Reliability of Raymarine VHF

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maxwell edison

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I am considering specifying a Raymarine 55E VHF radio along with a RayMic in the cockpit for our new boat which is currently in build. However I am being told that Raymarine VHF radios have a poor record for unreliability and that I would be well advised to look elsewhere. To put this in perspective I would just add that this advice comes from someone who is in an extremely good position to know about their reliability and who has nothing to gain by passing on the advice, quite the reverse in fact.

I would be pleased to hear what any users of Raymarine VHF radios have to say on the subject of reliablity.

I have already considered the equivalent Icom and Standard Horizon models and have decided against fitting either of those.

Thanks
 
I have the 240E, which is supposedly notoriously unreliable.

The only problem I have had was that it would "forget" it's mmsi number every few months. Raymarine updated the S/W and it hasn't happened since.

Other than that, I'm v.pleased with it.

dv.
 
You could look at a Sailor set. We have had one for six years and it gives excellent Rx and Tx. It also has a vast range of features, a few of which we have even managed to use, plus it cost a fortune. It is very good for installation as it has a remote control/handset with the main box tucked away wherever you want. Good luck.
 
A friend of mine bought a raymarine VHF (not sure which model) with his new boat at the start of 2004. In the first two years, he went through three replacements and now relies on a handheld. The current set works fine for a while but stops transmitting after a while, and has to be switched off and on again.
 
I bought one last year - can't remember which model, but it was around £250 from Mailspeed.

It would only transmit over about a quarter of a mile.

The unit was replaced without argument, and the new one seems fine.

I sometimes wonder whether I should have just stuck with the original 1977 Sailor.
 
[ QUOTE ]

I have already considered the equivalent Icom and Standard Horizon models and have decided against fitting either of those.

Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

I would be interested in your reasons here?

Many thanks
 
Jon
In the ICOM range only the M603 and the M505 take a command mic. which is something that I want. The M603 is simply too large for me to accommodate. The M505 has what I regard as serious issues with regard to the automatic transmission of the gps fed position. ICOM UK acknowledge this. I have, this week, received an e mail from them saying " ICOM inc. of Japan are taking this matter seriously and a solution is being sought" Unfortunately no one at ICOM UK is able to give me any firm indication of when this will be resolved. Yet I believe that they have been aware of the problem since something like October 2007.

I had great hopes of installing the Standard Horizon GX1500E (the other two Standard Horizon models being too large) but I found the Standard Horizon mic. CMP25B very disappointing. It did not feel right in my hands and, more importantly, I found the operations of the buttons/controls too imprecise, all a bit spongey. I just did not feel that I could live with it. The VH310 is far too big, I doubt that I could have fitted it in the available space in the cockpit.

Note: Since writing the above I suddenly recalled that I thought that the original PBO Review had said something similar so I looked it up and yes they say "the mic just didn't fit the hand as well as the rest of those on test" I had totally forgotten that comment when I looked at the mic myself so hey it's not just me!

Hope this helps.
 
Hi Maxwell,

Very good and constructive feedback, thank you.

Could you give more details of the GPS issue of the M505?
I was not, and am sure many other are not, aware of any.

Many thanks
 
Re: Reliability of Raymarine VHF - poor quality waterproofing?

Cannot comment on their VHFs but the firt time I took my Raymarine tillerpilot out in heavy rain water got in around the operating buttons (admitted my Raymarine). This was two months after the warranty ran out and Raymarine insisted that there was not a design or manufacturing falt and that it was fit for purpose. Only after complaining did they knock a third off the hefty repair bill. Oh, and they also say that their repairs do not have a warranty once the original equipment warranty has expired. Not impressed.
 
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