Fixed VHF Choices

[lpdsn]

My twenty-odd year old fixed VHF finally gave up the ghost last week. I suppose I had to get a DSC eventually. I've had a quick scout around for what is available on the market and come up with a couple of options and I was just keen to get a second, third, fourth etc opinion.

Option 1 is to go for the cheapest available, which seems to be circa £100 regardless of brand. It's old technology really & I guess the Chinese churn them out for a fiver a time, but things like type approval etc. stop them getting much below that. Anyway, the most attractive of the bunch seems to be the Standard Horizon Gx1100.

However, I like the idea of trying out AIS, so the Standard Horizon Gx2100 also appeals at about £260 for option 2. I wouldn't have a chart plotter at first, but a basic CPA warning from the radio would have its uses. It's also a big advantage to not have to worry about separate aerials or aerial-splitters for AIS.

Any view on either radio? Alternatives? Views on whether the AIS functionality is worth the extra £160?


I've got the DSC version of the short range cert, so covered there. Also realise I'll have to update the ship's radio licence and get an MMSI.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

We replaced a failing VHF with an SH GX2100 a couple of years and have been very pleased with it. It's a relatively cheap and simple way to get AIS data especially as it uses the VHF antenna. The set also has the huge advantage of a rotary channel selector, IMHO a much better arrangement than the up/down buttons found on basic sets.

 

[pvb]

If you're interested in the GX2100, you might also take a look at the Lowrance Link-8 at a similar price, but with a few interesting features including NMEA2000 connectivity (although there are some reports of early teething troubles with that).
.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Icon do a model (sorry, can't remember the number) with an optional extra "Command Mic". Really excellent for s/handing as it has a screen in the mic hand-piece which means you can do all the functions whilst in the cockpit - or the heads!

That's the one I'll be going for - when funds resurface.

 

[James_Calvert]

Whilst my old pre DSC set is still going strong, I too am looking to see what I might replace it with, and am attracted by the ones with AIS. But the annoying thing is that none of them on sale seem to have GPS as well. You can get integrated GPS, or integrated AIS, but not both, yet.

 

[pvb]

Whilst my old pre DSC set is still going strong, I too am looking to see what I might replace it with, and am attracted by the ones with AIS. But the annoying thing is that none of them on sale seem to have GPS as well. You can get integrated GPS, or integrated AIS, but not both, yet.

The Standard Horizon GX2200 has both AIS and GPS built in.

 

[bedouin]

The Standard Horizon GX2200 has both AIS and GPS built in.

Is that available in the UK?

 

[Gwylan]

We went for an over priced ICOM. Mostly for the remote handset in the cockpit. That is the only redeeming feature.

AIS would be good, but think i want that at or very near the helm, rather than at the nav station.

A bluetooth remote handset would be a big plus. Though it might wander like the tele remote.

 

[James_Calvert]

The Standard Horizon GX2200 has both AIS and GPS built in.

Yes, but who sells it? Seriously I know it was released at LBS but I haven't seen it for sale yet.

 

[prv]

Icon do a model (sorry, can't remember the number) with an optional extra "Command Mic".

That's quite common on the better radios from all manufacturers. The Standard Horizon GX2100 has a wired remote, one of the other companies does a wireless one. Good, you can use it anywhere on board; bad, you have to remember to keep the batteries charged.

Pete

 

[prv]

The Standard Horizon GX2200 has both AIS and GPS built in.

I was going to mention that. AFAIK, though, it is not yet type-approved in the EU and so not for sale here. Hopefully Standard Horizon will go through that process - they don't do it for all their radios, though, so there is the possibility that the GX2200 will never be officially available here.

Pete

 

[bedouin]

We went for an over priced ICOM. Mostly for the remote handset in the cockpit. That is the only redeeming feature.

AIS would be good, but think i want that at or very near the helm, rather than at the nav station.

A bluetooth remote handset would be a big plus. Though it might wander like the tele remote.

The Standard Horizon GX2100 can have a remote mic that includes the ability to display AIS - OK so it is only on a 2" screen but people who have used it say it is useful.

