Cheap Backup Handheld VHF

[Sinnot]

I was in a chandlers here in Croatia and saw Cobra handheld VHF radio and though about maybe getting a 2nd handheld VHF as a backup and as in all things that are in Marine Chandlers it was expensive (about 275 euros), so figured I'd check how much it was on Amazon and order it there as I'd have it in a few days at a much lower cost.

When searching Amazon I came across a Baofeng Radio which covered the Marine band for under 30 Euros. And with a programming cable and some free software "Chirp" I was able to configure the radio to receive all the channels, define what power and configure all the channels that use duplex etc.

The Software already has the marine channels loaded, so it was a very quick procedure to configure the radio to have all the marine VHF channels. It took me about 30 minutes to download the USB drivers and get everything set up and uploaded to the radio.

On board I also have a number of walkie talkies so the crew can stay in touch when they leave the boat. I was also able to program into it these frequencies, plus anything else that may be out there. If you are in the US, you can also program NOAA channels into it.

So the downside, is that its not obviously as high end as a dedicated marine VHF, it doesn't float, is not water proof etc (in 5 years I've never dropped my VHF into the sea - so this is not a priority for me). But it performs very well as a radio and at under 30 euros its at a price point where I'm not worried if it gets damaged. It may also transmit too much power if you program in FRS, PMR, GMRS channels but each country has its own frequencies and rules, so check that out first. If you get a HAM license (easy to get one in the US - Technician License) you can also use a lot more frequencies

The cheapest one is about £22.95. Baofeng UV-5RE -

From an design point of view. I prefer the Baofeng Pofung GT3 Mark II It costs a bit more £32.99

The main parts of this post were taken from a blog post I wrote today - http://www.thingzen.com/#!Cheap-Marine-VHF-handheld-Radio/xee9z/575d3b390cf2cc77ac002df7

 

[prv]

Interesting little radios, I keep almost buying one and then refraining because I have no actual need

What's the user interface like when using it for marine VHF, compared to a dedicated radio? In particular, can you work with channels or are you stuck with numerical frequencies?

Pete

 

[Sinnot]

Just had it a couple of days. But, You can change from Frequency mode to Channel Mode (the programmed frequencies you enter), so you just push the up/down buttons to get to the channel you want. When I programmed in the frequencies, I also entered the name of the channel e.g. 156.800Mhz I've named VHF16 and there is a setting to show the text rather than the frequency. That all sounds more complicated than it actually is.

While you can program it manually, its a pain and very slow to do it this way. Buy the programming cable as well and use chirp to configure it.

I've noticed theres also a new model with 8W of power, but they don't ship to Croatia..

 

[ShinyShoe]

Its also not CE marked (if you care).

I have a couple of these sorts of things - one that only does UHF that was actually shipped in error and when I said I ordered one that does VHF & UHF they shipped a replacement and said keep the UHF as it wasn't worth the cost of post to return!

I've just last week got round to programming the UHF Only one up for use with two PMR sets (oh dear I'm devastated to discover I may have mis-set the power output!) If you can survive the Chinglish in the Manual you can program the one I have from the handset without the USB cable and if you set enough settings (would think you will be ready to scream if you try all the VHF Marine Frequencies and dealing with Duplex etc) - you can have it describe channels with text, lock it so that without 15 pre-planned key presses in the right sequence you don't get the frequencies available etc.

I have no doubt its not as good as a proper Marine VHF Hand Held. No button on mine for straight to CH16 (although some variants may have buttons like that), not sure about the scan/dual watch functions (although is possible to do something). I can see a role for people who normally only need a Fixed unit, maybe have a marine unit in a grab bag but want to be able to chuck something in a waterproof bag for use in the tender. For sort of "non-critical" stuff basically. i.e. situations you might use a mobile to call the guys who went ashore from the anchorage to say when you come back will you bring a XYZ, or you can see them struggling to start the outboard and want to say "have you checked the kill cord"... Useful if mobile wont work as no tower near by. And then it gives you an alternative choice if your proper set fails.

Will need a waterproof bag.

I used mine last summer on 16 set ashore with the other half who was busy doing stuff in a holiday house while I went out to potter on the dinghy for the afternoon. It provided a means to contact base if I needed to as holiday house had no mobile signal.

