The Standard Horizon GX1100S Eclipse DSC+ is a compact inexpensive marine VHF radio that carries the Class D DSC rating of much more expensive fixed VHFs.
A low battery warning message appears onscreen to warn you when the power input to the radios falls below a certain voltage.
Standard Horizon GX1100S
This radio is waterproof to IPX7 standards meaning it would survive submersion to a depth of one meter for 30 minutes.
Performance
We found transmitter power output and frequency accuracy to be stable throughout most our tests. We rated frequency stability good.
The receiver selectivity specification is a very good 70 dB. Audio output was about average measuring 86 dBA in our audio output testing.
The GX1100S has a 1.7 inch by .8 inch dot matrix display screen. It shows channel numbers in block numbers on the right-side with alpha indicated for the appropriate channels.
When the radio is connected to a GPS time and position can be displayed onscreen full time. This radio does not display channel comments.
Frequency group, transmitter power, transmit/receive, and memory scan mode icons are shown on the screen top line. We rated the display screen good.
Operation
A rotary knob turns the radio on and off and sets the volume; a second sets the squelch level. Dedicated buttons, most located on the radio face, can toggle between the last selected channel and 16 or 9, toggle between voice and weather channels, and change channels.
On microphone you’ll find buttons to change transmitter power from low to high or vice versa, select 16 or 9, and another set of up/down arrow keys to change channels. Just below the display screen you’ll find three buttons to operate the setup and DSC menus.
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Memory and Priority scanning are available after the desired channels are placed in memory. Channel 16 is set to priority by default. Both memory and priority are initiated by pressing the SCAN/MEM key.
Selecting the channel then pressing the MEM key locks a channel into memory. Memory scan looks at all channels in memory in numerical order from lowest to highest.
Priority scan inserts a look at channel 16 between each memory channel.
The radio setup menu allows control of display backlight brightness and contrast, weather alert on or off, time offset, and priority channel selection.
This radio is capable of using all U.S., International, and Canadian channels. A two-key press is needed to shift from one group to another.
Digital Selective Calling
The GX1100 is a Class D DSC radio. That means it has a two internal receivers, one listening to voice communications and the other to DSC digital data coming in over channel 70. This radio will send and receive distress, individual, all ships, group, and send and receive position data. It will store up to 48 names and their associated MMSI numbers as well as 20 group names. Names can be up to 11 characters long.
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Final Thoughts
The Standard Horizon GX1100S is one of the least expensive radios on the market today that carries a DSC Class D rating. This marine VHF radio carries a 3-year warranty.