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Buying a Marine VHF Radio – Some Things To Conside

In the last twenty five or so years, the research process that goes into buying a Marine VHF radio has changed drastically. “Back” in the 20th century, let’s say the 1980’s for more accuracy, there were very few options of such radios to choose from. Now, in the days with flying cars and talking pets and over the top technology, consumers are being given more product options than they know what to do with. If you haven’t bought a new marine VHF set in awhile, or ever and you want to buy your first, would you even know what exactly to look for when trying to optimize functionality and cost? There are now many things to consider when making such a purpose and I will outline them below.

Primarily, the biggest difference in today’s Marine VHF market is portability. Whereas 25 years ago, if you wanted to scan the radio channels on your VHF radio, you had to stop what you were doing and go to where your unit was mounted. Today you can have a portable, hand held unit to carry around with you wherever you go on your boat. If you have a boat with a sun deck and you like to catch some sun while drinking a few beverages, a hand held Marine VHF unit is perfect for you. Another point for hand held units, and probably the most important, is that the sound quality does not fall off one bit in most quality units. Normally when going from a land line to a portable phone or radio, the sound quality suffers in a noticeable fashion, but the strong technology powering these hand held units usually stands the test. The biggest downside to going with a hand held VHF Radio over a fixed-mount VHF unit is the standard argument against any portable device: they are easy to lose. Time and time again you will see people accidentally drop their hand held radios overboard or simply forget where they left them only to never see them again. So when deciding between a hand held or fixed-mount unit, the biggest factor to weigh is convenience vs. reliability (as in, you will always be able to rely on where you can find your fixed-mount unit).

After you have decided on fixed mount or hand held, multi-functionality or straight up VHF usage, next on your list is choosing how big you want the radio to be and what color you’d like it to be. There are endless options as Marine VHF radios now come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. You will also have unlimited accessories to choose from, including headsets, secondary units, speakers, fancy leather cases, and more and more and more. Have some fun with it, make your Marine VHF stand out!