There are primarily two types of VHF marine radios available in the market, Fixed and Handheld; However, if we compare them, the Handheld Radio will be the winner because it offers more excellent value than Fixed VHF radio.
A Handheld Marine Radio is required for every boater because this small tool might be the most helpful device in the case of an emergency in your fishing time in the sea, and it can save your life and money.
So with this in mind, if you want to buy this device and are looking for a comprehensive review about the best Marine VHF Radio Handheld, you’re welcome.
In this review, we have covered almost everything that you should know about a handheld radio, and at the end of the article, we have shared a practical guide on how you can pick an excellent marine radio.
Best Marine VHF Radio Handheld
1. Cobra MR HH350 FLT Handheld Floating VHF Radio
The Cobra MR HH350 is our first pick of highlighting the best handheld marine VHF radio. It’s a mid-budget device that offers a ton of features!
The battery life is strong enough to deliver a long-lasting running life for your radio. In addition, the device offers a battery indicator to show you the charging status, so you can follow the light and recharge it once needed.
People love both sides, weight and body size, the weight is quite a carryable and lightweight, and the body is compact and stylish.
The most important part of this tool is the value of the brand, Cobra. This is one of the most popular VHF radio-producing companies worldwide. They have enough reputation for reliability and durability.
The tool will give you direct access to channel 16 and channel 9 for any emergencies. In addition, the memory scan feature is a beneficial thing that you can use to scan channels programmed in memory to search for conversations in progress.
The Cobra MR HH350 can deliver live access to national hazards and weather updates. In addition, selecting a power setting will massively save your battery life, and you can choose 1, 3, or 6 watts of output power according to your area requirements or distance calling.
It uses an IPX8 standard for water submersion, so your machine will be safe from the water. In addition, this user-friendly device will alert you to weather emergencies with a tone on a weather channel. Based on your needs, you can select your preferred ringtone for any specific location.
Pros:
- Distress All Basic Features are included
- Offers a Maximum Coverage
- Compact Device
- Attractive Design
- Battery Capacity Fine
- The Price range is within your reach
Cons:
- You can’t use a type-B or type-C USB cable to charge the radio because the supplied charging cradle is only the way of charging it.
2. Uniden MHS75 Waterproof Handheld
The 2-Way VHF Marine radio is recommended for those looking for an 8 miles range reachable VHF marine radio at a great price.
The battery life of this device is also remarkable because you can use the machine for up to 6 hours without facing any additional issues, and the battery is rechargeable.
You can charge the battery quickly because it comes with a Cigarette lighter style 12-volt charger. It will also allow you to set the battery at your home by grabbing a 12 volt to standard wall outlet converter.
Although we’re saying the battery life is good, we’ll highly recommend using some additional batteries with you for more safety.
It can control three safety channels simultaneously and the weather channel simultaneously, but one of the critical features of this radio is that you can program channels and set them to scan through your safety channels.
The watt switchable function is an ideal option to save your battery life. You can select between 1, 2.5, and 5 watts for longer and shorter communication.
In most cases, the 1-watt power will be enough for your needs, but if you need more power, switch the power from lower to higher to cover your area correctly to connect with the coast guard.
It supports all USA, International, and Canadian marine channels, so you’ll stay connected and up-to-date with all the latest marine activity.
Pros:
- Live Weather Alerts
- Supports Canadian Channels
- This is a Two-Way Radios
- Watt switchable function
- Up to Hour Battery Life
- Triple Watch mode monitors channels
Cons:
- The battery of this model is not available everywhere
3. Standard Horizon HX890 Handheld
This Floating Six Watt Class H DSC Two Way Radio is not for everyone, but the mentioned quality wants everyone. The price seems too expensive to buy, so if you have a reasonable budget, you can jump into it!
Just look at the design, it looks premium, and the round case design will offer exceptional ergonomics when you use it.
This Handheld Device has an easy selectable 6 Watt transmit power output, 1/2/6. There is also a 700mW loud audio and noise skipping option for both TX and RX audio.
The entire device comes packaged with a ton of accessories, including a 110 wall charger with a charging cradle, 12V charger, rechargeable Li-ion battery, Alkaline battery tray, A computer programming cable, and belt clip lanyard.
The key feature is the built-in pre-loaded 66 channel WAAS GPS Receiver. You can select two modes on a large full dot matrix display, dark and night. The battery life is also noticeable. You can use the device for up to 11 hours with the 1800mAh high-capacity battery.
Since it uses a full dot matrix display, you can watch everything quite clearly on the show, and the operating menu is also easy to navigate.
In addition to these features, the HX890 also has some other valuable options that make it more professional than others, such as the Dual Watch and Triple Watch, NOAA Weather Channels with Weather Alert, and more.
