hand held or fixed mount vhf

[k5ranger]

I use my boat ( 19' c/c) 99% of the time in lakes in north carolina. i do however plan on going to the inter coastal waterways of north carolina. It is a bay boat , so i don't see my self going off shore more than a couple of miles in ideal weather. i somewhat understand from searching this topic that a fixed reaches farther, but is it advantages in my case? are the price differences much between a good hand held and a fixed? i boat maybe 3-4 times a month, always have a return time, and let someone know where i launch and where i'm headed.

 

[ufm82]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

I've been debating the same issue- both can be had for comparable prices. <br /><br /> The hand held is obviously portable and more convenient, but it must either come off the boat to be recharged,(I can see forgetting it at home before a trip)or you must feed it batteries. 1w/5w power is fine but I want as strong a unit as I can get. The fixed mounts are more powerful, 5w/25w but they are bulkier. They'll run off the boat battery so normally there is no reason to remove them. Space can be an issue in a 19 footer (I run a 19" cc as well) and that makes me lean towards a handheld. However, I have been 20 miles out and a fixed mount makes more sense for range. VHF is line-of-sight reception. The larger antennas available for fixed mounts obviously increase the line-of-site distance and therefore the range of the radio. I want to be able to reach as many people as possible in case of an incident. I'm leaning towards a fixed mount simply because of that. <br /><br /> It would sound pretty stupid. I can hear it now. <br /><br />Coast Guard guy: "You've been adrift for two weeks and all you have onboard is a 5w handheld? Why?"<br /><br />Me: "'Cuz I saved $20 at West Marine."<br /><br />UFM82

 

[fishingdan]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

The simple difference is the range. Within the units range, you can communicate with others that are in a direct line with your antenna. A fixed mount unit with standard fixed mount power attached to a fixed mount antenna will give you much greater range than a handheld. <br /><br />A handheld will give you roughly a max of 5 mile range using 5 watts of power.<br /><br />A fixed unit with a fixed mount antenna can give you 20+ miles. <br /><br />Don't forget the cost of the antenna and, possibly, the antenna mount when comparing price.

 

[k5ranger]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

i don't mean to make an issue of the price, rather the units intended use. the lakes i go to are well within range for my cell phone and i have several contacts in case of emergencies. my concern is being in the intercoastal waterway. will a hand held be sufficient in the waterways? how about going two-three miles off shore? plus, the areas i plan to visit off shore are very common to fisherman and i've been told to expect lots of boaters if the waters are calm...which will be the only way i'm going off shore myself due to limited experinces off shore.<br />thanks for the replies.....

 

[fondafj]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

Well, it is tough to drop a fixed mount overboard. Every year I see 2 or 3 handhelds go for the big swim. Also, it is much harder to forget the fixed mount at home ......

 

[amirm]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

I think the main considerations have already been mentioned. The range should not be a problem in your situation. And since price is not the problem either, we get to charging and having the unit with you at all times. <br /><br />Given the fact that batteries self discharge, and humans tend to be forgetful, my vote would be for a stationary unit as the better alternative. Also note that unless you keep the portable somewhere visible at all times, you many panic and not find it when panic strikes. And if the unit is visible, then it might get stolen if you forget to take it with you.<br /><br />But if you are sure to not forget to charge the unit and can keep it handy, then a portable unit should be fine.<br /><br />Hopefully I didn't confuse you more .<br /><br />Amir

 

[swist]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

Watch out for the terrain. I am on the Maine coast with a lot high shoreline, not to mention lots of very tall trees. I have both a fixed and a portable and the range of the portable is really limited when the line of sight is as irregular as we have it here. It's more like a mile than the advertised 5 miles. I use it mainly for short-range communication between my boat and tender, or up at the house to get the NOAA weather - I would be nervous about depending on it as a primary source to seek emergency help in this area.

 

[dingbat]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

A hand held for back up would be fine but I'm not cutting corner when my life could possibly depend on the performance of my radio. Most of my boat to boat communications is via cell for privacy but there are times and locations where cell reception is less than satisfactory and then you'll have to rely on the radio for communcation with the outside world. When push comes to shove I darn sure want to make sure that my radio has the best range possible. It also makes no sense to buy a good radio and then use a cheap antenna either. A good quality radio and antenna will set you back about the same or less than a good quality reel so why skimp. Your life and others may depend on it someday.

 

[k5ranger]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

thanks for the replies....a fixed mount it is!!!

 

[Boatist]

Re: hand held or fixed mount vhf

K5<br />Good choice to go with the fixed mount. If you get a GPS later then can use the dsc to send out your postion to the coast guard.<br /><br />First unit should always be a Fixed unit in my opinion. Also unit only as good as your antenna so buy a good one (Shakespeare 5225 or better)<br /><br />Always monitor channel 16.