Captain Joe Redcloud wrote:
On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 18:12:54 GMT, "Dennis Pogson"
wrote:

killie wrote:
Hi
My son has just bought a second hand 23 ft motor cruiser which was
very basic to say the least, not even one piece of safety equipment
with it, however he has started to kit it out. I do not know
anything about boats and their equipments but my wife and I were
considering buying him a VHF radio as a Xmas present (the licence
he can get himself) .I was looking at a Silva S10 DSC priced at
£129.00 UKP or $221 USD or a handheld Star M-298 £57 UKP or $97 USD
He will probably never be more than 3 miles offshore and the boat
will be used purely for leisure and maybe a bit sea angling in the
west of Scotland. The radio would be just for any unforseen
emergency.

I'm not sure which to go for, a fixed or handheld. Would the fixed
radio set be rather extravagant for the purpose ?
Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

4 watts or 25 watts. I know which I would go for every time.


Every time? Which one works better when your boat has capsized in bad
conditions and you are in the water? Which one works better when you
are in your dinghy, headed to your boat at night, the motor dies and
you are being swept out to sea by a strong current? I can think of
many cases where I would find a handheld MUCH more useful. That's why
I have both.


Commodore Joe Redcloud

Raising the Coastguard in mountainous Scotland on a £57 handheld Star M-298
would be a miracle, speaking from practical experience of our West Coast. I
take your point about having both, but would always go for a 25-watt fixed
installation as a priority purchase.

Dennis.