Handheld Radio?

[FVF]

Hello,

Will need a hand held marine radio this spring, shopping around now.
At most I should only be 4 to 5 miles off shore. I have a small boat. My main concern is if the lake goes bad quick(Erie is famous for that), I want the radio to go with me if I go in. There seems to be a lot to consider when buying a radio. Any tips on level of water proof, scanning, range, etc are are welcome.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Handheld Radio?

I think would be hard to find one that is not waterproof today. I would buy one that is waterproof to 3 feet at least. JIS7, or IPX8 In addition you can buy a waterproof bag for the radio or just a zip lock bag.

Range for a handheld sitting in a boat is very little. Maybe 2 miles. If the station your calling has a high mounted antenna then range is much better.

I like units that use rechargable AA NiMH batteries and also have a case to use regular alkline batteries. The batteries are one thing that will fail over time and if you have to buy a special battery pack you might as well get a new radio.

I have two that I got from West marine many years ago. They came with a drop in charger that will run on AC adapter or 12 volts. Came with NiMH batteries and a alkline adapter pack bu so far hav not lost a single battery.

Icom makes good VHF radios.