Diving with Handheld GPS & VHF Radio - Red Sea Debacle at the weekend

Hi,

Would it be possible to dive with a both handheld VHF radio and GPS,
protected by those waterproof plastic packet things that you can buy -
i.e. would they survive the depth/water pressure?

And would this have helped the diver who were mislaid at the weekend?


--
Richard Faulkner

Richard Faulkner wrote:
> Would it be possible to dive with a both handheld VHF radio and GPS,
> protected by those waterproof plastic packet things that you can buy -
> i.e. would they survive the depth/water pressure?

<shrug>
My EPIRB dives with me all the time. It's been
to 60m and it requires a lot less thinking about
than reading a GPS onto the radio.

nigelH

In message <cfdc13$esj@odah37.prod.google.com>, alunharford@yahoo.com
writes
>Richard Faulkner wrote:
>> Would it be possible to dive with a both handheld VHF radio and GPS,
>> protected by those waterproof plastic packet things that you can buy
>-
>Even better, you can get them integrated into one unit - so that you
>can use DSC and stuff to send your location to the coastguard along
>with your Mayday. The two technologies go hand in hand so it seems to
>make sense.
>
>"Mayday, mayday, mayday - this is ######, ######, ###### - at ...
>bugger where am I?"
>

I thought about DCS, but I understood that the code needed to be linked
to a particular vessel, and that it wasnt available in handheld - but I
will stand corrected.


>> i.e. would they survive the depth/water pressure?
>They probably wouldn't survive the pressure.
>I think you'd need to put them in a box/canister that would, maintain
>1ata pressure.
>

This is probably the key to it - I wonder if there is a definitive
answer somewhere?

>> And would this have helped the diver who were mislaid at the weekend?
>Yep.
>
>I expect a few people will come along now and tell you to get an EPIRB
>because the range of a VHF radio is more limited - what they forget is
>that if you have an EPIRB you've got to get a signal to a helicopter
>looking for you, whereas with a VHF radio you only need to manage to
>reach your own dive boat (or any other boat).

I also thought about EPIRB, but this sends a signal to a satellite, and
anyone in the world can pick it up, thus resulting in a full scale S &
R. I was actually thinking of the VHF as a simple means of contact a
local boat.

>They'll also say that you'll have problems with range because you'll be
>in the water (same with EPIRB), but since the maximum range from the
>line of sight is proportional to the sum of the square roots of the
>heights (may be wrong about that - just did the calculation on the back
>of an envelope), and the coastguard will use recievers much higher up
>than you can manage in a RIB, you don't lose much range.
>
>I've not done this myself though - it's just an idea I'm playing with
>in my head.
>
>Alun Harford
>

--
Richard Faulkner

In article <$89UX5eFwkGBFwLU@estate.demon.co.uk>, Richard Faulkner
<richard@estate.demon.co.uk> writes
>In message <cfdc13$esj@odah37.prod.google.com>, alunharford@yahoo.com
>writes
>>Richard Faulkner wrote:
>>> Would it be possible to dive with a both handheld VHF radio and GPS,
>>> protected by those waterproof plastic packet things that you can buy
>>-
>>Even better, you can get them integrated into one unit - so that you
>>can use DSC and stuff to send your location to the coastguard along
>>with your Mayday. The two technologies go hand in hand so it seems to
>>make sense.
>>
>>"Mayday, mayday, mayday - this is ######, ######, ###### - at ...
>>bugger where am I?"
>>
>I thought about DCS, but I understood that the code needed to be linked
>to a particular vessel, and that it wasnt available in handheld - but I
>will stand corrected.
>
>>> i.e. would they survive the depth/water pressure?
>>They probably wouldn't survive the pressure.
>>I think you'd need to put them in a box/canister that would, maintain
>>1ata pressure.
>>
>This is probably the key to it - I wonder if there is a definitive
>answer somewhere?

http://www.mcmurdo.co.uk/?Menu=17&Pa...cts.asp&Cat=49

1st and 4th products on the page seem to be what you'd need. About 750
quid.
--
David Mahon

"Richard Faulkner" wrote

> I thought about DCS, but I understood that the code needed to be linked
> to a particular vessel, and that it wasnt available in handheld - but I
> will stand corrected.

Consider yourself standing. They're currently available in hand held units
too. Since I put a DCS unit on both my boats, I didn't pay a lot of
attention to who is was advertising hand held units. I've not seen a
pressure proof VHF radio.

> >I expect a few people will come along now and tell you to get an EPIRB
> >because the range of a VHF radio is more limited - what they forget is
> >that if you have an EPIRB you've got to get a signal to a helicopter
> >looking for you, whereas with a VHF radio you only need to manage to
> >reach your own dive boat (or any other boat).
>
> I also thought about EPIRB, but this sends a signal to a satellite, and
> anyone in the world can pick it up, thus resulting in a full scale S &
> R. I was actually thinking of the VHF as a simple means of contact a
> local boat.

Not so. EPIRB units, combined with an on board directional antennae have
been in use in the Caribbean for several years now. They are ACR units and
are specifically designed to be pressure proof well beyond "normal"
recreational depths. A signal that will reach a satellite or search and
rescue aircraft, will reach the boat you dove from too.

Lee

"Richard Faulkner" <richard@estate.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:2Lqmq4aa5iGBFwJq@estate.demon.co.uk...
> Hi,
>
> Would it be possible to dive with a both handheld VHF radio and GPS,
> protected by those waterproof plastic packet things that you can buy -
> i.e. would they survive the depth/water pressure?
>
> And would this have helped the diver who were mislaid at the weekend?
>
>
> --
> Richard Faulkner

You can dive with both but they can only be used on the surface of course. There are
such things for sailors that are waterproof and it would not be that difficult to get
a diveable case.

Adam