radio weather reports...

[Mr. Sandman]

Ya know one thing that really peeves me is a crappy weather report...esp living on an island. according to the data bouy:
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_pag...?station=BUZM3
in buzzards bay, the current wind speed is 41 knots. Listening to the radio the weatherman says it is "breezy today and tomorrow will be less breezy" WTF is breezy? You think local radio stations would give full marine weather forcasts every 15min.
It reminds me of the old George Carlin weatherman...."tonight will be dark, continued mostly dark with widely scattered light in the morning..."

[likwid]

get a radio that picks up the actual WX stations
or a handheld VHF (which IS kinda handy on the beach... listen in on ch10 and 68 for people openly babbling on the air about fishing)

[Mr. Sandman]

Do any of you guys have a vhf in your house? It might be easier to call home on that then the cell which never works.

[likwid]

vhf dosen't have enough range (esp. handhelds)

[Mr. Sandman]

I know I was thinking of putting an antenna on my roof and having a big vhf unit ...I want to put it in the kitchen but the other half may not like the idea.

[BigBo]

If I'm not mistaken, it's technically a violation to use VHF as land units without special licensing. Don't ask me why.

[Mr. Sandman]

I guess the right way to go is SSB. But I don't plan to install that on my 23'er

[Fish_Eye]

Hello Sandman,

If you're like me, you consult no less than four different weather services and then check out all the bouy data. When it comes to wind velocity predictions from the local radio or TV stations, I was once told that they are always right, BUT when they say it is going to blow 20-25 knts. -- you have to add these number together.

Funny, with all the available data and modern technology, we still couldn't communicate clearly on our cell phones and we found ourselves talking at the dock instead of fishing the boulder batches on Cuttyhunk -- next time!

Brian Vanderhoop has a home based unit -- with that comes the inconvenience of hearing (and everyone else) "Brian, Brian, Brian, I know you're out there! Bring home some milk and bread when you're done."

Mike

[beachwalker]

Hey Sandman,

Hello from the other island.

I hear you on the weather vs. dj reports. The radio is just reading a LAND forecast with the occasional marine effort thrown in. They do NOT update them and don't have clue what they are reporting.

You have a computer. The Noaa VHF forecast found on computer wx sites is the same marine forecast from vhf/noaa, just in written form.

And remember. The anemometer on the top of Buzzards bay Tower is over 80 ft off the water. The readings are usually a bit stronger than surface winds.
Also, a vhf radio is cheap and runs on batteries. Portable for fishing, etc.

Good luck and I will send you some weather links if you would like.

[schoolie monster]

They make really cheap radios that just pick up the weather bands, but that's right about using the VHF to communicate over land... it is a violation. Not sure of the specific laws or anything, but I clearly remember that in my readings.

I just remember thinking about that 'cause over on Nantucket, we often have someone out in the boat, someone oversand on Smith's or something. I have a handheld vhf and thought we could use it to communicate.

Not that I'm that much of a boyscout that I wouldn't do it... being on the beach is pretty close to being on the water.

[likwid]

A couple of the psychos I sometimes fish with are avid shore guys too... Been known to bump them onto the beach and move off to work other spots while they ran the shore....

Always had them keep a vhf handy, or atleast one of them 2-ways.

[beachwalker]

Hell, before cellphones the handheld VHF was our phone. Great Point is 10 miles from the Wauwinet Gate.