VHF radio

[KDT8888]

What kind of handheld VHF radio do u guys like? I was thinking about getting one for my birthday coming up this weekend.


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[mchottie]

Theres a Standard Horizon forsale in the marketplace right now, retail is 220 and it's listed at 149.

I personally use the Standard Horizon HX150, and also have a spare I had planned to list forsale. Let me know if you're interested once you gather your intel and make a decision.

The good thing about the HX series, they float if you turtle or it falls over the side...

[john from md]

I have used them all over the years ICOM, S.H., Motorola, Uniden and West Marine. Right now, if you don't want all the GPS stuff, the West Marine 160 is one of the best deals on the market. It's battery lasted twice as long as my Standard Horizon HX870. I strongly recommend it.

[ronaultmtd]

One more vote for the Standard Horizon...the broadcast voice clarity is outstanding...my two ICom units distorted my voice...

[Mark]

I've never used another brand so I have no point of comparison. But my Standard Horizon gets amazing reception. I hear watermen, charter captains, sailors, yachts, and the ever busy Annapolis Water Taxi fleet even when I am many miles away from them.

[blackjack]

One more vote for standard horizon. Hx150 user, never had an issue!

[Oldbayrunner]

Sure my West Marine VHF 75 battery run time out lasts my Standard Horizon HX870 because it a base radio without the broadcast features that use up more battery. I used it for a couple years, still keep it as a back up, but the HX870 has a host of features that make me feel safer on the water. Do most people feel they need Gps, Dsc or even an Mssi number? Probably not. For me I got to thinking, I fish alone out on the bay most of the time in this rather small kayak on a large body of water, sometimes far from shore, sometimes in inclement weather, sure my chart plotter has my coordinates but what if I flip or find myself in the water (which has happened) and my yak gets away from me what do I have to let someone else know exactly where I am at. With my vhf 75 I can distress call and hopefully someone hears me then I have to guess what to tell them my location is. With my current HX870 I can broadcast that information with a touch of a button via both mssi and distress signaling. I can give anyone who answers my calls my exact location coordinates via the radio gps. Is it overkill, maybe, but with it tethered to my pfd all of it is at my disposal. Will I ever need all of the extra features? I hope not but it's available if I do for myself or if someone else is in need..... Which reminds me to pick up a spare battery to keep with me....

[mi327]

Sure my West Marine VHF 75 battery run time out lasts my Standard Horizon HX870 because it a base radio without the broadcast features that use up more battery. I used it for a couple years, still keep it as a back up, but the HX870 has a host of features that make me feel safer on the water. Do most people feel they need Gps, Dsc or even an Mssi number? Probably not. For me I got to thinking, I fish alone out on the bay most of the time in this rather small kayak on a large body of water, sometimes far from shore, sometimes in inclement weather, sure my chart plotter has my coordinates but what if I flip or find myself in the water (which has happened) and my yak gets away from me what do I have to let someone else know exactly where I am at. With my vhf 75 I can distress call and hopefully someone hears me then I have to guess what to tell them my location is. With my current HX870 I can broadcast that information with a touch of a button via both mssi and distress signaling. I can give anyone who answers my calls my exact location coordinates via the radio gps. Is it overkill, maybe, but with it tethered to my pfd all of it is at my disposal. Will I ever need all of the extra features? I hope not but it's available if I do for myself or if someone else is in need..... Which reminds me to pick up a spare battery to keep with me....

I would just use the alkaline battery tray instead of getting another rechargeable battery. That way you don't have to worry about the second battery being charged or losing its charge. Keep a set of batteries in the tray ready for use if the rechargeable goes dead, and and an extra unopened package somewhere just in case. To make sure the batteries stay fresh rotate out the alkaline batteries out as you need them for other uses (remote controls, etc). As an added extra if you ever do forget to charge your radio you can pick up spares easily at any store.

[john from md]

The alkaline batteries will do for short range in an emergency but most radios won't transmit at a full 6 watts due to the power drain. Lithium would last longer but I don't know if the radio will still allow full transmission power.

[Oldbayrunner]

Thanks...Currently I do use the tray with rechargeable's instead of alkaline but really dont like using them so I decided to pick up another spare lithium.

[john from md]

Just to be clear, I was talking about the Lithium AA cells for your backup tray.