VHF Handheld Radios: Which Is the Best for 2021?

What is a VHF Radio?

The VHF Radio is a staple of all boats traveling the water. Largely considered a necessity, if you plan on being on the water, you should have a VHF Radio with you. This allows for communication between boats, weather alerts, and SOS/Emergency calling. Maritime law actually requires a VHF Radio on board before any other radio goes on the boat. 

The major distinction that separates VHF Radios from other radio options is the range. The longer wavelengths allow the radio signals to travel over a greater distance, which can be very useful in a boating scenario. This is different from the UHF which has shorter frequency wavelengths and makes it better at penetrating buildings and other objects. The VHF is designed to travel over large distances of open space.

If I Have a Cell Phone Do I Need a VHF Radio?

Answered quickly, yes, even if you have a cell phone it’s important to have a VHF Radio on your boat. These two communication devices work on completely different pathways and are used for very different purposes.

Cell phones communicate through cell towers. This allows them to link your phone up with other phones around the world. While this is a great way to quickly get a hold of anyone in the world, you have to be within range of the towers, which are not built out in the water at all. This means that the moment you get past the range of the onshore towers, you are without service and your cell phone is useless as a communication device. 

VHF Radios operate over open airways and send out the signal from each radio. This means that you do not need to be within range of any tower to transmit your signal. This allows you to call out from your position, regardless of how far away from shore you happen to be. This has made VHF Radios the universal communication device on the water.

What are the Benefits of a Handheld VHF Radio?

A consistent item of consideration is whether to use a handheld vhf radio or opt for a larger built in unit. This has a couple of different considerations that you must think about before you make an informed decision.

The major benefit of a handheld VHF Radio is that it is not tied down to any one place. As a result, if there is an emergency you can carry it with you. This can be very useful and serves as a way to ensure that you have communication to call for help or assist another boater. In addition, if the boat’s electricity were to be damaged at all, your handheld VHF would be operational and you would be able to call for help.

Fixed-mount units are also a valuable tool for a boat. These units have the major advantage of being attached into the power of the boat. This means that they are never without power (unless the boat is). As a result, if you plan on using the VHF Radio frequently, a wall mounted unit might be worth looking into. 

The other major advantage of a wall mounted VHF Unit is the longer range that comes with it. Because the unit is into the wall, you are able to connect it to a fix antennae. This gives that radio more range and lets you communicate over a longer distance than the handheld unit.

When looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each radio you can make the decision about which unit is a better fit for your vessel. The ideal set up is to have a wall mounted VHF Radio that you use on a day to day basis while also keeping a handheld VHF radio charged for an emergency situation. This gives you the advantage of constant communication and the added range of a wall mounted unit, while still providing you with the emergency readiness that comes with the handheld unit.

Who Needs a Handheld VHF Radio?

All boats are required to have some for of VHF Radio. This allows the boat to communicate with other boats and send out a distress call if needed. Because of their line of sight communication (can’t move past or around blockages) VHF Radios are not considered ideal for many different operations. 

There are several types of VHF Radio that we discuss in detail here (Handheld vs. Wall Mounted). Regardless of which type of VHF Radio you decide to use, you should absolutely have a VHF Radio on your boat before you take off.

Horizon HX890

The Standard Horizon HX890 is one of the top VHF Handheld Radios on the market and is largely considered the golden standard for Handheld VHF Radios. While it comes with a few features that might only be useful to high end boaters, it coverage of the essentials makes it one of the top VHF Radios on the market.

One of the key distinctions that separates the Standard Horizon HX890 from other radios is it’s long battery life. Battery life was a complaint on previous models and Standard Horizon took these complaints to heart and developed a model that has up to 11 hours of battery life on a single charge. In addition to the added battery life, the device comes with multiple different charging methods which can keep your fully operational with a long trip on the water.

In addition to the Battery Life, the Standard Horizon HX890 also addressed a major concern boaters had with the earlier models of VHF Handheld Radios. This concern was their ease of use. To counter this, the Standard Horizon HX890 created an easy to use Menu that takes the memorizing and coded language out of the equation and allows all levels of boaters to quickly get to the features that they need.

When out on the water the Standard Horizon HX890 can also serve as an FM radio. The built in radio receiver allows you to receive any FM radio signal that you are within range of. This helps provide a little bit of pleasant tunes while you haul in your next big fish.

