Bill H Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I'm looking for a VHF Radio and would like info from others on the types that they use. I really don' know much about them but I'm meeting more and more paddlers who carry them. This info would be helpful to me and possibly others. Bill H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccarlson Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I have experience with only two radios... My Icom M88 has been reliable for several years. It has excellent standby battery life as well. My previous radio, a Standard Horizon HX460 died three times before I finally gave up having it repaired/replaced. Lots of newer radios have come out since I got my M88 though so I'm sure others will relate their experiences with these. Carl C. I'm looking for a VHF Radio and would like info from others on the types that they use. I really don' know much about them but I'm meeting more and more paddlers who carry them. This info would be helpful to me and possibly others. Bill H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatbossbsb Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Bill, I have icom IC-M34. Submersible and floats.. 149.99 @ West Marine. Black coordinates nicely with paddling gear but would be better if it was a loud yellow or orange. I have been pleased with it - no issues to report and as you know I attach it to my PFD all the time now. Betty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry2002 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Bill, I have icom IC-M34. Submersible and floats.. 149.99 @ West Marine. Black coordinates nicely with paddling gear but would be better if it was a loud yellow or orange. I have been pleased with it - no issues to report and as you know I attach it to my PFD all the time now. Betty I also have an IC-M34 for the reasons Betty cited plus other features such as a low power option, weather channels, and a lithium ion battery. I wished I had bought it at West Marine - that's a good price. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnHuth Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Same here - IC-M34 purchased from West Marine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdkilroy Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Hey Bill, We use the Icom M 72 and so far it has been flawless. It has some of the best operating duration and a higher output/transmit power. Very rugged. It doesn't float and it's not the smallest but we've been very pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingsn Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Hey Bill, We use the Icom M 72 and so far it has been flawless. It has some of the best operating duration and a higher output/transmit power. Very rugged. It doesn't float and it's not the smallest but we've been very pleased. Ditto on the M72. Higher power, plus lower levels. Also more water proof, JPX (is that it) 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spuglisi Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Ditto on the M72. Higher power, plus lower levels. Also more water proof, JPX (is that it) 8 I think it's IPX8 and it is a level better than the IPX7 rating of the IC M34 that I own also. I picked the M34 because it does float. I've been happy with it, though it would be nice if it was a little smaller (and yes it would be nice if it were a bright easy to find color). Aside from not floating the M72 has better features than the M34. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 If you search the archives you will find more than a few threads(A/K/A heated discussions) about VHF marine radios. My $.02 based on using handheld VHF radios for many purposes for many years and my personal prejudices is the following: I don't care much about the issues others often mention when it comes to selecting a radio. Rather I look at battery capacity, the size and location of the buttons needed to use it, how it fits/feels in my hand, the nature of the "screen" as in bright, large, uncluttered, gives important information clearly, is the antenna soft and flexible, how easy are its features to use while paddling, how loud and clean is the audio, how clean is the transmitted audio, does it have a more commercial grade than consumer grade design and construction quality, does it have uneeded/unwanted features that could also compromise its performance as a marine band radio and does it retain its waterproof rating without the battery attached. I pay some attention to the RF specs, but these radios are essentially fungible in that regard and variances in Rf specs are common among the same radios. Specifically, I like the Standard 270SX because it is a mature/bullet proof radio that is a great bargain at around $90 which include a car and AC charger and AA battery tray. Not the smallest or lightest, but for your money you get a no frills marine VHF radio with great all around performance. I do not own, but consider the Icom M-72 the best of the current crop of Icom radios. My reasons for liking these over the M88, M34, and the newer Standards are really my personal quirks, but I have reasons for those quirks. Some models of the other brands are fine and some are junk (IMHO). The manuals for all the Icom and Standard are available on-line and might be worth reading. Basically, they all do the job, but I would not argue with those who say Icom models have been more uniformly OK than Standards. I would say sticking with Standard and Icom radios is a wise choice. Also conider that the capabilities of these radios are going to change in a big way over the next few years so you may find yourself wanting to upgrade soon. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NPSheehan Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Hi Bill, I have the Icom M-72 as well and really like it. Took a while to figure out all the features. The battery life is really great I can go for 3+ days with it on and scanning each day up to 6hrs at a time without a re-charge. I also like scrolling indicator telling you what the channel naming is ie. 69 = Pleasure Craft, 13 = Bridge etc. The IC-M72 has a capability to assign up to 10-character channel names or comments for each operating channel, including each weather channel. This provides easy recognition of channel usage, or station names, etc. When shipped from the factory, the IC-M72 is programmed with default names for each VHF marine channel. See the reviews of this and other VHF Handhelds below Icom M72 Handheld VHF Radio Review Icom's M72 Page Best Features... -Auto scan function to start scanning when receiving no signal -Auto power save function -Battery indicator shows remaining battery power in 4 levels -Instant access to Ch. 16 and Ch. 9 (or call channel) -Auto WX scan and WX Alert function -AquaQuake draining function emits a vibrating sound and clears water away from the speaker grill Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Hi Bill I also have the M-72. It has been submerged and still works great. I did quite a lot of research prior to making the purchase and have used it now one full season without a glitch. You won't be disappointed. The M-88 has had mixed reviews as far as reliability out of the box. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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