Favorite handheld VHF?

[Mike_S]

Doh!

Last weekend I took some friends out, and had my handheld clipped to the bimini so that I could hear it, but wouldn't be too loud for the others in the cockpit.  I decided that maybe it would fall off if I left it where it was, so attempted to unclip it and  sure enough, during that maneuver, dropped it into San Diego Bay.  It was a West Marine VHF200 that was waterproof and served me well (might even still be on in 45' or water in front of the Midway ... anyway, of course that unit is discontinued (so I can reuse my car charger, spare batter pack, etc. and now need another one (side note, why does it seem that everything that breaks or is lost on a sailboat is always discontinued forcing us to upgrade?).

Thought I'd ask you folks if there is a new favorite handheld unit out there.

Cheers,
Mike

[Jeff Kaplan]

mike, i picked up the icom ic-m3a. fairly inexpensive, rated very good. highly recommended...jeff

[Stu Jackson]

Mike, I've always purchased the least expensive WM I could,  just in case of the eventuality you described.  It's like cheap sunglasses and ball point pens, ya just can't get rid of 'em, but buy a quality set, and bingo, they're gone right away.  I still have an old WM Mistral (like the Uniden Atlantis) and on the boat we have a WM middle of the road from three years ago's catalog, forget the #.  They work just fine.  You need to know our base station is a 21 year old Standard Horizon.  We're not electronics geeks.  That been said, the price difference between WM and ICOM is so slight, that it'd be "cool" to eventually buy one.  Put an ICOM sticker on one of those black WM units, like the alligator shirts from you know when... 

[Craig Illman]

Mike - I have a Uniden, it doesn't say what the model number is, but it has the three channel scan feature. Here in
Puget Sound I really like to monitor the VTS channel to hear and see where all the commercial traffic is going. I wish when I replaced my base station, I wouldn't have gotten the cheapest model and looked for a few more features.

Craig

[Phil Spicer]

I too have the icom m3a. Got it when it first came out. I just had to get new rechargeable batteries this spring. It has always done its job.
Stu, I have access to a decal/sticker machine & can make anything.......How many icom stickers would you like & what size?

[Michael]

Mike - Like Craig's, mine's a Uniden (President LTD 925), bought about 1997 or so I think and still running on the original rechargeable battery. The scan feature can cover at least four channels: good in this area for watching two Vessel Traffic channels and Ch16. I love it...but then its the only portable I've had.  Happy hunting. Michael MacLeod #1352

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Mike,
I just bought a Icom-m32 from WM a few months ago and am very happy with it. Reportedly it floats

Another Mike in San Diego

[Mike_S]

Thanks folks!  The floating model sounds like it might be a good option for me, given my butterfingers!

Cheers,
Mike