radio for safety

Own a 17ft Sunbird open bow. What vhf radio and antennae would be good for this boat.Want a fixed mount radio.Using boat on lakes and ocean bays.

Re: radio for safety

With the radio, get whatever you can afford. I've been happy with the Uniden Solara: http://www.uniden.com/products/productdetail.cfm?product=SOLARA DSC&filter=Fixed Mount


The antenna will determine how well the radio 'reaches out', so IMO it pays to buy the best one. I use a Shakespeare 5225XP.
http://www.shakespeare-marine.com/antennas.asp?antenna=5225-XP

Re: radio for safety

Thank you Antennae was one I was going to get. As far as radio I was lookingat Standard Horizon or Icom radios.Don't want most expensive ,but like the 3 yr warranty.

Re: radio for safety

Do you have a GPS? Do you plan on connecting the GPS to the radio?

I've got a Lowrance HDS-7 GPS/FF and chose the Lowrance LVR-880 as the connection between the two was the easiest. I could not find another VHF that used the NMEA 2000 bus.

By them being connected, the GPS will update your position to the radio constantly.

Re: radio for safety

Put the highest antenna you can as the best radio in the world wont get out without a good, high antenna.

John

Re: radio for safety

I agree the antenna is more important than the radio.
When I changed to the 5225 my radio could here almost twice as many stations.
Also any station I coud here I can reach.

Radio
I Like Icom best then Standard but must say most the radios are very good today.
If you take Radio out at the end of your trip, out of the heat and vapors they will likely last so long as to become out dated before you ever have a problem.

In the reviews I have seen in the past Icom was closer to 25 watts out than any other of the cheap brands.

One thing to consider if you have lots of buddies out on the water with you.
You may want to get a radio with DSC Class D so you can see where your buddies are fishing without them telling you where they are. I think it is worth the extra bucks if you fish with others that also have DSC class D.


http://www.vhf-dsc.info/tech.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-f4nhnBThg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdkxsWBncSc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQk5MRwuxgo