DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

[SeaDawg]

I've been looking for a few days now on the web, but cannot find any electronics suppliers that make a floating, waterproof hand held VHF radio. <br /><br />Preferably Nickel Metal Hydride batteries too, and programmable scanning, but I really want the floating/waterproof feature.<br /><br />I don't want to use the floating bag (like the Humminbird VHF), and I'm afraid of dropping ones like the Uniden overboard and it sinking.<br /><br />Thanks, Ron

 

[roscoe]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Tron makes one, there are probably more.<br /><br /> http://www.nera.de/see.en.html <br /><br />iboats sells some in the mega mall<br /><br />If you type vhf radio into the Mall Search, you will get lots of choices. I don't know how many of them float, but this one does:<br /><br /> http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cgi?prod_id=14565&current_category=vhf radio&cart_id=075627264

 

[SeaDawg]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Thanks! Yea, I looks like the only waterproof/floatable ones are only a couple of channels ("survival" radios only), or are super duper expensive.<br /><br />I may have to go the "bag route" and go with a small unit like the Uniden voyager. They are running around $150 at various places, so I'll post back later, once I get something, in case someone else is looking too.<br /><br />Ron

 

[SeaDawg]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Welllllll, after hitting a couple of boat shows and also looking at a lot of them at West Marine, the Uniden Voyager is now my choice for the money.<br /><br />Does anyone out there own one, and do they like it?<br /><br />Thanks in advance.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Uniden is a generic that make many cheap radios to sell under a variety of names. Not the best quality in my opinion. Buttons fail, batteries are cheap, Tx at less wattage than they claim. I would go with an Icom or Standard. Motorola makes an excellent radio but kinda pricy.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Matkat, I don't quite know where you got your info from, but I've owned a Uniden CB for many years, put it through electronic "hell" and it survived beautifully, not to mention puts out 4.4 watts when it's claimed to only put out 4.<br /><br />I purchased an absolutly beat-to-crap Uniden 610 off of Ebay. This thing had sat outside, in salt water, for years. It was yellow, and had so much corrosion inside that I could only get half the display to work. It transmits loud and clear, and 3 watts on low power and 27 on high. I know this is their fixed radios, not hand held, but if their hand helds are built like their fixed mounts, I wouldn't think twice about purchasing one in the future.<br /><br />I don't know the quality of their newest marine equipment, but I have seen it. It looks strong.

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Icom is the best quality for the money and you can get one on sale for a little more than the uniden voyager and is a far better choice.Charlie

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

WIF. There is no doubt that uniden has had some descent products, but uniden also contracts out some of their products to the "lowest bidder". One year it might be Standard or Icom. The next year, it might be some no-name company. Sorry if my post was misleading. I guess what I should have said is with Uniden, you don't know what you're really getting. I sold marine electronics retail for 7 years and Uniden radios were by far the most frequently returned item. Happy to hear you have had good luck with them.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

That's cool. So was Uniden also the one that you sold the most of?

 

[ThomWV]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Don't screw around, get a good radio. At reasonable prices the two best hand held VHF radios you can be looking at are the ICOM M1V and the Standard Horizon HX350S. Neither of these two are the company's top of the line model, each is reasonably priced, each is water proof, and each is full featured. All those other hand helds (other than the very expensive top of the line models by ICOM and Standard) will work, but in an emergency there is no substitute for the best.<br /><br />Thom

 

[SeaDawg]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Thanks guys. I'll probably go for the ICOM. <br /><br />The main things I am after are small size, scanning capability, "submersable" rating, and a "non-memory" type battery. Wish I could also get one that floats, but battery weight and small size don't go together too well.<br /><br />I'll post again when I get one, so that others can learn from my experiences too.<br /><br />Ron

 

[SeaDawg]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Welllll, in a moment of weakness (Valentine's day is coming up) - the better half (much better now - (hehe)) "told" me to order the Standard Horizon HX 470S.<br /><br />It looks like it does everything but wipe your butt, so I'll have fun playing with it, sometime next week it should arrive.<br /><br />It will look nice on my hip, beside my GPSMAP 76S, and it may even match my Humminbird remote sensor wristwatch (fishfinder) that my wife got me for my birthday. It's terrible when you have a wife that wants to celebrate all of the holidays.....<br /><br />Thanks again guys.<br /><br />Ron

 

[seamegr]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

SD, I bought an HX470s at the Toronto boat show a couple of weeks ago. This is my first VHF of any type. I wanted it originally because of all the bands it worked with. But when I saw and held one I had to have it, it just felt right.<br />It sure won't float though.<br /><br />Now I'm waiting for the thaw in April to try it on the water.<br /><br />Here in Canada we don't need a station license but you do need a restricted operators license. <br />The Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons offer the training.<br /><br />Is there a similar requirement in the US?<br /><br />Over EH?<br /><br />Greg

 

[ThomWV]

Re: DOES ANY COMPANY MAKE A FLOATING/WATERPROOF HANDHELD VHF RADIO??

Not any more. Up until about 1998~1999 a Ship's Station License was required and before that a personal Radio Operators license was required as well, back in the late 80's or so. The Operators was free and good for life, I actually still have mine. The Ship's Station Licnese was not free and had a 3 year life as I recall. I think the last one I bought, which expired the year the requirement was ended by President Clinton, ran me $75. Its been a while and to be dead honest I'm not real clear on what the cost was. I think by the last year it was in existance it was up to $125.<br /><br />It was one that really pissed me off. I would not have minded a bit if the license was only to have been issued at the completion of some sort of mandatory training or taking of a skills test. But as it was you paid and you got, and not a single person on earth cared if you knew how to use - so it was nothing but a money gathering scheme left over from years earlier, one that took your cash with no related benefit.<br /><br />Thom