One Tough Floating Handheld VHF Radio
Looking for a tough handheld VHF radio, that’s both waterproof and floating? Recently Icom sent me an IC M36 to test for an article I’m working on, and it has all of these attributes and then some. More on that article later, but for now, I was impressed enough with the IC M36 that I [...]
Looking for a tough handheld VHF radio, that’s both waterproof and floating? Recently Icom sent me an IC M36 to test for an article I’m working on, and it has all of these attributes and then some. More on that article later, but for now, I was impressed enough with the IC M36 that I thought it merited a separate mention here on the blog.
This is a six-watt handheld, which gives you a hair more punch then the average unit’s five watts. It has a couple of claims to fame, including an auto-volume adjustment that detects high levels of ambient noise (such as engine noise) and automatically gives you a volume-boost when necessary. It also has a noise-canceling mic, to cancel out those ambient noises when you transmit.
You can find out most of this stuff easily enough by going to Icom’s web site (www.icomamerica.com), but here’s what I discovered while giving it a thorough torture-test: this sucker is super-tough. Its casing survived multiple drops to the deck, 10-foot falls onto hard asphalt, and other similar abuse. Even after its screen was smashed in, the radio kept working. If you want a unit that can take a real beating, make sure you check out the IC M36.
How much do you have to pay, to get a super-tough waterproof handheld that floats, puts out six watts, and cancels out ambient noise both coming and going? The IC M36 lists at $310, but you’ll find real-world pricing ranges between about $180 to $200. I’d love to share a few picture of the torture-test with you now, but that’ll have to wait until the article runs. (Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when and where!) In the mean time, here’s what one looks like fresh out of the box:
The Icom IC M36 is one tough floating handheld VHF radio!
