Module 5 - Routine Calls
Radio Checks
What you will learn
Decide whether a radio check is useful, choose a current appropriate service and turn the reply into a practical equipment decision.
A radio check is a bounded test of the communication path at that place and time. It is not a ritual call on Channel 16 or proof that the installation will work everywhere later in the passage.
Start by deciding what needs testing. A receive-only check, a local working-channel call, an automated service or a harbour service may answer the real question without placing avoidable routine traffic on a calling and safety channel. Use current local information because monitored services and channel arrangements vary.
Prepare the station name, your vessel identity and the words 'radio check'. Listen, use low power first and keep the exchange short. If the station provides a readability report, acknowledge it without turning the check into a conversation.
The report covers that complete path: radio settings, microphone, power, antenna system, propagation, distance, terrain and the receiving station. A strong report nearby does not prove coverage offshore; a poor report is a prompt to diagnose the system rather than repeatedly transmitting at high power.
Worked example
The local station reports that North Star is readable but intermittent after recent antenna work.
- 1End the exchange cleanly instead of making repeated reassurance calls.
- 2Inspect the antenna connector and feeder, confirm power supply and repeat the test only after a change has been made.
- 3Record where, when, on which channel and with which power setting the result was obtained.
Sense check: A changed test condition should explain why a repeat could add evidence; repetition without a change usually adds congestion, not diagnosis.
Test a set before departure without creating congestion
After maintenance, you need evidence that the fixed set can transmit and receive. The marina guide lists a local service that accepts checks on a working channel.
1. Choose the test
Confirm the local service is current and that a two-way radio check answers the maintenance question.
2. Make one concise call
Listen, call the service, identify the vessel and request a radio check using low power first.
3. Act on the result
Acknowledge the report; if poor or unanswered, check channel, volume, squelch, power, microphone, antenna path and service availability before repeating.
Sense check: The check is successful only if it answers a defined equipment question and produces a proportionate next action.
Common mistake or limitation
- Calling Channel 16 by habit when a current appropriate local route is available.
- Treating a nearby good report as guaranteed range throughout a later passage.
- Increasing power and repeating immediately without checking the receiving and antenna path.
Recap
- Define what the check must prove before transmitting.
- Use a current appropriate service, keep the call short and start with low power.
- Interpret the result as evidence from one path, place and time—not a universal guarantee.
Optional quick check
Section 2 of 10
A local service reports your newly repaired set as intermittent. What is the best next step?
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 20 August 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
Continue studying Routine Calls
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