Seeking VHF recommendation

[trswem]

Hello all,

I'm looking to replace the VHF that came with the boat. I've been doing some electrical upgrades and found that the guts of my currently installed Standard Horizons was literally held together with packaging tape. It turns on and seems to tx/rx, but I don't have much faith in it lasting too much longer!

I'd like a simple fixed VHF that has easy weather channel access, and build in GPS would be nice. I'd put my budget around $300. Ideally, I could get this from West Marine, as it's the only marine shop I have around. Have any of you recently purchased a radio and been happy with it?

Thanks!

[Be Free]

Standard Horizon has multiple models that would do just what you are looking for and well within your budget. West Marine, Amazon, even Home Depot carries them. I've never been disappointed with a Standard Horizon radio. There are other radios that could arguably be called "better" but for coastal sailing I've never found the Standard Horizon models to be lacking in any way.

Use the leftover money to get a better antenna or upgrade your coax and connectors. Even the best radio can't do a good job with bad wiring or connectors.

[Macsailing]

I have a VHF question as well.

My original uniden um 525 will not receive, apparently it is a common failure with this radio.

Currently there is a gps module, pretty sure to the garmin chart plotter, berween the antenna and radio.

I would like the same configuration for AIS, But dont know if i should buy a new radio with GPS, or without because of chart plotter.

Another option is the same model radio from ebay?

[Be Free]

I have a VHF question as well.

My original uniden um 525 will not receive, apparently it is a common failure with this radio.

Currently there is a gps module, pretty sure to the garmin chart plotter, berween the antenna and radio.

I would like the same configuration for AIS, But dont know if i should buy a new radio with GPS, or without because of chart plotter.

Another option is the same model radio from ebay?

An AIS transceiver will come with an internal GPS. I'm a strong advocate of AIS transceivers rather just receivers.
I do almost all of my sailing offshore and often out of sight of land so I'm a big believer in good radios and redundant GPS receivers. A new radio with a built-in GPS works for me.

[Starscream]

An AIS transceiver will come with an internal GPS. I'm a strong advocate of AIS transceivers rather just receivers.
I do almost all of my sailing offshore and often out of sight of land so I'm a big believer in good radios and redundant GPS receivers. A new radio with a built-in GPS works for me.

Yes, because of your advocation I went with a full AIS tranceiver instead of my original plan to add a Raymarine radio with AIS receiving capability. I went with the Raymarine AIS700, which comes with a separate GNSS antenna. I mounted the antenna above the headliner of the aft berth, hoping that it gets good reception there. I don't want to pierce the deck.

The Raymarine AXIOM chartplotter doesn't always get the best signal, as it's recessed in the cockpit/cabin bulkhead. I'm hoping that the GNSS antenna of the AIS will have better reception. From memory there's a way to assign the principle GPS signal on the SeatalkNG network, so I'll switch that over to the AIS antenna when I finish the wiring. The SeaTalkNG backbone cable and tee just arrived, so I have everything necessary to finish the job. Except time.

[Be Free]

I have the Miltec B951. It will also take an external GPS antenna but I've had no problem using the internal GPS antenna. The unit is mounted on the back side of the head in the aft berth. I've had nothing but excellent reception. GPS signals go through fiberglass very well.