Marine radio

[KOKANEE]

Well we got the boat out for the first time and went to the Gorge on Saturday. My marine radio will recieve but it will not transmit. I could here other boaters but no one could here me. Usually when you depress the mic you can hear the squelch come over the speaker. Nada. Any ideas?

 

[fairweatherman]

were was you I called on a new handheld got one respone told me it work but didn't hear any one all morning sat or sun

 

[SuperD]

were was you I called on a new handheld got one respone told me it work but didn't hear any one all morning sat or sun

I've noticed you Utah and Wyoming guys are a quiet bunch. The ones that do talk on the radio all talk in code. I've been trying to locate a Gorge decoder ring on the internet but haven't come across one yet.

 

[lowe1648mt]

VHF Radio

If you can receive, it could be a blown transmitter. to check it, get someone to listen for you ( in close proximity ) an just break squelch. If nothing is heard, Itis time to take it to a repair shop. Most shops charge about the same to repair s it costs to replace the radio. It might be as simple as a bad mike. With the cost of parts, and labor, it could add up to a new radio. Some shops have a minimum labor charge. Some shops have a $100 per hour labor charge. If you get a new redio, spend some more for insurance and get a new anntena. If the old one was bad, that could blow the radio transmitter. If the mike got damp over the winter,( condensation) just take the radio in side, dry it out, and tap gently on something with the mike. Mike were made with a carbon crystal element. When they get damp, the crystals stick together and the mike won't work. Also if you don't mind tearing into it your self, it could be corrision on the mike switch. Hope you have a detatchable mike. Easy to replace.
For what it's worth, Army 32B- field radio repair

 

[Propnut69]

I've noticed you Utah and Wyoming guys are a quiet bunch. The ones that do talk on the radio all talk in code. I've been trying to locate a Gorge decoder ring on the internet but haven't come across one yet.

Sorry Dave ,decoder rings have to be earned,and can not be bought on the internet. BUTTTTTTTTTTTT for a small donation to my fishing fund,I will let you copy mine laugh hystlaugh hyst

 

[KOKANEE]

Thanks for the resposnses. In doing internet searches iboat says it is most likely a connection problem with the antenna. Called West Marine they seem to think its a bad radio. It is a west marine brand radio. Is that Bad? If so what do you guys reccommend? Gonna work on the problem this weekend and go from there. By the way lowe1648mt ,WM allso said it would be just as cheap to buy new as to fix it.

Fairweatherman: We were at lucerne fishing the Pipeline area. Had an amazing day. Caught over 40. Multiple/Multiple hook ups. Brought a couple home for the smoker.

Thanks
Kokanee

 

[fairweatherman]

Did you hear alot of talking on the radio I heard none I was at Wildhorse maybe I shouldn't of bought a handheld or maybe it's bad. We also had a great day there caught a bunch and took some home for the smoker. Not as big as last year around 13 to 16 inches how about you any size?

 

[KOKANEE]

There wasnt alot of talking going on but a few quys here and there. We didnt get any super large fish about the same as you guys did. I honestly didnt measure or weigh any of them. But I was impresses with what we were catching. Come fall I bet there is going to be some butes.

 

[SuperD]

Fairweatherman, a hand held will be all but useless on a lake like FG. Low watt output and a short antenna equals you can just about yell as far. The hand held works well when you are standing up on top of the hill at camp or on a smaller pond lake. You will always be able to hear from a long distance but only be able to transmit a very short distance.

P.S. - VHF is line of sight so that is why a short stubby antenna kills you. Just about everything qualifies to block signal. An 8' antenna stands a better chance of both sending and receiving signals.

 

[SuperD]

Kokanee, the antenna connection is probably the most common VHF radio problem so guys would be taking the safe bet to go there first. It would also be the cheap first step for you. The bad connection is generally at the coax to radio connection. It should be a soldiered connection. Take that piece apart and follow the installation instructions again making sure a good soldier is made and try again. Then you can go to the expensive step as a second course of action.

 

[KOKANEE]

Ok thanks SuperD. I hope its that simple.

