On the sea, river or the lake, reliable communication is a basic safety MUST! Choosing the best marine VHF radio could save your life!
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Best Marine VHF Radio - (Comparison Table)
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Top Marine VHF Radio
Best Marine VHF Radio Overall
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This is a great radio for the more experienced mariner. With a built in GPS, you can send an instant distress call with your vessel’s GPS location. This is a fantastic feature enabling you to push your level of experience with the safety of knowing help is not too far away.
This unit can float if dropped, not only that but it can continue to transmit it’s GPS signal even if submerged.
The HX870 is able to both send and receive GPS distress signals.
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Best Handheld Marine VHF Radio
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BenFeng is a well known name in the marine world and has a long history with handheld radio’s
This is a fantastic transceiver for the mariner on the go or a beginner getting used to the water. With a rechargeable 24 hour battery, this radio will be on hand when needed.
The tough outer shell makes this unit very durable and won’t give up the ghost if accidentally dropped.
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Best Entry Level Marine VHF Radio
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This is a great starter VHF radio for anyone looking to communicate with fellow boaters, kayaker's or have a, "just in case", back up VHF radio.
The long battery life and water resistance means it can stay in water for up to 30 minutes whilst still being fully usable.
A bright and clear LCD display makes seeing this unit at night simple.
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Best Fixed Mount VHF Radio
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This is a compact, yet powerful fixed mounted 25 watt VHF radio. It can send and receive on all USA, Canada, and international frequencies and has DSC capability. (Digital Select Calling) Allows someone with no experience to send a distress signal
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Best Budget Marine VHF Radio
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This is a lower priced unit that does not scrimp on features. It is constructed with a buoyant design and can emit a strobe light when immersed in water.
This unit can remain submerged in 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes whilst still being fully functional. It has full access to all USA / Canada and other international frequencies.
A quick access button puts you onto channel 16 for emergency calls.
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Buyer's Guide for Marine VHF Radio's
Having a radio on the water is a requirement for motorboats, yachts, and ships. However, a radio is sensible safety equipment for anyone out on the water. I have a radio on my person when kite surfing, windsurfing, and kayaking.
Fixed or Handheld Radio's
In most cases, the decision of whether to get a fixed or handheld radio is decided by the type of vessel you have. Smaller boats, kayaks, and dinghies which don’t have room for larger marine batteries, mean having a fixed VHF radio is impractical and a handheld radio is the only option.
Fixed VHF’s usually have greater power, range, and features.
These types of radio’s don’t have antenna built in, and require an external antenna to be fitted.
Multi Channels
Being able to monitor multi channels is a big plus and something to consider if you are planning long-distance trips. Weather channels, and channel 16 are some of the channels you should monitor on a regular basis.
Digital Selective Calling
Digital selective calling (DSC), is a feature that most modern fixed mounted radios have, and is a good safety feature. It means that anyone, even with no radio experience, can send a distress call. In some cases, handheld radios have this feature as well, so keep an eye open for this feature.
Once your radio has been set up correctly, you can use DSC to make instant distress calls at the press of a button. If you have a GPS system built into your radio or connected, your position is sent out along with your distress call.
In order to be able to use this function, you will need to have an MMSI number (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) This number is a unique identifier for your craft. Fixed mounted VHF radios are required to have an MMSI number, whereas portable radio’s don’t.
GPS
Having a GPS on board is extremely useful. Having a GPS built into your radio, especially for small crafts is a great space saver. If a GPS is connected to your radio your position can be sent out along with your distress call.
Some VHF radios have the facility to broadcast your position to other boats in the vicinity. This is especially useful when sailing in a flotilla.
Waterproof Rating
As most radios are mounted either in the cockpit or close to the hatchway, it’s very likely it will get wet If you have a handheld radio it’s even more likely. Having a decent IPX rating is imperative if you wish your radio to be fully functional after being hit by a few waves.
