Standard HX350S Is Top-Rated WaterproofHandheld VHF RadioIn our bench tests of seven waterproof VHF radios, the Standard stood outin both performance and value. The Garmin VHF 720 and Icom M1+ failedtheir dunkings.

From left to right, the Standard HX350S,Uniden HH940P, Icom M15, Icom M1+,GarminVHF 720, Raytheon 106 and Raytheon 102.

VHF radios are the key to getting help in most emergencies on the water, making theirreliability critical. That's why waterproof handheld VHF radios make so much sense. Untilrecently, they've been expensive. Prices have dropped, though, and there's a handful ofthem to choose from.

Before we go forward, we must answer this question: How does one define “waterproof”?There are a number of standards, developed both in the United States and Europe. Theprincipal U.S. standard, CFR 46, subpart 110.20, defines a “waterproof machine” as one thatcan withstand a stream of water from a 1" nozzle of 65 gallons per minute for 5 minutes fromall directions without leaking. The standard does not intend to cover immersion.

For boat owners, there are two categories of waterproofness to which devices such ashandheld VHF radios ought to comply.

The first is rain or spray that might damage a radio if left outside in the cockpit or when beingused in the open. The second is immersion, which is not as likely, but could occur if the radiowere dropped. We tested for both simulated rain and immersion.

Testing ProceduresWe found seven handheld VHF models marketed as waterproof, water-resistant or sold withwarranties against water damage. Their range is generally 3-5 miles, depending on antennaheight and output power.

After charging for approximately 20 hours, each was connected to our communicationsservice monitor, and its basic functions were tested to industry standards. For each radio, wenoted transmitter output power, deviation, frequency error and receive sensitivity. In all cases,the radios tested within acceptable limits. This was interesting because the seven radiostested range in price from $170 to $400 discount.

Each radio was then individually exposed to a handheld shower at a distance of 1' for 5minutes. Each was manually rotated to ensure direct exposure to water on all sides. After thedousing, we first checked for the operation of the radio’s buttons, controls and display. Audioquality was checked for degradation. The radios were then immediately retested for the same

technical parameters previously listed and any changes noted. This ensured that we couldidentify a radio that seemed to be fully operational but was actually degraded by waterexposure.

Radios that survived were then further tested for water-resistance by being placed in a bucketof clean tap water. The radios were turned on and set to channel 16 prior to being droppedinto the water. Each was removed at any indication of a problem. All radios were removedafter 30 minutes. Those that apparently survived were again bench tested, and thenresubmerged for an additional 30 minutes.

Test ResultsThe chart outlines each model and the results of our evaluation. Measured technicalparameters are listed. Note that most radios did not have a power output exactly asadvertised. Being a few tenths of a watt low will not significantly affect the range ofcommunication you can expect from your radio. All the models tested had very good receivesensitivity and were acceptably close to transmitting on the assigned frequency.

Click here to view Value Guide: Handheld VHF Radios.

Modulation levels should be set as close as possible to the legal maximum of 5.0 kHz.Several radios tested below 4.5 kHz. While this is acceptable, if we were repairing these wewould turn up the level slightly.

Certain important features are listed for each model. All had one-button direct access tochannels 16 and 9. Additionally, some models offer the ability to decode the weather alerttone transmitted by the National Weather Service in the event of a severe weather warning.This feature allows monitoring for weather problems without having to tolerate the constantdrone of the local forecast.

In our opinion, the low-battery indicators on VHF handhelds cannot be relied upon. Anaccurate indicator would take the guesswork out of knowing when you should recharge theradio. All models tested except the Icom M15 have a low-battery indicator—for what they’reworth. A more positive indication, of course, is when the VHF radio begins to sputter, flash orsound fuzzy. If this happens, it’s time to recharge. Don’t start worrying about damage unlessthe radio continues to behave abnormally even after being recharged.

Each radio was rated for waterproofness, ergonomics, its accompanying battery charger,audio quality and overall performance. Radios with the highest waterproofness rating on ourchart survived the longest and remained functional. The failure points are described in ourindividual analysis of each model.

The ergonomics rating indicates the ease of operating each radio, especially with one hand,as well as the clarity of its display, and includes an allowance for size and weight. Audioquality was rated for loudness and fidelity. To be usable, a VHF handheld should be audibleover a moderate amount of background noise. Unfortunately, the trend toward smaller radiosand correspondingly smaller speakers makes this a considerable design challenge.

