Roger's post said he's "looking for more range" than a handheld can
provide; the only way to feel good about an 'installed' VHF (assume
mast mounted antenna) system is to know that the antenna is 'accepting'
all of the power delivered to it (as opposed to 'rejecting', or
'reflecting' some of it back to the transmitter - a rough definition of
'Standing Waves'). If you know any Ham (Amateur Radio) operators, ask
if you can borrow their "Bird Model 43" thruline wattmeter. Easy to
use, and the results will provide peace of mind about your new radios
ability to provide "more range." Note: Because receivers are so
sensitive these days, even a very poorly matched antenna will likely
result in a "sounds ok to me skipper" radio check. This seems to me to
be a poor way to check a vital piece of safety equipment...

MW
Los Angeles