VHF Radio

[Mark Wey]

Hello and Merry Christmas from the great white North (Canada).
I am going to purchase a new VHF radio for my C-34. Which I have just purchased last October and which I haven't even sailed yet. (It's going to be a long winter) I am considering the option of a RAM Mic in the cockpit at the helm station. Has any one had practical experience on this, and could they offer some advice as to your experience? A review, Make and Model would be welcome. I saw in the Tech Notes the radio that Ron Hill has installed on Apache. (What a great name for a boat). However, with the hand held VHF I think I would prefer to go with the RAM. Any advice would be welcome.

Mark Wey

[dsavary]

Congradulations on your purchase of C34. The RAM feature is the way to go, just having the capability to change channels at the mike is worth the extra cost. You should consider digital selectivity and GPS integration features. These features will be active in the next couple of years and should be seriously considered for ocean and great lake sailors. I found that with the RAM feature I still preferred the external speaker in the cockpit. Hearing if critical where I am located because of traffic going through the Cape Cod canal and Woods Hole passage. The mike speaker is weak and I am hard of hearing when I have the engine running and a lot of radio traffic on 13, 16 and 9. Look at the features and recommendation in the large West Marine catalog. Good luck.

[Kyle Ewing]

Mark,

I'm in a similar situation, wishing my winter away having purchased Donnybrook (a 1990, #1010) in October.  I still enjoy exploring the boat while waiting for it to be launched in late April/Early May.

On my previous boat I had an ICOM M-402 with the Command Mic in the cockpit.  Prior to installing the ICOM, I intended to keep the handheld VHF in the cockpit but because of battery life and range, it didn't get used that much and ended up getting knocked around when I did get it out.  The M-402 has GPS integration with DSC.  

The only thing I didn't like about it was the mounting for the Command Mic.  I didn't have any problems with it but cosmetically, I like the way the Standard Ram Mic cable mount looks.

I'll eventually upgrade the radio currently in Donnybrook (an Apelco) to something that supports the remote mic.  If I was to buy one today, I'd go again with the ICOM.

Kyle Ewing
Donnybrook #1010
Chicago

[captran]

The original owner installed one on Voyager (#1345).  I love it.  It allows me to communicate from the helm, listen to weather, talk with bridge operators, marinas, etc.  The line is run through the pedestal.  It gets some pretty wet weather and still (knock on wood) is operating fine.  I have a handheld as a back up, but it is well worth the investment.