Fort Myers IC-4088SR Club has scheduled the Southwest Florida Hamfest and South Florida ARRL Convention on Jan. 19, 2013 at the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy on Michigan Ave. in Ft. Myers. General admission is $5/person, with no start time noted. Check the club site for more information and repeater frequencies.
D-Star - This networks takes the EchoLink network even one step further. As long as your radio is connected to your computer - this network adds the capability to transmit data files. Here's the neat part. No internet connection or the internet is down? No problem - d-Star can handle the data transfer all via radio! And this network is also FREE!
Learn some weather prediction skills. One of the biggest dangers on the water is sudden wind changes. Wind can make kayaking very difficult to impossible at times. Learn how to view the clouds and what they mean. Pay attention to the stories from your area about what to look for for wind or for rain. Get licensed for icom marine radio to listen to the forecasts and be able to communicate to other mariners about the weather. Local kayak centers often provide short courses in the local weather patterns and what to look for.
Improve your paddling skills. Every time you go out paddling, try practicing a particular stroke that you find difficult. Practice the sweeps and draws, as well as the braces, each and every paddle. Get more instruction, if necessary, to learn more strokes, and just to have someone watch and help you with the movements you need to perform the stroke efficiently. A good way to improve your paddling skills is to join a group of river kayakers and play around in the smaller, more responsive boat. You have to use your core body strength and motion more in a river kayak which helps develop the habit of body to do it in a sea kayak.
Maritime Personnel. Not just focusing on the navy, but also consumers, GPS tracking out at sea can be invaluable, especially if your yacht or boat runs into distress. icom communications are usually available but GPS tracking devices on board can help the emergency services find your location quickly and easily.
Right now in the Amateur world there is some digital technology that is becoming available and it's quite expensive. Once it is more available the price may come down and just in case anyone is wondering what I'm talking about, it's D-STAR.
It would also be a good idea to have a decent set of FRS/GMRS radios for portable short range communications. The GXT1000VP4 and GXT1050VP4 are great options.
