Radio set up

M

mikestein

New Member
Jun 5, 2007
129
Columbia, SC
What kind of VHF set up do you recommend for my boat... 90% inland lakes, 10% coastal? I am interested mainly in monitoring weather. When I took my boat to the coast last week, I had the wrong codes entered in my weather radio, so I couldn't get good weather updates. And my cell wasn't working to call the marina. Bottom line is, I won't use it much so I'm not looking to spend a lot, but still need reliability obviously. And space is an issue. I've got a 185. Any thoughts?
 
Have you considered a handheld VHF? I have a Standard Horizon unit that works great, cost about $150, and there are no space issues.

If you really want to get into a serious technical VHF discussion, I believe there's at least one other thread going on in another section of the board.
 
iCom makes some of the very best radios, both flush mounted and hand held. An IC-M32 with lithium ion batteries is water proof, excellent quality and a good value. If you drop it in the water, it will still work.
 
I would suggest that you invest in a good ICOM handheld. I have one that is about four years old and only need to charge about every six months. Also, when you get two-foot itus and buy a larger boat, you can take it as a backup.
 
smanier said:
I would suggest that you invest in a good ICOM handheld. I have one that is about four years old and only need to charge about every six months. Also, when you get two-foot itus and buy a larger boat, you can take it as a backup.
Click to expand...

Big Ditto :thumbsup: Scott summed it up. I've got one I use for backup now. Works great.
 
On Lake Hartwell there is very little activity on the VHF and I assume not much on Lake Murry either. My vote is for a waterproof handheld also. You can buy a little adapter for the rubber duck antenna that will allow you to hook a full size antenna to the handheld when you go to the coast. A little whip attached to your bimini and you are set to go for an occasional trip to the coast.
 
For an 18' boat. . .I would also go with the handheld.

You may, however, run into RECEPTION issues. A handheld by nature has a SMALL antenna. One advantage of a "boat mounted" VHF is that you can hook a real antennae up to it, which will extend your range.
 
We bought the predecesor to the STANDARD HX471SB BLACK VHF HH AM002N006 a couple of years ago, as it was Standards top of the line handheld.
Small in size, rugged, and pretty much bullet proof.

The primary concern when buying it was the lithium ion batteries, which are more expensive, but no memory development.

BOE sells it at:

http://byownerelectronics.com/store/product.php?productid=16379&cat=2928&page=1
 
Thanks for all the input. I was definitely leaning toward the handheld until l started reading about reception. But I guess 3-4 miles would work for my purposes, and that's about what most handhelds offer? Or is that the transmit range? VHF is line of sight too if I'm not mistaken, and I'm always in flat terrain.
 
Yep, 3-4miles should be fine on open flat surface. Do you see going out more than 4 miles in your boat :huh: I don't think I would. As Paul said you can always get a full size antenna to help on range when you think you might need it.
 
Mike,

I have a 7 year old handheld ICOM 360 that works just fine for Lake Murray and our occasional trips down to Charleston. BTW, there is not much VHF communication on Murray.
 
mikestein said:
Thanks for all the input. I was definitely leaning toward the handheld until l started reading about reception. But I guess 3-4 miles would work for my purposes, and that's about what most handhelds offer? Or is that the transmit range? VHF is line of sight too if I'm not mistaken, and I'm always in flat terrain.
Click to expand...

I know... I shouldn't be over here in the Sport Boat section but I'll add my 2 cents since I have a couple of handhelds and a dinghy I put a permanent fixed mount VHF on.

The handhelds are generally good for 1-4 miles depending on battery strength, terrain, etc. You can hear the Wx channels pretty good as well as Coast Guard broadcasts much further than the 1-4 mile range. They have big towers though. I don't understand the comments about reception being limited as my experience is the opposite. When my kids would carry a handheld on the dinghy, and got outside of the handheld''s transmit range, they could always hear me from my bridge but I could never hear them. So... just be careful you don't get lured into thinking other people will be able to hear you just because you hear them... doesn't work that way with a small handheld VHF. I ended up putting a fixed mount radio and 4 foot antenna on the dinghy and get about a 10 mile transmit range on it now (I don't have much height on the thing). The big advantage for me though was I don't have to worry about the kids losing it in the drink like they did with several other radios.
 
Four Suns said:
I know... I shouldn't be over here in the Sport Boat section...
Click to expand...
Yeah! Go on. Get outta here! Damn non-sport boat people over here trying to answer questions and help people out. Geez....

Four Suns said:
So... just be careful you don't get lured into thinking other people will be able to hear you just because you hear them...
Click to expand...
Hmmm. Thanks for the tip. My handheld listens real well, but now I wonder how well it speaks under varying conditions. Time to do some experimentation. Maybe I can “radio check†my way up the coast this weekend. I just love it when people do that!
 
I answered the way I did actually because it was said the radio would be used mostly to listen to weather broadcasts. Frankly, for two-way communication, your cell phone has better range to the cell tower than a handheld VHF radio.

If you are cruising the coast at all and are more than 1-2 miles from LOTS OF BOATERS and are relying on a radio for safety, put in a fixed mount radio and antenna. "Little use is no excuse" for safety equipment. That would be like asking "I really don't plan on using my life raft much so I'm going to get a cheap one". Trying to get a mayday out on a handheld over 5 miles from shore is pointless. Call the Coast Guard on your cell phone. The reason I have a handheld on the boat is communicate with the rescuers after they find me from the EPIRB or mayday from the big radio.

But... the original post was just to use the radio as a vehicle to get weather and emergency broadcasts and a handheld does fine for that... Just don't bet your life on it for communicating very far.

I do like ICOM's print ads in the boating magazines where they show big seas in the ocean and the little handheld in the foreground... :smt043 If that's what you have in that situation, you are in trouble.
 
Thanks, again. I'm never in danger of being more than 1-2 miles from anything. Not in my boat, anyway.
 
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