Some of the radios we tested included desktop chargers that failed to hold the radio securelyin place during rough conditions. Our charger rating indicates the appropriateness of thestandard chargers for the marine environment. Note that better optional chargers areavailable for some models. For the overall performance rating, we included the results ofbench testing and our experience using each radio for several days.

Since our last two tests in 1996 and 1998, SMA connectors have become the norm for theantennas of better VHF handhelds. This style of connector is small, secure and can easily bemade watertight. Adapters to attach an external antenna are available from most retailerswho sell these radios. An adapter for the stud-mounted antenna used by the Standard isalso available.

Raytheon Ray 102 (Apelco 520) and Ray 106The Raytheon Ray 102 and Ray 106 radios are nearly identical. The Ray 102 is also soldunder the Apelco brand name. Both of these are well-designed, compact radios.

The Ray 102 is light gray in color and is supplied with a 600 milliamp-hour (mAh) Nicad batterypack. The Ray 106 has a rubberized dark gray finish and includes a larger 1200 mAh Nicadbattery. An AA alkaline battery holder, belt clip, lanyard, carrying case and mountabledesktop charger are included with each of these models.

The Standard HX350S islarge but fits the handwell. It's our highest-ratedhandheld.

Volume and squelch knobs are on the top of the radio with five push-buttons and a channelselector rocker on the front panel. A panel light switch is below the push-to-talk switch on theradio’s side. The battery packs are held in place by one large screw.

These are full-featured radios that also include a weather alert function and three-leveltransmit power selection, for full power—3 watts or 1 watt. The Ray 106’s charger alsoincludes a discharge function to aid in keeping the battery in top condition. During testing,both of these radios performed very well. Audio output could be louder and was only slightlydistorted. Neither radio failed after being submerged for more than 1 hour. The Ray 106 issold and labeled as having 6 watts of transmit power. But during testing, it only produced amaximum of 5.4 watts, which was only marginally more than the 102’s 4.95 watts.

Following the dunking, we found a moderate amount of water between the battery pack andradio of each model. Had we tested the supplied AA battery holders, they would have filledwith water. We would have appreciated Raytheon letting us know that these were notwatertight.

As we have come to expect from Raytheon, the manuals were excellent and include technicaland service information.

Bottom line: The Ray 102 and Ray 106 are excellent radios but not our top choice. The 102is a better value. We recommend the more expensive 106 with its larger battery only ifextended operation is anticipated.

Uniden HH940PThe Uniden HH940P was the smallest model tested and is probably the smallest VHFhandheld currently on the market. The cost of its minute size, however, is its feeble 1-watttransmit power output. This makes it most suitable for use over short distances and not as anemergency radio. The HH940P is marketed primarily toward personal watercraft (PWC) users,an application for which it is ideal. Its light weight and slim profile allow it to easily fit in apocket or even be clipped to a swimsuit. Its display is top-mounted and easily visible withoutremoving the radio from your belt.

The radio is controlled by seven push-buttons and a rocker switch located on the front panel.Our only complaint with this design is that volume and squelch adjustments require twooperations, first selecting the desired function and then adjusting the level. Uniden includes aspring-loaded belt clip, lanyard, 400 mAh battery and desktop charger. An AA battery pack isnot available.

During testing, the Uniden HH940P performed exceptionally well. It met or exceeded itspublished specifications and did not waiver after being submerged. Its receive audio wasadequate but slightly tinny. Uniden’s manual is good but contains no technical serviceinformation.

Bottom line: The Uniden HH940P is an excellent radio. We recommend it highly for PWCusers or when a more powerful radio is not needed. But we would like to see an AA batteryholder and a larger 600 mAh battery pack.

Garmin VHF 720The Garmin VHF 720 is compact and lightweight but boxy in design. All controls are buttonson the front panel. Six individual buttons and a four-way button pad along with two addedbuttons above and below the PTT switch control all functions. Its display is large andreadable. Garmin includes a plastic belt clip, AA battery tray and a lanyard. It is sold without arechargeable Nicad battery pack and charger. These items must be purchased separately. Itis a full-featured radio with weather alert, scan and tri-watch functions.

The Garmin VHF 720 failedour dunk test and the chargercontacts gave us trouble.

Garmin’s drop-in charger is a unique design—a simple plastic holder. The cable from a wallpack transformer snaps into the holder and is intended to make contact with the radio’scharging contacts. This approach probably saves money but is unreliable. We had significantdifficulty ensuring a good connection to the radio. Furthermore, there’s no indication that theradio is properly connected and charging. We don’t think this is acceptable.

