Fixed VHF / DSC

[Hayling]

My fixed VHF/DSC needs replacing.

I can't find the YM gear review in my back numbers
to see what is the best buy, can anyone help, please?

The old one is a Simrad and not very intuitive,
something more user friendly maybe with numeric buttons
might be better?

What does the team think!

 

[NUTMEG]

Standard Horizon I would think. Have had two fixed and a HH as well as current CP and very pleased with all of them. After sales is second to none.

 

[prv]

Second vote for Standard Horizon. They're a trading name of Yaesu, one of the world leaders in radio, so the internals ought to be pretty good. The kit feels solid and workmanlike, and is reasonably easy to use.

I think only one of their current range has numeric buttons, though, and that's an older model.

Pete

 

[Talulah]

If anyone is in no rush to replace their VHF it could be worth waiting for sets equipped with NMEA2000.
Currently DSC sets are connected to the GPS etc via NMEA0183 but that is slowly changing.

 

[Martin_J]

Another vote for Standard Horizon...

I seem to have amassed a collection of Standard Horizon kit on board - A fixed GX1500e VHF, a remote CMP25B microphone, an HX851E handheld (also with built in DSC) and a CP300 chart plotter!

If you're in the area (Southsea is not too far from Hayling), then you're welcome to call round and try any (or all) of it out for size and ease of use...

My only small niggle is that VHF sets these days are often much smaller than the ones we take out. The hole in the fascia is therefore already too big!

 

[prv]

If anyone is in no rush to replace their VHF it could be worth waiting for sets equipped with NMEA2000.

Only if you have (or plan to) lots of other NMEA2000 kit

It would also mean you'd have to have an NMEA2000 GPS (which probably means a chartplotter) on all the time that the radio is. I prefer them to be separate (I turn off the plotter when away from the shore, say cross-channel) so have a £30 GPS puck attached to the radio power circuit and tucked out of sight. Those things are likely to remain on 0183 for some time to come.

Pete

 

[prv]

The hole in the fascia is therefore already too big!

I rebuilt my nav station with a whole new panel, so everything fits very neatly. But I also squirrelled away a second sheet of the same plastic for when it eventually needs renewing.

Pete

 

[Martin_J]

Interesting point about NMEA 2000 though.... (I also have NMEA 2000 on board for plotter/radar/heading - but it's not reached the VHF-GPS-Plotter link just yet!)

But when it comes to the original poster replacing their VHF, it seems like it's needed now..

 

[Martin_J]

I rebuilt my nav station with a whole new panel, so everything fits very neatly. But I also squirrelled away a second sheet of the same plastic for when it eventually needs renewing.

Pete

Plastic!... my fascia is wood and matches the rest of the interior... I seem to think I made it good again!

I did think about getting a fixed VHF with larger front to match the hole.. but the Standard Horizon just went to the top of the shopping list, whatever the size.

 

[prv]

Plastic!... my fascia is wood and matches the rest of the interior

I could have used wood - it would actually have been easier as the plastic needed a ply backing for strength anyway. But from an aesthetic point of view, I don't like the look of black plastic instruments plonked individually straight onto wood. Instead, I have a frame of nicely-varnished solid cherry, surrounding a panel of mid-grey matte plastic to which the instruments are mounted. I think it looks much nicer.

You can have a look in Cherbourg if you like

Pete

 

[Sandy]

Another vote for Standard Horizon...

+1

Fitted the one with the Internal GPS over the winter had a first fix in under two minutes; impressed.

 

[bert49uk]

Another vote for Standard Horizon...
ig!

+1

 

[Monique]

Only if you have (or plan to) lots of other NMEA2000 kit

It would also mean you'd have to have an NMEA2000 GPS (which probably means a chartplotter) on all the time that the radio is. I prefer them to be separate (I turn off the plotter when away from the shore, say cross-channel) so have a £30 GPS puck attached to the radio power circuit and tucked out of sight. Those things are likely to remain on 0183 for some time to come.

Pete

I had a SH 2100E on Pegasus and was very pleased with its performance, range (80+ NM with Toulon CG) and AIS functionality.

I have bought a SH 2200E for Nav station and a 851 at the helm for the new "to me" boat. Both with integrated GPS for AIS/DSC/Emergency reporting. No NMEA and provides 2 other sources of GPS positioning. You would lose that "comfort" feeling if integrated into an NMEA2000 network.

Imagine the screen frying on the plotter... you are left with ... nothing?

 

[cliff]

WTF is wrong with ICOM?

http://www.icomuk.co.uk/IC-M423/Mounted_VHF-DSC_Marine_Radio

http://www.icomuk.co.uk/IC-M506/Mounted-VHF-DSC-Marine-Radio

 

[petehitch]

+1 for SH. Great after sales service, I had a problem with the RAM mike and they sent a replacement by return.

 

[Solitaire]

I have just replaced my old Navman 7100 with a SH 1700e. The clarity is fantastic and is also no longer reliant on the plotter for the GPS input. Very neat bit of kit.

 

[prv]

WTF is wrong with ICOM?

My impression is that the actual radio hardware is fine, but they're not great at writing user-interface software. This didn't matter when radios were simple, but with the introduction of more features - especially DSC - it has become a weakness. Last year Dave (lustyd) was mocking someone on the forum for simply turning off their radio in response to DSC calls, because they couldn't work out how to respond properly. Then, at a Scuttlebutt meetup, he tried to show them what they should have done, and found he couldn't figure it out either

Pete

 

[Hayling]

Thanks all,
Standard Horizon seems to get the nod
and since it is cheap it gets mine too!