VHF Radio decision

[jibes138]

One more

For 200 bucks you get, handheld, fixed mount, antenna. All for the price of a couple tanks of gas for the car. Amazing how much everything has gone up (think groceries) yet these electronic items have continually gone down in price. A lot for your money IMHO.

 

[bffatcat]

vhf

you really need a mounted radio a hand held is going to get you about 3 miles some times
not enough range but ok for a back up. Ive got a 26' with an Icom mounted radio and a 6 ft
stern antenna which will give me 10-12 km I use a tractor battery to power the radio exclusively. Its light and easy to carry and take home for recharge
i

 

[Stu Jackson]

I don't recall anyone asking where our questioner sails. On San Francisco Bay a handheld is all you'd need. On the Chesapeake a fixed mount would be more helpful. On the Gulf, how far out from land are ya gonna sail with a 22 foot boat? Out on the ocean either coast or the Gulf, fixed for range. FWIW, we have both.

 

[Maine Sail]

I don't recall anyone asking where our questioner sails. On San Francisco Bay a handheld is all you'd need. On the Chesapeake a fixed mount would be more helpful. On the Gulf, how far out from land are ya gonna sail with a 22 foot boat? Out on the ocean either coast or the Gulf, fixed for range. FWIW, we have both.

He sort of told us in post #2. My hand held VHF can't hit ten miles, even on a good day, though the USCG antenna might well pick it up. On a 22 footer I'd still want a fixed but that's just me. Of course a hand held is significantly better than no radio at all and considerably more simple to install.

Some additional info, since the type of radio really depends on the type or boating I'm planning on doing:

She's a 22' boat, so I'm not planning on doing a whole lot of long-range cruises. Maybe 10 miles out, and almost 100% likely always in sight of other boats and land. Eventually we want to try cruising a little of the intracoastal.

 

[Stu Jackson]

He sort of told us in post #2.

You're right, sorry I missed that. Given that, I'd opt for a handheld on a 22 foot boat. See? One can obtain all sorts of answers on this board. His boat, his choice.

 

[Steve Dion]

If you sailing off the coast, you never know what is going to happen. The longer the range, the better chance you will have of getting help. These radios are really not that expensive. West Marine, ICOM, Standard are some of the major brands of Marine radios. You can also purchase an inexpensive hand held as a backup and for easy use in the cockpit.

http://www.jandhproducts.com/dept.asp?dept_id=04-001-002

http://www.marine-radio-store.com/

There are plenty of choices out there, you just need to determine a budget.

PS: The power requirements for standby is minimal, so you really don't need to worry about power consumption. It is always good to have a fully charged electrical system everytime you leave the dock.

 

[Ron20324]

A friend bought a Compac 23 and then a fixed-mount VHF with masthead antenna. I told him for where he sails in the northern Chesapeake he really should have a handheld. He took it back to the store where the salesman convinced him he needed the fixed mount, so he installed it. Having strayed from that nasty channel out of Havre De Grace, he found himself aground at a pretty good angle of heel. As he tried to climb down into the cabin to the radio to call for a tow, he wondered if the transmit pattern would end up with the fishes and the clouds. And he remembered my words about the handheld. He told me this story and said he should have listened to me.