Useful features for VHF Marine Radio

A VHF marine radio is an essential and potentially life-saving item of equipment at sea and on inland waterways such as rivers and lakes, both on safety grounds and for general communication. Some features you'll find particularly useful when choosing a VHF marine radio are:

Waterproof 

Unsurprisingly, maritime radios get wet! Ensure yours isn’t just splash-proof, but meets or exceeds the basic IPX7 rating, which offers complete protection for submersion up to 1 metre deep for at least 30 minutes.  

Take a look at the compact and lightweight Retevis Marine RM40, with an impressive IP67 rating, integrated GPS for accurate satellite positioning. The VHF model is ideal for pocket-sized, basic radio communication on board. We recommend this unit to users in the engine room / wheelhouse.

Buoyancy

Various scenarios could lead to a radio being dropped into the sea, lake or river. Some marine radios are now designed to float in the water – simply pick it up and carry on using the radio as normal.

The Retevis Marine RA26 is a great example. The unique feature of this handheld VHF marine radio is its clever Float ‘n’ Flash feature – if dropped in water the RA26 will become buoyant and emit a flashing red LED to help you find it again. Aside from this feature, the RA26 is IPX7 submersible, typically has an 11-hour battery life  and it's priced at a very affordable entry-level price-point

GPS receiver

Marine radios with a built-in GPS receiver show your current position and can be used for distress calls. Take a look at RM40. As well as integrated GPS, this top-of-the-range VHF radio is built to IP67 and ATEX specifications for use in the harshest of conditions, with many built-in safety features. The RM40 also gives you excellent battery life - expect up to 19 hours in digital mode or up to 16 hours in analogue mode.