VHF "line of sight" on Kab

Have never used a VHF radio as we are almost always in cell range wherever we fish. Am considering a radio for our first Kab trip this summer, but I’d love to hear from those with some experience — is it even worth it? It seems like the many islands would make a clear “line of sight” nearly impossible from most places around the island?

Why do you want a radio? If for safety if you break down I wouldn’t worry about it. There are boats you can flag down everywhere on Kab.
If you have AT&T cell service, that covers most of the lake.

Dutchboy wrote:

Why do you want a radio? If for safety if you break down I wouldn’t worry about it. There are boats you can flag down everywhere on Kab.
If you have AT&T cell service, that covers most of the lake.

I don’t “want” a radio. I “want” to keep my money to spend on a million different swimbaits and cranks I’m trying to be extra vigilant and if the more experienced folks said I “need” one then I guess I’d bite that bullet in the name of safety. Sounds like that’s not gonna be necessary, which is great news to me.

I’m on T-Mobile but their coverage map shows talk/text reception at minimum in all of the places I’ll be. It even claims I’ll have LTE on the island we’re camping but I’ll believe that when I see it.

I carry flares and an air horn so I assume I’ll be fine if I need to flag another boat down. It would be nice to have the radio for weather alerts but I should be able to manage on my phone.

I’ve got Verizon and fished from Tom cod to the very East end of lost bay last week and never noticed not having reception.

At the cabin my phone data worked better than connecting to the resort wifi.

You don’t “need” one.

For weather the best thing you can have is a AM radio. That thing will crackle anytime thunder or lightning is approaching.

T-Mobile from what I’ve seen (my buddy has it) works on a few area’s of the lake but not many.

Thanks for the input guys. Hoping that perhaps T-Mo has made some improvements since last time you were with your buddy, dutch. Their map sure says so, but I’ve read reports of all carriers not quite delivering what their maps promise.

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An island is not much of impediment to VHF reception if you have a full power dash mounted unit and a decent antenna.

Also, many of the resorts and emergency services have antennas mounted on towers, so they can reach the whole lake. I had no issues talking to the Ebols base on the Ash River from the Wolf Pack Islands, I was getting perfect reception and I herd Ebols talking to a boat up by Kettle Falls.

It is also possible to “relay” messages.

Bottom line is there are enough radios in action in that area and the cell phone reception is not 100%, so I wouldn’t be without one out there.

Also, call me old school, but I like the weather channel. It’s quick, it’s easy, hit a button you get the forecast.

Just as a note, you may be tempted to go with a handheld. The range is nowhere near that of a full power dash unit. We used a handheld for houseboat to fishing boat communication when scouting caming sites, but they would not be a good choice for a primary radio.

BTW, I had Sprint cell service last summer and had ZERO coverage on Kab and Nam. Only place in MN I can recall having no coverage where Verizon and ATT have coverage. No idea why this was.

Grouse

Dammit grouse, those guys just convinced me I don’t need one!

I will second the handhelds not being very useful. about all mine is good for is weather, the radio part doesn’t work very well when it’s wide open

A VHF radio with a QUALITY 8′ antenna is a nice thing to have. Get a radio for a reasonable price and then spend the coin on a good antenna….. My antenna was about $150 at marine general. The sheer weight and mass of the antenna when compared to the cheaper $40 antenna it replaced was very noticeable. 5-7 miles though islands is very doable with it…..

In very general terms, the way I understand it, any radio will receive well enough, but your antenna is what transmits….. In an emergency, yu need to transmit. (And a soldered antenna cable connector is the ONLY option….period).