handheld vhf radio

mike braden

mike braden

Well-known member
I need to get a vhf radio for my boat. I would like a handheld version.

Any pros/cons.

What do I need to look for...frequencies, channels, noaa capabilities ???
 
Mike,

I use an Icom IC-M34. 10+ hours a day, non stop transmitting and receiving all day long. It has all the channels you need, NOAA weather, dual watch and scanning capabilities best of all it floats.
 
I had a Uniden that was pretty good unit.
Sold it to someone on this site, wonder if they are using it???

Basically,all of them are going to have the same standard channels, so its the extra & ease of use that make the difference.
Make sure to get a 12v charger/power supply as well as a 110v one. That way you can charge it on the boat and at home.
 
Is there a difference between the marine radio and a marine transceiver? Amazon has them listed separately as two different items with different prices
 
Mike,
I use a uniden submersible.

Try and get a submersible unit rather than waterproof. The submersibles are best in my book.

A friend of mine dropped his into 6 feet of salt water where it stayed for almost 5 hours. When the tide went out he retreived it and it was fine. It still functions many years later.

On his advice I bought this unit. It has worked well for me for the past 3 years.


http://www.uniden.com/products/productdetail.cfm?product=MHS75
Of course now the floating one mentioned above sounds pretty cool too, but I have never used one before..........
 
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what kind of range are you getting with it Jode? You've basically seen what kind of hunting that I'll be doing. Think something like this will fit the bill?

Thanks again for the cans!!!
 
Thanks for the heads up Carl. Seems that a lot of people like the uniden but it doesn't come with a charger for home. Maybe just a car charger? Have to look a bit more
 
I had a marine VHF radio on my other boat. It was a Standard brand with a long whip antenna. My friend had a hand held VHF with a short rubber ducky antenna. He could hear me from about 5 miles or so (not really very far in salt water) but I could not hear him due to his antenna. I had no problem talking from Tacoma to Seattle (20 miles or better as the crow flies). The hand held antennas really limit transmissions. I learned years ago from my HAM radio days that the antenna is more important than your radio transmitter.

Will you be using your radio far out from shore?

Dave
 
Dave,

I would not expect to be more than 2-3 miles from the shore in any direction and even that is probably a stretch. This will be in the bay and not the ocean, so I was have shoreline in several directions. 95% of the time I would be 1/2 to 1 mile from the shoreline hunting along the little islands and marsh.
 
Mike,

The distance you can transmit and receive depends on the power of the unit and matched antenna. Handheld are all around 5 watts were as a fixed mount Vhf is 25 watts. As Dave stated, the antenna is a key part of the system. On average a handheld can tx and rx a few miles where the 25 watt vhf radios with a good 8' antenna on a flybridge boat can get better than 20 miles. The problem you may find during duck season is there are not many boaters out there and even fewer that monitor ch 16. One question I would ask you is how far will you be from the nearest Coast Guard station. They have bi lateral amplifiers that will also draw in your transmission from a greater distance than most boaters can hear you from. In addition the hight of the antenna is also a factor. Unlike AM radio waves that follow the curvature of the earth a marine VHF works by line of sight, meaning the waves go out in more of a straight line hense the transmission from one radio to the other the antennas must theoretically be able to see each other.
Hope this answers your question
 
John,

Thanks I understand the distance factor now. There is a coast guard station at Barnegat inlet, which wouldn't be too far from some of the areas that I'll be but I am not sure if a handheld will reach it. I didn't really want to mount one in the boat if some handhelds would do the trick.
 
These days, Your cell phone might have better coverage than the handheld vhf will have range (2-5 miles under the right conditions).
This is not the same with a standard VHF and an 8' whip antenna, which can have 20 miles range under the right conditions.

A VHF does give you weather radio but a small 9v weather radio is smaller and does the same thing.

So, depending on where you will be and where the closest other VHF equipped station is, these days, on inland waters, a cell phone might be a better option than a handheld VHF.

Once again, this is not the case if you are going offshore, where the standard VHF and an 8' whip antenna mounted high on the boat is still your best bet.
 
Dave, Jode and Carl

Thanks for your continued input. It seems the area that I hunt in, a cell phone will get better reception. I think that my main reason is for weather issues and as Carl said, a weather radio might do the trick. I don't mind spending $200 or whatever because this is an important piece of equipment. Just don't want bells and whistles that I don't need/want. Something that does the job efficiently and is simple will fit the bill.

I've lost my keys before(like last week and yes it's a PITA, just ask Gene) and it would stink to lose my phone or a battery/service problem when I need one so, a radio as backup is a must.
 
Having been involved in a minor rescue situation in the area that Mike hunts I have a little input to add. A cell phone was used for most of the contact the day I had to assist a jet skier. My phone is not water proof and I think there are very few that truly are or float for that matter. A floating/submersible radio is a much better choice in foul weather. When using a cell it can be hard to contact the correct people quickly unless you've already programmed the numbers into your phone. Do you want a hysterical/pissed off wife coordinating your rescue? It didn't work real smooth for the jet skier I helped out.

Are you POSITIVE you will have your GPS handy to give coordinates to rescuers? A radio can be triangulated quickly by the Coasties, a cell can not be.They are set up to work through a radio call, not a cell. A radio call will go out to anyone close with their radio on. With a cell you could have a boat 400 yards away and not be able to contact them.

Carrying a radio allows you to be on the helping end of the equation and not just the rescue end. Do it for the other guy even if not for yourself. We all need to be first responders when called on. If your not willing to do that, then stay home. Those of us that take advantage of natures bounty in the "off season" need to look out for one another. There are way to many duck hunters that are hunters first and boaters second. The boating safety has to come first.

Carry a radio and a cell. If only one, make it a radio.

Best wishes,
Gene

ps: Please note this rant is based on the coastal area Mike hunts and what applies best there. You have to know your area and what will work best for you. If there is no one around to hear your handheld radio call or no Coasties to come help out then it's a whole different story.
 
Gene has made some very good points. Given his knowledge of the area you are in, it appears that a handheld will most likely reach someone on any given day. That makes a difference.
Having both is the best option of course, and you can get a basic vhf for less than $100.00, cheap insurance.
Just understand the range limitations of the handheld.
 
Location, location, location,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Yep Carl and Gene have covered it it well. Where I live a marine radio is a novelty, therefore not a reliable safety device. I carry my cell phone because it is the only viable choice for my area. If I hunted or boated in an area where marine radios were common, then no question, I would carry both a cell phone and radio.
 
Couple things, yes , line of sight, but remember the CG stations antennae is WAAAY up there, so a few miles is nothing, you have to be pretty far before the antennae goes out of sight.
Like Carl said, use the radio if you need rescue, anyone near with the radio on is a potential rescuer,or call transfer er, and the signal can be located, a cell phone only talks to one person, IF it didn't get wet, and the person on the other end knows EXACTLY where you are. 911 is NOT set up to find you by GPS if your not on land with a street address.
Some areas the Marine Police are trying a work around with 911 by making cell calls and coordinating the GPS signal with marine areas off the grid so to speak, but don't bet your life on it.
 
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