Cold weather hand held radio

[Halo]

I am going to replace my old Cobra hand held VHF.
I sail all year and have found that the battery will not work properly in cold weather. A previous thread mentioned to keep the radio inside my oilies and this helps but is not ideal. The battery really is weak
Has anyone identified a cold weather hand held ?? especially one with a recharge station that can be fixed above the chart table ??
Many thanks

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I can't make a recommendation, but I can state with some confidence that this is inevitable - all batteries lose capacity rapidly in low temperatures. In the polar regions it is usually accepted that battery life will be halved at temperatures around freezing (most electronics won't work much below zero, as displays etc. are generally destroyed by sub-zero temperatures!). The advice to keep electronics generally inside your cold weather clothing is good - but as you say, that's less than ideal. But there really isn't a readily available battery technology that will do better. Batteries intended for use in extreme conditions are equipped with heating elements, which of course impacts the battery life....

 

[Boo2]

Agree with the post by ArcticPilot above, but what battery technology does your Cobra use ? I see modern Cobras use lithium rechargeable batts but if yours is old enough to use a NiMH batt or similar Ni-based technology then you will gain something by upgrading to lithium.

Hth,

Boo2

 

[Halo]

Agree with the post by ArcticPilot above, but what battery technology does your Cobra use ? I see modern Cobras use lithium rechargeable batts but if yours is old enough to use a NiMH batt or similar Ni-based technology then you will gain something by upgrading to lithium.

Hth,

Boo2

It’s lithium but very light weight. I find a aftermarket battery pack with replaceable AA alkaline works a little better but would prefer a rechargeable option. Thanks for input so far

 

[MontyMariner]

I came across this if it helps
Our 10 Best Handheld Vhf Marine Radio in the UK - October 2023 | BestProductsReviews.co.uk

Which made me curious as my HH is very old!
If I was going to replace it, I would probably go for this Standard Horizon HX210E Handheld VHF Radio as I like Standard Horizon products, not too many bells and whistles, and it won't brake the bank.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

they are all the same. Your only option is to find the one with the longest longest longest operating life on a single charge which may well be the one with the largest battery capacity.

 

[Sandy]

I understood that you must never charge lithium below 0°C.

When I was mountaineering the usual trick was to 'wear' your camera battery next to the skin, pop it in the camera, take the shot(s) and return the 'bloody cold' battery to the skin. Sadly, battery technology has not moved any further forward regarding temperature.

 

[Martin_J]

Can't help on battery life on a cold day but I'd guess that many can be charged on a base at the chart table.

For what it's worth, a couple of my Standard Horizon handhelds sit safely at the chart table charging in their bases, whilst the others are often out on deck.



The bases normally get their power from a 12v car accessory socket (I think this lead was an additional extra), but with the big plug end cut off, they can easily go to a switched/fused spur.



Strange, the HX851 base (on the right) only has screw holes in the bottom, whereas the HX870 base has holes in both the bottom and the back.



The handhelds are quite a strong push fit into the bases, so I would say they're best mounted on their underside.

 

[Gsailor]

Buy a 2nd battery pack and rotate usage?

Or buy heat packs that last for 8 hours and keep near the radio?

 

[MontyMariner]

they are all the same. Your only option is to find the one with the longest longest longest operating life on a single charge which may well be the one with the largest battery capacity.

Not really, different levels of power selection, recharge methods . . .
The ones that charge via USB would give the option to use a plug in emergency phone charging pack which could be kept in a jacket pocket.
Portable Wind UP Dynamo Hand Crank USB PDA MP3 Cell Emergency Charger Phone New | eBay
Amazon.co.uk

 

[Mister E]

Would a remote battery pack kept inside clothes be an option?

 

[penfold]

Any reason not to have a fixed VHF in the cockpit? Many of them are waterproof these days.

 

[bikedaft]

Battery technology in the cold has not changed - but the software controlling them in modern mobiles has - they trade off battery length, to heat themselves internally. So the phone doesn't die rapidly when left outside in freezing temperatures., and still lasts several hours Whether this has trickled to e.g. hand held VHF's or not, I don't know.

I have used the waterproof Icom hand held VHF for years, always left outside in the cockpit, in the winter. Rarely below 5 degrees though.

 

[Aurai]

My suggestion is to look at the Raymarine Ray90/91, with the twin station, one fixed and one remote, gets the remote one to sit on a charging station. Yet to test mine fully, but good looking kit and intuitive buttons/keys.