VHF radio suggestions ?

[jhoss]

I'm in the market for a new VHF radio. Looking for salt/waterproof, floating and long battery life and most important easy to use...any suggestions?

[baitball]

Look at the Standard Horizon brand.
Easy to use, waterproof and inexpensive.


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[EMSer]

Look at the Standard Horizon brand.
Easy to use, waterproof and inexpensive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

my needs

+1

I have one and it meets all my needs

[Mark]

Dependable too -- Standard Horizon.

[azmdted]

For my needs the Standard Horizon is great. Light, smallish (fits in my pfd pocket), clear reception, floats (though I haven't tried that yet). They used to run a rebate as well, may still do.

[AbuMasgouf]

+1 on standard horizon. I opted for the model with the larger battery instead of floating capability. It lasts a few trips before it runs out. I tether it to my vest.

[Slobber Bob]

another +1 for standard horizon from me.

[22Tango]

That's what I use. Had another one once that said it floated. It didn't. Mine also has a light which flashes when it gets wet. Makes it easier to find if it ever gets dropped overboard.

[whenican]

I'm in the same boat as you but I'm leaning
towards the Cobra HH500 because of all the things
others(& myself) like about the various Standard Horizon
marine radios, except that this Cobra has bluetooth capability
so you can answer that important phone call from the boss
w/o risking dropping your smart phone in the water. Plus,
as some of my friends have mentioned to me about this specific Cobra:
battery life is very good & also the volume & clarity when talking to others.
Perhaps someone who owns this radio can elaborate more. I was just checking
prices last night...waiting for a sale since the polar vortex is visiting this weekend
& I wont need it just yet.

[DonV]

I'm in the same boat as you but I'm leaning
towards the Cobra HH500 because of all the things
others(& myself) like about the various Standard Horizon
marine radios, except that this Cobra has bluetooth capability
so you can answer that important phone call from the boss
w/o risking dropping your smart phone in the water. Plus,
as some of my friends have mentioned to me about this specific Cobra:
battery life is very good & also the volume & clarity when talking to others.
Perhaps someone who owns this radio can elaborate more. I was just checking
prices last night...waiting for a sale since the polar vortex is visiting this weekend
& I wont need it just yet.

I had no idea they were doing bluetooth on VHF radios and now you got me wanting one also. At the same time unless it's a family emergency, I'd rather not get phone calls while I'm out fishing.
There are some complaints about audio on that model. Not a whole lot but they do seem a little to similar to dismiss.

DOES WHAT IT SAYS. JUST WISH THE AUDIO WAS NOT AS GARBLY AND A LITTLE MORE CLEAR

The features of this radio are fantastic and this radio is almost perfect for my use except one huge crippling failure, the speaker is far far too faint, its even hard to understand when I drop to idle let alone when underway.

My only complaint so far is the speaker seems a little underpowered, it can be very difficult to clearly hear when I am running at higher RPMs. Otherwise the radio is absolutely great.

My only complaint is that it could be a bit louder.

Speaker is far too faint to be audible when operating my boat, so it kinda is useless unless in emergency situations.

not loud enough

[whenican]

Those are the same complaints for some of the other Cobra models. Plus, the complaints mentioned above are by folks who have loud motorboats. For us kayakers, I know peeps who say the model I mentioned above is plenty loud w/ better battery life than some other models. I'm hoping someone can attest to its performance. But, all things said, just having a marine radio is better than not having one. It's good to be thinking about this topic before you are able to launch.

[plastic boat]

I have the Cobra HH 500 . I like the Bluetooth it works well and with a radio app on my phone I can listen to the game while out fishing or answer phone calls. The battery life is good and the sound is loud enough for me. It also comes with a rechargeable battery and a second battery compartment that takes AA batteries. It will charge on a standard 120 volt outlet or on a 12VDC outlet from your vehicle My only complaint is that the bolt that holds the battery in is slightly rusty. That could be my fault since I never rinsed it off when I was done fishing .
I picked it up for $110.00 from Walmart online but amazon had it for the same price, also both sites had free shipping.
The price seams to fluctuate from $100.00 to 160.00. This week it is $123.99

[EMSer]

I haven't seen any flyers, but I know BPS is having a big fishing event / sale this weekend. You may want to see what is available

[atv223]

I had a Icom, but it failed after a year due to water intrusion. I sent it back and they replaced it under warranty but still cost my shipping. The next time it got serious use was at J-Bay Tournament last year and I swear the reception was horrible. My buddy was right next to me picking up other radio and I hear nothing. I sent it back to Icom, they tested it and couldn't find anything wrong, so the simply returned it to me. Not wanting to risk my life to a radio I had no confidence in, I got the Cobra HH. It "feels" cheaper then the Icom, but I like it a LOT better. Much easier to control the volume, more included power and charging accessories and the Blue tooth is fantastic. I don't like to talk on the phone while out there, but sometimes it happens and it's really cool to just talk though the radio which I am still fishing.

[moc]

I'm in the same boat as you but I'm leaning
towards the Cobra HH500 because of all the things
others(& myself) like about the various Standard Horizon
marine radios, except that this Cobra has bluetooth capability
so you can answer that important phone call from the boss
w/o risking dropping your smart phone in the water. Plus,
as some of my friends have mentioned to me about this specific Cobra:
battery life is very good & also the volume & clarity when talking to others.
Perhaps someone who owns this radio can elaborate more. I was just checking
prices last night...waiting for a sale since the polar vortex is visiting this weekend
& I wont need it just yet.

+1 on the Cobra. I have been using them for many years now and they are great. Good wattage (6) and load and clear transmit and receive audio. And like others have said, it has Bluetooth capability. You can answer your phone with clear sound and make calls from the Cobra. You could leave your phone in a dry bag, put away and talk on the phone if required.