear in advance about canal traders and monitor there progress to where you are and order coal or whatver

 

I have a mobile phone and would use it if needed, but a ship to shore radio, or good quality radio would be a huge plus.

 

apart from all that, somtimes its nice for folks that maybe living on their own, to have a bit of banter, or listen in. it can be fun

 

I think in winter with toilets need emptying,water needed, frozen canals, folks falling ill, it would quickly prove a life saver if enough people had it installed. If someone falls ill on hteir boat on their own transmiting on a given chanel could bring help within seconds, from a boat just yards away,especially if your in a remote part of the system, that emergence services will take a long time locating.

 

whether or not somthing like this can be successfull,depending if the system get abused, which is never the case on a marine radio, if you have a group of mt8s you can all share a chanel switching beteen a local chanel

 

 

sorry im rambling, its the medication!!!!! lol

[luctor et emergo]

Will echo mikes be outlawed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

In fact, I just dug out my old Jesan Pro-8000. The large channel selector knob is missing, but otherwise it looks in fine form. All I need is a new aerial.

[Chris-B]

And those bloody " roger bleeps"

grr

 

edited to add:

Can I dig out my old Superstar 360fm , boots n K40..still in the lock up

Edited March 3, 2010 by Baldock

[bigcol]

 

just think of all the radio traffic, giving warnings regard us wide beamers taking up the locks, causing chaos at a narrow stretch etc

 

I can hear the words now!!!! what was that???? what did he say?? p rat

 

who do they think they are??

 

they think they own the place!!!

 

 

Big Col

[luctor et emergo]

Phylis might want to borrow the K40....

 

 

 

[AlanH]

If it works as well on boats as it did in cars, I can see it useful for friends travelling in convoy in the same direction, but probably not a lot else.

That is exactly what we use ours for.

[alan_fincher]

Boat to boat Amtor or RTTY anybody ?

 

Might just fit in a big teleprinter for the RTTY! (Need more ballast anyway).

 

Slightly back on Topic.

 

I'm sure it was not just illegal AM that used channel 14 for calling - the first legal (UK Specific) FM sets it was normal to use 14. Never heard of 19 til this thread.

[Nickhlx]

Boat to boat Amtor or RTTY anybody ?

 

Might just fit in a big teleprinter for the RTTY! (Need more ballast anyway).

 

Slightly back on Topic.

 

I'm sure it was not just illegal AM that used channel 14 for calling - the first legal (UK Specific) FM sets it was normal to use 14. Never heard of 19 til this thread.

 

I am up for a bit of digital radio, Alan - let me know when you are operational - will be using the PC though as DEFINITELY no room for the original machines

 

Nick

[Graham Davis]

Just noticed the 4x4 business on your posts - don't off-roaders use C.B.? Couldn't they use the sel-call stuff? Just a thought........

 

Some use CB, some use PMR, but a lot of the 4x4 Response people are going to 2m amateur as it gives better range and clarity, isn't much more expensive than a good CB, plus can be "piggy backed" with RayNet.

On CB various channels are used depending on which Clubs are out and the surroundings. I don't think the sel-call would be wanted.

[Keeping Up]

Might just fit in a big teleprinter for the RTTY! (Need more ballast anyway).

When I was a member of the Addiscombe Amateur Radio Club in South London in the '70s we had up what may well have been the only mobile-to-mobile amateur RTTY contact. We operated the teleprinters - a Creed 7b and my much newer Creed 54 - from the back of a couple of old vans while both were on the move. Ah, happy days indeed!

[Nickhlx]

Some use CB, some use PMR, but a lot of the 4x4 Response people are going to 2m amateur as it gives better range and clarity, isn't much more expensive than a good CB, plus can be "piggy backed" with RayNet.

On CB various channels are used depending on which Clubs are out and the surroundings. I don't think the sel-call would be wanted.

 

 

Maybe, but you need a license.... Most general public are not... or are they prepared to risk the (considerable) fine ?

 

Nick

[Graham Davis]

Maybe, but you need a license.... Most general public are not... or are they prepared to risk the (considerable) fine ?

 

Nick

 

Sorry Nick, I don't get your comment.

CB does not need a licence, 2m does. We know that and all those that use it have got it. Since we variously work with lots of Official bodies, like the Police and Ambulance Services we know exactly what we can legally do (or not do!!)

