Marine hand held radio

[Timsname]

I have a small bow rider with limited area to mount a hard wired ship to shore radio. So I would like to purchase a hand held. Problem is, everything I see charges via a table top dock. I would like to have a cord to plug into to charge (just like a cell phone). This way it can remain on a charger when stowed (and will always be full charged when needed). OR a radio that takes standard AA batteries (rather than an internal, rechargeable battery). Any ideas of a product like this?

 

[dingbat]

Atlantis 155

The Uniden Atlantis 155 continues Uniden's tradition of providing tough and reliable handheld radios. It features all NOAA weather channels, as well as all USA, International and Canadian marine channels. It also meets JIS8 Submersible waterproof standards. The Atlantis' brilliant backlit LCD...

uniden.com

 

[jlh3rd]

+1

 

[mike_i]

Where are you boating? In a lake or 10 miles off shore? The answers would determine if you need a full power VHF or if a handheld is appropriate.

 

[Timsname]

Where are you boating? In a lake or 10 miles off shore? The answers would determine if you need a full power VHF or if a handheld is appropriate.

Small lakes and rivers

 

[mike_i]

I'm a saltwater only guy but guessing a handheld would work. Do other boaters or rescue resources, if any, have radios? If so dingbat's info above will work.

Small lakes and rivers

 

[airshot]

With a hand held you need to be closer to other boaters. If fellow boaters are a longer distance apart, then bigger radios are required. Many radios are small and compact today, finding a place for the antenna is the biggest issue, but the easily fold down. I have an 8' antenna and full size radio on my 16' boat.

 

[JimS123]

I had a 25 watt with 8' antenna for many years. Usually only talked to fellow boaters, but now nobody uses them. Never had an issue.

We have a local Coast Guard Base so it made sense. Now, I carry a handheld "just because". The reason is to get the weather forecasts. My local CG and SeaTow both use cellphones.

After 55 years I finally had an issue. ST answered my phone and was there in less than a half hour.

Where I boat I seldom see antennas any more. YMMV

 

[airshot]

Fewer antennas is certainly true, my radio is used mainly for fishing reports, weather reports and gossip if a busy day. Cell phones have certainly changed everything !! My boat came with the marine radio, otherwise I probably wouldn't spend the money !! I see even the bridges now post phone numbers for opening them.

 

[velociraptorfarmer]

Amazon.com

Looking at getting this myself for talking with the lockmasters on the river. Runs on 4 AAAs, so pretty much anything will work.

 

[airshot]

Amazon.com

Looking at getting this myself for talking with the lockmasters on the river. Runs on 4 AAAs, so pretty much anything will work.

Just be aware, those batteries won't last long and batteries are getting expensive!! Consider a unit that plugs into a cigarette lighter plug or such. In my smaller boat days, I used good quality lighter sockets and plugs for all my electronics. Had a master panel to plug in my gps, radio, vhs radio, fish sonar etc. At the end of the day, all the stuff was unplugged and put in my carry bag, no batteries to worry about. All those things barely made a dent in my house battery charge. Superior to AAA's.....

 

[jlh3rd]

that unit does plug into a lighter...

 

[dingbat]

I just looked at this unit again. I was under the impression that they couldn't sell VHF radios w/o DSC functionality anymore.

Unit is 3W, 25W is normal and it doesn't include DSC functionality which is the whole point of VHF to begin with.

Pretty much an expensive weather radio

Digital Selective Calling​

The U.S. Coast Guard offers VHF and MF/HF radiotelephone service to mariners as part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. This service, called digital selective calling (DSC), allows mariners to instantly send an automatically formatted distress alert to the Coast Guard or other rescue authority anywhere in the world. Digital selective calling also allows mariners to initiate or receive distress, urgency, safety and routine radiotelephone calls to or from any similarly equipped vessel or shore station, without requiring either party to be near a radio loudspeaker. DSC acts like the dial and bell of a telephone, allowing you to "direct dial" and "ring" other radios, or allow others to "ring" you, without having to listen to a speaker. New VHF and HF radiotelephones have DSC capability.

 

[mike_i]

I'm a saltwater offshore only guy so I know nothing about freshwater other than I wash the salt off my boat with it. Is there a need for DSC on a lake?

I just looked at this unit again. I was under the impression that they couldn't sell VHF radios w/o DSC functionality anymore.

Unit is 3W, 25W is normal and it doesn't include DSC functionality which is the whole point of VHF to begin with.

Pretty much an expensive weather radio

Digital Selective Calling​

The U.S. Coast Guard offers VHF and MF/HF radiotelephone service to mariners as part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. This service, called digital selective calling (DSC), allows mariners to instantly send an automatically formatted distress alert to the Coast Guard or other rescue authority anywhere in the world. Digital selective calling also allows mariners to initiate or receive distress, urgency, safety and routine radiotelephone calls to or from any similarly equipped vessel or shore station, without requiring either party to be near a radio loudspeaker. DSC acts like the dial and bell of a telephone, allowing you to "direct dial" and "ring" other radios, or allow others to "ring" you, without having to listen to a speaker. New VHF and HF radiotelephones have DSC capability.

 

[dingbat]

I'm a saltwater offshore only guy so I know nothing about freshwater other than I wash the salt off my boat with it.

Could just be me, but would expect an experienced Offshore Captain to have a firm grasp of everything boating.

