If you’ve been paying attention over the past year or so (and heck, even if you haven’t), there’s a whole new crop of fancy handheld marine VHF radios, packed with more features than ever before. They claim to possess varying levels of imperviousness to the risks and hazards associated with the marine environment.
You know, like the saltwater.
Some even claim to be “submersible”, and that’s got to be good, right?
Scott B. Williams over at Scott’s Boat Pages has just published online a review of the new submersible VHF radios he wrote for the current (February 2009) issue of Sea Kayaker magazine.
If you’re in the market for a handheld, this review ought to be required reading. Here’s a taste to get you hooked:
I tested submersible hand-held radios from six different manufacturers: Standard Horizon, Cobra Marine, West Marine, ICOM, Humminbird, and Uniden. I compared special features, ease of use, power consumption and general quality, and subjected them to a submersion test to see if they survived as advertised. All of the models tested are rated to at least JIS7 standard, meaning they are supposed to be waterproof for a period of 30 minutes at a depth of one meter. I dropped each radio into the water while it was turned on and receiving a NOAA weather channel station. Then, I put all of them into a deep drum of water. The models that float were weighted down keep them on the bottom. After 30 minutes the radios were retrieved from the water and powered up. After I dried the exterior, I opened the battery cases to check for leaks.
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Thanks a lot for passing this on to your readers. I’m glad to know the reviews are helping folks out.