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Uniden handheld VHF in Auckland

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: General Forums
Forum Name: Tech Topics
Forum Description: IT - Computers, software, phones, ISP's....
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=129941
Printed Date: 04 Feb 2026 at 2:05pm


Topic: Uniden handheld VHF in Auckland
Posted By: Mysto
Subject: Uniden handheld VHF in Auckland
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 10:27am
I got a Uniden handheld Marine VHF for Christmas.
I tried it at mother in law's house in New Plymouth with their weather channel 20 and it seemed to work fine.
Now I'm trying it out at my backyard in Te Atatu Peninsula in Auckland but even with sql at 0, I'm not getting a clear reception of ch19 and just a little better reception of ch64.
Anyone using these in Auckland and happy with it? 
Do I really get on the water to try it properly? 
Thanks!


Replies:
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 10:54am
Mysto, marine vhf is line of sight comms, maybe drive somewhere up higher than where you live and see if the reception improves, I am sure it will.

Meaning you live too far below the line of sight or are shielded by objects, even hills. You may even need a long external aerial mounted on your house/garage but even then not guaranteed.


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"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau

Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 1:24pm
Uniden are a great little set,when they say water proof,B/S shower proof only,and yes as Catchelot said,line of sight,if I stand on the garage roof works fine but on the ground no,Papakura.

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Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56

Posted By: Mysto
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 11:01am
Thanks guys. So it should work on the water then?

Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 07 Jan 2019 at 7:55pm
My uniden works fine on water not so good on land not made for city use - usually Rx ok but Tx not so!  don't forget to get a call sign see coastguard website for details. 

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Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish.

Posted By: Mysto
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2019 at 1:57pm
My one actually doesn't work that well on water either.
Weather channel is a mess with a lot of interference.
Local channel is OK, but man Coastguard radio is impossible to understand with all the distortion.

Posted By: Tagit
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2019 at 2:00pm
Take it in and get it checked whilst it is under warranty.You do have the squelch set just above the background noise level?

Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2019 at 4:09pm
Radios work far better over land than water..
Asmentioned above need line of sight
Te atatu is rather bump landscape
An example from home on the sthern edges of greater Auckland I can do a radio check to coast gurd in Auckland.. To which even they where surprised.
But in the mouth of the Waikato River nothing to anywhere including coast gaurd Manukau.. So require cell phone and even that depends somewhat on position and who you are signed up with.
Move just outside the bar. Few 100 Ms and everything good

Do the Vhf coarse, get a call sign and you will be a legit user and learn all about this... Correct format calling up.. Order of call sign etcAnd calling for a radio check.. Send and recieve

Posted By: SaltyC
Date Posted: 10 Mar 2019 at 4:32pm
Both 64 and 19 repeaters are on Sky Tower so I would be very surprised if you had trouble with either on Te Atatu Peninsular anywhere above ground!

With the two radio masts at Lincoln Rd and Waiatarua transmitter so close you will however have a lot of noise if you don't get the squelch set correctly to just remove the background noise and no more. Also make sure you have the radio set to I (international).

If you are still having trouble after that then definitely get the radio serviced as Tagit says.

Posted By: Mysto
Date Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 11:32am
Yeah, the squelch is one step above the noise. Even at Kauri point reception is not ideal. 
I'm definitely not relying on this radio for emergency comms.

Posted By: Dagwood
Date Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 12:43pm
Seems odd. My Uniden works fine in Howick.

Hasn't been changed from International channel setting to USA by chance?

Posted By: Mysto
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 1:15pm
I'll have a look and see where that setting is.

Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 1:53pm
you have tightened the arial??

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Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56

Posted By: Mysto
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2019 at 11:33pm
It's molded in. Not detachable.


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