Cobra VHFs

[El Bee]

Anyone use them? Any comments good or bad?

They're certainly budget buys and seem to have the right spec, are they reasonably rugged?

Intended use is on a 5.5m powerboat in the Med that never gets out of sight of land, a Justin Case measure really!

TIA.

Lee B

 

[Hurricane]

From memory, the cheap Cobras dont have M and M1 but in the Med thats no problem.

On the plus side, earlier this year, we used a Cobra handheld whilst transferring John100156's F43 fro Gib to Sant Carles. It was remarkably good - as good as any handheld.

I also have a Cobra DSC fitted to my dinghy. It has a really small antenna fitted in the bottom of the boat but even then works well enough for dinghy to mother ship communucations. I fitted the Cobra to the dinghy because I had it doing nothing - it was bought for a sailing event where it was fitted to a whip antenna on top of an old ex military clarks telescopic mast at Calshot (Southampton Water) and was easily working to boats on the south side of the Isle of Wight.

So, dont be put off by the cheap prices.

 

[rbcoomer]

I have an F55 - no complaints so far and quality seems good.

 

[tinkicker0]

I have an F80. You can throw it over board, pull it back in and still use it.

Can't tell you how good it is because nobody talks on the river. Heard a couple of skkkkrrrs and a snippet of talk from a long way off and that's it.

The repeat message playback function is a good idea - even if all it has recorded is "skkkrrr when does skrrrrrr".

 

[SAMYL]

I have an F80. You can throw it over board, pull it back in and still use it.

Can't tell you how good it is because nobody talks on the river. Heard a couple of skkkkrrrs and a snippet of talk from a long way off and that's it.

The repeat message playback function is a good idea - even if all it has recorded is "skkkrrr when does skrrrrrr".

How did it go again??

They are great radios but avoid the very small hand held, the one about £50, it has a reputation for not being very good. Some chandlers do not sell them now because of this.

 

[El Bee]

Brilliant, thanks for all the info.

Just ordered one from Marine Scene, just under £110 with the antennae kit included, just hope it doesn't "skrrrrrrr" all the time

Lee B