prudenceb Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I know that there have been previous threads about waterproof (or "waterproof") marine radios, but I'd appreciate advice on what to get that is: reliable, cheap (whatever that means), gets the job done. I don't need extra the bells and whistles (whatever they might be). How much should I figure on spending?I am NOT a techno gearhead type person and would prefer something that doesn't come with a 200 page manual to teach you how to work it!Thanks for any advice.pru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateHanson Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 You can get a Standard Horizon Submersible VHF for $90-$100. Basic Icom's seem to be a few more, but less than $150. Check out Hamilton Marine www.hamiltonmarine.com They often have a model on sale for $80 or $90, and they're local.The only "Bell/Whistle" feature I'd consider if buying a radio, would be an integrated GPS/DSC radio. These can send an electronic distress signal, complete with your position, which gets displayed on other radios within "earshot" of your transmission. For our waters (where VHF coverage is very good) it's almost like having a PLB/GPS integrated with your radio. You'll pay about $350 for these new radios (if I recall correctly), but this is a significant safety feature, in my opinion.Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Pru,Whatever make and model you decide to purchase, you may want to consider purchasing an AA Battery Case if one is available. Most VHF radios come with a Li-ion battery which you can charge using the battery charger included in the purchase. The battery will probably last 6 hours on one charge. That does not help you much if you are out for longer than 6 hours and need your radio. The AA battery case will give you longer radio use and if you bring spare AA batteries in a dry bag you will be good to go for a multi-day trip. I purchased an IC-M88 (~$226.00) and an AA battery case (~$34.00) the goal was to prepare for multi-day trips down the road.Warren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 The battery will probably last 6 hours on one charge. That does not help you much if you are out for longer than 6 hours and need your radio. Warren, you may discover the radio will operate a good deal longer than its rated battery life in actual use. The rated battery life is usually based on a specific mix of idle time, receiving time and transmitting time. In routine use, the radio is consuming current at the idle rate for nearly all of the time it is on. A radio will consume about 7X the power when receiving a signal as when idle and 30+X the power when transmitting at 5W. So it will run a long, long time at idle current loads. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lallen Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Pru, I have a Standard Horizon Submersible and like it. I'm definitely not a techno geek either-the less buttons to fiddle with the better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Pru, Whatever make and model you decide to purchase, you may want to consider purchasing an AA Battery Case if one is available. Most VHF radios come with a Li-ion battery which you can charge using the battery charger included in the purchase. The battery will probably last 6 hours on one charge. That does not help you much if you are out for longer than 6 hours and need your radio. The AA battery case will give you longer radio use and if you bring spare AA batteries in a dry bag you will be good to go for a multi-day trip. I purchased an IC-M88 (~$226.00) and an AA battery case (~$34.00) the goal was to prepare for multi-day trips down the road. Warren I was able to return home from an 8 day trip and still had full bars (with 1.5 days of fog where it was used to monitor for traffic). Most of these radios are no longer waterproof with AA Battery cases. -Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I know that there have been previous threads about waterproof (or "waterproof") marine radios, but I'd appreciate advice on what to get that is: reliable, cheap (whatever that means), gets the job done. I don't need extra the bells and whistles (whatever they might be). How much should I figure on spending? I am NOT a techno gearhead type person and would prefer something that doesn't come with a 200 page manual to teach you how to work it! Thanks for any advice. pru Heres a good thread on vhf radios. (esp. Ed Lawsons posts) If you do a "VHF" radio etc search , theres a alot of info right here on this message board. http://www.nspn.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=7217&st=0&p=40646&hl=+vhf%20+radio&fromsearch=1entry40646 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billvoss Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 The only "Bell/Whistle" feature I'd consider if buying a radio, would be an integrated GPS/DSC radio. These can send an electronic distress signal, complete with your position, which gets displayed on other radios within "earshot" of your transmission. For our waters (where VHF coverage is very good) it's almost like having a PLB/GPS integrated with your radio. I definitely second that suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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