 

[prv]

AIS would be good, but think i want that at or very near the helm, rather than at the nav station.

You don't look at the AIS picture on the radio. It outputs the data in the same way as a black-box AIS receiver and you display it on a plotter or a dedicated display. The benefit of having the AIS receiver inside the radio is that you avoid all the fuss with splitters or second aerials.

Pete

 

[prv]

The Standard Horizon GX2100 can have a remote mic that includes the ability to display AIS - OK so it is only on a 2" screen but people who have used it say it is useful.

I've used it, and I wouldn't say it's very useful

By that I mean that it's not much use for weaving your way through the Channel shipping lanes. If you were far offshore and just wanted to know if a lone ship was approaching, it would do that fine. It's also quite useable for selecting an AIS-equipped vessel to call by DSC, picking them from a list. But the graphical "radar-style" display is too low-resolution to be any use, on either the remote or the main radio.

Pete

 

[bedouin]

I've used it, and I wouldn't say it's very useful

By that I mean that it's not much use for weaving your way through the Channel shipping lanes. If you were far offshore and just wanted to know if a lone ship was approaching, it would do that fine. It's also quite useable for selecting an AIS-equipped vessel to call by DSC, picking them from a list. But the graphical "radar-style" display is too low-resolution to be any use, on either the remote or the main radio.

Pete

Well - i didn't say very useful

The thing I would want at the helm is really just a CPA so I can stop worrying whether I am about to be run down, e.g. when crossing the traffic lanes

 

[pvb]

I was going to mention that. AFAIK, though, it is not yet type-approved in the EU and so not for sale here. Hopefully Standard Horizon will go through that process - they don't do it for all their radios, though, so there is the possibility that the GX2200 will never be officially available here.

Pete

It's easily obtainable from US suppliers. Lack of EU type approval doesn't make it an inferior product, and the chance of anyone ever asking to check it is minimal. I've been using a lovely little SH handheld with DSC for years, and that hasn't got EU type approval.

 

[prv]

It's easily obtainable from US suppliers. Lack of EU type approval doesn't make it an inferior product, and the chance of anyone ever asking to check it is minimal. I've been using a lovely little SH handheld with DSC for years, and that hasn't got EU type approval.

No argument with that. I was just referring to the UK purchasing situation. Not available yet, hopefully will be in due course, but not guaranteed.

Pete

 

[Robin]

OK we live in the USA but bought a Standard Horizon Gx1200 fairly recently from West marine for about $160 minus a mail in rebate of another $30, I also added a SH Remote access MIC for about $130 which controls everything even all the DSC functions inc the emergency button and acts as the external cockpit speaker. in the USA it has weather RX channels too, no use in the UK but it the set is switchable between US/Canada channels to full International Channels. It is a very neat set with a clear easily read display and has small dimensions especially front to back making for easy flush mount installation into a panel. These sets are highly regarded over here. We don't have one with AIS or GPs built in as we have a separate Garmin AIS 600 Transceiver with a separate dedicated Garmin GPS antenna to the Garmin GPS which runs our Garmin plotter and radar display and the Raymarine autopilot via the extra NMEA 0183 output, the rest all being NMEA 2000

THe RAM mic allows us to acknowledge DSC alarm calls and therefore stop the incessant shreaking sirens without having to go below to do it at the chart table panel

 

[lpdsn]

Thanks for your comments everyone.

I would intend to use the AIS without a chart plotter, mainly because I don't have a chart plotter. I don't expect much from the display and the CPA warning seems to be the most practical feature I get. I had a look at the Lorence Link-8 - it is a little cheaper, but it doesn't seem to have that CPA alarm feature.

 

[TonyBuckley]

I have a SH GX-1700.

The only disappointment is that the GPS takes an age to get a fix and sometimes gives up. I don't have an external aerial. I have tried with all other electrics off and it behaves the same. The internal GPS is built into the front panel so a bit of a mystery. Can live with it.

Maybe just my boat, but other GPS kit has no problem so don't know if that is how they all behave?