Is there a need for DSC on a lake?

You, your wife and 2 small kids are out boating on Lake Roundincircles.

Lake Roundincircles is a small, by some standards, 20,000 acre freshwater lake in a rural part of the country. Its 35 miles in length, 1.5 miles wide at its widest point.

It's Saturday afternoon. You hit something in your 19' boat and start taking on water.

What is your best course of action?

Call 911 and tell them your sinking somewhere on Lake Roundincircles

Call the Coast Guard at 1-800-YOU-RSOL?

Waive your hands frantically hoping someone sees you and comes to your rescue

Abandon ship and hope your kids can swim the 300 yards to shore

Push DSC button which notifies the coast guard of your situation and exact position, who in turn broadcasts a mayday and your position to every boat on the lake with a VHF radio, turning everyone on the lake into a potential first responder

 

[mike_i]

I assumed I made it clear that I'm strictly a saltwater guy and know nothing regarding boating in fresh water. There aren't any freshwater lakes where I live so I have no idea what if any rescue facilities there may be on a lake. I don't know what services the coast guard provide on a lake. Yes you can activate a DSC while on a lake but if there are no rescue services on a lake and as others have stated here that more people use their cellphones than their VHF doesn't help much. Most people around here don't even turn their VHF on while on the water let alone monitor ch16 but at least there are rescue agencies and tow services and lots of commercial traffic that can respond. Many times when the coast guard send out a pon pon because of a DSC activation the person didn't register their MMSI or connect their gps to their radio so their unable to get their boat description or location information. I have a question for you, since I know nothing about freshwater, are there coast guard transmitters sites that cover inland lakes? All of the towers that I know of and have been to are along the coast. As the OP stated he boats in small lakes and rivers, does the coast guard provide rescue in small lakes and rivers?

Could just be me, but would expect an experienced Offshore Captain to have a firm grasp of everything boating.

You, your wife and 2 small kids are out boating on Lake Roundincircles.

Lake Roundincircles is a small, by some standards, 20,000 acre freshwater lake in a rural part of the country. Its 35 miles in length, 1.5 miles wide at its widest point.

It's Saturday afternoon. You hit something in your 19' boat and start taking on water.

What is your best course of action?

Call 911 and tell them your sinking somewhere on Lake Roundincircles

Call the Coast Guard at 1-800-YOU-RSOL?

Waive your hands frantically hoping someone sees you and comes to your rescue

Abandon ship and hope your kids can swim the 300 yards to shore

Push DSC button which notifies the coast guard of your situation and exact position, who in turn broadcasts a mayday and your position to every boat on the lake with a VHF radio, turning everyone on the lake into a potential first responder

Could just be me, but would expect an experienced Offshore Captain to have a firm grasp of everything boating.

You, your wife and 2 small kids are out boating on Lake Roundincircles.

Lake Roundincircles is a small, by some standards, 20,000 acre freshwater lake in a rural part of the country. Its 35 miles in length, 1.5 miles wide at its widest point.

It's Saturday afternoon. You hit something in your 19' boat and start taking on water.

What is your best course of action?

Call 911 and tell them your sinking somewhere on Lake Roundincircles

Call the Coast Guard at 1-800-YOU-RSOL?

Waive your hands frantically hoping someone sees you and comes to your rescue

Abandon ship and hope your kids can swim the 300 yards to shore

Push DSC button which notifies the coast guard of your situation and exact position, who in turn broadcasts a mayday and your position to every boat on the lake with a VHF radio, turning everyone on the lake into a potential first responder

 

[flashback]

Fewer antennas is certainly true, my radio is used mainly for fishing reports, weather reports and gossip if a busy day. Cell phones have certainly changed everything !! My boat came with the marine radio, otherwise I probably wouldn't spend the money !! I see even the bridges now post phone numbers for opening them.

Yeah I'm in the same boat, I was given the boat 2 years ago and it needed a lot of mech help so that was my priority. The radio in the cabin didn't turn on and now that the boat mech is stable I may play with it. But honestly here on the river most folks just use it to raft up or BS with the barge capts...

 

[JimS123]

The Govmt has changed the way we boat. Back in the day the USCG would help lost souls. Not any more. If you have a breakdown, or stupidly run out of gas, your outta luck. Of you blow up and are sinking and in danger of lost life, they will come.

No mater where you are, the best bet is to find BoatUS or a local salvager and PAY for their service. Its all on us these days.

 

[Thirsty Endgrain]

The Govmt has changed the way we boat. Back in the day the USCG would help lost souls. Not any more. If you have a breakdown, or stupidly run out of gas, your outta luck. Of you blow up and are sinking and in danger of lost life, they will come.

No mater where you are, the best bet is to find BoatUS or a local salvager and PAY for their service. Its all on us these days.

About 2 years ago broke down and couldn't restart on a 6' day, USCG was there in about 30 mins and towed me to port. So as a blanket statement, I can't agree.

I also have boatUS, but didn't need to use them that day thankfully.

 

[Timsname]

I guess what I failed to mention is I go through a lot of locks on the Ohio river. Having a radio to communicate with the lock master is important. When 200-300 yards from the lock, range, antennas are not really a factor for me. I understand the reason of having the destress feature, but this is not really what I'm looking for. The radio dingbat suggested is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks everyone.