Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you really get what you pay for

M

MarkyR

Member
Joined
5 Dec 2005
Messages
27
Location
Cornwall
Visit site
I need to buy a fixed DSC radio and I was wondering if a set around the £100 mark is much different in quality and performance to say a £150- £200 set. I was looking at the M tech set at £100. With a bit a digging I could afford one the cheaper Icom or Silva sets but are they worth the extra money? The radio is going to have light use and will be down below out of the elements.
 
Re: Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you eally get what you pay for

buy an Icom, Standard Horizon or Raymarine, you just have to look at the quality to see why they cost a bit more. Some of the cheap radios look nothing better than budget car stereos.
 
Re: Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you eally get what you pay for

I agree, The cheapest Standard Horizon, the GX1500 can be had for little more than the budget sets, and it will also take a command microphone for cockpit use.
 
Re: Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you eally get what you pay for

I'd also throw Navman into that pot aswell, good value and qulaity. No association on my part, just like them.

Anthony
 
Re: Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you eally get what you pay for

I have had three Navman fixed VHF and now - gmdss radio's, current one 7100 model, very user friendy and you can buy one now for about £110.00 and no problems with any of them.
Suggest also you check whatever you buy it is compatible with you plotter to recieve the gps signal on the gmdss radio!
Mike
 
Re: Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you really get what you pay for

I've got the Standard Horizon GX1500 with the remote command mike set up. GREAT piece of kit - means I can use it in the cockpit or below. No problems with getting the Navman plotter or Garmin GPS to input the GPS data.
 
Re: Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you really get what you pay for

The Cobra MRF55 can be bought for under a £100 now, and seem like a good enough unit.
 
Re: Choosing a fixed DSC VHF... do you really get what you pay for

I bought the Standard Horizon GX1500 for £98 and Command Mike for £27 at the London Boat show. About the same price as the budget radios. Try Redcar electronics http://www.electronics-marine.co.uk Only used it once since installing it, it seems a great bit of kit. I have set it up so that it will interface with either my Garmin Plotter or my Garmin GPS60 hand held.
 
Right now rock bottom cheapest set seems to be Lowrance LVR 250, retailing for 89 quid. http://www.compass24.com/watersports/abnetshop.pl?nummernliste=158430


I have the MTech MT500 on one of my boats. The set is fine, but I'm planning to upgrade for a unit with a remote mic and fog signals. The remote really makes a world of difference especially when short handed as it gives you the controls and full power available without leaving the helm.

Anyway it's good to have dedicated rotary knobs for key functions like volume, squelch and channel selection. Soft keys like on Silva really are not so user friendly and intuitive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top