New handheld vhf radio

Hi guys!
When I got in to kayak fishing 4years ago, I knew very little about the sport. I depended on the information I could find online to figure out what gear I would need. I found a Jim Sammons, liked what he had to say, and purchased 2 Standard Horizon HX870 radios for my brother-in-law law, and me. Suffice to say, after quite a bit of trouble with these radios (problems with charging and general use), we sent them in past the warranty date for service. We have been told that these “waterproof” radios have been damaged by water, and cannot be repaired. Needless to say, I’m really pissed off. The tech I spoke to even commented about how well the radios were cared for; they were sent in for service in their original boxes with all of the accessories included, including two brand-new batteries.
The short story is that I’m looking for your recommendations for a new radio. Wondering what has worked well for you. Really not thrilled with the idea of another SH product, but I want to know what has worked for you. I had hoped that when I spent that much on a couple of radios, that I’d probably be able to get at least ten years of service from them. Maybe that’s unrealistic, but it makes me mad to have to replace these radios so soon.
Tight lines everyone,
Jim

I highly recommend I-com. I have m-72 model that I’ve been using since the day I started kayaking (8-10 years ago?). Haven’t died on me yet.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=88127.0   Here's a recent discussion on that never ending question.

I'm looking for a new one myself, haven't decided yet.

That's a bummer. I've always had pretty good luck with Standard Horizons.

I'll be following this post to see what you come up with.

Did they offer a flat rate replacement ?  I thought that applied to all SH maybe it's just certain models. Love my SH

Did they offer a flat rate replacement ?  I thought that applied to all SH maybe it's just certain models. Love my SH

They offered a $50 gift card to use on a replacement. Hardly enough for me to overcome my leariness of their product and service.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=88127.0   Here's a recent discussion on that never ending question.

I'm looking for a new one myself, haven't decided yet.

Thank you for the link to this thread! Sorry for a repeating topic. Right now I think I’m leaning toward an I-com. Gonna keep researching; really want to get one this week. Going to Ocean Cove to fish on the 28th with Dennis Spike. HMB has been tough sledding this year; looking forward to trying some new water!

Did they offer a flat rate replacement ?  I thought that applied to all SH maybe it's just certain models. Love my SH

They offered a $50 gift card to use on a replacement. Hardly enough for me to overcome my leariness of their product and service.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=88127.0   Here's a recent discussion on that never ending question.

I'm looking for a new one myself, haven't decided yet.

Thank you for the link to this thread! Sorry for a repeating topic. Right now I think I’m leaning toward an I-com. Gonna keep researching; really want to get one this week. Going to Ocean Cove to fish on the 28th with Dennis Spike. HMB has been tough sledding this year; looking forward to trying some new water!

Didn't mean anything other than offering up a relatively recent thread with some info. Personally I like recurring questions, they usually end up yielding some new info and opinions based on peoples experiences...

My old Uniden still works but I don't trust it,

I've been using the SH 890.  Absolutely love the GPS and DSC functions, and with a little reading, it's a really valuable tool. Effectively a backup navigation device if your GPS/Finder was to fail. I fish in the fog a lot, so it's a nice bonus. 

FYI, I know West Marines prices aren't always competitive, however with electronics I find them well within 5% of online retailers.  The reason to buy from them is there extended warranty.  Its INSANE. I've been using it for years. 

For about $30 bucks at time of purchase, it extends any factory warranty by 2 year. This combined with the 3 year warranty from SH, makes it 5 years.  The thing is, West Marine's covers WARE and TEAR!  This means any damage at all, corrosion, or battery fatigue and you walk in there, they look you up, and you walk out with a new radio or the newer version.

Im not encouraging abusing this system, however every radio I've ever had fails to some degree within 5 years. I have replaced a few of my handhelds with this warranty, and the whole cycle starts anew. 

Just FYI

Did they offer a flat rate replacement ?  I thought that applied to all SH maybe it's just certain models. Love my SH

They offered a $50 gift card to use on a replacement. Hardly enough for me to overcome my leariness of their product and service.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=88127.0   Here's a recent discussion on that never ending question.

I'm looking for a new one myself, haven't decided yet.

Thank you for the link to this thread! Sorry for a repeating topic. Right now I think I’m leaning toward an I-com. Gonna keep researching; really want to get one this week. Going to Ocean Cove to fish on the 28th with Dennis Spike. HMB has been tough sledding this year; looking forward to trying some new water!

Didn't mean anything other than offering up a relatively recent thread with some info. Personally I like recurring questions, they usually end up yielding some new info and opinions based on peoples experiences...

My old Uniden still works but I don't trust it,

Got the standard horizon hx400 for Christmas. Haven't had a chance to test it on the water yet

Grease them poles! 

I just got a Cobra HH600W radio, and had it out last weekend. It did get wet with no issues, and has the GPS, as well as bluetooth to answer your phone. It was a quiet day on the radio overall, but sound was good for what I heard. I will say the clip is terrible though. and there ought to be a separate loop on the body of the radio for the lanyard. I'll probably epoxy the clip in place, and maybe epoxy a spot for the lanyard as well. Battery went well over 18 hrs, as I forgot to turn it off until the next day and still had power. It has the emergency distress call thing too, if you register an MMSI #