The Bottom End of The VHF Market..

[monkfish24]

For sometime i've been thinking about getting a cheap,basic handheld VHF for a while now. I've started doing a fair bit of singlehanding now and would also like one that i can leave in a grab bag. We have a Nasa Fixed DSC in the cabin which is a very good bit of kit but the lead is too short to have in the cockpit so requires me to have my head down the companionway, far away from the tiller, when transmitting or recieveing. We don't have a repeater speaker in the cockpit either so having the handheld would act as a second speaker as long as it wasn't a DSC call.

Wandering around the boat show, i noticed the Cobra 125.
http://shop.sailnet.com/product_info.php/products_id/45316

Priced at £49.95 it suited the budget. I wasn't keen on spending £150 on the Icom that i would probably use no more than once or twice a season. Although they are proven to be highly durable and reliable i just couldn't really justify it. Having worked in a chandlery when i was a bit younger, I've always thought "yee gets what yee pays for" but with Cobra i know they are quite reliable and fairly decent bit's of kit.

Included with the radio is a cigarette power adaptor, 5 rechargeable NiMH AAA batteries, a wrist strap and a belt clip. The clip itself i think is quite an intuitive design, where it is not permanent but can be removed by turning the radio 180 degrees where a latch unclips it from the belt clip.

The radio itself is waterproof to JIS4 standard. Typical 1m for 30 minutes, which is way overspecced for a fair weather sailor

The Radio itself is easy to use, it has a dedicated channel 16 button and all buttons are big and easy to press, which i'd expect, would make things easy with cold numb hands. It also has a key lock button which is perfect for jamming in my coat pocket. It transmits on 1 watt or 3 watts. Nothing spectacular but definitly more than enough for my coastal cruising. The unit is very light, probably no more than 400g with the batteries fitted but, this doesn't make the unit feel flimsy at all. The On/Volume button makes a very convincing click and the buttons need a comfortable amount of pressure to be used. I've used radios before where they require too light pressure and end up transmitting short bursts when knocked around.

I haven't transmitted on it yet but recieving is very clear, having sat there in a cafe outside the Excel listening to the safety boat drivers VHF transmissions.

I hope this short review helps you if you were not sure about such a cheap radio but it seems to fit our requirements very well and i am in no way dissapointed with it.

James

 

[Channel Ribs]

I thin they are nice radios for occasional use, should meet your requirements perfectly.

 

[Sandyman]

We have a pair of these little beasts & for the money they are superb. Basic & simple. What more could you want.

 

[V1701]

Thanks that's a useful review, I will be needing something like it, same set up as yourself...

 

[dylanwinter]

cheap handheld - raymarine

I have got a Raymarine handheld

thats the only one I have

seems to work wonderfully well

not sure that there are too many situations where you really need that long power hugging aerial going right up the mast

but what do I know?

Dylan

 

[jwilson]

Check which channels it receives..

Does the cheap Cobra work on the club and marina channels (37 or M1/M2). When I was buying the small cheap one did not, but I got the bigger Cobra at £89 that did, also higher power, Now 3 years old, works well.

 

[ianfr]

VHF

I have a Standard Horizon 270 and it is well made,waterproof . and has M1/M2
a little more expensive but much better build.

Ian

 

[monkfish24]

Does the cheap Cobra work on the club and marina channels (37 or M1/M2). When I was buying the small cheap one did not, but I got the bigger Cobra at £89 that did, also higher power, Now 3 years old, works well.

No, stops between 28 and 60, neither does it have M1 or M2.

 

[monkfish24]

Just checked through all the cahnnels, it does have M1 and M2

 

[Alfie168]

These are euro specced for £70, but i've no idea how good they are.
The Midland Pacific Hand held

http://www.burdengroup.com/rcatalog/AppServerProductNew.asp?tab=1&p_code=284434

Tim

 

[monkfish24]

Seems quite nicely specced for £70.

It has 5W high power instead of the cobras 3W, Desktop stand which is handy, and the ability to extend it with speaker and microphone.

Always worth a punt, however....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B001DXCS4O/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

[Alfie168]

Thats not very encouraging is it, even though a sample of one is not the fairest sample. All the same its enough to put people well and truly off given their reluctance to replace it. I'd have been off to trading standards like a shot if an allegedly IXP7 rated device croaked at the first splash as it were.

I'm not sure any IXP7 radio would be suitable for kayaking without being inside a poly bag as well, but it should have done better than that for sure.
Tim

 

[planteater]

I'm sure the cheaper ones are fine - most consumer electronics are pretty reliable these days. Especially the basic stuff that doesn't get recalled for software faults.

If single handed or doing a lot of night sailing on a large boat I'd be tempted to splash out (ha!) on a waterproof handheld and keep it about my person.

 

[Otter]

These are euro specced for £70, but i've no idea how good they are.
The Midland Pacific Hand held

http://www.burdengroup.com/rcatalog/AppServerProductNew.asp?tab=1&p_code=284434

Tim

I have one, great radio except it is the least intuitive gizmo I have ever owned. Despite using quite often I can never remember how you change channels, drives me mad. Apart from that it's ergonomic, powerful, good for a grab bag because it takes AA batteries and I like the rotary controls.

 

[Rum_Pirate]

With only 1 and 3 Watts it is not that powerful.

If considering safety (VHF is generally line-of-sight) as primary use better to consider a more powerful one.

 

[jerrytug]

Another vote for the Midland Pacific,in you price range. Mine`s stood up to astonishing abuse for 2 years Jerry
PS if you don`t care about having it bust/drowned/nicked it will be safer and more useful being in your oilies/tender all the time,not hidden below!

 

[monkfish24]

It takes 16 times the amount of power to double the distance of an EM transmission, to me the difference in range of 3 watts to 5 watts isn't a matter when at 5 watts, handheld to handheld, range is about 3 miles.... roughly

 

[Marmalade]

We too have a cheap-ish hand-held that we use as a cockpit VHF (standard horizon).

Can't help wondering at the logic that says grab bag (ie the one time you really need something to work first time and well) - buy the cheapest kit going!

 

[mlines]

Does the cheap Cobra work on the club and marina channels (37 or M1/M2). When I was buying the small cheap one did not, but I got the bigger Cobra at £89 that did, also higher power, Now 3 years old, works well.

At the risk of diverting the subject, what are the rules for the use of 37 M1/M2 (and I mean rules, not guidelines/local practice). Its quite hard to work out what they are based on a web trawl as all sorts of different information comes up.

Martin

 

[Channel Ribs]

At the risk of diverting the subject, what are the rules for the use of 37 M1/M2 (and I mean rules, not guidelines/local practice). Its quite hard to work out what they are based on a web trawl as all sorts of different information comes up.

"Channel M (157.850MHz) and M2 (161.425MHz)

Channels M and M2 are UK channels and should only be used in UK territorial waters. Their on-board use is covered by a Ship Radio Licence. However, equipment that is only capable of operating on these frequencies is usually licensed under a Coastal Station Radio Licence and it is not necessary for the operator to hold an operator's certificate."

From http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/publication/ra_info/ra264/ra264.htm