Handy VHF Reference

Waterproof VHF Radio Reference Card for All Boaters

The Handy VHF Reference is a waterproof, six-panel tri-fold card designed to be used right at the radio. It walks you through every reason you'd pick up the mic, from a Mayday call to hailing a bridge, step by step, so even if you've never used a marine radio, you'll know which channel to use and exactly what to say. No memorizing, and no digging through a manual.

At a Glance

• Step-by-step Mayday and Pan-Pan calls, so anyone aboard can call for help, even with no radio experience.
• How to send a one-button digital distress call, and what your radio needs for it to work.
• Which channel to use for hailing, bridges and locks, large ships, and routine conversations.
• How to make a basic call and move to a working channel.
• How to call a boat when you don't know its name.
• High or low power: the typical range of each, on a handheld and a base radio.
• Also covers NOAA weather radio, radio checks, squelch, Sécurité calls, and the spelling alphabet.
• Waterproof synthetic paper, 11" x 17" open, folding to 11" x 5.7" to keep by the radio.

Plenty of boaters, new and experienced, freeze at the mic: wrong channel, wrong procedure, wrong words. This card puts the answers in one place, in large print, organized for a quick glance mid-call. And in an emergency, it means the person at the radio doesn't have to be the one who knows how. Anyone aboard can follow the steps.

What It Covers

• Emergency calls: when to use Mayday and when to use Pan-Pan, the exact words to say, what to report, and what to do if you hear someone else's emergency call.
• Automated emergency calls: how to send a digital Mayday with your boat name and location, and why your MMSI number and a GPS connection are required.
• Channel usage: what each common channel is for, including the Coast Guard channel and the commercial-only channels to stay off.
• Making a basic call: hailing, moving to a working channel, and best practices for clear, brief calls.
• Calling a boat you don't know: how to describe it and give its position relative to you, with a diagram of bow, beam, and quarter.
• Hi-lo power: a table of which power to use for bridges, marinas, nearby boats, cruiser nets, and emergencies.
• Safety calls: how to make a Sécurité call to warn others of a hazard.
• Weather radio, radio checks, and squelch: how to find your NOAA forecast zone, what to check if no one answers, and how to cut static without missing weak calls.
• Spelling alphabet: Alpha through Zulu.

Built for Use at the Radio

At 11" x 17" unfolded, there's no tiny print to squint at mid-call. Folded to 11" x 5.7", it tucks in next to the radio, lies flat in a chart table drawer, or can be held in one hand while you hold the mic in the other. Bright colors and bold section headings make it fast to find the right panel under pressure. The synthetic paper is waterproof and stands up to rain, spray, fuel, oil, and sunscreen, with a matte finish that cuts glare and resists tearing and crumpling.

Designed and printed in the USA on American-made recyclable synthetic paper, using soy-based inks, at a facility that runs entirely on wind power.

Details

• Format: six-panel tri-fold card
• Size: 11" x 5.7" folded; 11" x 17" open
• Material: waterproof, tear-resistant recyclable synthetic paper with a matte finish
• Weight: 0.2 lb