[ditchcrawler]

Rather than yet another piece of electrical equipment which needs to be left switched on just incase someone within a 2K radius might want to talk, I have a much better solution! Most Narrowboats are fitted with solid fuel stoves, a bucket of damp grass left near the stove would be available to quickly produce large volumes of white smoke from the chimney. A small hand held tool could be placed over the chimney outlet to decrease or increase the smoke output in small bursts. Each boat could have a call sign based upon a sequence of long or short bursts, with a recogniseable code of signals to other boaters. The system has the advantage of being useable over considerable distances, providing line of sight is maintained and range could be greatly increased with a pair of binoculars. Mobile units could also be made by adapting a small can and a fire lighter.

 

I can see the system having many advantages, needing no capital outlay, using readily available materials, no use of power and utilising methods with traditional and historical roots.

 

Roger

I dont need grass, my engine does that already

[romarni123]

Ihave a superstar 3900f on our boat

[Mitch - Soma]

Ihave a superstar 3900f on our boat

 

Oh, mines a Ham International with all the mod's kindly done by some bloke called Dulux in '83 - he scratched it on the P.C. board - would like to meet the fella

 

Guy's please do vote on the poll I just posted - either way, it will tell me if I am wasting my time or not.

 

Thanks,

 

Mitch.

[romarni123]

Rather than yet another piece of electrical equipment which needs to be left switched on just incase someone within a 2K radius might want to talk, I have a much better solution! Most Narrowboats are fitted with solid fuel stoves, a bucket of damp grass left near the stove would be available to quickly produce large volumes of white smoke from the chimney. A small hand held tool could be placed over the chimney outlet to decrease or increase the smoke output in small bursts. Each boat could have a call sign based upon a sequence of long or short bursts, with a recogniseable code of signals to other boaters. The system has the advantage of being useable over considerable distances, providing line of sight is maintained and range could be greatly increased with a pair of binoculars. Mobile units could also be made by adapting a small can and a fire lighter.

 

I can see the system having many advantages, needing no capital outlay, using readily available materials, no use of power and utilising methods with traditional and historical roots.

 

Roger

Thats so funny

[Nickhlx]

Sorry Nick, I don't get your comment.

CB does not need a licence, 2m does. We know that and all those that use it have got it. Since we variously work with lots of Official bodies, like the Police and Ambulance Services we know exactly what we can legally do (or not do!!)

 

 

Hi Graham,

 

To me, it ( "but a lot of the 4x4 Response people are going to 2m amateur as it gives better range and clarity") suggested that people were just buying and using amateur equipment without getting the licence first - my point was that to use it you need a licence, which I venture to suggest most general boating public would not be wanting to bother with... ( evening classes / exam etc ) when the option is to spend £20 in Lidl - many would only want 100-200 yards range...

 

Great for the 4x4 Response service members who see the benefit of a quality Radio Comms system, take the trouble to learn about how to use it and avoid interference to others, get the licence, etc. etc. though - true professionalism and I applaud them !

 

Nick

[Graham Davis]

Nick, no problem.

Since lots of our Groups deal with the Police and other Official bodies we have to do things properly. Lots of the Groups do still use CB radio, plus mobile phones, but the Groups that are in the more remote areas are going over to 2m. Our Team had free training evenings arranged through RayNet, and got a deal on some radios. I am currently thinking of going down the same route. My next door neighbour is on 2m and I have been surprised how busy it is around Mid Wales, but then we do have a good repeater network in the area.

Certainly if anyone has any 2m sets they would like to donate to the Charity or would sell cheaply I know of several members who would be very interested.

[Nickhlx]

Nick, no problem.

Since lots of our Groups deal with the Police and other Official bodies we have to do things properly. Lots of the Groups do still use CB radio, plus mobile phones, but the Groups that are in the more remote areas are going over to 2m. Our Team had free training evenings arranged through RayNet, and got a deal on some radios. I am currently thinking of going down the same route. My next door neighbour is on 2m and I have been surprised how busy it is around Mid Wales, but then we do have a good repeater network in the area.

Certainly if anyone has any 2m sets they would like to donate to the Charity or would sell cheaply I know of several members who would be very interested.

 

I used to be in NE Hampshire Raynet for a few years - used to marshall the Devises to Westminster canoe race each year, amongst several other events - actually quite an interesting radio challenge, requiring even HF for one of the necessary links with UHF and VHF links sprinkled liberally along the way ( K and A, partly). The foundation is really pretty easy ( my kids each got it when they were 8 and 9, over a few 2 hr Sunday sessions) although I am not sure its fully appropriate for people so young, but the elder did go on to the Intermediate and passed, and on to the Full and only narrowly missed passing, at only 13.

 

As discussed elsewhere, I don't think Amateur Radio will ever be anything other than very lightly used on the Waterways, but I do see the PMR 446 option as definitely viable, because of the low cost, adequate performance and no licence required, and there are already quite a lot of sets around generally.

 

Nick