The Standard Horizon HX751 is a recent release and updated version of the earlier HX750S radio. It has a maximum power output of 6-watts and is designed to float. That is a great feature for any marine handheld VHF radio to be used aboard a boat.
Buy this new Standard Horizon floating marine handheld VHF radio here.
The HX751 ships with both an automatic AC charger and 12-volt DC charger. It is one of only a few marine handheld VHF radios on the market that includes both types of battery charger as standard equipment. A belt clip is included too.
Standard Horizon HX751
The AC charger shows a red light to indicate charging and green for a fully charged battery. Maximum charge time is 8 hours.
This Standard Horizon VHF is built on a die cast frame and housed in a polycarbonate case. It stands about 5.6-inches tall, is 2.5-inches wide and 1.5-inches thick.
Radio Controls
All functions of the HX751 are controlled with 11 front-mounted pushbuttons. Volume and squelch are adjusted by pressing their respective pushbuttons and then using the arrow keys to increase or decrease as needed. My preference is for rotary knobs for these two primary functions, but it is uncommon to find rotary knobs on a floating radio.
The push-to-talk switch is side-mounted while an optional microphone/speaker jack sits is located on top of the radio. One button control is available for transmitter power selection, channel changing, weather channel selection, quick selection of channel 16 or 9, backlight, strobe light, and some scanning options.
Special Features
One new feature added when this radio was upgraded was a luminescent, glow in the dark, gasket between the two case halves. With this addition I expect this radio to not only be tough and durable but be an easy find in the darkest cabin.
The HX751 features an SOS strobe light, the ability to select up to ten favorite channels and choose one with a single button press, and audio tone controls for bass and treble adjustment.
Transmitter power is selectable over four ranges from 1- to 6-watts. The unit is capable of using all US, international, and Canadian channels as well as NOAA weather channels.
Channel names are user programmable and so is one of the scan modes. The HX751 also has priority and dual watch channel scan modes.
One special feature retained on the HX751 from an earlier predecessor is the front panel mounted water temperature sensor. To use this function youd soak the radio in the water for several minutes, then via several key presses youd see the water temperature display in Centigrade or Fahrenheit.
This radio is waterproof and carries an IPX7 rating. This means it can be submerged to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes without sustaining any damage.
It carries a 3-year warranty on the radio with a 12-month warranty on the battery.
Performance and Battery Life Testing
We rated the screen on the HX751 excellent. It uses large segmented numbers to display the selected channel. Bar graphs on the left side of the screen show volume and squelch levels.
The selected transmitter power output level is shown onscreen with and H(5-watts), M(2.5-watts), or L(1-watt), or no icon for maximum(6-watts).
A transmission is indicated by an onscreen icon and a red light on the case front. When receiving the light displays green and a busy icon appears onscreen.
Audio performance was outstanding. During our output test we measured 98 dBA.
The HX751 turned in a very good performance in our battery life test by lasting 13 hours. When you consider the battery weight and size compromise necessary to make a floating radio, this radio did very well.
It passed both the drop and submersion tests too with no glitches.
Buy this new Standard Horizon floating marine handheld VHF radio here.
Final Thoughts
Long battery life, the ability to float, and good all-around performance make the Standard Horizon HX751 marine handheld VHF radio a top choice for boaters.