Choosing a Handheld VHF Radio
the
Standard Horizon HX 270S
One of the first,
and most important pieces of equipment you’ll need on your boat
is a handheld VHF radio.
A marine handheld
VHF radio can be used to communicate from boat to boat, boat to
shore and shore to boat as well as to communicate with large ships.
You can use vhf to summon rescue services and talk with harbours
and marinas.
All VHF radios
operate on the VHF frequency range, between 156 to 174 MHz. and
at maximum power, about 5 watts, their effective range is determined
by the height of the antennae. In normal use on a boat you can expect
a range of 3-4 miles.
If your handheld
VHF is going to be the only VHF radio on the boat, you need to buy
one that is/has:
- reliable
-
water resistant
-
very durable
- good
battery life
- fully
functional
- good
range
You’re also
looking for a radio with all the necessary functions and no more.
Extra functions that are not absolutely necessary can make the operation
of the radio more complex and add significantly to the cost.
The functions
you need are:
- volume
control
- squelch
control
-
channel selector
- hi/low
power switch
- dual
watch switch
- channel
16 override switch
- press
to transmit switch
- large
LED display
- good
night illumination
Take your gloves
when you go to buy your radio. You need the keys and switches to
be large enough and far enough apart so that you can use them with
sailing gloves on.
The Standard
Horizon HX 270S 
The Standard
Horizon HX 270S (HX 270E in the UK) is a compact, rugged handheld
VHF that covers all the bases above. This radio was selected as
the best marine VHF handheld by the test team at Practical Boat
Owner in January 2008.
The US model
features all International, USA and Canadian marine channels. One
button is dedicated to selecting distress channel 16 and hailing
channel 9. The programmable scan allows you to scan any number of
channels and the preset key allows you to recall the 8 most frequently
used channels including NOAA weather alert.
The LCD display
features large, clear digits and bold information flags including
battery life indicator. The LCD and keypad are backlit for optimum
night visibility.
The 1400mAh
Nickel Metal Hydride battery that will give over 16hrs use at 5/5/90
operation (5% transmit, 5% receive and 90% standby). Also, this
type of battery can be recharged at any time without damage, even
if it’s not discharged.
Another good
feature is the waterproof alkaline battery tray allowing you to
use standard AA type alkaline batteries as a backup power supply.
It also comes
with a drop-in cradle charger, 12v charger lead and AC mains charger.
The HX 270S
exceeds JIS waterproofing standards and will still operate normally
if it’s dropped into 3 ft of water and left there for 30 minutes.
At around $100
this radio is one of the lowest priced on the market. In the Practical
Boat Owner test it was judged the best against radios costing
more than twice as much.
If you're looking
for a handheld VHF, I recommend this one.
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