Garmin markets this model as a waterproof and submersible radio. During testing, the 720survived its shower test but failed within minutes of being submerged. Even after a full dayout of the water, this radio did not resume operation. Water droplets were clearly visible underthe display.

The Garmin 720 is rated at 3 watts of transmit power. All test parameters were withinacceptable levels. Garmin’s manual is good.

Bottom line: The Garmin VHF 720 cannot be recommended as a submersible handheld VHFradio.

Standard HX350SThe Standard HX350S is the company’s newest model VHF and is being marketed as fullysubmersible. It is sold with a drop-in charger, belt clip, lanyard, watertight AA battery tray,1100 mAh rechargeable battery and DC charging cord. This makes it the most completepackage tested.

The HX350S is slightly larger than all of the other handhelds tested except the Icom M15, yetit fits comfortably in one hand. Volume and squelch controls are conventional top-mountedknobs. Seven buttons on the radio’s front and two additional buttons above and below itsPTT switch control all functions. All customary features except a weather alert function areincluded. The 350’s display, with its extra large, extra visible 3/4" channel numbers, isespecially notable. Receive audio quality was very good.

During testing, the Standard HX350S performed flawlessly. No performance degradationoccurred even after the radio was submerged for 1 hour. Its battery compartment remainedcompletely dry. Standard’s manual is good but contains no technical or service information.

Our only criticism of the HX350S is that its stud-mounted antenna does not allow for the easyconnection of an external antenna.

Bottom line: The Standard HX350S is an excellent radio and is fully submersible, even whenoperated with its AA battery pack. We highly recommend this model, our top choice for both

operated with its AA battery pack. We highly recommend this model, our top choice for bothperformance and value.

Icom M15The Icom M15 is the company’s first waterproof VHF radio. It has been available for a numberof years and was previously tested in our first look at waterproof VHFs. The Icom M15 wasthe largest and heaviest radio tested. Ironically, it also has one of the smallest displays. It issupplied with a rechargeable battery, metal belt clip, lanyard and desktop charger. Thechannel selector, volume and squelch knobs are located on the top of the radio. Five smallbuttons on the front control all other functions.

Since our last test of the M15, Icom has not made any ergonomic improvements to thismodel. Its buttons and display are too small. Most importantly, there is no direct access to theweather channels. Weather as well as international channels are chosen by rotating thechannel selector. This scheme is not only slow but makes it easy to land on an internationalchannel instead of a U.S. channel.

The Icom M15 did very well during testing. It remained operational and within specificationswith no evidence of water intrusion. Speaker audio was slightly distorted at high volume.

Bottom line: The Icom M15 is well-built and performed well. However, this model needsupdating, in our opinion.

Icom M1+The Icom M1+ is identical to the M1 model that we previously tested except that it is suppliedwith a higher capacity 1050 mAh battery. A lanyard, belt clip and wall-mount drop-in chargeralso are included. This model’s flat design and well-placed controls make it ergonomicallysuperior to the M15. Volume and channel knobs are located on its top. Five push-buttons aresmartly arranged on the front to allow one-handed operation. The wall-mount charger worksbest if mounted. If not, it must be used while lying on its back and does not securely hold theradio in place during charging.

The Icom M1+ passed the shower test. However, compared to the other radios, weexperienced severe distortion when the speaker was wet. After immersion for 30 minutes, theM1+ continued to perform well. However, when it was resubmerged for an additionalextended period, it failed within a few minutes. Later that day we noticed a considerableamount of water under its display.

Icom’s manual needs technical information.

Bottom line: The Icom M1+ was previously our top choice among waterproof handheld VHFradios, but is no longer due to its failure of our immersion testing.

ConclusionWaterproof handheld VHF radios have come a long way in the past several years. Eventually,we expect all but the least expensive VHFs to be fully submersible. Not tested this time butstill available on the market is the Navico Axis 200, a good but expensive radio that we don’tthink has much appeal in the consumer market.

It is especially pleasing to see both increased competition and product quality in thewaterproof handheld VHF radio market.

We can't recommend the Garmin or the Icom M1+ because each failed our submersion tests.We'd go with the Standard simply because it was the best all-around performer; the Raytheonradios performed well, too, and they're in the same price range as the Standard. They're ourrunners-up. The small Uniden works effectively, but its limited 1-watt transmitting powershouldn't be relied upon for transmitting emergency messages, the most important duty of aVHF radio.