What kind of Radio For Lake Erie

[sherman51]

the antenna is the most important part of your system. go with the 8' and if you have the money get a good one. i know the cheap ones work and will contact the coast guard. but it was the best investment i,ve made in a long time when i upgraded my antenna. i can hear and talk so much farther, and gets a clear signal.
sherman

[PatSea]

Sherman51 is right! Don't focus so much on the radio, but buy the best antenna possible. It is much more important than the radio. The important factor with a VHF radio is to have the furthest range possible. If you have an emergency you want your broadcast to go as far as possible to have the best chance to be heard. The distance (range) that an antenna will broadcast is equal to 1.32 times square root of antenna height above the water. Also, make sure all the connectors are good quality. A lot of radio problems are introduced by poor connections.