Best DSC handheld : advice please.

[Bristolfashion]

Good afternoon all,

I'm looking at a new DSC handheld VHF radio. The four contenders seem to be :

Cobra HH600
Icom M93D
Standard Horizon HX890 E

The cobra has what appears a nifty Bluetooth link to a mobile phones, allowing one to make & receive phone calls on the radio. I also like the "hard" MOB key instead of allocating MOB to a soft key

Does anyone have any experience of these - any stand outs or ones to avoid.

Thanks, as ever, for sharing your experience.

 

[pvb]

From that list, I'd go for the Standard Horizon. They're superb radios, with great aftersales support (although you're unlikely to need it). I have a 6-year old HX870E (the forerunner of the HX890E) and it's been great.

The Icom M93D is, I suspect, now discontinued, although you may find one still in stock somewhere. Icom are also very good radios.

Cobra radios have never seemed to be in the same league as SH or Icom. They tend to have some gimmicky features, which can be appealing. In a critical situation, I'd be happier with a Standard Horizon or Icom radio.

 

[Bristolfashion]

From that list, I'd go for the Standard Horizon. They're superb radios, with great aftersales support (although you're unlikely to need it). I have a 6-year old HX870E (the forerunner of the HX890E) and it's been great.

The Icom M93D is, I suspect, now discontinued, although you may find one still in stock somewhere. Icom are also very good radios.

Cobra radios have never seemed to be in the same league as SH or Icom. They tend to have some gimmicky features, which can be appealing. In a critical situation, I'd be happier with a Standard Horizon or Icom radio.

Thanks - I thought I'd heard some less than +ve comments about the cobras. I'd go for reliability over gimmicks as you say. The std horizon appears to be the same price as the cobra.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Of course, if anyone has a favourite that's not on my list, I'd love to know.

 

[LiftyK]

I’ve owned many fixed ICOM radios in various boats. They are always top notch. Cobra hasn‘t the best reputation on this forum, sorry Cobra. I recently purchased an HX890 E specifically to get handheld DSC functionality and replace a non-DSC Garmin handheld VHF that I have happily owned for many years. .Vs. the ICOM, which I’ve tried at boat shows in the past, the Standard Horizon does not have that ‘Rolls Royce’ feeling in the hand that ICOM has. On the other hand, it is very simple to set up and use. I would describe it as ‘Garmin-like’ for ease of use, and that’s a big compliment. It is also significantly less expensive, more so if you need a 12V charging lead. I’ve tried the Standard Horizon at home and I’m really pleased with it. If money was no object then I’d have chosen ICOM but this time the price difference was a step too far.

 

[gregcope]

I have had both icom and standard horizon.

You will not go wrong with either. Both work. I would say the Icom are the higher quality, but at a cost and if Standard Horizon are good enough for the RNLI or my sailing club (where they get lots of (ab)use) they are good enough for me.

My present handheld is a SD. Been great. It replaced an Icom that sank. It has had a dunk at 0300. As it floats and flashes i was able to go fetch it!

 

[Gary Fox]

Agree with the brand advice. One thing: all those functions flatten the battery much quicker than a normal radio, so work out what you actually want to be using and how to switch off the rest, GPS in particular of course.

 

[ashtead]

I started out with a basic icom m31 non dsc which still works having had a new battery but felt when getting a new dsc one to go with standard horizon as mentioned above due to ease of understanding and price. Sometimes marine superstore offer with a separate hand Mike attachment I recall so others might do same maybe in case of interest or you could see if anyone will add in. Based on one years ownership usage has been minimal but I just wanted dsc and didn’t have a good view of cobra so SH won on price really.

 

[ctva]

Agree with the brand advice. One thing: all those functions flatten the battery much quicker than a normal radio, so work out what you actually want to be using and how to switch off the rest, GPS in particular of course.

If you switch off the GPS, you might as well just get a normal cheap HH. GPS is core to the DSC functionality.

I have used the Icom M91D for over ten years, replaced the battery last year. No complaints, it just works.

 

[Hot Property]

I have the SH890 and am impressed with it.

Floats and strobes if dunked. The sound quality is very clear on receive.

It has an FM radio which I thought a gimmick, however I use it daily in my office as the sound quality is surprisingly good.

GPS drains the battery as with other vhfs. I turn it off and would only activate it when I need to transmit position in an emergency. I would use my fixed SH vhf to summon help initially.....

I received the optional mic. On a coily lead as well.

Would I buy another, yes!

 

[KompetentKrew]

The Standard Horizon has a battery saving mode that sleeps the GPS for 9/10 of the time. I'm not sure why this isn't the default, as it seems still perfectly accurate.

I have found the battery life to be acceptable in this mode.

 

[Kukri]

I have two Icoms; a 23 (I think) which was probably used by Noah and which refuses to die and a 93D.
Very happy with both. Now, the 93D has I think been discontinued because a few days ago Icom brought out the 94D which I would go for as it includes an AIS receiver:

IC-M94DE : AIS Products - Icom UK

 

[Hot Property]

The Standard Horizon has a battery saving mode that sleeps the GPS for 9/10 of the time. I'm not sure why this isn't the default, as it seems still perfectly accurate.

I have found the battery life to be acceptable in this mode.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll do that rare thing of reading the instructions for a change!....

 

[gregcope]

Inset mine to GPS sleep and have never noticed a battery issue.

 

[burgundyben]

I bought an HX890 because my previous handheld was a standard horizon and lasted 20 years, however, the 890 is brilliant, but after 2 months had to go back because the screen gets condensation on the inside.

Humph.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I bought an HX890 because my previous handheld was a standard horizon and lasted 20 years, however, the 890 is brilliant, but after 2 months had to go back because the screen gets condensation on the inside.

Humph.

Hopefully just bad luck - like I had with my HX870 which leaked into the pcb and got replaced after a lot of to and fro about its misbehaviour. It's been swimming several times since, as has the 890 I've also got, and no further problems.

 

[burgundyben]

Hopefully just bad luck - like I had with my HX870 which leaked into the pcb and got replaced after a lot of to and fro about its misbehaviour. It's been swimming several times since, as has the 890 I've also got, and no further problems.

The chandlery man was very grumpy about sending it back, you may remember when I worked in a chandlery I was always cheerful!

 

[burgundyben]

I bought an HX890 because my previous handheld was a standard horizon and lasted 20 years, however, the 890 is brilliant, but after 2 months had to go back because the screen gets condensation on the inside.

Humph.

Annoyingly, the replacement radio also gets condensation inside the screen.

Its a great piece of kit but I'm not sure I should be happy with screen thats clearly got moisture inside.

 

[pvb]

Annoyingly, the replacement radio also gets condensation inside the screen.

Its a great piece of kit but I'm not sure I should be happy with screen thats clearly got moisture inside.

Speak to SH, there may be a problem with a batch of radios.

 

[jwfrary]

We picked up an icon dsc radio recently for one of the boats well made but of kit.

Have to say though I have never found anything better than my none dsc icom m71 10 years of commercial use, though I do look after it and it's still perfect.

I wouldn't think twice about another icom though I always go for theie higher end stuff