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Author Topic:   New Radio

saltydogt posted 06-11-2003 08:32 AM ET (US)
I need to replace the VHF radio on my 1986 Montauk. Since I have not purchased a radio in some time, I thought you all might have some suggestions.
Thanks,
Tim
timbaho posted 06-11-2003 08:44 AM ET (US)
Standard Horizon Eclipse.Best radio I've ever used for the money.@$100.
Kevin
triblet posted 06-11-2003 10:04 AM ET (US)
You want a radio that's rated JIS-7 (Submersible
to three feet for thirty minutes). "Waterproof"
only means kinda sorta splashproof.
I don't think the SH Eclipse is in production
any more. And it wasn't submersible.
SH Quest, SH Intrepid Plus, SH Spectrum Plus,
Icom M 402S/402/502/602 are all good.

Chuck
HAPPYJIM posted 06-11-2003 10:12 AM ET (US)
I just bought the ICOM 402 submersible and the cable that links to my GPS.
If you need help in a panic situtation just hit one button and it transmits your Lat-Long on emergency channel.
Have not installed it yet but it is a nice unit that comes in white or black for $200 at Boaters World.
gnr posted 06-11-2003 10:34 AM ET (US)
The Standard Horizon Eclipse+ that I purchased last summer is JIS-7 rated.
Works great.
Jarhead posted 06-11-2003 11:42 AM ET (US)
Hope this isn't too far off topic..
Can someone post a link that has information on JIS ratings?
I have a Uniden hand held President LTD-925 that is rated JIS-4
This radio is all I need right now but would like to know just how water resistant it is...
Thanks.
Taylor posted 06-11-2003 12:45 PM ET (US)
http://www.icomamerica.com/support/documents/jis_scale.pdf
Jarhead posted 06-11-2003 01:46 PM ET (US)
Thank you much..
triblet posted 06-11-2003 02:20 PM ET (US)
Essentially all new VHF radios have a distress
button to transmit your position. All of the
ones I listed earlier today do. Note that
the position is only to +/- one minute of lat/long (about a mile).

Chuck
HAPPYJIM posted 06-11-2003 02:32 PM ET (US)
Chuck
Is that +/- 1 mile with the GPS linked?
I don't have my paperwork in front of me to read about it.
triblet posted 06-11-2003 05:56 PM ET (US)
Yes, that's +/- 1 mile with the GPS linked.
The format they send only has accuracy to
one minute. DSC has its roots in HF, trans-ocean
stuff, where if you can get the CG C-130 within
a mile, it's FANTASTIC.
I didn't know it was only +/- one mile until
I was doing a little research on the actual
DSC formats.
There's some work afoot to send a more accurate
position, but it's a couple of years away,
and current radios would need a firmware
update to do it (and it's unclear that the
firmware is updateable in the field. It IS
updateable -- my Spectrum went in for a new
mike (it was banging around the boat for
60 miles on the trailer), and came back with
some subtle differences in the firmware
behavior (it know says "Triple watch" now
and then, which it never did before).
jimh posted 06-11-2003 11:13 PM ET (US)
Chuck,
I am glad you found that information on the accuracy of the distress call LAT/LON. I had a top of the line Standard radio which had the very unusual provision to receive those distress calls and via an appropriate connection to display that position on a GPS receiver's chart display. Most of the DSC radios just can transmit an emergency position; only a few can receive one from another radio.
If the accuracy was that poor, it would not make that feature very useful. I never did get it hooked up and working, and I have since traded down in radio to a smaller and simpler radio.
The whole Digital Selective Calling (DSC) seems to have been stillborn, and now radios are again being made without it. For a while there, all the radios on the market seemed to have DSC with a corresponding bump upward in price.
I am fond of ICOM radios, but I have noticed that the Standard radios have excellent transmitted audio, better than the ICOMS I must say.
triblet posted 06-12-2003 02:15 PM ET (US)
Radios have always been made without the DSC
feature. The rule has been for the last couple
of years that DSC was required to get type
approval on new models. So every time the
Marketing folks said we "gotta add a widget",
they had to add DSC. Old models already
type approved could continue in manufacturing.
The only non-DSC radios available are very
low end radios that haven't been changed
recently (SH Eclipse+, Icom M45, etc.)
Almost all DSC radios can receive a DSC
distress signal and display the numbers,
though only a few can relay it
your GPS, and only a few GPSs (SH's, and
a few Garmins with latest firmware) can
display the position.

