Vhf radio

I'm looking at getting a vhf radio and based on price I'm trying to stay around 100 and am looking to get the cobra mrhh350flt is this a good radio what would you get ? Thanks!

 I currently have three radios and feel like that's more than I need. If you might be interested PM me and I'll give you description and price. Sincerely, Amos

It floats.  It has a 6w transmitter.  It picks up NOAA weather advisories.  Lots of folks like the performance and durability of Cobra radios, in general.

It's has pretty minimalist feature set but you'll be a lot better off with it than without it.

Spend a few extra bucks & buy a standard horizon or ICOM.  I believe SH has some rebates going on now too.  A FAR better quality product vs. Cobra.

Thanks for the responses. I was looking at the icon and standard horizons but all were around 200-250 or more. What features should I look for in a vhf? I know floating is something I'll want plus have it one of those waterproof radio bags just in case. 5w transmit power. Are there any other key factors in a vhf?

I like a radio to have an emergency button. That transmits on 16 for coast guard. You don't want to have to fuss with changing channels during an emergency. Floating is good, but a tether is fine or tying it off to a float. So I don't worry too much. Maybe a different story if I lose one. I grabbed a midland on ebay for 50 bucks. Waterproof, 5w with emergency channel. Group scan and wx. It works fine. Try to remember that just because it has a 5w transmitter dosent mean it's pushing that much. Heck the rubber antenna cuts it in half.

I just got the icom m36 this morning since over the weekend at the a-hull meet, everyone had vhf. I figure since I will be going out in the ocean soon, I better grab one and get used to it.

Its a tad bigger than I thought. Not sure how I am going to mount it on my pfd vest.

 
  Sadly while preparing for the O'Neil Forebay F&C I dropped my old Uniden VHF and it landed right on the On/Off volume /Squelch knobs and now it has no squelch.  I may try and open the radio and see if I can repair/reattach what may have broke.  Radio still operates, just can't silence it

I've got the Standard Horizon HX851.  I think I got a pair of 'em for about $250 or so about a year ago.
Very nice unit for what I do (fairly light use). Probably overkill, actually. 

Good: works well, sounds intelligible, floats, has an LED flashlight for emergency use and picks up weather stations (I end up using this way more than I thought I would, at least when camping). Has GPS.

Bad: it's freaking huge, barely fits in the PFD. The menu structure is labyrinthine, rendering the GPS feature (main reason I got it) nearly useless--the feature actually works well, it's just a PITA to remember how to use it for navigating. Yes, I now get why folks move that function over to their fishfinders instead of their radios.

I just got the icom m36 this morning since over the weekend at the a-hull meet, everyone had vhf. I figure since I will be going out in the ocean soon, I better grab one and get used to it.

Its a tad bigger than I thought. Not sure how I am going to mount it on my pfd vest.

How much did you pay for this ?

I've got the Standard Horizon HX851.  I think I got a pair of 'em for about $250 or so about a year ago.
Very nice unit for what I do (fairly light use). Probably overkill, actually. 

Good: works well, sounds intelligible, floats, has an LED flashlight for emergency use and picks up weather stations (I end up using this way more than I thought I would, at least when camping). Has GPS.

Bad: it's freaking huge, barely fits in the PFD. The menu structure is labyrinthine, rendering the GPS feature (main reason I got it) nearly useless--the feature actually works well, it's just a PITA to remember how to use it for navigating. Yes, I now get why folks move that function over to their fishfinders instead of their radios.

I figured I would get the GPS as part of the fish finder. Probably more useful for me there. I think I'll try this cobra and if it doesn't work well I can always sell it and spend the 200 plus on another vhf

  Sadly while preparing for the O'Neil Forebay F&C I dropped my old Uniden VHF and it landed right on the On/Off volume /Squelch knobs and now it has no squelch.  I may try and open the radio and see if I can repair/reattach what may have broke.  Radio still operates, just can't silence it

I was also looking at a couple uniden models which one do you have and how does that work for you, before it was dropped.lol

I just got the icom m36 this morning since over the weekend at the a-hull meet, everyone had vhf. I figure since I will be going out in the ocean soon, I better grab one and get used to it.

Its a tad bigger than I thought. Not sure how I am going to mount it on my pfd vest.

How much did you pay for this ?

it was 165

I personally prefer a NON-floating VHF. In order to make them float they have to make them weigh less (and make them more bulky). That usually means including a smaller battery. If I find myself in a sketchy situation, the last thing I want to worry about is my VHF battery.

My VFH stays tethered to my PFD at all times, so it does not need to float.

One feature I use a lot is the scan. I like to monitor several channels at once (including ch. 16).

I use an Icomm IC-M73 radio, and it works great. Not sure what MSRP is, but you can score one for around $180 on Amazon.

Buy your VHF radio from West Marine.  They have a good return policy just in case you break it down the road.