Standard Horizon HX210 6W Floating Handheld Marine VHF Transceiver

I bought this radio to replace my previous Standard Horizon handheld that I purchased in 2006. I have generally had good luck with Standard Horizon marine radios. I like that this is 6 watts instead of 5 watts. Some people say it's not a discernible difference, but that's a 20% increase in transmitting power. In my area Sea Tow runs an automated radio check service on Channel 27. You speak a few words and they play it back to you so you can judge the quality of your transmission. It's about 3 miles from my boat. I can hear the difference over my previous 5 watt radio.

The peace of mind is worth the purchase!

This is the same handheld used by the Yacht Club staff and launch drivers so it came well recommended. I had 2 fairly old Standard Horizon handhelds which would no longer hold a charge. Given their age I decided to simply replace them with this upgraded model. The problem I was solving with this purchase was battery life and this unit has done that beyond my expectations. The bonus is that it is much easier to use than the old model. Great unit.

This radio gets the job done. It is lightweight, easy to use, and floats. My only issue with it was that I bought two a few years ago. One of them no longer transmit my voice when I press it. It can receive just fine, but the mic doesn't pick up my voice anymore. This is why I'll be pairing this with an Aquapac to ensure longer durability. The safety feature where it automatically turns on (and turns on a light) when it's in water is great in emergencies, but after a wet paddle, it's hard to dry it so that it turns off. There's no manual hard shut-off to keep it from automatically turning back on when the electric nodes are slightly wet.

Pros: For a hand held it works very well. Well built. Sturdy and robust. Belt clip is not some cheap POS, but very strong. It floats and strobe comes on. I threw it in sink to test it. Unit function perfectly 15 minutes later when I retrieved it. Instruction manual very good and don't need a magnifying glass to read them. Cons: There are many functions one can set. I found most a bigger pain to set and use. (Could be unfamiliarity with using it.) Some functions are real battery killers. (Hey it's a hand held with small battery) Major gripe - Unit comes with 2 charging cables. Wall plug and cigarette lighter' plug. No USB ? The unit must be charged in it's cradle. Meaning you have to carry charging plugs AND the cradle to charge the unit. I can see that if the cradle is to be permanently mounted somewhere, but for a portable unit, what a pain.

Works Great. Great Price!