Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is a truly excellent hand-held DSC marine radio.It really has a lot going for it, although it is not perfect.
The outstanding attribute of this radio is that it supports Digital Signal Calling (DSC).This feature provides two major benefits:
1) it supports DSC distress calling ("the red button") which is a valuable safety feature.Essentially, the radio puts out an automatic distress call which includes the GPS coordinates of the radio.
2) DSC communications.Basically this allows your radio to call a specific other DSC-equipped vessel or radio by means of a digital packet signal sent on channel 70.If the digital call is received by the station being called, the radios automatically (or with user intervention, depending on which option is selected) then switch to a voice channel such as channel 69 for the conversation.This is a really nice feature that will become more and more common and essential as more vessels become equipped with DSC.This will inevitably occur since FCC regulations require all new marine radios to be so equipped.
There are other DSC features such as group calling and the ability to poll another DSC radio's GPS location.
For DSC to work the user must have an MMSI number.These are free and easy to get from the BOATS US website.
This radio is very easy to program.Within 30 minutes of opening the box, I had programmed in all of my friends' DSC numbers and figured out pretty much all of the functions of the radio.This required only occasional reference to the manual.Mostly the menus are clear and intuitive, and even have prompts contained within the menu.Most users will never need the manual after a little familiarization.If you are familiar with Vertex Standard radios, the learning curve is even quicker as the menus are very similar even as between Handy-talkies and console radios.I found almost all of the menus and front panel controls to be intuitive, not requiring the manual at all.
This radio has a built-in 12 channel GPS.It works fine and provides the user with location, Speed Over Ground (SOG) and Course Over Ground (COG).Regrettably, the GPS does not provide for programming in waypoint locations.This is unfortunate because it would have been very easy for Vertex Standard to have included this function.This would have made this radio an excellent backup for navigation.It is still a useful accessory for navigation, but less so for the lack of waypoints.You can use the radio as a compass and speedometer, and to identify the vessel's location, but that's about it for navigation.
The radio itself is very sturdily-built and is both submersible and designed to float if dropped in the water.Nice!It comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a wall charger, and a cigarette-lighter connector that allows the radio to recharge (via the charging cradle) from a 12V cigarette lighter instead of a 120VAC plug.This is useful on boats that may not have AC power.There are numerous desirable unsupplied accessories, the most useful being a spare Li-Ion battery, a battery pack that accommodates AA batteries (a very useful thing to have in a pinch) and two different speaker-mics.
A few dings.The lack of waypoints in the GPS is unfortunate.Also, the GPS readout is in very small letters; users who require reading glasses may need them to view the GPS output.The radio accommodates 24 MMSI numbers--more would have been better.
Despite the few shortcomings that I report in this review, this radio is deserving of a five-star rating.Right now this one is among the very best marine HTs on the market and it gives a lot of bang for the buck.Highly recommended.RJB.
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Product Description:
Rated "EDITOR'S CHOICE"by Practical Sailor September 2009
SAIL Magazine 2009 Pittman "INNOVATION AWARD" January 2009
HX850S 6 Watt "FLOATING" Handheld VHF with built in GPS
Standard Horizon introduces a whole new level in safely and performance in a marine handheld VHF. The HX850S is the only FLOATING VHF handheld on the market with built in GPS. The HX850S radio is designed for the highest-level boating enthusiast. This advanced FLOATING handheld VHF/GPS includes a 12-channel WAAS GPS receiver allowing the radio to transmit a DSC call with your coordinates, perfect for a ditch bag. Designed to be a work horse, the HX850S includes 6 Watts of transmit power, die cast chassis, ergonomically shaped with rubberized armor for a non-slip grip and heavy duty belt clip.
Advanced features include: Full dot matrix display with Full page Radio with channel names, Radio/Position, Radio/SOG/COG pages, SC-101 DSC Digital Selective Calling including; Position request and Position report, Volume & Squelch indication on display, NMEA output on cradle for connection to your favorite fixed mount GPS, SOS strobe light, NOAA Weather with alert and a speaker microphone jack allowing connection of optional accessories. The HX850S and HX750S are the only FLOATING handhelds on the market supplied with drop in cradle and both 110VAC and 12VDC chargers. The HX850S is backed by an industry leading 3-year waterproof warranty.
Built-in Parallel 12 Channel GPS Receiver
FLOATING - Submersible JIS-7 / IPX7 (3.3 feet for 30 minutes)
6 Watt Transmit power
Full Dot Matrix Display
Ergonomically shaped with Rubber Armor for Non-slip Grip
Large easy to ready LCD with Full dot matrix display (132 x 64 dot)
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