"Rod McInnis" wrote in message
...

"Mitchell Gossman" wrote in message
om...


I was thinking
about going with a handheld marine radio - are they inadequate?



The handheld marine VHF can be an excellent choice, especially in the San
Francisco Bay area. The Coast Guard stations are close enough and have
their transmitter/receivers at a tall enough elevation that a handheld
will
easily communicate anywhere in the bay and for a significant distance off
shore.

The handheld also has the advantage of having its own battery source so if
your distress is the result of total power loss the handheld will still
work. Most of the Marine handhelds are also water resistant (which your
aviation radio might not be) which means that it will survive the wave
that
sweeps over the deck. You can also take it with you if you are forced to
abandon ship.

If you desire to monitor the radio for long periods of time then a fixed
mount radio that operates off the boats cabin battery system is your best
choice.

Rod



I guess it all depends on where one boats and how far off shore they may
travel. Hand helds have a 5 mile range, or so I understand. I always had a
hand held as a backup. We kept in the master as a weather alert when
mooring or anchoring overnight.