Welcome to the Atlantic ICW Kayak Expedition
Essential Communications
Multiple, redundant communications systems are essential to the safety of any expedition. Every piece of equipment needs to be protected by attaching it to the kayak and be waterproof and floatable. These include:
- NOAA Weather Marine VHF radio. Access all NOAA weather channels, weather alerts, and two-way communications. Distress calls are made on VHF-FM channel 16 (MAYDAY—from the French m'aidez [help me]). For less serious situations than warrant the distress procedure, the radiotelephone urgency signal consisting of three repetitions of the word PAN-PAN (pronounced PAHN-PAHN—from the French panne [breakdown]), or the safety signal SECURITE (pronounced SECURITAY—from the French sécurité [safety]) spoken three times, are used as appropriate. For complete information on emergency radio procedures, see 47 CFR 80 or Radio Navigational Aids Publication 117.
Audio and Visual Emergency signals ( SOS · · · – – – · · · ). These include klaxons, clickers, whistles, flares, mirrors, laser pointers (do not use the on/off switch but by scanning fast along a coastline, for example, for a DIT and slower for a DAH you maximize your chance of being seen [blue or
violet lasers will maximize the distance]), and bright LED lights for
Morse code .- A Mobile phone with unlimited data can be used as a hotspot for the computer. However, some of the areas being visited are quite wild and have no signal. As such, the mobile phone is not considered a primary communications device.
- HAM radio for kayakers with a Technician class (or higher) license (KB5WXE)
- Computer with a Realtek Software Defined Radio (RTL-SDR which are available for under $15 and coupled with the free SDR# software) and a USB TV Tuner and over-the-air (OTA) antenna provides, much needed, early warning of upcoming storm systems. With this knowledge, you can proceed inland, to safety, with time to spare. In addition to FM radio, SDRs can connect to NOAA, police and other emergency services, and HAM radio in the frequency range 27-1700 MHz (down to 100kHz with an upconverter and a suitable antenna).
- Listening to unencrypted Police/Ambulance/Fire/EMS conversations.
- Listening to aircraft traffic control conversations.
- Tracking aircraft positions like a radar with ADS-B decoding.
- Decoding aircraft ACARS short messages.
- Scanning trunking radio conversations.
- Decoding unencrypted digital voice transmissions.
- Tracking maritime boat positions like a radar with AIS decoding.
- Decoding POCSAG/FLEX pager traffic.
- Scanning for cordless phones and baby monitors.
- Tracking and receiving meteorological agency launched weather balloon data.
- Tracking your own self launched high altitude balloon for payload recovery.
- Receiving wireless temperature sensors and wireless power meter sensors.
- Listening to VHF amateur radio.
- Decoding ham radio APRS packets.
- Watching analogue broadcast TV.
- Sniffing GSM signals.
- Using rtl-sdr on your Android device as a portable radio scanner.
- Receiving GPS signals and decoding them.
- Using rtl-sdr as a spectrum analyzer.
- Receiving NOAA weather satellite images.
- Listening to satellites and the ISS.
- Listening to unencrypted military communications.
- Radio astronomy.
- Monitoring meteor scatter.
- Listening to FM radio, and decoding RDS information.
- Listening to DAB broadcast radio.
- Use rtl-sdr as a panadapter for your traditional hardware radio.
- Decoding taxi mobile data terminal signals.
- Use rtl-sdr as a true random number generator.
- Listening to amateur radio hams on SSB with LSB/USB modulation.
- Decoding digital amateur radio ham communications such as CW/PSK/RTTY/SSTV.
- Receiving HF weatherfax.
- Receiving digital radio mondiale shortwave radio (DRM).
- Listening to international shortwave radio.
- Looking for RADAR signals like over the horizon (OTH) radar, and HAARP signals.
- Dynamo and Solar Powered AM/FM/LW Shortwave & NOAA weather radio with back-lit digital display, NOAA all hazards alert & RDS
- 4 tuning methods including manual, direct digit entry, ATS & memory tuning with 335 memories for easy access to favorite stations
- Calendar, alarm clock with dual settings, sleep timer, thermometer & humidity meter
- 180-degree adjustable solar panel with 5-LED reading lamp, Flashlight
- 5 Ways of Charging the radio,Auxiliary input jack available for external audio devices
Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 Digital Solar Dynamo,Wind Up,Dynamo Cranking AM/FM/LW/SW & NOAA Weather Emergency Radio with Flashlight, Reading Lamp Alert,Smart Phone Charger & RDS and Real-Time Alert, with AC Adapter.