VHF portable (h/h) - Lock channel?

[akirk]

Is it possible to find a VHF portable (h/h) radio where you can lock the channel (with Chl 16 overide)?

e.g. I was sailing in the Solent last week - cockpit repeater speaker not working, so had hand-held vhf in my jacket pocket to listen to race control boat on channel 72.

However, with the need to work the yacht (c. 7), I would find that I was continually changing channel accidentally, so would look at the radio and find that I was now on channel 68 etc.

Ideally I would like to be able to put the radio onto channel 72 and then press lock so that it remains there, with only the ability to switch to channel 16 in the normal way...

does this make sense?

I am looking to buy a VHF hand-held, and this would be a key consideration...

regards

Alasdair

 

[AlistairC]

my Standard Horizon 270 has a keylock on it I think.

 

[pvb]

Virtually all handhelds include a key lock function, but I don't know of one which retains the ability to switch to 16 without first disabling the keylock.

 

[ggt9]

My Garmin 725e has a keyboard lock, though it locks the 16 button too. I have used it while wearing the radio... and I have been bemused half an hour later when none of the keys work.

I'm sure my old Swiftech M198 has a lock too but it's currently unresponsive so I can't check it.

And the very nice Entel HT640 which a friend abandoned in my kit bag last December does exactly what you're after... it has a lock button but the 16 button still works. I really ought to give it back or buy it a charger...

 

[Blue5]

My Icom M31 allows you to use dual channel + lock.

Sorry just re-read the post you need to unlock to select ch 16 if you want to transmit but it will auto switch to 16 when a broadcast is received

 

[akirk]

Many thanks for the replies - unlocking to transmit on 16 is fine, would want to ensure that it received 16 on auto-switch if necessary...

will toddle off now and go and have a look, glad to hear that there are some that will do it...

regards

A