Chuck

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Author	Topic: New Radio
saltydogt	posted 06-11-2003 08:32 AM ET (US) I need to replace the VHF radio on my 1986 Montauk. Since I have not purchased a radio in some time, I thought you all might have some suggestions. Thanks, Tim
timbaho	posted 06-11-2003 08:44 AM ET (US) Standard Horizon Eclipse.Best radio I've ever used for the money.@$100. Kevin
triblet	posted 06-11-2003 10:04 AM ET (US) You want a radio that's rated JIS-7 (Submersible to three feet for thirty minutes). "Waterproof" only means kinda sorta splashproof. I don't think the SH Eclipse is in production any more. And it wasn't submersible. SH Quest, SH Intrepid Plus, SH Spectrum Plus, Icom M 402S/402/502/602 are all good. Chuck
HAPPYJIM	posted 06-11-2003 10:12 AM ET (US) I just bought the ICOM 402 submersible and the cable that links to my GPS. If you need help in a panic situtation just hit one button and it transmits your Lat-Long on emergency channel. Have not installed it yet but it is a nice unit that comes in white or black for $200 at Boaters World.
gnr	posted 06-11-2003 10:34 AM ET (US) The Standard Horizon Eclipse+ that I purchased last summer is JIS-7 rated. Works great.
Jarhead	posted 06-11-2003 11:42 AM ET (US) Hope this isn't too far off topic.. Can someone post a link that has information on JIS ratings? I have a Uniden hand held President LTD-925 that is rated JIS-4 This radio is all I need right now but would like to know just how water resistant it is... Thanks.
Taylor	posted 06-11-2003 12:45 PM ET (US) http://www.icomamerica.com/support/documents/jis_scale.pdf
Jarhead	posted 06-11-2003 01:46 PM ET (US) Thank you much..
triblet	posted 06-11-2003 02:20 PM ET (US) Essentially all new VHF radios have a distress button to transmit your position. All of the ones I listed earlier today do. Note that the position is only to +/- one minute of lat/long (about a mile). Chuck
HAPPYJIM	posted 06-11-2003 02:32 PM ET (US) Chuck Is that +/- 1 mile with the GPS linked? I don't have my paperwork in front of me to read about it.
triblet	posted 06-11-2003 05:56 PM ET (US) Yes, that's +/- 1 mile with the GPS linked. The format they send only has accuracy to one minute. DSC has its roots in HF, trans-ocean stuff, where if you can get the CG C-130 within a mile, it's FANTASTIC. I didn't know it was only +/- one mile until I was doing a little research on the actual DSC formats. There's some work afoot to send a more accurate position, but it's a couple of years away, and current radios would need a firmware update to do it (and it's unclear that the firmware is updateable in the field. It IS updateable -- my Spectrum went in for a new mike (it was banging around the boat for 60 miles on the trailer), and came back with some subtle differences in the firmware behavior (it know says "Triple watch" now and then, which it never did before).
jimh	posted 06-11-2003 11:13 PM ET (US) Chuck, I am glad you found that information on the accuracy of the distress call LAT/LON. I had a top of the line Standard radio which had the very unusual provision to receive those distress calls and via an appropriate connection to display that position on a GPS receiver's chart display. Most of the DSC radios just can transmit an emergency position; only a few can receive one from another radio. If the accuracy was that poor, it would not make that feature very useful. I never did get it hooked up and working, and I have since traded down in radio to a smaller and simpler radio. The whole Digital Selective Calling (DSC) seems to have been stillborn, and now radios are again being made without it. For a while there, all the radios on the market seemed to have DSC with a corresponding bump upward in price. I am fond of ICOM radios, but I have noticed that the Standard radios have excellent transmitted audio, better than the ICOMS I must say.
triblet	posted 06-12-2003 02:15 PM ET (US) Radios have always been made without the DSC feature. The rule has been for the last couple of years that DSC was required to get type approval on new models. So every time the Marketing folks said we "gotta add a widget", they had to add DSC. Old models already type approved could continue in manufacturing. The only non-DSC radios available are very low end radios that haven't been changed recently (SH Eclipse+, Icom M45, etc.) Almost all DSC radios can receive a DSC distress signal and display the numbers, though only a few can relay it your GPS, and only a few GPSs (SH's, and a few Garmins with latest firmware) can display the position. Chuck