 

[Bduck]

What channels are you using? There are ship to ship, ship to shore channels. Check your operating manuel on which channels allows you to xmit. This could be an easy fix as far as this goes. You can also get a copy of the channels over the internet if you don't have anything available. SuperD is right about the 8' antennae. The short antennas work well on small lakes but for lakes like the Gorge or Lake Powell, you need longer. I have done a radio check with mine sitting in Lucerne campground talking to Buckboard which is 20+miles away.

 

[Torres]

It might be as simple as a bad mike. If the mike got damp over the winter,( condensation) just take the radio in side, dry it out, and tap gently on something with the mike. Mike were made with a carbon crystal element. When they get damp, the crystals stick together and the mike won't work. Also if you don't mind tearing into it your self, it could be corrision on the mike switch. Hope you have a detatchable mike. Easy to replace.
For what it's worth, Army 32B- field radio repair

My job requires me sometimes to use a handheld radio and it's usually the mike that goes out first from normal use or like lowe1648mt said moisture from the rain..

I'd start there first.

 

[lowe1648mt]

VHF Radio

Thanks Torres.
That's also my experience. If it worked last year and does not now, it's less likely to be the antenna. I have installed a few hundred VHF Radios and antennas.If it's new and does not work from first try, it is probabily the antenna. Otherwise check the mike.
If it was the antenna, transmitting with out the antenna attatched can blow the transmitter. You could still receive but not transmit. That is harder to fix.

 

[KOKANEE]

I worked on the boat today and here is what I have found: All the connections apprear to be good. There is a H/L output key and when keying the mic on Low it there is an icon that comes on and says TX for transmitting but when on High there is no TX icon that comes on. Kinda wished I had a close neighbor or a hand held to further my testing. Called the manufacture its minium $60.00 just to send it in to have them look at it. Plus parts labor and shipping. The guy told me he would just go buy an new one.

 

[lowe1648mt]

Do you have an ohm merter? If so check how much resistance ther is thru the antenna. Check the center post of the antenna cable to the metal ring that seats against the radio( not the locking ring). If it shows 0 ohms change the scale. If it shoes infinate ohms, move the scale. I don't remember the value that it should be, but it can be found on line from the antenna mfg.
Still probabily the radio.

 

[KOKANEE]

Ok here is an update on the mystery of marine radio. So after trying everything that everyone suggested nothing worked. I would transmit on low power but when you switched to High it would not. So I called the company who made the radio initially I said it was a West Marine radio but its not its a Stanard Horizon, bought it as West Marine. Talked with the technical help there and told him what was going on and what I had checked so far. He asked where the power source was coming from? I told him Its wired into a bank of wires under the dash. He said its your battery connection. Probably dirty and just needs to be cleaned. Getting just enough power to transmit on low but not enough on High. So sure enough I check the battery post and they are somewhat dirty but not enough to cause a problem, hey the boat starts. Well I did as he said and cleaned them. Turned on the radio and low and behold were transmitting.
WOW go figure.
Brent

 

[Bduck]

Right on KOKANEE. Being patient & troubleshooting pays off. thumbsup Sometimes one can get into more trouble than shooting. I have been through similiar situations while fixing one problem another one got fixed and yet I don't know what I did to fix the other. Even while fixing a problem another can spring up on you. Again, you ask "what did I do"? bandmyhead My experience with boats, electrical wiring, usually turns out to be a dirty connection of some type or broken, ground wires is mostly what I see. Good Job.

 

[lowe1648mt]

Radio

Wouldn't it be nice to have had all that info att the begining? Glad your problem is solved so inexpenceivly.
Also what I forgot was the #1 rule. If it won't work, "Throw some dirt on it"
( check the ground).

 

[KOKANEE]

For sure guys. Defiantly learned a lot over this ordeal.
Thanks again to all those who tried to help. Your all a great bunch of guys.
Now I just need to get out again. 2 more weeks and we'll hit the Gorge.
And its fish on.
Thanks
Kokanee