What's the best value in a VHF for the buck?

[YodaMage]

I have a Uniden 525 I bought reconditioned for $80 and have no complaints.

[waterlogged]

Check out the ICom brand. I have the IC-M402 and it is a great radio,

ICOM M304 Submersible Marine VHF Radio: On Sale until July 31, 2008(Black)

SKU: M304 01

ICOM M304 Submersible Marine VHF Radio

Icom America announces the new ICOM M304, a compact- sized fixed mount that offers top-end performance, durability, and value in a basic package.

The ICOM M304 marine VHF radio is built using a one-piece, die- cast aluminum chassis for ruggedness, signal clarity, and durability. The chassis and its precision-mounted components are well protected by a watertight, tough polycarbonate housing. The ICOM M304 marine VHF radio is rugged enough to pass military specifications.

The ICOM M304 also carries many of the features that boaters have come to expect in an Icom: Large LCD with highly readable channel numbers and scrolling channel names; One-touch channel selection; TAG scanning; One-touch channel 16 and easy access to channel 9 selection; Normal/priority scan selections; And dual/tri watch. NMEA input wires on the rear panel allows for simple, third party GPS connections (SC-101 DSC) for position request and position reports.

The ICOM M304 offers a front-facing speaker for loud output, and Icom?s Force 5 Audio? for crisp, clear communications. Icom?s unique AquaQuake feature is built-in, using low frequency sound to remove water from the speaker, and allowing better audio. The hand mic comes with channel up/down buttons and a high/low power selection button. And the M304 survives IPX7 submersion tests ? under 3 feet of water for 30 minutes without damage to the radio.

Of course, all U.S., Canadian and international channels are built-in, and there?s easy access to weather channels to monitor for impending storms or national crisis reports.

$130 on sale at anchor express but if you look you can get an IC-M402 for about the same or less.

Clarke

[Billy V]

We started using the Humminbird VHF255s last year and we really like it a lot. It was a major upgrade from our old ICOM. The reality of VHF radios is that they all transmit at either 25 watts or 1 watt (high vs. low power). No VHF will have more power than another. Your antenna will make the biggest difference in being able to talk to guys further away. Most of the differences in radios are in features like scan, memory, DSC, submersibility, ability to interface with your GPS, etc. Some even have FM radios built into them now. Unless you want all the extra features, you can probably get away with about as basic a radio as you can find and you'll still have the same power as any other VHF out there.

Here's the link to the Humminbird that we have:

http://store.humminbird.com/humminbird- ... 600-1.html

I've seen them for about $130.

[waterlogged]

I forgot some advice some wise old fisherman gave me once. It doesn't matter which radio you buy - it's all about the antenna!!! Don't skimp on a cheap-o antenna and any model will perform like the top of the line radio.