I also have found their user interface to be somewhat confusing for a non-technical person – a concern when you have a crew member using the radio. ICOM is the favorite of my radio-geek friends, but it had features I didn’t need, and required a pretty thick cable run between the nav station and the cockpit, something that was really quite difficult with the current layout.

NMEA 2000 connectivity or stand alone GPS.

DSC capable (as if you can buy anything that isn’t nowadays).

Easy to use – mainly for crew members in case of emergency.

Wireless or thin wire remote station for cockpit.

Then I began my search for a replacement VHF radio and remote station.

That alone improved the quality of the transmissions on the existing VHF radio dramatically. I found poorly installed push-on connectors at both ends which I immediately replaced with soldered connectors.

My first order of business was to check the VHF cabling from the radio to the mast itself. Grace had a functional VHF, but I couldn’t hear it from the cockpit at all. Not being able to hear when the Washington State Ferries are departing various places around the bay makes me nervous. Besides being an important safety device, I also listen to it religiously when in Elliott Bay because of the sheer amount traffic going back and forth. The VHF radio is extremely important on the boat. Note: I no longer recommend this radio after having major issues with the wireless handset and scanning.Īfter a lot of thinking and considering, I ended up going with B&G’s V50 base along with an H50 wireless handset, a VHF splitter, and updated VHF antenna from Vesper.

I also wanted a DSC capable radio for my crew to use in case of an emergency because of it’s ease of use. That experience was early on in Grace’s life with me, and the VHF radio, cabling, and antenna were absolutely abysmal. After last year’s first official trip and a rescue where I spent almost 2 hours on the VHF radio with the Coast Guard, I made it a priority to upgrade Grace’s capabilities to be more safe and usable.

V50 vhf radio nmea 2000 network