Handheld VHF

[Ships_Cat]

Re: Manufacturers\' advice...

Yes perhaps you are correct on that /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif. I have seen the advice they give but it is contrary to the technical battery advice I have seen.

It may, of course, be that some radios turn off before the battery is completely discharged but given the inaccuracy with which they indicate full charge I would not rely on it (as has been mentioned before, perhaps by yourself as well, modern batteries have a flat voltage/discharge curve so state of charge is not straight forward to measure).

John



<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[yoda]

I posted recently over on the other side and after a few views investigated both Icom and Entel. Against my criteria the Entel won by being about half the price (ish, please don't ask me to explain). It seems to be simple, waterproof, and can be left sitting on charge and switched on which means it will always be fully charged when needed. At £150 it appears to be the dogs wottsits. All I need to do now is buy one!

Yoda

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[LukeJBarnes]

I purchased my HT640 close to 1 year ago. At the time I paid close to 200- pounds, now I see it in various magazines for 149- I don't care! This radio is worth every penny. I simply cannot fault this set; the lithium battery seems to last forever. I never have to worry about discharging after use and thanks to its automatic charge switch off circuit I leave it on charge in my garage and collect it fully charged and ready for use next time round -so convenient! I use my VHF extensively and budget to replace it every two years. Quite honestly I can't see any need to replace my HT640, and if I lost it I would buy another without hesitation.

I find it amusing to see Icom's dealer manager closely monitoring all the threads relating to VHF radio. Does he not have any work to do? Whilst Icom have good brand recognition in my opinion their current offering is cheap and chearful and no way competes with a well rounded HT640. Well done Entel!

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[BrendanS]

>>I find it amusing to see Icom's dealer manager closely monitoring all the threads relating to VHF radio. Does he not have any work to do<<


He does a far better job of it than any of his competitors do. When was last time you saw his competitors post here?

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[colin_jones]

That probably means that your fixed radio antenna needs maintenance attention.

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[tcm]

Re: Icom ...when not in use

ah, i heard that you should let the battery run down (which takes ages) rather than pop it in the charging station all the time, otherwise the battery will tend not be able to take a full charge.

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[tcm]

Re: Hear hear!

yep, and john brooks orgainsed a fix for one of my busted (my fault) icom radios too!

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[JonBrooks]

Why thank you for your comments Luke.......I think.
I, as do the directors here, feel this is an important part of my job.
For you info I do in fact work very hard!

I feel it is very important to keep a breast of the "word on the street"
Not just wait till a boat show for feed back!
The people who use this forum are our customers and as such this is part of our customers service.
Our customers are now, all was have been and always will be the most important people to our business, it is a shame more don't feel that way.

As far as you cooments on the HT640 go:- our cheaper radio the M31 is not meant to compete with this product.
The M1V is the radio that has almost the same spec as the Entel.
The M1V is far from cheap and chearful!!!!

I also try, where I can to offergeneral advice on radio problems and questions.

Kind ragards

<hr width=100% size=1>Jon Brooks
Marine Dealer Manager
Icom UK Ltd.
01227 741741

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Icom ...when not in use

Battery is Lithium Ion, so you can safely recharge at anytime, and don't need to run down first

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[Ships_Cat]

Re: Icom ...when not in use

The same with NiCds and NiMH's - people worry too much and are too wildly imaginative when it comes to these batteries. Charge when convenient, any voltage depression (which is often what people think is "memory"), should it occur, is completely reversible by a deep discharge, but never to complete discharge, and recharge.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[micha_unterwegs]

Re: trickle charge?

I purchased the Simrad HT50 today. One thing that worries me is that the charger control light stasys red when inserting the unit (or just the battery) to charge. According to the manual, it should switch to flashing green when actually charging.
How does this work with yours? Does it stay red or does it flash green?

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[Gunfleet]

Re: trickle charge?

Hi Micha and welcome as a new user,
The instructions you have work for my Simrad - that is, it is red until the radio is put in to charge, then flashing green to show it's charging, then goes to steady green when fully charged. Perhaps your charger has a fault?
Yours
John

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[micha_unterwegs]

Re: trickle charge?

Thanks John,

I just discovered this forum. We have in Germany a similar forum from the magazine "Yacht" (http://www.dk-forenserver.de/yacht/apboard/main.php)
where I have posted already for quite some time.

Back to the HT50. It was a really stupid thing: The dealer attached a thin black anti-theft tag at the bottom of the unit which I thought, belonged to the unit itself (same color). Therefore the contacts couldn't meet the pins of the charger. Now it works just perfect.

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[tillip]

Re: trickle charge?

Free ICOM M31. Read all the articles in all the mags. Decided that the Icom was most suitable, £140 not bad. Fell out of my pocket at the entrance to lymington yacht haven this week end, so maybee if the battery lasts a day of so you might listen out for it