COBRA MR HH600 HANDHELD VHF

In my mind, no seagoing vessel should be without a backup handheld VHF radio, and the floating Cobra MR HH600 has fulfilled this role nicely aboard my boat. It’s packed with a reassuring range of safety features, including DSC calling, one-touch DSC distress functions, built-in GPS, MOB button, instant access to National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather channels, emergency weather alerts, and an LED flashlight that can broadcast a visual SOS in an emergency.

This VHF also features Bluetooth connectivity that allows the radio to serve as a speaker and microphone for your mobile phone. It has proved handy when my phone was stowed for safekeeping. It can also redial the last phone number called.

In its primary role of VHF voice communications, it boasts a maximum 6 watts of power; a noise-canceling microphone for clear conversations; all US, Canadian and international channels; the ability to scan an unlimited number of channels; and the signal meter that lets me gauge the strength of incoming and outgoing transmissions. The rewind-say-again feature allows me to replay inbound transmissions to make sure I understood them.

This IPX8 waterproof radio has a “burp” function that clears the speaker grille of water if it goes overboard. I found the illuminated screen and buttons easy to view and use. The rechargeable battery seems to last forever. $209.95; cobra .com