VHF radio for a particular application

walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
I am looking to re-do my VHF radio system on my trailer sailor and want it to work for a couple situations besides the normal safety applications.

In one case, we are traveling with a group of boats and there will be occasional communication between the boats. This is while we are traveling (either motoring or sailing) so Im sitting somewhere in the cockpit. I need to hear the radio com and also need to be able to respond while sitting in the cockpit. Everyone I need to communicate with will be less than a mile away.

Second is in a Christmas parade where I am sitting all the way to the back of the cockpit and Im running the tiller and motor. I may have up to five other guest on board (making a LOT of happy noise LOL) and I need to be in radio communication with other boats that are close by. I need to hear com from the other boats and also need to be able to immediately respond still sitting in the back running the tiller and outboard.

What Im doing now.. I have a VHF radio inside the cabin that is left on high volume but just has an internal speaker. I keep a completely separate hand held VHF radio (adequate distance wise) with me in the cockpit.

The idea is that I will hear any com from the radio in the cabin but respond with the hand held in the cockpit. Problem is that I often cant hear the radio in the cabin (especially if guest on board in the cockpit).. The hand held mostly works for this but the one I have doesnt charge the battery when the radio is turned on. I have a way to charge it from where Im sitting but since I leave it off to keep it charged, Im not using it to hear any chat going on. The hand held is water resistant so is fine out in the cockpit.

So.. Im wondering if some sort of external speaker and mic setup might be what I need to change to.. The radio would still need to work inside the cabin and I want an internal GPS. But how to accommodate the cockpit use where you also may get rained on and general weathering.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
It is called a RAM (Remote Access Mic). Most base VHF radios have a place in the back to set up a RAM. You then run the cable to the cockpit and you can operate the base from the RAM.
 
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AaronD

.
Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
I am looking to re-do my VHF radio system on my trailer sailor and want it to work for a couple situations besides the normal safety applications.

In one case, we are traveling with a group of boats and there will be occasional communication between the boats. This is while we are traveling (either motoring or sailing) so Im sitting somewhere in the cockpit. I need to hear the radio com and also need to be able to respond while sitting in the cockpit. Everyone I need to communicate with will be less than a mile away.

Second is in a Christmas parade where I am sitting all the way to the back of the cockpit and Im running the tiller and motor. I may have up to five other guest on board (making a LOT of happy noise LOL) and I need to be in radio communication with other boats that are close by. I need to hear com from the other boats and also need to be able to immediately respond still sitting in the back running the tiller and outboard.

What Im doing now.. I have a VHF radio inside the cabin that is left on high volume but just has an internal speaker. I keep a completely separate hand held VHF radio (adequate distance wise) with me in the cockpit.

The idea is that I will hear any com from the radio in the cabin but respond with the hand held in the cockpit. Problem is that I often cant hear the radio in the cabin (especially if guest on board in the cockpit).. The hand held mostly works for this but the one I have doesnt charge the battery when the radio is turned on. I have a way to charge it from where Im sitting but since I leave it off to keep it charged, Im not using it to hear any chat going on. The hand held is water resistant so is fine out in the cockpit.

So.. Im wondering if some sort of external speaker and mic setup might be what I need to change to.. The radio would still need to work inside the cabin and I want an internal GPS. But how to accommodate the cockpit use where you also may get rained on and general weathering.
@walt: We've sure been happy with our SH GX-2200 and remote mic+speaker.

There might be better options available now (from SH or other manufacturers). It looks like SH has a wireless remote microphone (RAM4) now; I'm not sure whether I'd prefer that or not - I kindof like the guarantee that I won't drop it in the drink. From a quick web search, it looks like you can still pick up the RAM3 wired model if you prefer.
 
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walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Awesome!! Lots to study and thanks!!!

FYI, this picture illustrates why I cant hear the radio speaker in the cabin :p (picture from about 1 month ago)

 

leo310

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Dec 15, 2006
635
Catalina 310 44 Campbell River BC
I got the new SH 1850 with Ram 4 (wired) it also has nmea 2k and for extra cost you can get ais and gps
 
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Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,132
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
A very long time ago, I put a SH extension speaker in the cockpit in my O'Day 27 for the same reason. worked well. Remote mike's were not a thing then.
 
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Sep 25, 2008
7,077
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
The hand held mostly works for this but the one I have doesnt charge the battery when the radio is turned on.
HUH?


