Uniden MHS550 - Multi-Band VHF Handheld Marine Radio, anyone got scoop!!!

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Tom_G

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Dec 19, 2002
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I got the Uniden newsletter and they mention a new radio called
MHS550 - Multi-Band VHF Handheld Marine Radio.
It looks to be a neat little radio with Marine, weather, and AM/FM coverage.

Does anyone have any scoop on this.......
 

jeff1f1racer

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Trumbull, CT
It is sold through West Marine stores (westmarine.com) for $219.99, but you can find it quite often on sale at these stores for only $199.99. It's called the VHF250.

I bought one and returned it recently because I was underwhelmed by the following:

Audio isn't "clear" as you'd hope for. Just lacks highs.

Squelch threshold changes not only from band to band, but channels within a band. It is good, however, that there is a manual squelch control.

You can't do a scan of the marine channels, whereas you CAN do that with the ICOM M72 ($199.99, but without the other bands included).

It does have PL and DPL for FRS! But, the ICOM comes with a scrambler included in the unit (no extra cost) for Marine!

You do get alot of stuff for the price (ie LiIon batt, fast charger, extra bands). You can do a scan of the FRS freqs, since it's no problem putting its 14 channels into memory locations and scanning that. But, again, no way to do that for the dozens of marine freqs.

As an FYI, you can't detach the included antenna, but you can detach the belt clip thingy if you want to put the radio into a pouch (ala one from Lowes for around $6.99).

Don't expect ANY reception on the mediumwave band. A built in ferrite bar antenna -even a little one- would have been nice. FM broadcast selectivity is good though.

Bottomline is that you should consider separate radios for the various bands, in my opinion. I'd get the ICOM M72 (especially if it ever goes on sale for $20 off!), the cool new Cobra GMRS/FRS radio from Best Buy (includes PL/DPL Tone Scan -which the MHS550/West Marine VHF250 doesn't have!!!), and any AM/FM radio.

Jeff WA1UDB
 

Tom_G

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Dec 19, 2002
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Location
Rocky Hill, CT
Thanks,

Jeff,
Thanks for the info...
The only thing I got from the Uniden email was "Coming Soon"
I am pretty much an "Audio" kinda guy so I probably would not like that part of it.
Scanning the marine band would be nice also.
I go on vacation every summer on the Connecticut shoreline and the marine band is just hopping with action down there. I use my scanners to monitor it, but I was always interested in a marine band radio to check out.
(I need another radio, like I need a hole in the head.....:)
Thanks again for the info.... Tom/G, N1VVD
 
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