Best of the budget VHF radios?

[Mark42]

These are lower priced ($90 - $110, not the cheapest), but well featured popular VHF radios. Anyone have any input on these? Good or bad? I like the features of the Cobra MR F55 the best, but I would rather go with a model that is know to be better than most.

Uniden OceanUS DSC VHF Marine Radio http://www.hodgesmarine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=UNIOCEANUS+DSC&CartID=2

Cobra MR F55 VHF Marine Radio http://www.hodgesmarine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=COBMRF55&CartID=1

Standard Eclipse DSC
http://www.hodgesmarine.com/Standard-Eclipse-Dsc-White-p/stagx1000sw.htm

 

[mphy98]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

i am in the same boat as you bought a 8' antenna for 32.00 from kendor boat marine in franklin WI, now need a radio. thinking the cobra will be the best, has a gps interface and one touch emergency coastguard beacon. i went with the larger antenna because i will be in Canada and the longer range will be a plus

 

[slasmith1]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I have the uniden and have never had any problems with it

 

[Mark42]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I have the uniden and have never had any problems with it

How do you like the performance? Does it have clear sound, does it remove background noise? What antenna is connected. Can you give us your personal review? It would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[slasmith1]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

How do you like the performance? Does it have clear sound, does it remove background noise? What antenna is connected. Can you give us your personal review? It would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

I use a shakespere 8' have had the same set up on my last three boats. I keep buying the same thing because it works well. hope thats a good enough review.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

Looks like the Standard is the clear winner followed by the Uniden.


http://www.boatus.com/husick/c_vhf.asp

How much selectivity you need depends on where you usually use your boat. Three specifications define how well the receiver will do in ensuring that you hear what you need to hear; adjacent channel selectivity, intermodulation rejection ratio (IM) and spurious response rejection ratio.

For a radio used in an unpopulated or radio interference free area ratings of at least 60db for each of these specifications will be satisfactory.

If your boating takes place near a large city or in a busy port area you will want a receiver whose performance for these measures is at least 70 db. There may be a time when being able to clearly hear a weak signal may be vital to your safety of that of some other mariner.

To ensure the best receiver performance buy a set whose specifications are 80 db for IM and 70 db for the other two measures.

spurious response rejection-------adjacent channel selectivity--------- intermodulation rejection ratio

Uniden 65db 65db 65db
Cobra 60bd 60db 60db
Standard 70db 70db 70db

 

[Boatist]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I think ICOM in the best but standard also very good.

ICOM 504
Receiver
Intermediate freq.
1st 21.7 Mhz
31.05 Mhz (ch 70)

2nd 450KHz

Sensitivity 0.22?V typical (at 12db SINAD)
Squelch sensitivity 0.32?V typical (threshold)
Adjacent Ch. selectivity 80dB typical (DSC 75dB)
Spurious response 80dB typical (DSC 75dB)
Intermodulation rejection 80dB typical (DSC 75dB)
Hum and noise ratio More than 40dB
Audio output power 4.5W typ. at 10% distortion with a 4Ω load

As far as hereing the radio around the boat if your going to use the speaker in the radio then the size of the speaker makes a big difference. Also the Audio Output power.

All the new radios have DSC now in the USA and they all connect to the GPS so the DSC can work.

ICOM 504 is class D DSC so you can send position request and get position reports on other vessel you know with out calling them.

To me the bottom line is more important to have a good antenna than a good radio. The Shakespeer 5225-XT is great. Antenna longer than 8 foot with more gain than 6 db usually do not work well on small boats because they transmit in such a narrow horzional beem that the signal will drop out if in water with Swells like the ocean.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I think ICOM in the best but standard also very good.

ICOM 504
Receiver
Intermediate freq.
1st 21.7 Mhz
31.05 Mhz (ch 70)

2nd 450KHz

Sensitivity 0.22?V typical (at 12db SINAD)
Squelch sensitivity 0.32?V typical (threshold)
Adjacent Ch. selectivity 80dB typical (DSC 75dB)
Spurious response 80dB typical (DSC 75dB)
Intermodulation rejection 80dB typical (DSC 75dB)
Hum and noise ratio More than 40dB
Audio output power 4.5W typ. at 10% distortion with a 4Ω load

As far as hereing the radio around the boat if your going to use the speaker in the radio then the size of the speaker makes a big difference. Also the Audio Output power.

All the new radios have DSC now in the USA and they all connect to the GPS so the DSC can work.

ICOM 504 is class D DSC so you can send position request and get position reports on other vessel you know with out calling them.

