VHF Radio

I want to pick up a VHF radio before I head up to Powell this year. There is one on the houseboat, but it would be real handy to be able to keep in touch with them when looking for sites, pulling riders and such. I'm thinking handheld vs. the fixed mounted style. Any suggestions from personal experience, brands, features, likes/ dislikes, where to buy, etc. I can't seem to figure out why prices range from $100- 300. There always seems to be a wealth of knowledge lurking in these discussions- thanks for the help.

Check the discussion board at www.ifish.net and do a search for VHF's. You will get more information there then you will ever want. . . Or, here is the link:

http://www.ifish.net/forum/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1

Are you sure you want to mount an antennae(?sp) and fixed mount unit you will rarely use in a wakeboard boat, ive got a handheld unit. At most you could mount an antennae and run the cable to your handheld to get better range if needed??

Your range wont be as good with a hand held VHF I think the hand held units only have 5 watts.
And if You buy a fixed mount don't skimp on the antenna.
Also keep in mind that VHF in line of sight meaning if Your hoping to transmit over mountains or if Your in a canyon forget it.
Try westmarine.com

You are right, I don't really want to mount an antenna to the deck of the boat and would much rather get a handheld- if they would cover at least a couple of miles. But if those are a waste of time, maybe a tempory clamp-on type antenna off the tower would work. That's why I'm looking for opinions and anyone's own experience.

It is easy finding the radios at places like West Marine, but what brands, options or features are important?

Paul, What kind of range are You looking for ?
A fixed mount is most likely over kill for Your needs. If I remember right My last VHF went around 18 to 20 miles (fixed mount) My guess for a hand held would be around 8 - 10 miles.
If You go with the hand held I would look for something that is water proof (not splash proof) and has a decent battery. You wont need all the other bells and whistles.

There is a place on westmarine were the customers have rated the radios also....check it out. I don't know if they still do it but WM used to have a one year return policy that if You don't like it for any reason they would give You a full refund. I returned a fish finder after 10 months and it was no problem.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&cate goryId=542&langId=-1&subdeptNum=64&storeNum=3

I have a used VHF that came off a previous boat that I took off & never used. I would let this thing go extremely cheap if you have a use for it. I also have the big ugly antenna but its probably too long to ship. Let me know if you(or anyone) is interested.

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I'm looking for something with a range of maybe 10+ miles. The walkie-talkies are good for a few miles and I'm looking for better range. Decent rechargeable batteries are a must, with a car adapter helpful. I'll check out the West Marine reviews too.

(Message edited by Paublo on May 22, 2004)

Paul,

I put a radio in my boat for the same reasons. We go to Powell every year. Three years ago my son was hurt and we had to make an after dark run from Rock Creek to Wahweep. I thought it would be a good idea to mount one in the boat to communicate with NPS as well. I mounted the antena in the gunnel so the range is not great, probally similar to a handheld. I would like to find a clean way to mount an antena to the tower for those trips. Since I thought of the radio as much for emergencies as convience, I wanted to mount it in the boat so it was always there and ready.

I got mine from West Marine, it's a Horizon Intreped LE. Under $200 and have had no problems. I will put one in every boat I get.

David

Dave, great profile pic- nice family shot.
I like the idea of mounting the antena in the gunnel. Do you get interference from the stereo and other wiring there? Just a thought- how about making an adapter to fit a removeable antena in the white navigation light pole fitting? When you really need the longer distance for the radio, pull the antena out and stick it in hole for the light. You just couldn't do that at night and the wire would be exposed, but an option when you need it.

Paul,
Thanks,we had fun taking that picture. I have not noticed any interference with the gunnel location. I would like to come up with a tower mount that would use a speaker mounting bracket and run the wiring through the tower. I could then remove the antenna when not in use and leave the mount.
David