Handheld VHF Radio Buyer’s Guide: Explore 20 Models, from Low-Cost to High-End

Handheld VHF radios offer a bewildering array of specs and features. We categorize 20 models from budget to high-end, plus commercial-grade and survival radios.

By
Doug Henschen
-
0
Photos not to scale, sourced from ACR, Cobra, Icom, Standard Horizon and Uniden.

VHF radios are not included among the minimal safety equipment required on pleasure craft by the US Coast Guard, but they should be. VHF radios can be used to contact nearby vessels, marinas and emergency services. Almost all VHF radios receive weather channels, providing access to forecasts and warnings that are important to the safety of your vessel and crew. In short, they’re invaluable tools for routine and emergency communications.

To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid member.
JOIN NOW

Join Practical Sailor

Get full access to Practical-Sailor.com – more than 4,000 articles – for just $34.
Join today and save 42% off our full price.
Already a member?
| Forgot your password? | Activate Web Access
Doug Henschen
Doug Henschen has been sailing in and around the waters of the lower Hudson River, New York Harbor, and the Long Island Sound since the 1980s. A career editor and journalist, Doug served as associate editor and managing editor of The Waterway Guide from 1984 until 1987 and as executive editor of Boating Industry magazine from 1990 to 1996. Doug is a member of Sail America and is American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) certified on Marine Systems, Marine Electrical, Corrosion Mitigation, Disaster Avoidance, Outboard Repowering Considerations, and Boatyard Basics.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR