Advice waterproof VHF radio.^

[Weesoots]

My partner & I are are going to invest in a pair of handheld waterproof VHF radio's. Are you able to give me advice on models and competitive prices. Our budget for the pair is £300. Thanks.

[Yakdiver]

Standard Horizon HX280E or any of the ICOM range seems to be the best

[Weesoots]

Thanks for the advice much appreciated!

[MikeB]

Go canny with the Icoms - there are well documented problems with the battery terminals on some models which have 3 charging terminals. The M71 is fine though. Check the VHF page of the Almanac or search the forum for details. Mike.

[gizmo]

I used to own the Icom M31 and the battery terminal did indeed corrode rendering it useless. I have had an Icom M71 for a little over two years now and it has been excellent. Shop around and you should be able to get a pair for less than £300.

[John N]

I have an ENTEL submersible model. At the time I chose this it had the biggest battery around, hence longer use. 5w output compared to many offering 6w these days.

[Jurassic]

I have the Standard Horizon HX280E that Yakdiver mentions. It's a basic radio without the bells and whistles of some of the more expensive sets but it has all the essentials, good battery life and is reasonably priced. I haven't had it long enough to comment on longevity but all the reviews I read before buying were positive and it feels solid and sturdy.

[RichJ]

Hi there,

Another recommendation for the Icom M71. I have found this radio reliable, simple to use and easy to tuck into a pfd pocket. I do not contain it in a waterproof bag but I do rinse it with fresh water after each trip. No signs of corrosion following several years use, paddling most weekends.

Richard Janes

[Weesoots]

Many thanx for the advice I'll look everyone of them. I had been looking at Icom m23. Does anyone have experience with this newish model? Do your recommendations float or do you use lanyards?Looks like I can get a decent pair for £300 so delighted with that.

[zec01]

I got mine from Summit to Sea, give Pete a ring and he will give good advice without
just trying to sell the most expensive.

[MikeB]

Do your recommendations float or do you use lanyards?

Well, a friend of mine has experience with a floating Icom. It's currently floating somewhere in Loch Etive or thereabouts. Make of that what you will. The M71 doesnt float. Overall performance and battery life are more important than whether the thing floats.

Mike.

[Jurassic]

I had been looking at Icom m23. Does anyone have experience with this newish model? Do your recommendations float or do you use lanyards?Looks like I can get a decent pair for £300 so delighted with that.

Whilst I have the Standard Horizon HX280E I have a friend who owns the Icom M23. It doesn't have the corrosion problem that some Icom models suffered from (being a totally different design) and he's very pleased with it.
The SH HX280E doesn't float but that wasn't a problem for me as I always have it on a stretchy lanyard leashed to my buoyancy aid anyway. There are other models in Standard Horizons (and probably Icoms) range that do float if that's important to you. You'll definitely get sorted for £300, I got the 280E for £90 (but I did get it through a group buy deal), I think they're readily available around £100.

[Paddle Lochaber]

I've used an M71 for three years and have never had any issues with it. As Mike says it doesn't float but I've never seen that as a negative as it is lashed to my BA- and it floats! The lanyard it comes with is just the right size to larks foot into the loop in the pocket of my Palm BA and still use normally.

My brother had another Icom which floated, he found that it was too bulky to keep in his BA pocket and switched it to a M71.

Cheers
Mark

[Graham T]

I have an Icom M33. Some tim e after purchase I read some of them had corroded terminals, looked at mine which was fine. Reading this thread I check again and one terminal is corroded and one completely gone (middle one)
The radio has never been used as such just carried in case. It has never been charge wet but once at home after purchase. It is kept wet in my kit while away perhaps for a week recently but then rinsed in fresh water and dried off, so more than fair treatment I think for this type of equipment.
Does the Icom M71 have two terminals rather than three ?
I have contacted Icom and they have been helpful saying very few returns have been made out of large numbers sold, and the issue is normally from it being charged in a wet environment (never with this one) and will look at the radio but I would rather change to one without this problem if possible.

[MikeB]

Does the Icom M71 have two terminals rather than three ?

Yes

[nigelhatton]

My new radio is a Cobra HH325 5 watt, forgot what it cost but it's submersible. I always carry it but rarely switch it on. This replaced a Cobra HH165 that sank in Torbay last Sept.

[Weesoots]

Big thanks to everyone for your advice. We're in the process of doing a bit of research into all the pre-mentioned radio's on this thread. Cheers for that.

[PeterG]

Yet another vote for the Icom M71. I have had mine 4 years, in use all the time, including some extended trips with very limited rinsing options- the dry coasts of Corsica for 3 weeks- and it is absolutely fine. The Li-ion battery seems to hold a charge forever if switched off, very handy for long trips where it is just for emergencies and 10 minutes a day for the weather. It does take a while to recharge.

I also use a very old Icom M31, this was designed to sit in a charger and be taken out for short periods, it is very good for day trips, but discharges itself even when switched off as it has a push on/off button rather than a real switch. I like it because the speaker is very good, you can always recognise callers by their voice, the M71 is clear but doesn't pick out accents so well. This one has proved very resilient to abuse including finding itself much deeper underwater on the seabed than the specifications -it doesn't float- but the tide does go out... eventually! The Ni-cad battery and charger seems to be designed for endless recharging, it recharges in minutes rather than hours.

[Dave28]

It's outside your budget, but don't be tempted by the "hands free" voice operated bluetooth promise of the Standard Horizon HX760E.

It's a great idea, but the bluetooth headset simply isn't secure enough (even when trapped in place by helmet ear flaps) for anything other than sitting in the bath (which must be where they tested it); the on-off button for the bluetooth unit is an ever so trendy little flush thing that you can't find with gloves or cold fingers; and it suffers from the generic S/H problem that if water gets into the speaker either punching through surf or just rolling, it doesn't bust the radio, but so attenuates the volume as to make it useless until it's been dried out.

[SeaSpirit]

My partner & I are are going to invest in a pair of handheld waterproof VHF radio's. Are you able to give me advice on models and competitive prices. Our budget for the pair is £300. Thanks.

Another vote for the Icom M71: I recently got mine from here: http://www.marinesuperstore.com/posit/s ... ++++++++++ Very competitive price at £159 inc p&p and includes a free one year RNLI membership (if you're not already a member as I am!)