Which VHF radio?

[amazing grace]

Sounds like a nice choice. Give a report once you have it Please.

[ak-angler]

Will do, AG. Of course, I'll be swapping antennas at the same time, so I don't know how much of a direct comparison I can make regarding the Tx/Rx functions. But I can certainly offer a review on the other aspects of the new radio. Might be spring before I can really put it through its paces. There aren't a whole lot of opportunities to use the radio on my winter deer hunts. Well, I hope not anyway!

[Kimbrey]

The rewind sounds cool.
I haven't researched units with a built in gps so know nothing about them. Assuming the radio is mounted on the overhead how does it get the gps signal??  Do you have to run a separate antenna? 

[ak-angler]

The Standard Horizon radios with built-in GPS have an internal antenna. There's just a little bump on the top left corner of the unit. I'd assume it would perform as well as the chartplotters with internal antennas which are so prolific these days.

[Threeweight]

The built-in antennas are getting pretty good, these days.  We have no issues with the SH unit getting GPS signals inside the aluminum and safety glass pilot house on the Stabicraft.

[ak-angler]

I got a box in ... it had a radio in it ... it was not the radio I ordered. 

After a call to the vendor, the UPS driver picked up that box yesterday to send it back, and I get to wait a bit longer for the one I actually ordered.

In the mean time, the mailman dropped this off today!



I thought it was a good idea to pick up a handheld for general backup and for use with the dinghy on the big boat, and I think this new model from Standard Horizon fits the bill nicely. It has built in GPS and DSC, so I'll be able to set the chartplotter on the mother ship so the wife can see exactly where I'm at if I'm out running around on the dinghy.

I wish I didn't have to wait for the right fixed mount ICOM to show up. But hopefully, this will distract me until it does...  :biggrin:

[StreamFixer]

Rod

It is still a VHF with all the limitations of that frequency, i.e., pretty short range, especially for how you use your boat.

I would recommend you acquire a good satellite emergency communications system that will fetch help even when you are out of normal radio range.  A good PLB is not all that expensive when you really need help.

That being said, the climber's PLB on South Sister during the storm we had a couple of weeks ago did not help him much after he had fallen 900 feet   :hoboy:  My advice to you is to not boat near 900 foot drop offs   

StreamFixer

[ak-angler]

That's good advice. I've been using a SPOT satellite messenger for several years. In fact, I consider it a very important piece of safety equipment - especially considering that the USCG says they won't have the emergency DSC/Rescue 21 system in Alaska up and running until at least the end of 2017. And even then, it will be a modified system, with limitations and constraints not found in the rest of the country.

I haven't gone so far as getting a sat-phone yet, but I have seriously considered it on several occasions.