looking for advice on which VHF to purchase

[jeffywestcoast]

i bought a uniden handheld , it works good close range but i think i limit myself being under the aluminum roof,would like to go to dash mount and i am wondering which would be a good model in the say $300 and under range

 

[casper5280]

If you spend a little more I would buy the Standard Horizon Matrix AIS+ GX2150 VHF. You can wire it in to your chartplotter and it will show any large ship in real time right on your plotter.

 

[Hookin'up]

^^x2^^ just wont work with HDS gen2 touch models,

 

[casper5280]

^^x2^^ just wont work with HDS gen2 touch models,

That's good to know. I have a HDS-10 and it works fine with it, was thinking of upgrading so will have to look in to that. Still a great unit.

 

[jeffywestcoast]

I cheaped out and bought the lowrance 4x..was kicking myself later.., saw i guy picking up a lowrance hds 12 touch screen this morning..MOTHER OF GOD....little rich for my blood. also bought the 4m chart plotter, not sure if it is compatible...remember guys i spent 1000 bucks for my boat but i am already over 2500 in goodies but they are all transferable to whatever my second boat will be...so when it comes to important stuff like a vhf or any safety stuff i will not cheap out.

 

[Hookin'up]

That's good to know. I have a HDS-10 and it works fine with it, was thinking of upgrading so will have to look in to that. Still a great unit.

worked great with my hds10 as well, but now outfitted the new boat with a touch and a new GX2150 and the touch will not overlay
AIS targets, SH says it should, Lowrance don't know if it will????, but I have a thread going on THT and there is a rumour that a Lowrance tech told another member it will work if you use the old style power cable with the new Touch
so I'm going to give that a whirl,
Sorry for the hijack but it kind of pertains to OP

 

[Hookin'up]

I cheaped out and bought the lowrance 4x..was kicking myself later.., saw i guy picking up a lowrance hds 12 touch screen this morning..MOTHER OF GOD....little rich for my blood. also bought the 4m chart plotter, not sure if it is compatible...remember guys i spent 1000 bucks for my boat but i am already over 2500 in goodies but they are all transferable to whatever my second boat will be...so when it comes to important stuff like a vhf or any safety stuff i will not cheap out.

standard Horizon GX2150AIS+ will still show you commercial traffic on its own LCD, I call it a poor mans radar of sorts,
but you will need to connect it to your plotter for GPS to function
its a great machine if you ever need to pull the emerg switch it immediately broadcasts your current posisition to CG and other AIS boats around you, huge safety factor there, you will also need a MMSI number for it, that's an easy online app tho

 

[Seafever]

I was picking up Puget Sound Coastguard on my handheld off F.C. day before yesterday......

With the handhelds it's all about getting the the little onboard antenna as high as you can without being ridiculous. I had mine on the dash module which is fairly high....but if I take the radio and stick my arm up in the air...it right away gets better reception and will also transmit better.

Mine's an HX290 Stand. Horizon....I imagine it's similar to the Uniden in capability.

When you say "it limits you" do you mean reception or transmitting?

There is high and low trans output on handhelds:- 1 watt and 5 watt.....


The higher you get the aerial on any marine VHF the better it works ........

 

[jeffywestcoast]

Thanks for the input guys that definitely looks like a top notch model...Wow..i did see it at harbchan.. once i upgrade to a cabin cruiser purhaps, does it come with an antenna? cables?, like i said i don't think it would work with my 300 buck gps but you never know, for now i think your out ranging my request just a tad..if the fishing vessel "FUGLY "is in distress you will see my flare and hear my distress call on 16.

 

[jeffywestcoast]

SeaFever i also hear the washington coastguard, they transmitt very well, but i cannot for the life of seem to transmitt too far, ei, nanaimo to silvabay. i have 1 and 5 watt transmit but the dash models have alot more transmitting power, im sure an external Antenna and dash model will greatly increase my range.

 

[jeffywestcoast]

MY handheld receives clear as day, but when i am trying to transmit any distance my fishing buddy says im coming across like mcdonalds drivethru.

 

[Seafever]

I remember in our ROCM course, I asked the insructor that very question.....is it possible to hook up a higher gain antenna (longer,taller,fixed mount) to a handheld.......he said, yes , it was......

The longer antennas get about a 5db gain I believe....you'd probaly use up a bit more juice transmitting from a handheld on it though , don't know for sure.....

When you transmit you gotta stop saying "You want fries with that?"..........

Just kidding........my sense of humor is "deadpan"...somewhere between Jackie Vernon and Stephen Wright........

 

[jeffywestcoast]

haha ya..kinda went a little goofy when i started buying boatstuff, my VHF is the Uniden mhs75 , i liked it because it came with the cig lighter charger plug, was just trying to cover all the bases, my gps is the lowrance elite 4m and sounder is the elite 4x, after reading a little more ..duh..i guess i have found out my gps is compatible thru NMEA 0183 output for dcs calling..

 

[jeffywestcoast]

Marine VHF can operate from 1-5 watts handheld and up to 25 watts and up to 60 nautical miles with a fixed mount VHF, so i am sure that's probably where i am headed. the DSC calling could definitely be worth looking at as a very good safety asset.

 

[casper5280]

Marine VHF can operate from 1-5 watts handheld and up to 25 watts and up to 60 nautical miles with a fixed mount VHF, so i am sure that's probably where i am headed. the DCS calling could definitely be worth looking at as a very good safety asset.

Just so you know the DCS is only good if you have a MMSI#(witch is free) and it is wired to your chartplotter. You are also suppose to have a ROC card. Just sayin.

 

[Seafever]

I had to cough up 105 bucks for the ROCM course.........

It is considered illegal to even turn on a VHF and just listen.....if you don't have the ROC........

 

[jeffywestcoast]

Thanks Casper5280 that's on the list..i signed up for the next available course too for now im just listening..I think in an emergency situation there could be some understanding

 

[jeffywestcoast]

I was told you could listen all day long ,but once you transmitt you are in violation of ROC rules and regulations,jeez how else am i going to here what depth and area's hot. that's how i understood it from my friend who is a Ham radio operator, either way i am signed up and will have the ROC in short order.

 

[jeffywestcoast]

In case you were wondering Seafever: i have my pleasure craft operators card with instructors status, my ROC has been eluding me because i didnt want to go to duncan to do it, im signed for it with NYC..safety first guys..Tightlines, heading out in the morning for another trolling session..the card carrying member on my boat will be on 88A . Im out for now..lol fries with that?

 

[fish stalker]

I cheaped out and bought the lowrance 4x..was kicking myself later.., saw i guy picking up a lowrance hds 12 touch screen this morning..MOTHER OF GOD....little rich for my blood.

probably the one that has program to run with topos/charts and gps that raises and lowers your cannon balls as you go around structure


icom handhelds are pretty nice. they and be reprogrammed and all sorts of **** now sure how or why but they sound pretty trick.