RE: [Paddlewise] VHF

Chuck Sutherland asked: What waterproof VHF radio do you like best for
carrying on your PFD? If you carry it other than on your PFD, what is your
system and choice of radios?
    I carry a vintage -- now discontinued -- Standard HX350S -- so old it was
made in Japan!  Imagine that.  The rechargeable battery eventually went out,
and was by then discontinued, as well, but the radio came with a second
battery housing that accepted six AA alcaline batteries.  That, along with the
durability of the unit, has made it most valuable.  I have experienced slight
leakage at the seam between the radio body and the battery pod, but a tight
turn of black electrical tape puts a solid seal on the assembly.  An excellent
radio -- all the bells'n'whistles of its day.  For a while, I also used the
accessory mic/speaker widget that plugged into the HX350S -- very handy in
that it kept the speaker up next to your ear -- but less rugged than the
radio.  ("Designed in Japan.  Made in China.")  It's now at best intermittent,
and has returned to the land of the lost radios drawer.

It is pretty easy these days to get boaters to carry cell phones, even though
their use is discouraged by authorities. Who has experience with waterproof
cell phones?
     Like Jim, I carry a Casio "G'zOne" cell phone.  Ugly, utilitarian, and
waterproof -- one meter for 30 minutes -- with limited camera capabilities but
a nice little flashlight feature -- part of the camera flash.  I have an older
version of the G'zOne -- the "S" model -- and there are newer versions with
better features that are slightly less ugly.  It's also incredibly tough, and
has survived many falls to the pavement with little damage and no loss in
capability.

Jack Martin
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