I assume you mean the charger wont charge while the handheld is on which isn't atypical and easily solved by keeping it fully charged when you aren't aboard.

You can install a RAM as others suggested or simply use your handheld which you already have but leave it on. A fully charged battery should last days on receive with minimal transmit time. Only requires you to keep it charged.
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Standard Horizon CMP31 RAM3+ Mic
Standard Horizon CMP31 RAM3+ Microphone features a louder speaker and 75% longer mic cable than the previous model, now 24". Included in the box is a 23' routing cable, rubber cap, mounting bracket, microphone hanger, and ferrite core.


Im liking the RAM solution in post 3 using the speaker internal to the RAM. No extra batteries to keep charged and I think the cable wont be a big deal. It would live in a protected area inside the Lazarette. Has a three year "water proof warranty" according to the manual so would be fine for extended periods in the cockpit.

The handheld on all the time.... One of my options is to replace the hand held but its only because the batteries wont hold a charge for a long time due to age. Leaving it on all the time is a good way to insure the batteries are discharged right when I would need to use it (remember its being used often which drains the battery much faster). But the hand held works just fine for a more conventional backup application. Im "guessing" that the RAM has a louder speaker than the hand held (per the above description).
 
Last edited:
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
Inexpensive, usually around $30 or so. Can be programmed on Marine VHF, or, you can program for MURS
and GPRS use which require no license. If it breaks (which mine haven't, yet) just get another one. They also have accessories such as ear buds and speaker mics. It is called a Baofeng UV-5r.

1578425395921.png
 
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walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
We've sure been happy with our SH GX-2200 and remote mic+speaker
.

Ok.. this looks like everything I want (has the internal GPS). Im going to try it without the remote speaker but looks like that would be easy to add later if needed.

Great info!!
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,077
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Standard Horizon CMP31 RAM3+ Mic
Standard Horizon CMP31 RAM3+ Microphone features a louder speaker and 75% longer mic cable than the previous model, now 24". Included in the box is a 23' routing cable, rubber cap, mounting bracket, microphone hanger, and ferrite core.
You can simply replace the batteries on the HH. O r trade one problem for another as the RAM cordless HH has batteries too.
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Don's right. I just replaced the battery pack in my SH HX270S that is 12 years old, lithium pack. That would be the least expensive option. Good luck in your decision making process.
 
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Ted

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Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
The radio would still need to work inside the cabin and I want an internal GPS.
Use caution when selecting a VHF radio with GPS. Some companies warn against possible interence issues so you might not be abe to mount it in the location that you're planning on. Read the owner's manual before you purchase a radio with a built in GPS antenna.
 
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walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Thanks for the reply's! Understand about the solution using the hand held VHF receiver and rechargable batteries. Its what I have been using for the last few years. Its the cabled RAM3 Im interested in now (see the links in previous posts), not the wireless version.

But.. another question.

The wiring diagram at the bottom of the post is for the RAM3 version we have been mostly discussing.

Now Im wondering. If I first dont buy the external speaker, I still have a speaker in the main receiver unit plus a speaker in the RAM. Do they both put out sound at the same time? What if I add the remote speaker. Do I now have three source of audio? Seems to me that I would still want all speakers to be working.

Also, there is a Mic in the main unit plus a a Mic in the RAM. Do both still work?

 

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leo310

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Dec 15, 2006
635
Catalina 310 44 Campbell River BC
With SH ram mike (Ram4) it controls all the functions as if at the station this includes the speaker volume. What I found is at the helm the ram mike is just as good as a external speaker.
 
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walt

.
Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Use caution when selecting a VHF radio with GPS. Some companies warn against possible interence issues so you might not be abe to mount it in the location that you're planning on. Read the owner's manual before you purchase a radio with a built in GPS antenna.
Ill check the manual and also take a hand held GPS unit and check signal strength at the location where I would mount the receiver.
 

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Thanks to everyone again.. useful to me in sorting out a problem with too many solutions. What I think are the two good options for solving my particular problem plus some upgrades to the low end VHF radio I currently have.

GPX2200 has internal DSC and AiS, cost $315. Cabled RAM3 (CMP31) is $110 for a total cost of $425

GPX1850G has internal DSC, cost $210. Cabled RAM4 is $115 but cable CT100 is extra at $35. Total cost is $360

(doesnt count all the RF cabling and antenna which I already have)

So.. for $65 extra, I would get the internal AIS and reading AaronD useful linked post, the AIS screen even shows up on the RAM display.