Portable Marine Radion Recommendations

[endostrat]

Going to Lake Powell in a few weeks, and need to pick up a marine radio. Any recommendations or suggestions? Any brand to specifically avoid? Features that are a must have?

Thanks

[kdspindl]

My data is about 3-4 years old so they probably have changed some, but I bought mine for Powell as well. I just did research and based on reviews bought a Standard Horizon HX751 (probably newer models available since then). I also have a Cobra that a friend gave me. Both work fine, but the Standard Horizon is a bit better:

Both float and submersible, goes without saying.

The SH has a clip on the back which is nice for attaching to your life vest sometimes. The SH has held up a little better and seems more durable, the antennae cover on the Cobra came off and got lost. The SH supposedly lights up in the dark as a safety feature, but fortunately I have not needed that, I would not think that is must have.

They both operate pretty much the same range and "line of sight." They won't be able to call the Marina from long distances like the radio in the houseboat, but they are great to have.

My only complaint on both of them is for some odd reason they don't list "% battery left". Thus I find myself charging them up when they are probably still 80% charged already. That simple feature would be nice to have.

My only tip is I recommend you buy 2. Your houseboat will have a radio of course so you at least need one handheld to communicate with the ski/wakeboard boat. However, where we use them a lot is when we take the ski boat out and want to contact someone on the jetskis, or we go hiking and want to have the hikers be able to contact each other or the ski boat. Maybe that is just us, but 2 handhelds are nice to have.

Have fun at Powell, I go up a week from today and can't wait!

[Pistol Pete]

Icom always got good reviews on this site.

http://www.westmarine.com/handheld-vhf-radios/icom