To me the bottom line is more important to have a good antenna than a good radio. The Shakespeer 5225-XT is great. Antenna longer than 8 foot with more gain than 6 db usually do not work well on small boats because they transmit in such a narrow horzional beem that the signal will drop out if in water with Swells like the ocean.

Do doubt the icom 504 is a good radio. It sells for $366 at the discount sites on sale! My budget is about $200 for radio, antenna and mount, so the 504 is out of the picture for me.

But the icom M304 is about $144, and the specs show the 70-70-70 db rating referenced in an above post. The only thing I don't like about it from reading the owners manual is that almost all the features require multiple buttons to be held at once because they use a multiple button and duration of hold to get all the features packed into a few buttons. That makes it very difficult to remember how to use.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I have an Icom 504. The 504 uses the same type same multi-function type setup. Most if not all the multi-functions are only used during set-up. Once setup, there is a good chance that you will never use them again.

The only multi-function button that I use on a somewhat regular basis is the switch to toggle the position display on and off. Many days I leave the cover on the electronics enclosure closed and operate the unit via the microphone.

 

[jhebert]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

These are lower priced ($90 - $110, not the cheapest), but well featured popular VHF radios. Anyone have any input on these? Good or bad?

The recommendation of the Coast Guard is to get a VHF Marine Band radio that is qualified as a Class-D DSC radio. Most of the radios you listed are not Class-D rated.

The least expensive Class-D DSC radio that I know of is the Standard-Horizon GX1500S. This retails for about $140 to $175, however I have seen it advertised even lower.

There is no ICOM radio in this price range which is qualified as a Class-D DSC radio. I believe the least expensive ICOM Class-D DSC radio is the M-504, and it is selling for about $285. Because of the price difference, I do not find that the ICOM can be included in the "budget" radio category.

Many of these radios conform to the RTCM SC-101, an acronym that means "Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services Special Committee Number 101." This standard is no longer recognized as a recommended standard, but many of the less expensive radios are rated to this standard.

If you don't want to utilize the digital selective calling features of a Class-D radio, there is not much point in getting one, so a RTCM SC-101 rated radio will suffice. My personal view is that considering the small cost difference between the Standard-Horizon GX1500S (which is a Class-D radio) and the other choices, I prefer to follow the recommendation of the Coast Guard and get a Class-D radio.

The Standard-Horizon is also quite a nice radio, and as mentioned above its specifications are generally better than most other radios in its price category. I particularly like the quality of the audio modulation on the transmitter. The Standard-Horizon sounds better than most of the radios I hear in use on the VHF Marine Band.

I have been using a Standard Horizon GX1500S on my boat. I find that the control interface to the DSC portion of the radio is nicely organized and easy to use. Some of these other radios have very awkward controls, and interacting with the digital selective calling features is not particularly easy or simple.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

Thanks for all that info on the Horizon. I'll give more thought to a Class D radio. They are more expensive, but it may be worth the while.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I went through the same research last year. I bought a similar antenna as yours (something like the shakesphere 5225 around $100).

I already owned a Standard Horizon handheld and found their customer service second to none!

So after reading the reviews I liked the idea of the Standard Horizon black box which tucks under the dash with the mike having all the controls and the speaker.

I found their latest model on Ebay for $199-299 ( I forgot the exact price) new, last year. What ever the cost it's priceless to me.

The thing about DSC is how could you not go that route for a few dollars difference? What if you had a medical emergency on board? Two tiny little wires connect to your GPS and now anyone can instantly locate your boat. If you don't have a GPS that connects, I'd spring for one and sell the one you have now.

Interesting article in this thread I posted at the time on DSC

I checked, it is the PS2000 and it is a dual receiver. It can probably be found on Craigslist (that's where I found mine) or Ebay just before the season starts as new models from other manuf. push the prices of the older models down. It can be found for $199 with the mike.

Here is a pic of the only thing that shows on the dash: the mike on the left

Most new units are DSC rated now. But like the poster said it's best to get the dual receiver models.


http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=245845

 

[dingbat]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

Big Difference in Class "D" radios as well.

Is it really a Class "D" VHF/DSC radio?

As the use of Digital Selective Calling (DSC) to initiate communication with VHF radios becomes more common, the ability of the radio to receive a DSC hailing call on channel 70 will become more and more important. Many of the VHF/DSC radios now in use and on store shelves have a single receiver that scans for calls on channel 70 along with all other scanned channels, yet reception of a signal on any other channel will prevent the radio from receiving a hailing call on 70. Most of these radios are identified as meeting a unique U.S. specification, SC-101.

