I am looking to get a VHF radio . It will be used on a inland lake (Texoma) I am looking at a Midland NT3VP or a Cobra MRHH125 what is your thoughts of them ?
VHF radio?
- Thread starter slowdog
- Start date
Neither is really waterproof. Also, they are overly menu driven meaning many functions are buried in menus rather than easily accessible in an emergency or by someone unfamiliar with the operation. Having never used either, I can't comment on the audio quality or reliability.
What would you get
What VHF would you get it needs to be hand held and is only used on inland lakes
What VHF would you get it needs to be hand held and is only used on inland lakes
We sail on a 10,000 acre lake in Kansas and about 7 or 8 years ago I bought a handheld Standard Horizon that is water-proof and it has proven to be a major joy to own....It's got just 5 1/2 watts but has very extended battery life ....I think a very similiar model is still sold by Std. Horizon......it replaced the radio down below which was much more powerful of course, but more of a pain....Ours will cover our lake real well, but is ultimately limited in range to maybe 20 miles...Pat
Any of these would be acceptable. waterproof, floats, inexpensive, easy to use, marine oriented... i.e. dedicated weather channel button, ch 9/16 buttons etc. I have a westmarine waterproof floatable handheld that has been excellent.
http://www.westmarine.com/handheld-vhf-radios
http://www.westmarine.com/handheld-vhf-radios
I have the Cobra 350 Handheld. MRHH350. It works well, and it has all the features spoken of here: waterproof, floats, dedicated 16/9 channel button, a Burp function to expel water from the grill. It has switchable power output and a rechargeable batter as well as a tray for alkaline batteries.
I sail a lake, so I am avoiding getting too many expensive electronics, and a handheld radio made sense to me. I just finished reading Albatross last night... I think if I was cruising or blue water sailing, I would want to keep one charged up in my ditch bag.
I like it so far. It cost $99.00.
Thanks,
Andrew
I sail a lake, so I am avoiding getting too many expensive electronics, and a handheld radio made sense to me. I just finished reading Albatross last night... I think if I was cruising or blue water sailing, I would want to keep one charged up in my ditch bag.
I like it so far. It cost $99.00.
Thanks,
Andrew
Ross, not 100% true. VHF is very resilient range wise. As long as one has an open path (line of sight) one can talk. I use 2 watts on my boat, handheld ham rig, to talk to a repeater 53 miles away on an island. So it can be done, however, one has to be realistic and try and keep the antenna as high as possible. If Slowdog keeps his antenna on the mast and runs his cable to the cockpit, he should do well range wise. It would be the same as using a fixed radio on low power.
Just as a little bit of trivia, Amateur Satellite uses UHF (400 MHz) to talk from the earth to the satellite, and VHF (150 MHz) to talk from the satellite to the earth. This is a distance of about 1000 KM (621 miles). The caveat is the antennas on the satellite are a little better than handheld antennas, but I have worked the satellites with the same handheld antenna I use when I am on the boat. Again, just an FYI. It can be done.
Just as a little bit of trivia, Amateur Satellite uses UHF (400 MHz) to talk from the earth to the satellite, and VHF (150 MHz) to talk from the satellite to the earth. This is a distance of about 1000 KM (621 miles). The caveat is the antennas on the satellite are a little better than handheld antennas, but I have worked the satellites with the same handheld antenna I use when I am on the boat. Again, just an FYI. It can be done.
Slowdog:
As a fellow Texoma sailor, I can advise that few people on the lake use or even monitor their VHF radios. For a boat your size, I would agree with the previous posts that advise that you minimize your electronic budget and stick with a handheld. Most handhelds on the market today will serve your purpose well. I have also learned that most handhelds have a limited shelf life, as replacement batteries are hard to come by as new models are introduced. In many cases, it is almost cheaper to buy a new radio than replacement batteries. As always, high calorie junk food for thought.
As a fellow Texoma sailor, I can advise that few people on the lake use or even monitor their VHF radios. For a boat your size, I would agree with the previous posts that advise that you minimize your electronic budget and stick with a handheld. Most handhelds on the market today will serve your purpose well. I have also learned that most handhelds have a limited shelf life, as replacement batteries are hard to come by as new models are introduced. In many cases, it is almost cheaper to buy a new radio than replacement batteries. As always, high calorie junk food for thought.