VHF/GPS

HI
I just ordered a new Getaway. My question is this. I want to get a GPS and VHF radio. Any thoughts on whats working best out there? Is there a combo VHF/GPS that anyone likes ? I will be sailing in SF bay , around Santa Cruz and local lakes and think these items would make it safer.
Thanks
Paul

I do not know of a combo. If there is one it is probably expensive. I use a fairly inexpensive ICOM IC-M32 waterproof VHF. I got this one on sale for about $100. I like it a lot. I had a West Marine brand, before this, and it was junk.

As for GPS, there is a nice little Garmin Foretrex 201. It is waterproof and you can wear it on your wrist. You can save a little by getting the 101 but the 201 offers enough more to consider. By the way this is different than the Forerunner 201. The 201 will run you about $160 on ebay.

Later,
Dan

In the SF bay the best comm device is a VHF. If things go bad you can hail any passing ship and alert them of your situation. Also, most Coastie and harbor patrol boats have a Radio Direction Finder on board, so they can find your exact position quicklly! I use the Standard HX471S. It's pricy, but it works. [/img]

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Might want to check this one out. I know nothing about it, but it looks good. I might look into it.

http://www.garmin.com/products/rino520/#

Doug

I have a buddy with the Rhino now. GMRS is great when you want to talk to other people with the same set-up. I think VHF is what I need out on the water.
Paul

On Dan's recommendation (among others) I bought an ICOM IC-M32 and have read the manual and practiced using it on dry land. My question to Dan is, where do you keep the radio while sailing? The antena is pretty long, and the radio itself isn't exactly pocket size. I'll be using the 18 in the SF area.

A note on the Foretrex... Waterproof is relative. I know quite a few people who've had the Foretrex die, probably because of water injection from high speed crashes. I use an Etrex inside an Aquapac.

Brian C

I can attest to the previous post on the Garmin Fortrex 201. Mine worked fine on the 18 but when I used it windsurfing it got dunked a lot more and eventually died. When it did work it was nice to have along. I wish they would make a truly waterproof version.

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Paul


2020 Getaway
http://www.fleet297.org

I have a garmin vista C... and never really realized it was "waterproof"... after looking at the garmin webpage it says that it's waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes... Interesting.. I've never taken it out on my cat but I live on an inland lake so it's not like I really need it... I used it to track my recent sail from Newport, RI to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket on a monohull and that was fun to see..

One meter of depth is nothing on the pressure scale. If I remember my SCUBA lessons correctly, it's about the equivalent of 1.1 atmospheres of pressure. We live and work at 1 atmosphere.

The problem isn't the depth, it's the force of the impact with the water. So depending on how you hit (a violent cat pitchpole or a pooched windsurfing jibe), your pressure gradient is probably a whole lot higher than 1.1 atmospheres.

While it's nice to be able to see your speed, it's probably better that we pay attention to the road instead of the GPS when we're running at top speed. After all, you can always download the data later.

Brian C

Very true!

The waterproof bags really work well to save these units.

I saw two good storage ideas for radios that looked like they worked well. One was a pouch sewn onto the sail near the tack. It was made of window material. The other was a bag on the boom. Both looked to be out of the way and easy to access.

Paul,

What did you end up buying?

I picked up an ICOM M34 for my VHS but I am still looking for GPS.

I am leaning to toward something like the Magellan Marine with a graphical map display that I can also use in other outdoor activities and possibly even in the car on road trips.

Anyon use one of these type of GPS systems while sailing?

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2007 Getaway

I've tried the waterproof bags, and they're fine for throwing in a tramp bag, but my wife hates hard stuff in the bag. Bruises... Anyway, I also decided that it would be much better to have it with me rather than the boat, in case we get separated.

So, I've given up on the waterproof bags - I bought a PFD with a large enough pocket to carry it, and just face the speaker into my body to try to protect it a little more. If it dies in a couple of years, I'll consider it a reasonable expense for better safety on the water.

Otto,
Good thinking. I keep my GPS & my VHS in a fanny-pack and I keep the VHS in a water-proof bag. It wouldn't do me any good to have this stuff on the boat if I'm not on it, especially since I sail solo most of the time.

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Happy Sailing,

David