Choosing the best marine radio for your situation depends largely on how you intend to use your boat, how much you are able and willing to pay for this important piece of marine electronics, and whether or not you will permanently install the radio.
The marine VHF radio is the primary means of communication for the recreational boat owner. Many marine safety experts say it should be the first piece of marine electronics you buy when outfitting your boat.
A marine VHF radio can issue an immediate broadcast of both voice and digital information that can be heard by emergency agencies such as the Coast Guard and other mariners in your area. Other top uses include communicating with fellow boaters and monitoring weather channels.
Marine VHF radios have improved tremendously in recent years with the introduction of Digital Selective Calling. In an emergency were to develop aboard your boat, pressing the distress button on your marine radio will send an automated digital distress signal with your vessel position and your identity to other vessels and rescue agencies within VHF range.
To take full advantage of DSC you will need to make sure the radio is linked to a GPS receiver. There are many other advantages that DSC offers, including the ability to send a digital call directly to another DSC-equipped vessel or shore station.
The marine market is loaded with VHF radios so choosing the best marine radio for you can be a daunting task. There are two main types: fixed-mount and handheld. The fixed-mount versions range from about $100 to $500 with handhelds priced from $50 to about $300. Any boat that goes offshore should be equipped with a fixed-mount VHF. A fixed-mount marine radio range is about 25 miles depending on antenna height, while a handheld will likely be restricted to about a five mile range.
Fixed Mount Radio Advantages
On the fixed-mount models, you will find rotary knobs or pushbutton up/down arrow keys for selecting channels. The rotary knobs usually allow the user to scroll through the channels faster and easier than up and down pushbuttons. On many marine VHF radios the channel knob will also make menu selections, again it is much easier and faster to use the rotary knob for here too.
If you own a large boat with a cabin, upper helm, fly bridge, or tower station you may want to consider adding a remote VHF station. They cost from $100 to $150. At minimum, a remote microphone connected to your main fixed mount marine VHF will usually have an LCD screen, a quick- access channel 16 button, and volume and squelch controls. You will very likely also now have intercom capability for two-way communication between the main radio and any remote units. Not all marine radio are capable of using a remote so check this out before