Radios that have an additional "watch-standing" receiver constantly tuned to channel 70 are generally listed as VHF/DSC Class "D" radios and provide superior DSC functions. However, the Class "D" VHF/DSC radio is defined differently in two separate international specifications, IEC 62238 and ITU-R M.493-10. The IEC specification requires that the radio be equipped with a watch-standing receiver for channel 70 that must always be available to receive calls?it cannot be used to scan or listen to signals on other channels. Virtually every country other than the U.S. requires that a Class "D" VHF/DSC radio comply with the IEC specification.

In the U.S., a radio can be identified as a Class "D" set even if it complies only with the ITU specification. This specification spells out the types of DSC calls the radio must be able to transmit, but it does not require a dedicated channel 70 watch-standing receiver?a single receiver that scans channel 70 is sufficient. Purchasers of Class "D" VHF/DSC radios should examine the radio's specifications to determine if it meets the IEC specification (has a separate channel 70 receiver) or merely meets the ITU requirement and uses its one receiver to do everything. It's a big difference

 

[jhebert]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

That long and unattributed quote is probably from Chuck Husick.

It would be more informative to give the brand and model number of any radio that was being sold in the U.S. as a Class-D radio and did not have dual receive capabilities. Otherwise that warning just sounds like an alarm about a problem that does not exist.

 

[jhebert]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I don't think that there is any significant difference between identification of Class-D radios in the United States and in other countries. Most manufacturers are not producing a special radio for sale only in the United States in order that they can call it a "Class-D" radio under some lesser standard. As far as I know, any radio identified as "Class-D" in the United States is also identified as such in Canada.

I would suggest that the material presented above (which as I mentioned is probably a cut and paste without any attribution of something written by Chuck Husick) is perhaps out of date. I say that because on Monday, January 28, 2008, there was a change in the regulations of FCC regarding DSC for Marine Radios in the United States.

Cf.:
http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064803a2308

Here is the executive summary of this final action, taken from the announcement itself. I have highlighted the applicable comments regarding labeling of DSC devices:
--


The Commission takes the following significant actions in the MO&O in WT Docket No. 00-48:

--(i) Clarifies that applicants for a GMDSS Radio Operator's License do not have to take an Element 1 examination if they have received a Proof of Passing Certificate (PPC) based on completion of a Coast Guard-approved
training course;

--(ii) clarifies the requirement of ship radio station operators to relay distress alerts from other ships that are not promptly acknowledged by a coast station;

--(iii) removes the sunset date for the Channel 16 watch requirement;

--(iv) relieves vessels that have upgraded to MF-DSC equipment of the requirement to maintain a watch on the frequency 2182 kHz; (v) modifies the requirements for station logs; and

--(vi) permits routine calling on DSC frequencies.

The Commission takes the following significant actions in the Third Report and Order in WT Docket No. 00-48:

-- (i) Requires, after prescribed transition periods, that DSC equipment comply with the more rigorous technical standards recently established for such equipment by international bodies;

--(ii) adds the INMARSAT Fleet F77 ship earth station to the list of satellite earth stations that may be used in lieu of single sideband (SSB) radios by ships operating more than one hundred nautical miles from shore;

--(iii) mandates that additional classes of small passenger vessels carry a reserve power source to better ensure against loss of communications capabilities during distress situations;

--(iv) extends the license term for GMDSS Radio Operator's Licenses, Restricted GMDSS Radio Operator's Licenses, GMDSS Radio Maintainer's Licenses, GMDSS Operator/Maintainer Licenses, and Marine Radio Operator Permits to the lifetime of the holder;

--(v) relaxes certain rules to give both the Commission and commercial operator license examination (COLE) managers additional flexibility in administering the license examination process;

--(vi) adopts rules to regulate Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) beacons designed to operate with the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system, and to authorize use of Inmarsat D+ equipment as an additional accommodation of SSAS operations; and

--(vii) permits the programming of channels in maritime radio transmitters through remote control.

 

[jhebert]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

By the way, the advice presented above without attribution regarding the DSC Class-D designation in the United States as being somehow different than in other countries, was, as I suspected, written by Chuck Husick, but, it is quite old, having first appeared in August 2005 in YACHTING magazine. Cf.:

http://www.yachtingmagazine.com/article.jsp?ID=21014386

I wouldn't pay too much attention to in 2009.

 

[Radiac]

Re: Best of the budget VHF radios?

I use the Lowrance LVR-250 VHF radio on my bass boat, I have it networked with the Lowrance 5200C chartplotter for LL position.

You can find the LVR-250 for around $100.