marvin Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Does anybody have a good source for a recent review of handheld VHFs? All this talk has me considering replacing my current one.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvcrider Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Marvin, I checked the equipment review section of www.paddling.net and I did not see any VHF reviews. However, there has been several helpful discussions on the p.net boards. I have supplied some recent links below. ICOM's M88, M72 and M34 have proven to be favorites with sea kayakers. http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread...vice&tid=637491 http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread...vice&tid=627487 http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread...vice&tid=681205 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Just got this link from somebody, and thought I'd share.... http://www.standardhorizon.com/PDF/Powerbo...ortsArticle.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvcrider Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I will point out that the review is by a powerboat, not paddling publication. This doesn't necessarily make the review worthless, but there have been far more Standard Horizon radio failures documented on this board over the last several years and on padding.net than ICOM failures. I have been paddling with an unbagged ICOM M88 for three years without any problems. I do periodically check the integrity of the battery compartment gasket and tightness of the antenna mount. In fairness several NSPNer have indicated that they eventually had failures using unprotected ICOMs, but these numbers appear to be drawfed by Standard radio failures in similar usage conditions. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Everytime this discussion comes up, I am reminded of the similar debates I have heard among pick-up truck owners arguing over which is better, Chevy or Ford. Always someone ready to say neither they nor any of their friends ever had anything but bad luck with Chevies and the next says the same thing about Fords. I was not a member then, but from what I have read, the rash of Standard failures stems from a group purchase of a specific model. So when it turned out to be a lemon, there were lots of failures to report. You won't find good technical reviews of these radios, but you will find decent practical use type reviews from boating mags. To me the important things to check are ergonomics, ease of programming, volume and intelligibility on transmit and receive. You can go gearhead rather fast on all the other stuff. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djlewis Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 was a lemon, but that's stretching the term. Oh yes, I believe Dee disassembled one, and with an engineer's eye enumerated the specific design failures that led to compromised waterproofing. This is not Chevy vs Ford. It's Pinto vs BMW. But hey, Ed, if you still think it's a matter of taste, then I've got an old S-H you can have quite cheap. ;-))) --David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 >This is not Chevy vs Ford. It's Pinto vs BMW. > Thank you for proving my point. The model was a lemon. Then it was new and untried, but I'm sure its bells and whistles appealed to gearheads at the time. I have played with any number of handheld VHF radios in military, commercial, ham, and marine settings for at least 20 years. They both make fine radios and they both have made lemons. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scamlin Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Ed: It wasn't bells and whistles (not sure why you'd assume that) as it had pretty standard features. Not sure of the others, but for me it was the JIS7 waterproof rating, lithium battery and the small size. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 for me it was the JIS7 waterproof rating, >lithium battery and the small size. > I would go for those traits too. I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. In all candor I must admit that I have always had a real dislike of the base radio on which the HX4 series is made. They made a great rig for hams called the VX-5/6R which was replaced by the VX-7R which is the ham version of the HX4 series. Disliked it from day one. I think they are more on track with the HX500 and 600. Icom has done a better job of making radios that are more stylish than commercial radios, but not overdone like the HX4 series. I wish Icom would make a consumer version of the IC-M90 especially if they would reduce the form factor. To me that would be an ideal radio. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 It had been on the market for at least a year or two before I bought mine. I had four failures and it's currently sitting in a box in pieces, since the warranty ran out and I've bought better radios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski_hike_paddle Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 i can't speak to the reliability of the icom m88 (as i've just purchased mine), but wanted to mention a good deal from defender.com their regular price is $259.99 but they are running a 4th of july sale ... $246.99. they also have a printable form on their website for a $50 rebate from icom (for m88 purchaces thru 7/31). with shipping that puts my cost at about $206. other places may price match their $246.99, but i felt they deserved my business since they were the only website that listed the icom rebate. steve formisani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.