Technical Posting #1 - Radios

(Written last night before we aarrived in Menorca).

It's still 103 miles to Menorca and there's just sun and sea out there. Gilly is on watch so I've used my new LG smartphone (dogs danglies) to take some photos of the ship's radios.

The one that looks like a car radio does so because that is what it is! We can use this for listening to local radio stations (we never do) and for playing CDs or tunes on a memory stick. It is connected to two speakers in the main cabin. It was on this radio that I discovered Chris Rea.

The second radio, the other small one, is a standard VHF ship's radio. You have to pass a little exam to be able to use it and it as to be registered to your boat with the radio authorities. This is because it can transmit as well as receive. However because it uses VHF frequencies it only works 'line of sight' with whoever you are talking to. We use this to call marinas, friends, traffic authorities and also for Mayday distress calls. It is linked to the GPS so if you hit the big red button it automatically puts out a call for help with your position, boatname etc. With luck if there is anyone around help will arrive or at least you will be able to talk to someone about the problem.

Finally, the big one. This is an HF radio capable of transmitting thousands of miles given the right atmospheric conditions. Also used for emergency calls on 2182 this radio can do more than that. It can connect you to friends hundreds of miles away, provide weather information files and even allow you to send simple emails. It's a mean beast and it and its accessories need to be set up properly to work correctly. On passages though, away from 3G coverage, it is our only link to shore.