Cobra Marine Radios: Say What?

“…are advised to navigate with extreme caution. Coast Guard Sector Seattle out.”

Wait…what? I missed the first part. What’s the problem? Where’s the problem? Should I care?

I hate that feeling. It seems that every time I get a slip assignment from a harbormaster, I forget it within five seconds. Or I hear the tail end of a transmission on the vessel traffic channel, and I’m not sure if they said that 20-knot container ship is inbound or outbound, which matters because I’m about to cross the lanes! I sure wish I could just listen to that last transmission once more, know what I mean?

The product developers at Cobra know what I mean, and they offer an innovative feature on some VHF models that should help. It’s called Rewind-Say-Again, and it uses a digital voice recorder to play back the last call received.

Cobra has been producing mobile communications products for 40 years, so the name is probably familiar from the company’s extensive line of CB radios, radar detectors, and FRS radios. But it was just four years ago that the company launched a line of marine products aimed at the recreational market. Cobra has made inroads into the competitive marine marketplace by emphasizing both basic entry-level VHF radios as well as introducing some new features such as Rewind-Say-Again and All-Terrain-Radio (combination VHF/GMRS) on the mid-range models.

So far, the strategy appears to be paying off. According to Bill Boudreau, Cobra’s Marine Product Manager, sales of Cobra’s marine line are growing at significant double digit rates in 2008, despite the overall industry downturn. “We expect the same trend for the rest of 2008 and 2009, with new product introductions on the way.”

Rewind-Say-Again represents an imaginative use of digital recording technology with tremendous utility for most boaters. I wouldn’t be surprised if this kind of feature is standard on all new VHF radios in another decade. Here’s how it works:

Rewind-Say-Again allows you to replay the last 20 seconds of an incoming audio transmission. In normal operation, it continuously records received radio traffic, overwriting previously recorded calls as soon as a new one comes in. You can press the Rewind button at any time to hear the last 20 seconds of the most recent call. Although the 20-seconds limit may seem inadequate, reports from users indicate that in normal VHF communication, it’s usually plenty.

You can also save the most recent call, allowing you to note call details such as directions, position coordinates, call signs, registration numbers, and other information that can be difficult to remember on-the-fly. For instance, when listening to a distress call from an excited caller with confusing background noise, you can press and hold the Rewind button to enter the menu where you disable recording. The last call remains in the buffer, and will not be overwritten by a new transmission until you’ve had a chance to listen to it again, copy down the relevant information, and re-engage the Rewind-Say-Again recording feature.

This is a wonderful feature, and it’s currently only available on two Cobra marine VHF radio models: the fixed-mount MR F80B and the handheld MR HH425LI VP. Visit www.cobra.com to find a retailer in your area.