When you enter the world of offshore boating, you should undertake an additional level of preparation when compared to inland boating. The ocean is a formidable environment, and as a boat owner and captain you should take special care in equipping your boat. Beyond setting up your boat to try to avoid bad scenarios, you … Read more
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has classifications for several frequency wavelengths; this article is considered with explaining two frequency ranges that account for a majority of the communications devices we humans use on a daily basis, either in our daily lives or in the work of certain career fields. And to start off this discussion, … Read more
After radio communication came into use among the United States military, a problem soon arose; many English letters sound alike. This becomes quite cumbersome when one person tries to pass on an encoded message like “B-A-G” and the receiver hears “V-8-E,” which could lead to misdirected efforts, delays, or confuse the receiver. The phonetic alphabet … Read more
If you’ve ever watched an episode of television or a film with someone communication over the radio with a string of numbers, you may have wondered what deal is with phrases similar to “10-4.” While 10-4 is arguably the most well-known of their lot, these code phrases are known as “ten-codes” or “ten-signals;” despite the … Read more
If you ever had a walkie talkie set when you were a kid, you know just how much fun they can be. Sharing secrets, feeling important, and taking your best friend with you wherever you were throughout the range was always exciting. As an adult, walkie talkies are just as exciting, but also a bit … Read more
If you are one of those people who watches the evening news on a regular basis, then you have undoubtedly seen one of the many stories about people who have ventured into the wilderness for a day and yet, due to a lack of navigational skill, they have wandered off the designated trail and become … Read more
In a maritime line of work, or simply enjoy going out on the water for your leisure? Hopefully you have only smooth sailing ahead, but there is always an element of risk involved when it comes to any nautical activities. When you are out on the open seas, you are surrounded by water, and you … Read more
We are all well aware of how convenient cell phones can be and, for some people who simply enjoy chatting with their friends when they are out and about, they can be a source of entertainment as well. However, the problem with cell phones is that cell phone companies don’t find it profitable to build … Read more
Ham radio is a colloquial term for amateur radio. Like commercial radio stations, ham radio operators require a license to operate legally. But unlike commercial radio, “Hams” are restricted from accepting any compensation for what they broadcast. Their realm is more like an online discussion board than a media website. Getting started in ham radio … Read more
There was a time less than half a century ago when all navigators had to either depend on the ancient art of Dead Reckoning or a topographic map and a compass or, in the case of mariners, a chart, a sextant and, a compass to determine their position on the face of the Earth. But, … Read more