hand held vhf radios

[domma]

i have been thinking about getting a hand held radio [vhf] for my tinnie to sit in the side pocket.what wattage should i get eg 3 watt 5 watt brands ? any help wuld be good cheers, noel

[Brad O]

Hi
A five watt will probably be useful for 3klm-4klm in good conditions. The limiting factor being the height of the sending antennae and the receiving antennae. You'll probably be able to receive VMR / weather for a good distance due to the height of their antennae. Another thing to consider is dual or triple watch so you can monitor multiple channels i.e. VMR & chat. Also one that takes normal rechargeable or alkaline batteries means that you can carry spares easily.

[Blackened]

G'day

icom M35, no contest. Pay the money and get it right first time. This piece of equipment could mean the difference between life and death.

On range, I can pick up seaway tower from my home at manly west.

Dave

[sagair]

Icom are very good, can't beat their waterproofing and you can also get one that floats.
I bought a fixed Icom however I was looking at a hand held to put in a safety pac bag and a yank mate was pushing me towards the Standard Horizon. Much the same specs as an Icom but a model also has a built in high intensity strobe light and it floats also. From memory both were 6 watts and under $200.00.

[domma]

cheers guys, thanks for your input, sagair do you know were you saw them for 200 bucks?

[sagair]

This is one I just picked up, will look for more later, not recommenden any shop. cheers,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350321135774&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

[sagair]

It says you can see the strobe at about 1 mile.

rious boater

Submersible JIS-7 / IPX7 (3.3 feet for 30 minutes)
Selectable 5/2.5/1 Watt transmit power output
FRS transmit/ receive, AM/FM and Aircraft band receive
Full dot matrix display
DSC Distress call with NMEA GPS position input
Programmable channel names
Quick 3-hour charge time
All USA/International and Canadian Marine Channels
Programmable Scan, Priority Scan and Dual Watch
Optional speaker microphones and headsets available
SOS Strobe light
NOAA Weather channels and Weather Alert
Low battery indicator
Voice Scrambler capable
Supplied with 1300mAh Li-ON battery, 110 VAC and 12 VDC chargers and a cradle
Preset key used to recall up to 10 favorite channels
Key lock
Optional alkaline battery tray available
3 Year Waterproof Warranty (Manufacturer's)
MULT-BAND Receiver
First portable marine transceiver capable of receiving AM, FM and Aeronautical bands. Imagine being in a small vessel and wanting to listen to music and news broadcasts. With the HX471S, simply press the BAND key to select the FM band and tune to your favorite channel. Want to listen to a ball game on the AM Broadcast band? You CAN with the HX471S. The HX471S even allows you to monitor the AM Aeronautical band. Simply put, the HX471S allows you to monitor a range of frequencies previously unavailable in any Portable Marine VHF!

VALUE PACKAGING
Packaged with a 1300mAh Lithium-Ion battery, the HX471S will deliver 10-12 hours of operation off a single charge. In addition the Lithium-Ion battery never will develop a "memory" inhibiting it's ability to deliver a complete day of service. Attaching either 110VAC or 12VDC cable to the NMEA Charging Cradle allows the Lithium-Ion battery to be rapid charged within 3 hours.

SUBMERSIBLE
Engineered for unparalleled reliablity, the HX471S is designed to exceed submersions of 3 feet for 30 minutes.


3 Year Water Proof Warranty
Because the HX471S is built better, it's backed better. If the STANDARD HORIZON HX471S fails for any reason (including water damage) during normal use in the first three years of ownership, STANDARD HORIZON will repair or replace it free. If it fails any time thereafter in normal use for as the original purchaser owns the radio, STANDARD HORIZON's Lifetime Flat rate Service Program will cover it. The flat rate is determined at the time of orignal purchase.

DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING (DSC) DISTRESS CALL
The HX471S is supplied with a NMEA Charging cradle that allows the radio to be connected to any GPS. Connecting the HX471S to a GPS allows your position of your vessel to be stored inside the HX471S. In the event of an emergency, simply grab the HX471S lift the red cover and depress the DISTRESS Key and a DSC Distress call containing your position will be transmitted along with the high intensity Strobe light. ANOTHER INDUSTRY 1st!!!

DISTRESS BEACON
Since the HX471S can be legally used while on water or land, STANDARD HORIZON has included a unique Distress Beacon. The HX471S features a high intensity stobe. Allowing you to visually signal a rescue party 1 mile or more away.

Marine VHF and FRS!
Having a portable radio able to communicate on different bands, the possiblities are endless. Want to communicate with another vessel? You CAN with the HX471S. Want to communicate from you vessel to family or friends from shore? You CAN using the FRS band. Want a submersible radio to take along hiking, skiing, hunting or caravanning? You can have it all with the HX471S!

RUGGED MAGNESIUM DIE-CAST CONSTRUCTION
The HX471S utilizes a high impact, non-corrosive die-cast chassis. This unique case insures the HX471S will withstand the physical abuse a Portable receives from being dropped or banged on a deck of a boat.


HX471S - Black http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/1/2/9/4/9/9/webimg/275683090_tp.jpg (http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1129499&ppid=1122&image=275683090&images=275683090&formats=0&format=0)

[sagair]

STANDARD HORIZON HX750S HANDHELD VHF RADIO 6 WATT NEW!


Item condition:New


Quantity:http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/icons/iconFormError_16x16.gif
More than 10 available

Please enter a quantity of $quantity$ or less
Please enter a quantity of 1

Price:US $143.95Buy It NowBuy It Now (http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?BinConfirm&rev=1&item=250573659340&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&fromPage=4340&fb=1)Buy It Now


Watch this item
Now watching in My eBay (http://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyEbayBeta&TrackingItemId=250573659340&currentPage=MyeBayNextWatching&ssPageName=VIFS:BID#anchor) Now watching in My eBay (http://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyEbayBeta&TrackingItemId=250573659340&currentPage=MyeBayNextWatching&ssPageName=VIFS:BID#anchor)

Shipping:Read item description or contact seller for details. See more services http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/express/icons/iconSortdownblue.gif (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:;) See discounts http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/express/icons/iconSortdownblue.gif (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:;) | See all details (http://cgi.ebay.com/STANDARD-HORIZON-HX750S-HANDHELD-VHF-RADIO-6-WATT-NEW_W0QQitemZ250573659340QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item3a575a9ccc#shId)Estimated delivery time varies for items shipped from an international location.

Returns:30 day money back, buyer pays return shipping | Read details (http://cgi.ebay.com/STANDARD-HORIZON-HX750S-HANDHELD-VHF-RADIO-6-WATT-NEW_W0QQitemZ250573659340QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item3a575a9ccc#rpdId)

http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/buy/trust/imgGuaranteeNGVI_icon.jpghttp://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/buy/trust/imgGuaranteeNGVI_newribbon.jpg
http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/buy/trust/imgGuaranteeNGVI_EBPname.gifeBay will cover your purchase price plus original shipping.Learn more (http://pages.ebay.com/coverage/index.html)

Seems to be a heap on Yankee Ebay, best regards

[domma]

sagair,thanks for all your help

[sagair]

Cheers domma, glad to help.
If you buy one would you kindly give us all a run down on it. It seems with their floating model, great waterproofing, extra warranty, and strobe light they have advantages over some other brands. regards gazza