 

[Oscar24]

I got myself a dual band (VHF UHF) Baofeng hand held radio some months ago and couldn't believe how cheap it was for what it claimed it could do, but as with anything there is a reason it's cheap.
My main concern is with the charger and in my opinion its very poor quality. I wouldn't trust it to charge the radio with me being absent.
The LCD display shows lots of info but most of it is dubious, the signal level receive is always 100% even on scrathcy reception.
As a cheap backup, provided you know how to use it and set it up correctly, its should be ok. But for not much more money you can get a very good quality dedicated marine handheld designed for the marine enviroment.

 

[GHA]

When I did the ham exams all the club guys had baofeng uv3r's, probably uv5r's now. I have both, great little 2m/70cm ham radios which I use as a low power draw marine vhf reciever offshore. Though technically illegal to transmit. From memory they come with external mic which can be used hands free so couple could be handy if your up the mast, or for dinghy calling on a shore run.

 

[ShinyShoe]

My main concern is with the charger and in my opinion its very poor quality. I wouldn't trust it to charge the radio with me being absent.

As in - you wouldn't trust it not to catch fire or you have to keep re-seating the radio? Curiously I had an iCOM like that a long time ago but by cheap Chinese imports and my more recent iCOM are all fine. Dirty contacts, loose spring on contact?

The LCD display shows lots of info but most of it is dubious, the signal level receive is always 100% even on scratchy reception.

My marine VHF doesn't have a signal strength meter so not too fussed at just ignoring this one. But in radio worlds they usually report readability as well as strength. So I gather you can have a 100% signal strength of a lousy message.

But for not much more money you can get a very good quality dedicated marine handheld designed for the marine enviroment.

That depends how you measure "not much more" if its actual value then use for about £70 extra you can pick up something very functional. In my case it wouldn't have met my needs as I wanted UHF access too, and was keen to get the ability to access private channels without paying a dealer to program sets. But for most £70 would get you a competent radio that meets your needs. Of course £70 would buy you another two of these in waterproof bags! Radios are very useful if there is someone to talk to... So if you need 2 x VHF Handhelds to have someone to talk to you could have 6 or 7 of these!

The ham radio world love them because they pay more than we pay for a Marine Radio for a functional handheld that doesn't do half of what these sets do. They tell me there is no evidence they have signals spilling onto other bands etc.

 

[Oscar24]

As in - you wouldn't trust it not to catch fire or you have to keep re-seating the radio? Curiously I had an iCOM like that a long time ago but by cheap Chinese imports and my more recent iCOM are all fine. Dirty contacts, loose spring on contact?


My marine VHF doesn't have a signal strength meter so not too fussed at just ignoring this one. But in radio worlds they usually report readability as well as strength. So I gather you can have a 100% signal strength of a lousy message.


That depends how you measure "not much more" if its actual value then use for about £70 extra you can pick up something very functional. In my case it wouldn't have met my needs as I wanted UHF access too, and was keen to get the ability to access private channels without paying a dealer to program sets. But for most £70 would get you a competent radio that meets your needs. Of course £70 would buy you another two of these in waterproof bags! Radios are very useful if there is someone to talk to... So if you need 2 x VHF Handhelds to have someone to talk to you could have 6 or 7 of these!

The ham radio world love them because they pay more than we pay for a Marine Radio for a functional handheld that doesn't do half of what these sets do. They tell me there is no evidence they have signals spilling onto other bands etc.

Yep, wouldn't trust it not to catch fire, the charge contacts on the charger are just plain nasty.
I'm also dubious as to what regulates the charge (if anything)
For a comparison I got a mint second hand Entel 640 for £40

I'm not saying that these Baofengs aren't a bargain for what they do, but you get what you pay for.
All imho

 

[pvb]

Maybe I'm paranoid, maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I'd never buy a cheap non-waterproof handheld for boat use. One day, I might need to rely on it...

New marine handhelds - waterproof ones - start at about £80, or there are good secondhand ones on eBay for £30-£40.

 

[ShinyShoe]

I dunno what regulates the charge - but the LED on mine changes from red to green IIRC when its charged. That suggests to me it does know something.

 

[GHA]

Yep, wouldn't trust it not to catch fire, the charge contacts on the charger are just plain nasty.
I'm also dubious as to what regulates the charge (if anything)
For a comparison I got a mint second hand Entel 640 for £40

I'm not saying that these Baofengs aren't a bargain for what they do, but you get what you pay for.
All imho

Which model? The uv3r is handy as it's a usb adapter, the uv5r a bit more involved as you need 8v, I've never felt the need to keep an eye on either while charging.

