Best Hand Held Radio

[Serve]

Which is the best hand held radio? I sail in Barnegat Bay, NJ.

[merlin2375]

I've had good luck with the Standard Horizon HX370. It has all the normal features you'd expect and it came with a lot of accessories, and it was relatively inexpensive.

My only complaints are it's a little bit big, heavy and they omitted a place for a lanyard (pretty key to me). I've seen a lot of the West Marine units around, they are fine as well.

Some of the more expensive units float or have built in GPS for DSC capability. How much do you want to spend? Is this a backup radio, a primary radio?

[Serve]

This will be my only radio. I heard I can get a decent one for around 100 bucks. I do like the GPS capability for safety.

[sck5]

One good thing about the HX370 is that it also takes AA batteries. The kind with only rechargable are smaller and lighter but if you run out of juice and cant charge easily you are out of luck. But you can get AA's anywhere.

[jerryrlitton]

I do not have much marine hand experience, aviation is my thing. With that said, since it will be your only radio I would spend a bit more. It is cheap insurance in the long run. I use an Icom.

Jerry

[bubb2]

Icom m72 6 watt radio, 20 hour battery, it also has a all aluminum case (not plastic) you can bang this one around all day and it still works. I owned one for 2 years with no problems.

[jjablonowski]

In Oct 2006 Practical Sailor magazine article, "The buzz on inexpensive VHFs," they rated 8 handhelds.

Editors tested transmitting, receiving, display, audio, durability, and battery life.

Best choice: Uniden MHS350, $150.
Budget buy: Standard HX 270 S, $100.
Recommended: Uniden Atlantis 250G, $100

Others tested included the West Marine VHF50 and the VHF150, the Icom IC-M32 and the IC -M2A, and Uniden Voyager.

None were equipped with GPS.

[SVAuspicious]

The only handheld marine VHF radio I know of with GPS is the Standard Horizon HX850. It does have DSC as well. The best price I found was around $210 at Defender.

[sailingdog]

SVAuspicious—

Uniden makes one as well IIRC.

[sailortjk1]

Originally Posted by bubb2

Icom m72 6 watt radio, 20 hour battery, it also has a all aluminum case (not plastic) you can bang this one around all day and it still works. I owned one for 2 years with no problems.

Being as this will be his only radio, the original poster might want to look at this recomendation. At 6watts, thats pretty good for a handheld. I thought most of them were 2 - 3 watts.???


Edit: After a quick search I see that most nowadays are 5 watt. I swear my old hand held is only 3 watts. Bought it probaly over 10 years ago.