Permanent Mount VHF or Handheld VHF?

[Skorcher]

Looking to outfit new 23 with electronics and interested in what people are doing in the way of installing VHF these days. I stay in the Chesapeake and really only run within an hour or so of home base. I had the VHF / antenna on 2510 I bought 10 years ago - but did not use it much. When I did monitor some of the channels it was ridiculous with chatter and misinformation.

With Cell coverage the way it is today does having a handheld vhf do the trick for you?

 

[WAJSKI]

you can't call 16 from a cell, I would say yes install one

 

[Megabyte]

If you are fishing in or around the shipping channels, monitoring 13 as well as 16 is a very good idea.
USCG squawks on 16 as well.

Yes, having a working VHF is a very good idea.

 

[Skorcher]

Let me clarify, My question is not weather to have vhf on board or not, more geared toward the question of weather a handheld is suffice.

I am personally seeing less of them on boats, but as I mentioned I stay pretty close to home.

Very interested in what you all are seeing / doing...

 

[Megabyte]

Let me clarify, My question is not weather to have vhf on board or not, more geared toward the question of weather a handheld is suffice.
I am personally seeing less of them on boats, but as I mentioned I stay pretty close to home.
Very interested in what you all are seeing / doing...

I actually have both a fixed Icom VHF and a handheld.
The handheld sits in a charger between the two windows and stays on Ch 16 to monitor USCG traffic.
It is also handy if one of us needs to go ashore in town, and allows us to keep in touch.

 

[DaleH]

The difference is power output when you REALLY NEED to reach out to someone ... 25-watts for fixed vs. 6-watts for the handheld VHS.

Fixed ... your life depends on it.

 

[Skorcher]

Fixed ... your life depends on it.

Enough Said - Thanks Dale

 

[warthog5]

I'm "Pretty" sure the handheld is only 5 watts.

VHF is Line of sight. That 8ft antenna gives you so much more distance.

You need to read this.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... sYszLQezRc

Icom & Standard Horizon VHF's are what you want to pick from. I perfer the Standard Horizon. They are physically smaller, but have a larger screen.

IE: fit in tighter places and easier to read. I've owned and installed a bunch of S/H radios. This time I went with a Garmin 200 due to NEMA 2000.
The others are NEMA 0183.

Don't be fooled by the price. This is a very good radio and pretty dang compact.

http://www.boemarine.com/standard-horiz ... ap-149-99/

I prefer Digital 529VB for my antennas.

 

[Sully]

I'm "Pretty" sure the handheld is only 5 watts.

VHF is Line of sight. That 8ft antenna gives you so much more distance.

You need to read this.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... sYszLQezRc

Icom & Standard Horizon VHF's are what you want to pick from. I perfer the Standard Horizon. They are physically smaller, but have a larger screen.

IE: fit in tighter places and easier to read. I've owned and installed a bunch of S/H radios. This time I went with a Garmin 200 due to NEMA 2000.
The others are NEMA 0183.

Don't be fooled by the price. This is a very good radio and pretty dang compact.

http://www.boemarine.com/standard-horiz ... ap-149-99/

I prefer Digital 529VB for my antennas.

I have the same radio
But prefer the
Shakespeare VHF 8 Ft. 6225 Phase III Antenna
Silver Core instead of the Copper of the Galaxy 5225
And the older it gets the better it gets with the silver oxidization!
I get unbelievable distance with this Antenna.
Its the new flag ship from Shakespeare taking the Galaxies place.