Quote:
Originally Posted by RUGMAN
This will be my first year on the big lake, See a lot of talk about getting a radio . Any recommendations about what one to purchase and what details it should have, we have a pontoon boat and would want one that is portable. I look at all the ones on the Overton site, too many to chose from.
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I have always had great service from Raymarine. Not needed a lot, but handy to just walk in the door in Nashua and drop stuff off, get a call a day or two later to discuss solutions.
I always carried a VHF on my jetski. A Koozie on either end for protection and stored in a waterproof flotation bag. If you're not using it a lot and it's in a drawer, the Koozie protection is probably still a good idea.
Depends on your boat set up, but a charging system for whatever your boat has (12V or 110V shorepower) is convenient and probably prudent, especially if you want to leave it on board rather than taking it to the house to charge and then forgetting it there when you go boating. I think some handhelds may have a jack so you can connect to a remote speaker. I like that to be able to hear better over wind and engine noise. Even so, it is hard to hear when engines are running at cruise RPM, on plane. If you have to slow down to use your cell phone, the same will likely apply to the VHF.
Radio protocol: This is not a CB. It is a major piece of safety equipment. Adults only. Learn to call and respond properly, not "Hey good buddy, Jack, you out there?". Teach your crew how to make an emergency call and/or an assistance call, describing your vessel, location, nature of the emergency.