Basic Handheld Radio

Icom M31 is really strong, does everything it says on the box etc.

Ours is two years old and looks like new.

There are offers about at the moment
 
The Icom M1EuroV is a superb bit of kit - now obsolete and not the "cheap and cheerful" - but I assume you want reliable!!
I'd look at any of the Icom range ... and steer clear of the ~£80 ones as not being quite up to the job you will need it to be ...
 
Fireball, my eye followed by the wallet had been steered towards the lower end costs as its use would be limited to marina use and maybe backup for the main set, but the mobile does that job locally. What does a low cost leading brand not have or do, that a £100 plus model does?
 
Speak as you find....
my Horizon 260XE, cheap, sits in a converted winch pocket on the binnacle all the time in all the weather. Good battery life, big numbers and seems to work.
Cant say fairer than that.
 
The M31 can be picked up for a little over £110 if you shop about.

It comes with Li-Ion battery, cradle, Mains charger, 12v charger, AA Battery tray etc, all the chanels (inc 37(M1)) and A GOOD POWER OUTPUT. When I was looking for a basic HH, we were chartering alot and so various boats had various HH types. There was a huge quality and ruggedness difference for £20!

Think about carrying in your pocket in poor conditions, being dumped on the deck in moments of frenetic activity, dropped in the bottom of a wet dinghy & stood on! being thrown in a grab-bag and liferaft!

The Icom can take it, most of the cheaper ones can't, have lower power outputs, not waterproof, or not all the channels.
Dual & Tri watch are useful aswell. Big buttons and big display help!

There is a big difference in the quality
 
I have used an ICOM M1EuroV extensively in the past and given it a hard old working life. And it failed miserably. Always kept in an inside/chest pocket and never dropped in the water (or anywhere else). All the writing on the buttons has rubbed off and I can't tell what they do now, the squelch dial gives up working after about 18 months and the radios seem now to have a life of their own in terms of whether or not the transmission will be heard. I know they're not meant for serious everyday use, but believe me, they're not all they're cracked up to be. Fantastic when shiny and new (or never used) but give them an honest days work and they'll let you down. (We had 6 on the go and they all ended up in the same condition)

I spoke to a sales rep at LIBS and was amazed at his response. He said nothing and looked away. Just stood there and looked around as if I wasn't standing there beside him at all...
 
Standard Horizon HX270E, brilliant, mains and 12v charger, NhiH battery pack and also accpets AA batteries in your grab bag! Everything about this radio is brilliant.
 
Standard Horizon HX270E...

The Standard Horizon HX270E will do everything you need, for only £85 inc UK delivery from JG Technologies. I sold my Icom M31, it was a very disappointing radio and has a strange electronic on/off switch which continues to discharge the battery even when it's turned off.
 
Without any doubt the Icom M71 is the best hand held on that market at this time.

It is a case of horses for courses.
The M71 maybe to much to spend and not suit all.

The HX-270 is a great radio and great value for money.
Like the Icom it has a three year warranty and as stated comes with battery pack, aa tray, drop in charger with both mains and 12v leads.

IMHO I would not have a M31 for the very reasons PVB stated,

All the best
 
[ QUOTE ]
Without any doubt the Icom M71 is the best hand held on that market at this time.

It is a case of horses for courses.
The M71 maybe to much to spend and not suit all.

The HX-270 is a great radio and great value for money.
Like the Icom it has a three year warranty and as stated comes with battery pack, aa tray, drop in charger with both mains and 12v leads.

IMHO I would not have a M31 for the very reasons PVB stated,

All the best

[/ QUOTE ]

Jon, thanks for a refreshingly non-commercial post! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Marc.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have used an ICOM M1EuroV extensively in the past and given it a hard old working life. And it failed miserably. Always kept in an inside/chest pocket and never dropped in the water (or anywhere else). All the writing on the buttons has rubbed off and I can't tell what they do now, the squelch dial gives up working after about 18 months and the radios seem now to have a life of their own in terms of whether or not the transmission will be heard. I know they're not meant for serious everyday use, but believe me, they're not all they're cracked up to be. Fantastic when shiny and new (or never used) but give them an honest days work and they'll let you down. (We had 6 on the go and they all ended up in the same condition)

I spoke to a sales rep at LIBS and was amazed at his response. He said nothing and looked away. Just stood there and looked around as if I wasn't standing there beside him at all...

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm surprised, I use my M1EuroV exensively, I'm a member of the Maritime Volunteer Service, and use it extensively when I'm out with them, I use it when I'm on safety boats with my Yacht Club as well as a stndby on my own yacht. No problems whatever. The only complaint is that the squelch control can get altered without realising it, which is why, I believe that the radio which has superceded it doesn't have a rotary squelch control.
 
Really depends on amount of use - regular & often vs backup to the main set.
The Silva S12 fits the bill as waterproof, very cheap and quite cheerful. Not totally intuitive, so if heavy user maybe worth spending a bit more.
Check have M1 & M2 if using for racing etc
 
I wouldn't have a Silva S12 if you paid me ... the club has got through 3 in 2 years and given up with them completely - all failed on battery life that isn't user replaceable....

On the SH - I didn't realise they had come down to such good value - I'd look at Icom, Entel and Standard Horizon kit ...
The ones I wouldn't look at are Silva and Cobra (not sure why Cobra - but I don't think it'll stand up to it)

In a HH you need a unit that will do more than you currently intend it for as you WILL use it more than you thought, and if it is being used more than you thought then it'll need to withstand the drop into the bottom of the tender, being crushed by someones boot etc etc etc ....
 
DSC capability...

[ QUOTE ]
Do any of the aforementioned have DSC facility?

[/ QUOTE ] No, but the Standard Horizon HX471S does! It's also waterproof, has AM/FM radio, aeronautical radio, SOS strobe light, Li-Ion battery, etc, etc. Sounds too good to be true? Only £114 from here. Needless to say, it's not legal to own it here!
 
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