 

[Oscar24]

Which model? The uv3r is handy as it's a usb adapter, the uv5r a bit more involved as you need 8v, I've never felt the need to keep an eye on either while charging.

UV-82

 

[ShinyShoe]

i have UV-82. takes 12v i think. no issues charging but i seem to recall there is a nack to putting it in the cradle or it doesn't charge at all.

 

[DannyB]

I've been looking at these on Amazon and I see a few comments about the supplied antenna not being very good. Does anybody who has one care to comment ?

 

[Alpha22]

I have some and various variants...... I don't use them on the boat..... they are cheap...cheap...cheap and certainly not to be relied upon for emergency communication.

On top of that in most countries it is illegal to transmit on marine channels with anything other than an approved marine VHF radio. So you are breaking the law..... these radios do not output the same high quality, filtered signal as an approved marine VHF... there are likely to be many spurious transmissions an adjacent frequencies.... so you could be unknowingly causing interference to others..... potentially in a life critical situation.

 

[Sinnot]

I have some and various variants...... I don't use them on the boat..... they are cheap...cheap...cheap and certainly not to be relied upon for emergency communication.
.

Which is why I said a backup in the thread title. They are never going to be as good as "proper" marine VHF. I'd prefer to have a cheap VHF as a backup than no backup at all. A friend of mine was dismasted here in Croatia a couple of years ago, which knocked out the fixed VHF, luckily his handheld was charged but for 20 quid, its not a bad thing to have on board and it can also double as crew walkie talkies using public frequencies. I'll worry about the legalities of using it after I get the help that I need.

Currently sitting here having breakfast with it tuned to one of the crew frequencies and its working quite well.

 

[NickRobinson]

Noting in passing the threads about legality, do these jobbies pick up Ch. 0?

 

[GHA]

Noting in passing the threads about legality, do these jobbies pick up Ch. 0?

Yup.

 

[ShinyShoe]

On top of that in most countries it is illegal to transmit on marine channels with anything other than an approved marine VHF radio. So you are breaking the law.....

1. In an emergency - are you breaking the law?
2. I may be wrong but if you have a HAM Licence I think you may not be breaking the law to use equipment other than a marine radio. That said, at least with some HAM licences you need to have a CE marked bit of kit to be legal.

these radios do not output the same high quality, filtered signal as an approved marine VHF... there are likely to be many spurious transmissions an adjacent frequencies.... so you could be unknowingly causing interference to others..... potentially in a life critical situation.

Can you provide and evidence base for that?
1. Marine frequencies are relatively widely spaced and CH16 is protected by guard channels because of the way old VHF kit worked.
2. I know several HAM operators who swear by these on the 2m and 80cm bands. They are geeky types who can connect kit to computers and draw histograms of interference etc. They've shown me histograms that they said showed these were as good as iCOM and Yassu kit on those bands. The HAM world loves them even though they aren't marked. I doubt they would love them if they were splattering their channels with cr@p and they would probably know more than us as they talk geek more than us!

I accept the absence of a CE mark means they've not been proven in the right lab they don't interfere and doesn't mean the next batch might not have a software change that might cause issues etc - but I'm inclined not to believe there is a major issue.

Noting in passing the threads about legality, do these jobbies pick up Ch. 0?

Yes or any private channel, or the reverse side of any duplex channel etc. Or indeed any other use in the VHF or UHF bands...

 

[Storyline]

I am glad I have found this thread as I have just invested and reading about them has been interesting. I have always had a passing interest in radios like most boys have with walkie talkies and although I vaguely understand the marine band and remember bits of the VHF course this reading has refreshed me.

As regards quality, as Shiny Shoe mentions above, the technical quality of the radio is supposed to be very good but certain other aspects such as the charging system very poor so I will have to be careful.

Apart from the 'new toy' aspect, the other thing that attracted me is that they pick up domestic VHF radio (66-108MHz) which may be useful as the quality of the reception on the Scottish west coast has become really bad in the past few years (anyone else notice this?) and this might be better.

I have bought two so if I wanted to chat to SWMBO on a channel that was not in the marine band what frequency/s can I use (if any) ?