Pros:
- FM Broadcast Radio Receiver
- Micro USB Data jack
- Submersible IPX8 Construction
- Digital Selective Calling
- 3 Year Waterproof Warranty
- Dedicated MOB Button
- WAAS GPS Receiver
- Waypoint and Route navigation
Cons:
- Too Expensive
4. BaoFeng UV-82HP High Power Dual Band Radio
The BaoFeng UV-82HP is a UV-82 Series model that offers a considerable number of Advanced Features. The key reason behind selecting this model is for its Clearer Communications.
The device is Single and dual Push-to-Talk Selectable, and it comes with a double push-to-talk button and a rocker push-to-talk switch that will allow you to transmit on two frequencies.
You can transmit on Frequency A by hitting up the button, and by pushing down, you can communicate on Frequency B.
You can get help from frequencies A or B to use them as a scanner of the channels, frequencies, CTCSS, and DTS tones.
Suppose you already know about the previous model of the device. In that case, you may have already noticed that this model has more additional features than the old version, such as Power Source, Ergonomic Design, and the updated chipset revision that allows your device to control high power.
This model will be able to receive an incoming call. You can use it for Commercial Vessels or personal usage.
The Sound Quality quality of this Handheld VHF Marine Radio is clear. Therefore, the scanner will Scan Channels to find the suitable one for you in a shorter time.
It can transmit on Narrowband 12.5kHz and Wideband 25kHz, which is quite huge. Moreover, compared to the previous version, the device’s company offers this latest version with a much louder speaker.
Pros:
- Effective Range
- Compact Radio
- It comes with a Rapid Charger
- A Product From a Reputed Brand
Cons:
- It is not FCC approved
5. TECH UV-5X3 5 Watt Tri-Band Radio
The Tech UV-5X3 is the five number pick of selecting the good Floating Marine Radio. People love its LCD dual-line display, which will allow you to watch more information at once.
It has a brand new menu that will support one of the most numerous conveniences while scanning. It also allows you to add and remove channels from the scanning list simply.
Another advanced feature of this UV-5X3 is editing your channels, such as adding or changing and removing the privacy tones.
There are 128 programmable memory channels available on the device. In addition, the device offers simple computer software that will allow you to remove or add new channels from the scanning list.
It has only two power levels that will give you a chance to choose how far you can communicate.
This Safety device has a 1500mAH battery, V-85 dual, and 220MHz single band antenna. In addition to this, You’ll get a CH-5 Battery Charger that uses the latest Battery Technology for fast charging.
Tri-band Frequency Range will help you to communicate with Nearby Vessels or coast guards easily.
Pros:
- No Background Noise and Audio Quality is clear
- UHF and VHF Tuner Technology
- NA-320A Antenna
- LCD dual-line display
- Tri Watch Supported
- Display Sync
- Affordable
Cons:
- Very Thin In Weight
How Do I Choose A Handheld VHF Marine Radio?
A massive number of factors are needed to be considered, such as the battery, body size, charging, waterproofness, range, product price, etc.
Battery: Since the handheld marine radios use Lithium-ion batteries, you’ll need to pay attention when buying your first device.
The battery life will depend on your usage. Remember that if the device is already fully charged, keeping it in charge could shorten your device’s battery. So it’s always recommended to put the radio in the charger when it needs recharging.
Note: Before buying your device, Try to buy a Lithium-ion battery-powered radio.
Radio Size: Handheld Radios are compact, but some devices are more prominent than each other, so you should know about your hand size and then select a device based on your needs.
Charging: You can charge your battery by using a USB cable in your radio plug. Although you’ll get a USB cable charger with your device, however, some companies offer an additional facility that will allow their devices to be charged with mobile charging cable.
So look for these company’s devices!
Waterproofness: Most companies are now able to produce waterproof radio using the latest technologies. But there are still some brands that make non-waterproof devices.
Now the point is, how will you know if your device is waterproof or not? To learn it, just read the device description to check the waterproof rating, and if you notice the device comes with an IPX8 waterproof rating, you should understand this device is waterproof.
Range: If you’re in suitable condition and use a 6 watts radio, you can get up to 20 miles range, although the content depends on the radio’s power.
But the point is the higher the wattage used in the device, the faster you’ll lose your battery life. So we’ll suggest you look for a device that has a great combination of power and wattage settings.
Price: This common fact can be a significant issue when searching for the best marine VHF radio handheld because many companies are offering a variety of price ranges.
But if you’re a little technical, you can catch the original price for the product by researching it from beginning to finish!
Conclusion:
Most people always prefer a Handheld VHF Radio, and we agree with this word, and that’s why we have tried hard to find out the shared top-rated devices from this competitive market.
Hopefully, Your time and our research did not fail, and now you’re able to pick the best VHF Radio Handheld from our list.
But if you’re still confused by thinking about which one should you buy, Follow the short recommendation:
- Have a Good Budget? Try the Cobra MR HH350 FLT!
- Don’t have an intelligent budget and yet looking for a suitable device? Pick the BaoFeng UV-82HP High Power Dual Band Radio.
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