iComm M-34

With a gift certificate for Cabelas for Christmas I am finally in the market for a radio. 

Right now I'm torn between the iComm M-34 which floats, the Uniden Voyager which is more expensive but smaller, and the Cobra 425 which has rave reviews.

I'm leaning toward the iComm because it floats and would give me a little more peace of mind, but after a couple of searches here I've found that several folks have talked about this radio but I can't tell if anybody actually owns one. Does anyone have any experiences with this radio they would like to share?

I'm also curious if anybody uses the Cobra 425. The online reviews are great, but I trust the people in this forum more than random people on the internet who are probably not kayakers.

The Uniden Voyager has a lot of support among NCKA based upon past posts, but I'm also saving up for a wetsuit and dry top so saving the $40 difference between the Uniden and the other radios would put me that much closer to being ready for rockfish season when it opens.

I also just bought an Optio W-30 to record my catches so once I have the radio, wetsuit, and dry top I'll finally be able to get back to spending my $$$ of fishing gear again! 

I have the Icom M32Li, which is remarkably similar to the M34, and am quite happy with it. If the M34 was available at the time, I think I would have been tempted...

Scott

Trust me floating is GOOD.  The sinking ones sink...I have BTDT

Hey FJ,

I got some waders for X-Mas and in the box was a coupon for $20 off of a purchase of $150.  Let me know if you want it.  Sadly, I have no use for it.

Michael

in the box was a coupon for $20 off of a purchase of $150. 

Thanks for the offer, but I have a couple of those right now too. If it's the same one it expires January 14. I'll probably place my order this weekend, and based upon the feedback I'm going to go with the Icom if I can get it within a month. Right now they are showing it back ordered for the next 2-3 weeks. 

Yep, same one.  Just thought I'd throw it out there. 

If anybody else is planning on making a purchase of $150 or more and would like to save $20, send me a PM and I'll hook you up with the discount.  It does expire Jan. 14 though.

Michael

I've got the M34, and it seems to be just fine - banged up my wrist and haven't been able to get it wet yet, but everything seems to work as expected and the rebate check came quicker than most.

With a gift certificate for Cabelas for Christmas I am finally in the market for a radio. 

Right now I'm torn between the iComm M-34 which floats, the Uniden Voyager which is more expensive but smaller, and the Cobra 425 which has rave reviews.

I'm leaning toward the iComm because it floats and would give me a little more peace of mind, .........
.........I'm also saving up for a wetsuit and dry top so saving the $40 difference between the Uniden and the other radios would put me that much closer to being ready for rockfish season when it opens.

Well, this post confirms my faith in parallel universe theory. Fishin-Jay, I am you and you are me. I have just been thru all the same mental excecises you describe (including the christmas cabelas gift card). I wound up buying an iComm from West Marine and will use the cabelas card for some other goodies.

I can't really give you a product review because I have nothing to compare it to, but......ummmm......it works....... 

With a gift certificate for Cabelas for Christmas I am finally in the market for a radio. 

Right now I'm torn between the iComm M-34 which floats, the Uniden Voyager which is more expensive but smaller, and the Cobra 425 which has rave reviews.

I'm leaning toward the iComm because it floats and would give me a little more peace of mind, .........
.........I'm also saving up for a wetsuit and dry top so saving the $40 difference between the Uniden and the other radios would put me that much closer to being ready for rockfish season when it opens.

Well, this post confirms my faith in parallel universe theory. Fishin-Jay, I am you and you are me. I have just been thru all the same mental excecises you describe (including the christmas cabelas gift card). I wound up buying an iComm from West Marine and will use the cabelas card for some other goodies.

I can't really give you a product review because I have nothing to compare it to, but......ummmm......it works....... 

How much was the Icom at West Marine? Your parallel universe theory might be more accurate than you think! Cabelas lists an extremely long backorder time for the radio which has led me to think that I might just buy my VHF from a local store and spend the gift card on some other goodies. 

It was 169.99, which I think compares with the Cabelas price.

However the Voyager is significantly cheaper at West Marine (and everywhere else) when compared to Cabelas. I think at WM the Voyager was also 169.99, whereas at Cabelas it is 199.99?

So.....this story happened about 17 years ago.......

Jerry Dimsdale and I plus three other guys were doing the "Pillsbury Run" on the upper Eel River....god it was a beautiful beautiful day.....and Jerry had his brand new Minolta Minox Micro35-mm (Half-Frame type) WATERPROOF camera with him.

We'd eddyed out below a run in this gorgeous deep pool.....I mean.....it was so deep....it was incredibly deep.....even in clear water vision just went down and down and disappeared into blackness......it was that deep.

So Old Jerry, he has his camera out, takes pictures.....then he calls over to me:

"Judd---CATCH...!!!!!....."

And he throws his brand new camera in its BRIGHT yellow case....and that brand new camera arcs through the clear air.....and splash....falls three feet short....of my outstretched fingertips........

And in that clear water we can all see......even guys sitting in their boats a coupla-three boat-lengths away can see....that bright Minolta sinking and sinking...and nobody says a word....and we watch it getting smaller and the color of yellow dimmer and fainter.....it's just a spot of yellow color now.....and then....no yellow photons are coming back.....

It was the saddest most hillarious moment that anyone in that group had ever experienced.

Judd