My West Marine VHF75 has died. So it is time to buy another handheld. I was not happy with a single Lithium-ion battery to get me through an EC. I am looking for a handheld where I can supplement the L-ion with AA batteries. I am looking at an iCom M36 for $145.
The WM 75 fit nicely in my PFD, but that is not an absolute necessity. Don’t really care if it floats. Certainly don’t want to pay extra for SOS flashing, battery sucking, additions. Or other bells and whistles. Just a basic handheld that accepts AA batteries. I do see with the iCom 36 that when using the battery pack, max output is reduced to 2watts.
Any recommendations are appreciated.
Handheld VHF recommendation?
(5 posts) (5 voices)-
MrMako
MemberPosted 2 months ago # -
BustedRudder
MemberI consider electronics "disposable" in EC events. Therefore I buy the best price for something that meets needs. Light, small, waterproof.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001J5MQ20/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Uniden MHS75 $84The only thing it doesnt do is take AA batteries, BUT you can buy and additional battery for $39 on ebay.
Battery life is exceptional in my book but I dont use it for anything other than weather. During an ultimate Florida I caught Jarhead in Miami. His radio had failed and he needed to hail bridges. Gave him my radio in exchange for a cold beer:) I beleive it lasted the duration.
Posted 2 months ago # -
Yakmandu
MemberRegardless of your choice, I would recommend a dry bag for your radio. When the speaker is cold and/or wet, audio quality is greatly diminished. You can find dry bags specifically designed for handheld vhf radios. Well worth the investment. Also helps them to float!
Posted 2 months ago # -
SOS
MemberI've had an ICOM IC-M88 model which I believe was a hand me down from Sandybottom. It takes 5 AA batteries and has never failed in all ECs and trips i've taken it on which is now maybe 5 ECs and the UFC. I keep it right in my pfd pocket (not in a bag). It has a tendency to turn itself on so i always put a rubber band vertically around the unit with a wrap around the on off button. Pull a bit of tension on the rubber band and it forces the on off button (a rotating switch) to stay off. The battery pack has a replacable o-ring and you can get battery packs that are for AAs or built in packs which need recharging. I broke the antenna once but it was easy to replace. I think it's a good sign when the unitl outlasts it's own antenna. I agree that it is useless if water gets on the speaker but i just blow into the speaker to clear the water off and its back to normal. it gets my recommendation.
Posted 2 months ago # -
MisterMoon
MemberI had an Icom M36 that was excellent. YOu can buy a AA battery holder or an extra Li ion battery for not much money. I never needed to use either spare becuase battery life was excellent even when I transmitted a lot.
The only issue before I replaced it it was the little metal charging contacts on the bottom of the battery corroded badly after about 6-7 years. But like every peice of electronics that gets exposed to salt water, it did eventually die of NaCl poisoning. That's life.
I would have absolutely bought another but I couldn't find one for a good price when I needed it. Instead I got a Standard Horizon HX300 for about $100 that's been satisfactory. One thing I do like about the SH is that is has USB charging instead of the proprietary (and slow) Icom charger. I've had it for about two years now where it lives in my PFD pocket. If I get another couple of years out it, I'll be satisfied.
Posted 2 months ago #
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