VHF Radio Reviews, Recommendations, and (another good word that starts with R)

I have the HX290. I'm just going to lay it out there and look like an uber noob...I don't know how to use it. It's just sitting there in the box. I guess I could read the instructions. Learning the functions isn't my problem. I just don't know any radio etiquette. I'm.just.totally.green.

It looks awesome haha. It wasn't too expensive either. I guess I should figure it out before ORC...

Start here,
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,1290.0.html

Of course, use the search function! Haha I always forget about that. That link just answered all my questions. Thanks!

If you get a MMSI capable handheld check out this thread:

MMSI - Maritime Mobile Service Identity - NWKA Registry:
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=5146.0

Maybe I should bump it.

If I only fished the salt a couple of times a year I'd pick up a Cobra MR HH125. They're about 40 bucks on amazon and work pretty well.

That was my logic but even though the Cobra MR HH125 clearly says "waterproof" on the front of the radio it's not even water resistant...I had it turned off and stashed inside the front pocket of my PFD...I huli'd and survived, but the radio died a quick and painless death.

The Standard Horizon HX280S seems ok to me. It definitely can handle getting wet and is a basic radio with a fairly good battery life.

I use the Icom M24 and have no complaints. It floats, battery hasn't died on me yet, and when it does hit the water a flashing LED red light activates, even with the power off. Cost me $130.

But, once I will get more budget I will buy Standard Horizon HX851.

After 2 months of using this radio I have 2 complains only:
#1. It is bulky. In order to make it float-able they had to create enough of volume.
#2. It is so full of features - I can't remember 5/6 of them.

Оtherwise - it is an awesome radio and I'm very happy with it.


P.S.
anchorexpress.com cancelled my order because, as I guess, I talk with Russian accent. You might have a better experience with them, if you give them a try.

One improvement I've considered to my HX851 is to paint it day-glo orange.

One improvement I've considered to my HX851 is to paint it day-glo orange.

Will this improvement make it match your decor, or double as a safety flag? 

It's already got a glow in the dark mid band, and an auto strobe when it falls in the water.
If you have a habit of misplacing it while on the water, tether it. 

Oops. I don't have the 851. I have the 850, so no auto strobe.  Visibility if dropped overboard in rougher water is the issue.  The glo-band, if I have one, is irrelevant in the daytime. While on the kayak it stays clipped to my PFD, and I never remove it, but I also carry it on a friend's boat which is the real issue.

The DSC had been known to set off an alarm on its own. Personally I don't see the need for that feature.

Whoa mule!!! Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water!

My Lowrance LHR-80 went off by itself, but that's no reason to not have the DSC "I've fallin and I can't get up" button!

http://NorthWestKayakAnglers.com/index.php?topic=7444.0

I think that was more of a Lowrance issue than a hand held DSC problem. I've spoken with a couple of Coast Guardsmen at HOW events and they said it happens, but not often.

Mine did go off by itself (which REALLY really sucked) but that 8 minute response time is pretty dang phenomenal.

To be clear: when you push the emergency button on DSC radios for 3 seconds, the radio automatically transmits a digital emergency signal with your position continuously to all stations until it is acknowledged. That signal is monitored by all radios with DSC and the Coast Guard. All hand held DSC vhf's have a built in GPS. The GPS is what makes it useful for emergency calls. Conversely, its pretty much useless for navigation. Yeah, you can use the lat/lon, but its not a plotter.

The other really nice thing about DSC is digital hailing. You key in your buddy's number and it calls them directly and then switches to a clear digital channel. Program their number (see Demonicks registry post) and it's like they're on speed dial.

My radio gave me 2+ solid years of abuse before it gave me any trouble. And I don't use the term abuse lightly.

Granted,that's about as serious a problem as you could have with a handheld DSC. But that just means I need to take better care of the next one I purchase.

Here's a review of the LHR-80 I posted a couple years ago:
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,3809

Like I said, it worked GREAT while it worked; and then it didn't. At this point I'm not sure I'd go with another LHR-80, but that would be mainly due to the customer service. Lowrance makes a great FF, but VHF may not be their strong suit.

Thought I'd toss in 0.02 for posterity's sake...

I've been using this radio for a couple months and I really like it, especially for the price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007B5ZEAS/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like that it shows GPS coords and speed right on the display.

My second standard horizon VHF died, I am done with that brand.

Ok, so I just ordered Rory's Uniden to replace the LHR80 and stumbled across some pretty good advice from a Kiwi kayak site:

I could write a book with all my experiences over the years with both handheld and fixed mount radio's. I've made some monumental m :@ k ups and learnt a few lessons too. Here are some thoughts that might be of assistance:

1. I've had good to excellent results from Uniden and Icom handhelds.
2. I've had acceptable results from Cobra handhelds with one proviso - they don't seem to have diodes in the battery to prevent current flow across the external charging terminals (diodes act like one-way valves letting the battery charge but not allowing power back out again). Not having this protection allows current to flow back out of the battery causing electrolysis and also potentially damaging the battery pack itself if salty wet gear presses against the terminals. This effectively causes a short circuit and IMHO is the reason some have had problems with Cobra batteries failing. The trick is not to leave the radio in a wet PFD pocket longer than necessary or allow it to sit in a puddle. Better still, put it in a dry bag, then there's no problem.
3. All makes and models of handhelds I've used have shown greater life expectancy if properly maintained. I use o'ring lubricant (silicone grease) on the battery seals, and around the antenna connection on those radio's with removable aerials (Cobra's are fixed and not removable). Any rotary switches need to be removed and long life corrosion protection applied to the posts.
4. All handhelds benefit from being in a dry bag. If not using a dry bag make sure they're rinsed well (I use a sponge) and they get serviced as above at least twice a year (I do mine spring and autumn, and any time I've been in heavy conditions that have saturated the radio).

Re the radio specs: I'd suggest sticking to the 5 watt units rather than those with lower power outputs. Even with good repeater coverage you can still need all the power you can get if conditions are rough or a big swell is running (this reduces your horizon making line-of-sight VHF comms much trickier).

original post:
http://www.kayakfishingnz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13854

Thought I'd toss in 0.02 for posterity's sake...

I've been using this radio for a couple months and I really like it, especially for the price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007B5ZEAS/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like that it shows GPS coords and speed right on the display.

My second standard horizon VHF died, I am done with that brand.

Good call!