Chekika wrote:
NOHUHU,
I'm surprised that you say you cannot hear your radios--maybe it IS the wind. I don't think I've been out in winds over about 20-25 mph, but we have always been able to hear one another on our VHF radios even when we were separated by a couple km. You use your volume/squelch control, right? Maybe it is the swell that is causing a problem. We seldom have swell of the size you encounter here in SFL.
Keith
Chekika, It IS mostly the wind, from what I can tell. And only a problem when conditions exceed our "typical" Hawaiian 15-20 mph day. That's happened a LOT this year.
A 20+ MPH wind will overpower any microphone when hit directly, so half the signal being sent is usually windage. Even if that unit has noise canceling features, like mine. Or a burp function that clears water from the speaker, like mine.
If you are listening to that broadcast in a quiet environment, you can still usually make out what's being said. But if the wind is howling on your end too (sailing upwind), the noise becomes excessive. Even with a strong signal.
Throw in weaker, staticy broadcasts, flapping sails (right by your ear) and waterlogged speakers then reception quality goes quickly downhill.
It's difficult to judge all this on the water at the time, but I have a radio that actually records the last 30 seconds of communications (like the coast guard does) so I have the luxury of analyzing our club communications while sitting here at my desk.
(Once we reached calm waters, my friend and I sat on the beach, played back his messages and were laughing our Okoles off at how ridiculous things had become. He could not make out some of his own broadcasts).
In the open ocean, on days like that, I think all you can do is try your best to shield the mic from wind when speaking and keep the radio close to your ear with the volume low. Then repeat- repeat- repeat.
I'm considering wearing foam earplugs on highwind days, to mitigate the roaring of the wind in my ears. I think that might help.
I said:
"I-think-that-might-help!!"