Remember my various issues with my Ray54 VHF radio? It’s a good radio, and I like the compact size. But it does have its idiosyncrasies. The only feature I really miss, though, is NMEA output, which would allow me to see incoming DSC calls right on my C-80 chartplotter.
At my last writing, I figured I would have to go with another manufacturer. Other Raymarine radios have NMEA output, but they were all larger, and I don’t want a big radio on my small boat. This morning, though, I noticed a new item on the Raymarine website…
The new Ray49 DSC VHF Radio is a compact VHF Radio with NMEA 0183 output for chartplotter position polling and Class D Digital Select Calling.
Raymarine’s most compact VHF radio to date, the Ray49 does everything I want, and it’s actually smaller than my Ray54. It’s available in gray or white.
Hey, this just might be the radio for me!