Another useful thing about the Horizon HX890 Handheld VHF Radio is it’s ability to deal with water. The Horizon HX 890 is rated to stay operational in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. This shouldn’t be as much of a worry though because it has been designed to float. This saves you if the radio does happen to slide out of your pocket or overboard. When it’s floating you won’t have many problems finding it because of the automatic strobe light feature. The Horizon HX 890 has a water activated strobe light feature. As soon as the VHF Radio hits the water it will begin to flash in a strobe light patter (that you can change to SOS). This allows rescue workers to quickly find any sailor that may have gone overboard.

The Standard Horizon HX890 has a variety of emergency features that come in handy when they are needed. The Man Overboard features and Direct Service Calling (DSC) features are top of the line. An added benefit of the Standard Horizon HX 890 is that the GPS location is integrated into the radio which allows you to receive help as quickly as possible.

Additional features that are useful include a variety of features that keep you connected with your group. The Group Monitor function allows you to keep track of the location of up to 9 different vessels. Easily displayed in your compass page, you can keep track of your groups relative location and quickly locate them.

What separates the Standard Horizon HX890 from it’s competitors is it’s appeal to both novice and higher level boaters. This can be seen in the Dual Navigation modes that are capable with the Standard Horizon HX890. Now you can use either the Waypoint or Route Navigation systems to navigate. It also comes with two different scrambler systems to keep your conversations private.

Cobra MR HH600

The Cobra MR HH600 is a good option for the boater who is looking to stay connected. The Cobra MR HH600 is designed with several features that allow you to communicate easily. This is especially useful for the boater who is looking to stay in touch with boats as well as those on shore.

The Cobra MR HH600 comes with all of the features that boaters have come to expect in their VHF Handheld radios. Among these are Dual/Tri Monitoring features that allow the radio to monitor and pickup any call on channels 9 or 16. In addition it has access to NOAA weather alerts and comes with DSC calling ability that transmits your GPS with it.

If the Cobra MR HH600 is accidentally set into the water you can trust on the devices construction. Built to stand a little diip in the water, the Cobra MR HH600 is built to float. In addition, the Comra MR HH600 will begin to emit a strobe light if it senses that it has been dropped in water. This, combined with the floating construction, allows you to quickly locate it and get it back on board.

Where the Cobra MR HH600 really stands out is it’s communication features. The Cobra is one of the top handheld VHF Radios for communicating quickly across the water and on land. One unique feature that the Cobra MR HH600 has is the ability to have a Bluetooth Connection with your phone. This is nice because you can keep your phone tucked away in your dry bag while still being able to take calls.

While the Cobra MR HH600 lets you stay in connection with your phone, it has an abundance of features to stay in touch with the rest of the boats on the water. The Memory Scan feature allows the Cobra MR HH600 to monitor the channels that you designate. This way you can focus the scanning on several of the channels that you expect to communicate on instead of picking up every conversation on the water.

One of the unique features that the Cobra MR HH600 has is it’s Rewind-Say-Again function. This allows you to review previous calls that you may have received in case you miss them. This can be especially useful when you are busy hauling in the next big fish or are occupied manning the boat.

The other feature that is nice is the variable power. This allows you to switch between 1, 3 or 6 watts of power for transmitting. This way you can either send your signal across as much water as possible, or keep your communications more centralized.

The only downside of the Cobra MR HH600 is the limited battery life. With only 10 hours of battery life it is on the lower end, but is still more than enough for a long day on the water. The other major downside of this model is that it is a little quiet and lacks the full volume that you may need on a louder boat.

Uniden MHS126

The Uniden MHS126 is a very basic level of VHF Handheld Radio. Designed with minimal features and a short battery life, there are not a whole lot of redeeming qualities for this product.

The Uniden MHS126 does come equipped with the minimal features that you need to keep you safe on the water. It has the ability to broadcast with three different features which is nice to help preserve the battery power. In addition it has Dual/Triple Station monitoring to keep you up to date with the important stations. 

The Uniden MHS126 is also capable of handling some water. The devices is submersible and will float if it falls into the water. This is a major advantage for a VHS Handheld Radio so that it remains functioning if it is dropped in the water or you happen to be in a man overboard scenario. The Uniden MHS126 also receives the NOAA weather alerts.

Where the Uniden MHS126 tends to struggle is it’s functionality. Beyond being a basic VHF handheld radio, it doesn’t really feature many other features and devices that the average boater would want or need. In addition, the 10 hour battery life is on the lower end of the spectrum of battery life.

As a whole, this isn’t a bad product, it just falls short of providing many of the features for a boater to grow into. If you are looking to use this for quick trips out it may be a good option, but for the serious fisherman, the Uniden MHS126 lacks a few features that we have come to expect.