I'm looking to get a Standard Horizon HX460S that is on sale at www.sailnet-inc.com for $229.95 plus a $50.00 rebate. It seems to be an excellent radio but expensive... What is everyone else out there using? Any opinions? Anything just as good (5w transmit) but CHEAPER? I look forward to the replies... Robert Florida, USA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> I'm looking to get a Standard Horizon HX460S that is on sale at > www.sailnet-inc.com for $229.95 plus a $50.00 rebate. It seems to be an > excellent radio but expensive... > > What is everyone else out there using? Any opinions? Anything just as > good (5w transmit) but CHEAPER? Pobably there is nothing cheaper, speaking of good compact waterproof units. Icom M1V used to be the cheapest (from $185), same features, but with this rebate HX460 is even cheaper, $179.95. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
/"I'm looking to get a Standard Horizon HX460S that is on sale at /www.sailnet-inc.com for $229.95 plus a $50.00 rebate. It seems to be an /excellent radio but expensive... /What is everyone else out there using? Any opinions? Anything just as /good (5w transmit) but CHEAPER? /I look forward to the replies..." I use the Horizon 350S since the last six years. It was when purchased, one of the most expensive hand held submersible. It proved to be a good investment. The radio has been used in all kind of conditions, kayak or sailing. Michel Charlebois Montrial, Quibec *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I just checked out the radio. It looks really good. The one thing the ad doesn't say that it comes with is an adapter to use AA batteries. This is important if you're ever going to do any trips where you are away from "shore power" for an extended period. I have a Humminbird - the cheapo model that was on sale at West Marine a few years back for $79. It's big and heavy, the numbers are small and hard to read, it's not waterproof so it always has to be in its waterproof plastic sleeve, and when I bought it it didn't have an AA battery adapter. (It does now.) But it works fine. Obviously, the $79 price tag was the key selling point. I'm forced to kayak "on the cheap." ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert A. Glantz, Jr." <r_glantz_at_bellsouth.net> > I'm looking to get a Standard Horizon HX460S that is on sale at > www.sailnet-inc.com for $229.95 plus a $50.00 rebate. It seems to be an > excellent radio but expensive... > > What is everyone else out there using? Any opinions? Anything just as > good (5w transmit) but CHEAPER? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordon Snapp" <grsnapp_at_charter.net> To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> > I just checked out the radio. It looks really good. The one thing the ad > doesn't say that it comes with is an adapter to use AA batteries. This is > important if you're ever going to do any trips where you are away from > "shore power" for an extended period. I once left my 460 on for 5 days and it still worked. I didn't transmit during those 5 days. Jim *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I've been using the SH HX460S for three years, since it first appeared. I am perfectly happy with it, other than the fact that I'm on my third unit. The unit lives in a pocket on the front of my PFD. The first unit survived all sorts of nasty stuff, but succumbed to corrosion induced by a materials flaw in the original battery pack. Electrolytic corrosion of the metal body eventually rendered the seal worthless, and high pressure impacts from 6+ foot breakers finally killed the electronics. Replacement took quite a while, despite all my begging and whining. Second unit (complete with a newly formulated battery that resolved the corrosion problem, supposedly) died the first time I ate a wave face. That replacement occurred much quicker. This new unit doesn't go get to do all the things the first two did. I'm protecting it until a new special housing I've ordered arrives. My research has revealed that "submersible" is a very relative term. Submersible specs (JIS-7), which is as far as "submersible" radios go, is 3 meters for 30 minutes. But that's in flaccid water, like a bucket. Take a vertical wave face, even just 3 feet high, moving at 7-10 miles an hour, add your opposing speed of say 3 miles per hour, and you have an instantaneous pressure equal to 100+ feet. JIS-7 doesn't go there. Period. I'm not sure if I was lucky with my first unit, or the second one just sucked. But it's made me reticent to trust the third to a watery fate. So I researched and snooped and nosed around, and finally found a truly waterproof solution, that will let me continue to keep my radio in my PFD front pocket where it's instantly available for emergency and group communications. In fact, these guys are using me as a test case to create a truly waterproof throat mic and ear piece specifically for rough water kayaking. An aquatic Guinea Pig, so to speak. All this is no real concern if you don't spend time in surf zones or rock gardens, or other wave impact areas. In a lot of cases, one of those vinyl bags is just fine protection, if you leave it in your hatch. I arrived home more than once back when I used a Apelco 510 (big and heavy) "waterproof" radio in a vinyl bag, stored on a retrieval line in a pack pouch on my PFD, with the radio floating in a bag full of water, like those tropical fish you see people carrying in plastic bags, on their way home from the pet store. Those pouches aren't JIS-7 waterproof, for sure. And I can't fit one in my PFD pocket. The Icom M88 is highly rated. It's all the rage in the radio "media" at the moment. But it's more expensive. Meets the same spec, but it's supposed to be military rugged. Can't say if it's really any more rugged than the HX460. I haven't had a chance to beat one up. They look cool! I'm going to put some photos and field test info for these waterproof cases on my web site when mine arrives (the project involves custom manufacturing from a dead radio housing I had Standard Horizon send them). For the mic gear as well, although that's just a pet project of mine (I've had mixed success with a "submersible" lapel mic for the HX460S). I expect it soon, although I've been doing that for a while, as my order was preempted by a military top priority job. But I would expect to have some review info up in April. The bad news, of course, is that this approach will add buck$ to your radio purchase. But the good news is, if you could find a non-waterproof cheapo radio that met all your other requirements, one of these cases would render it even more waterproof and submersible and water-impact proof than the most expensive marine handheld on the market. But I have no idea what the final price tag is actually going to be. I may get a freebee, or maybe a big discount for being the AGP (aforementioned Aquatic Guinea Pig). I'll post test impressions/results when I get the case, and have a chance to beat it up. At that time I'll post my URL to the photos/data, if it wouldn't be considered a commercial post or endorsement sort of thing. Anyway, that's my long-winded two cents worth. Mitch McKinnon Vancouver Washington ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert A. Glantz, Jr." <r_glantz_at_bellsouth.net> To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2004 8:12 AM Subject: [Paddlewise] VHF radios: What is everyone using & opinions? > I'm looking to get a Standard Horizon HX460S that is on sale at > www.sailnet-inc.com for $229.95 plus a $50.00 rebate. It seems to be an > excellent radio but expensive... > > What is everyone else out there using? Any opinions? Anything just as > good (5w transmit) but CHEAPER? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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