[Q] VHF Radios
 

Was thinking about getting one of these things...

There seems to be a lot of these on the market out there with a huge
range in prices. Among the cheapest ones I found was the Humminbird VHF
Radio for $60, but they can apparently cost as much as several hundred
dollars.

So, how much does price matter? Do you really need to spend more then
$60 to get something worthwhile? If you own one, which one did you
decide to get?

[Q] VHF Radios
 

I have a ICOM mark 1V, My wife has a ICOM M88
Small with lots of Battery.... Lith batt so doesn't have a charge memory
and waterproof Jap 7 rating

Best wishes
Roy

Get the best that you can afford, its harder to buy another one once you can
hear yourself saying "but I already have one"
They are VERY important , can get help for you or for someone you know or
care for without paddling off to do it....also rescue can follow the signal
to you if need be



"Eric" wrote in message
...
Was thinking about getting one of these things...

There seems to be a lot of these on the market out there with a huge
range in prices. Among the cheapest ones I found was the Humminbird VHF
Radio for $60, but they can apparently cost as much as several hundred
dollars.

So, how much does price matter? Do you really need to spend more then
$60 to get something worthwhile? If you own one, which one did you
decide to get?

[Q] VHF Radios
 

martins wrote:

I have a ICOM mark 1V, My wife has a ICOM M88
Small with lots of Battery.... Lith batt so doesn't have a charge memory
and waterproof Jap 7 rating

Did you like any other features about them other then what you mention
here?

I check icomamerica.com and the Mark IV or M88 are no longer mentioned
at:

http://www.icomamerica.com/land_mobile/portablevhf/

Any idea which of the models shown would be closest to the one you have?
Any of them perhaps better?

Get the best that you can afford

But, of course. I was mostly just wondering at what price point are
features added that are not really needed.

I would agree that purchasing one with the longest possible battery life
would be



--
== Eric Gorr ========= http://www.ericgorr.net ========= ICQ:9293199 ===
"Therefore the considerations of the intelligent always include both
benefit and harm." - Sun Tzu
== Insults, like violence, are the last refuge of the incompetent... ===

[Q] VHF Radios
 

"Eric" wrote in message
news:1gert6j.1tecoecheuv7wN%egDfAusenetE5fz@verizo n.net...
martins wrote:

I have a ICOM mark 1V, My wife has a ICOM M88
Small with lots of Battery.... Lith batt so doesn't have a charge
memory
and waterproof Jap 7 rating

Did you like any other features about them other then what you mention
here?

I check icomamerica.com and the Mark IV or M88 are no longer mentioned
at:

http://www.icomamerica.com/land_mobile/portablevhf/

Any idea which of the models shown would be closest to the one you have?
Any of them perhaps better?



You want this page instead:

http://www.icomamerica.com/marine/handheld/





Get the best that you can afford

But, of course. I was mostly just wondering at what price point are
features added that are not really needed.

I would agree that purchasing one with the longest possible battery life
would be



--
== Eric Gorr ========= http://www.ericgorr.net ========= ICQ:9293199 ===
"Therefore the considerations of the intelligent always include both
benefit and harm." - Sun Tzu
== Insults, like violence, are the last refuge of the incompetent... ===

[Q] VHF Radios
 

Eric wrote:

I check icomamerica.com and the Mark IV or M88 are no longer mentioned

Never mind found 'em.


--
== Eric Gorr ========= http://www.ericgorr.net ========= ICQ:9293199 ===
"Therefore the considerations of the intelligent always include both
benefit and harm." - Sun Tzu
== Insults, like violence, are the last refuge of the incompetent... ===

[Q] VHF Radios
 

5 Watts of power to reach out and touch.....they all have the weather
chanels as a feature (this is by far the most used feature) when traveling
it tells you when to go and when to stay (sometimes it comes down to windows
you need to wait for)
Best wishes
Roy


"Eric" wrote in message
news:1gert6j.1tecoecheuv7wN%egDfAusenetE5fz@verizo n.net...
martins wrote:

I have a ICOM mark 1V, My wife has a ICOM M88
Small with lots of Battery.... Lith batt so doesn't have a charge
memory
and waterproof Jap 7 rating

Did you like any other features about them other then what you mention
here?

I check icomamerica.com and the Mark IV or M88 are no longer mentioned
at:

http://www.icomamerica.com/land_mobile/portablevhf/

Any idea which of the models shown would be closest to the one you have?
Any of them perhaps better?

Get the best that you can afford

But, of course. I was mostly just wondering at what price point are
features added that are not really needed.

I would agree that purchasing one with the longest possible battery life
would be



--
== Eric Gorr ========= http://www.ericgorr.net ========= ICQ:9293199 ===
"Therefore the considerations of the intelligent always include both
benefit and harm." - Sun Tzu
== Insults, like violence, are the last refuge of the incompetent... ===

[Q] VHF Radios
 

Eric wrote:
Was thinking about getting one of these things...

There seems to be a lot of these on the market out there with a huge
range in prices. Among the cheapest ones I found was the Humminbird VHF
Radio for $60, but they can apparently cost as much as several hundred
dollars.

So, how much does price matter? Do you really need to spend more then
$60 to get something worthwhile? If you own one, which one did you
decide to get?

As with most things, you get what you pay for. All marine VHFs have
similar transmit/receive functions and weather channels. The main
differences are that the cheap radios are bulkier and are not
submersible, so you have to keep them in them in a dry bag. The
downsides to bagging a radio a

1) It reduces the speaker volume of the radio, making it more difficult
to hear and understand.
2) It muffles your voice when speaking into the radio, making it more
difficult for others to hear and understand you.
3) It makes the radio more difficult to operate.
4) It makes the radio much bulkier and more difficult to mount on a PFD
shoulder strap, hence it often ends up in a pocket or strapped to the
deck, which compounds all these issues.

These become real problems when you get into a situation where you
actually NEED to use your radio. When conditions are rough with lots of
wind, waves and noise, you need to be able to hear your radio clearly
and operate it while keeping one hand on the paddle. Bags make the radio
less useful when you need it the most. I've experienced serious
communication breakdowns in groups paddling in rough conditions, due to
people not being able to access their radios.

There are good submersible radios that work reliably under adverse
conditions, don't require bagging and are sized for convenient mounting
on a PFD shoulder strap. I find them to be very advantageous. Currently,
the threshold price for a JIS-7 submersible radio is ~$140 (any rating
below JIS-7 is not submersible). The better units can often be found on
sale and rebates are common, bringing the price down under $200. For
example, the Icom M88 currently has a $50 rebate and you can buy one for
$239.99 at:

http://www.defender.com/cgi-bin/Web_...e.cgi?cart_id=)

That makes it only $40-$50 more than a basic submersible unit. For the
difference in price, you get superior construction, extended battery
life and near bombproof reliability (it's actually a mil-spec radio).

If you buy a good VHF the first time, you won't have to buy another one.