Radio for off shore

[Tigermidge]

What is the best hand held Battery operated Marine radio.
Found some chEAP ONES ON EBAY, you get what t you pay for.
Is there a radio in the 100$ range that is good for Kayaking.

Mark

[ProfessorLongArms]

This is the one I use. I was going to get one from West Marine that was over $100 and I realized it’s the exact same one with their branding all over it Uniden MHS75 Handheld Submersible 2-Way 5W VHF Marine Radio - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J5MQ20..._53idBbMWGYZQR

[BigAppa]

another vote for the uniden msh75. I bought it for my son last year. It's been dropped a few times, dunked once or twice, and still works perfectly. I can hear him loud and clear, and likewise for him (though we've never been farther than two hundred yards apart). The battery life on this thing is crazy. My son was sidelined for three months bc of a broken wrist. Took him on Memorial Day, and when we were prepping the gear the night before, I noticed that the battery was still showing full bars. I was in the garage earlier tonight, and I noticed my son had forgotten to turn off his vhf after our trip. So it's been on for a day and a half, and it's down only a bar. It doesn't have gps or dsc, and it doesn't have the range my standard horizon hx851 does (I can pick up chatter that he can't), but for a basic unit, it's been rock solid.



Cons: flimsy belt clip, no wall charger.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by BigAppa

another vote for the uniden msh75. I bought it for my son last year. It's been dropped a few times, dunked once or twice, and still works perfectly. I can hear him loud and clear, and likewise for him (though we've never been farther than two hundred yards apart). The battery life on this thing is crazy. My son was sidelined for three months bc of a broken wrist. Took him on Memorial Day, and when we were prepping the gear the night before, I noticed that the battery was still showing full bars. I was in the garage earlier tonight, and I noticed my son had forgotten to turn off his vhf after our trip. So it's been on for a day and a half, and it's down only a bar. It doesn't have gps or dsc, and it doesn't have the range my standard horizon hx851 does (I can pick up chatter that he can't), but for a basic unit, it's been rock solid. Cons: flimsy belt clip, no wall charger.

Thanks for that.

That Uniden is a really nice hand held for the price.

It's pretty small: 2.49" W x 4.57" H x 1.53" D
The Icom I like is: 2.44"W ×3.82"H ×1.54" D

The weight is the same Uniden is 10.2 ounces vs the Icom 9.9, power output is the same and the waterproof rating is better JIS8 vs JIS7. If I did not have a backup M-88 I'd buy that Uniden in a heartbeat. In the Big Boat scene Icom radios are generally thought of as better/tougher. but I have had Uniden MC1010 on my skiff since I built it, it's seen a lot of miles in rough wet conditions and still works perfectly.

Good recommendation especially for a kayak.

[ProfessorLongArms]

Just wanted to add one thing here-

Over the weekend, I was a dumbass and did not tie the little cord for my radio around my life vest like I normally do. Leaned forward trying to fix something, the radio swiveled, and fell off into the water.

I didn’t realize what had happened until quite a bit later, but the current wasn’t ripping too hard and it happened in pretty thick kelp. I went back and searched for quite a while and never found it. I assumed it just sank.

I’m pretty sure there is a universal rule that customer service has a lot of ability to do nice things for you if you are friendly and persuasive, but I just wanted to add that the guy I spoke with at uniden definitely went out of his way to help me. While their warranty doesn’t cover the radio sinking ( despite the fact that the second line of the description on Amazon says it floats in all caps) they were kind enough to approve sending me a replacement free of charge.

I know there are a lot of negative reviews on Amazon specifically about their customer service. Figured this would be helpful and relevant.

[Dave Legacy]

I use a Cobra HH350 which I like, because it connects to my phone via Bluetooth for calls, music, etc. My only complaint is the speaker is a little quiet when you’re on the water and my hearing is pretty good.

[Fiskadoro]

I use the Icom IC-M88 with a waterproof remote mic.


I have my reasons

[Fiskadoro]

Here's mine on Amazon. They are not cheap.

My take..... Say I'm offshore on my skiff and i get thrown out of the boat and for some reason I can't get back to it. I'm alone, in the water, still afloat with my vest on. Even with the vest on there is a good chance I could die, but I have my handheld GPS and the M-88. The M-88 has the best range and the longest battery life for it's size of any handheld in it's class, or at least it did when i bought mine, and it's compact enough to carry at all times. With the extension mic I don't even have to take it out of the pocket to use it. If I get separated from my yak five miles from the beach, or even loose my skiff forty miles offshore. on a average day I'd still have the range with that Icom to reach other boats, and I'd have enough battery too keep trying all day. That's exactly what that radio is designed for, and as far as I'm concerned its essential equipment.

https://www.amazon.com/Icom-IC-M88-Handheld-Marine-Radio/dp/B0000AXTDC