NASA Stingray 5600
NASA Stingray 5600
By Dave S
I have found this unit to be easy to use and read the channel display.
It has the normal buttons and features of most other sets. Dual watch is one feature I do like, it means I can listen
on any channel and also listen in on channel 16. The only thing I forgot was that when using this function you are unable to talk to anyone
until this is switched off. I use a stainless steel whip arial and it appears to work satisfactorily with reasonable range.
Would I buy another? Yes but it would be updated version with DSC facility now.
By Jim
The NASA SX35 is an integrated marine VHF DSC radio, this means for all the benefits to be derived you need to get a VHF license for the set along with a MMSI number.
Be careful entering the MMSI as the set only allows you to enter it once.
To gain the most benefit from DSC features you should have a GPS and connect the NMEA output from the GPS to the radio.
The user guide for the GPS and radio should allow you to do this. Ensure you set up the communication speeds etc to be the same.
It took me about an hour in total to wire it up and get it working I'd rate the complexity as being similar to adding a printer to a computer.
When all is well the GPS co-ordinates will be displayed on the screen of the radio.
Overall performance as a radio has been fine, no obvious defects on transmission or receiving.
The layout of the dials is OK and whilst the lat and long display could be bigger it is adequate.
The casing is plastic rather than metal and the set is splash proof rather than waterproof so should be mounted in a dry area.
I've seen this set advertised at just under £200 so for what you get it is competitively priced.
My one major complaint about the set is that the power cord is not detachable from the back of the set to allow for easy removal of the radio for security purposes.
Its got the usual features of channel scanning, memory scanning and transmit powers 1W and 25W. This was part of a package deal with the boat and to be honest if I was getting a brand new DSC VHF, I'd probably prefer to go for one that is fully waterproof.
Generally the unit feels quite well made and although the buttons are a
little small, I never had any problems with them. There are two switches on
the left hand side - one is the PTT transmit switch and the other is the
squelch suppress button.
When you're used to the unit, you know which iswhich, but to a beginner or someone using it in an emergency, there's the
possibility of pressing the wrong one when trying to make a call.
The combined on-off/volume switch on the top of the unit is solid enough and
has a positive click when turning on and off. The bright red Ch16 button in
the centre of the panel is obvious enough.
The battery is a NiMh
rechargeable unit which doesn't suffer from the 'memory' problems of a NiCd
battery and it a good feature of the radio. Recharging it is via a small
jack plug on the right hand side. By fortunate co-incidence, the fitting is
the same as on a Nokia mobile phone charger, so I cannabalised one to make a
power lead for use in the boat.
You will need to do this if the radio is
your main unit, as the best I got from it on it's own battery was around 3
hours use - 99% of which was just sitting there waiting for a transmission.
Actually using it to make calls would cut that time down drastically.
The output is 4W on high and 1W on low. This was adequate for me, as I never go more than 2 miles from shore. The Coastguard always picked me up whenever I made a call. You can program any number of channels into the memory, then automatically scan them in turn. It will alternate scanning each channel with scanning Ch16.
It's major weakness was it's ability to shrug off water. It's advertised as
'water resistant' but both times it got light rain on it, the unit failed.
The transmit light stayed on, and no other functions would work. I was
obviously concerned that I was transmitting (even if I wasn't) so switched
the unit off immediately.
Fortunately, after drying the unit out for 24
hours in a warm room, it worked perfectly again. A waterproof bag is
available as an option extra but makes the unit much bulkier.
I paid £120 for it, but it can be found for around the £100 mark if you shop around, which makes it one of the cheapest handheld VHF's on the market. I've now replaced it with an Icom IC-M31 which is a guaranteed waterproof unit (30mins @ 1m depth), but costs £140 - like most things I suppose you get what you pay for
In summary, the M298 is a well featured budget priced handheld VHF, suitable as a backup unit for a fixed VHF radio. It's fine it you keep it dry, but don't bank on it to work if it gets any water on it. I wouldn't recommend it as the primary radio on your boat unless you buy the waterproof bag
By Bob
I'm new to VHF so I've looked at a lot of different kit and read reviews from all the trade press. Many people I know have hand helds and I watch them get bounced around the bottom of boats and bashed in pockets as well as soaked and lost, so I decided I needed a compact fixed VHF that was easily detached from the boat to take ashore and was completely waterproof. I also realised that it should have DSC as standard for future use and second hand value.
There seemed to be nothing sensible available in the UK under £200.00 even from the mail order houses so I looked at the USA where they are plentiful and less than half the price. I was given loads of conflicting information and scare stories about how they wouldn't work properly in UK and all the channels would be wrong (?) .One dealer even suggested that the current would be wrong for use in the UK (?). At this point I decided I wasn't getting any useful independent advice and went to seek help from a strange old friend who had been using Ham radio since the year dot and the information was quite simple. If its specification stated all international channels then it'll work fine over here. If it doesn't then it can probably be reset to receive all international channels with a bit of cheap of software from the manufacturer that they send out free to their UK dealers.
The only likely channels to be missing would be the M1 and M2 used primarily for yacht racing in The UK. It wouldn't affect the ability to contact marina's as they would all function on standard VHF channels as well.
So I settled for a bargain. The Ray 53 comes with an impressive array of features. The SC-101 DSC (Digital Selective Calling) capability enables you to transmit vital emergency information including your boats identification, position and time the distress call was sent using NMEA data from your GPS or Loran. The Ray 53 also offers popular VHF features such as scan, memory scan, weather channels, dual and tri-watch and 16/9 key plus a new oversized LCD which displays extra-large channel characters, squelch and volume levels, and functional indicators.
Microphone controls for transmit (top and bottom Push-To-Talk switches), channel selection, 16/9 key, and sending of distress calls
I'm well pleased with it and will update if any problems occur in future.Shopping around it cost me under £100.00 including carriage.
The unit was reasonably easy to connect to the Garmin GPS, the Raymarine email tech support gave me all the deatils I needed for wiring them together.
Entering the MMSI number was a bit of a fiddle as there is no alpha numeric keypad, but the number entered ok and the unit displays the letters NMEA on the display to let me know that it has a signal from the GPS.
You get what you pay for, this unit is fine for my needs now, but consider a unit that has an alpha numeric keypad if your likely to do a lot of intership communication in the future.
The new Silva S10, is Silva's entry level DSC VHF .It has all the functionality of a top of the range, fully featured marine DSC VHF receiver, in a waterproof* housing. The large LCD display is able to display up to 8 lines of information, or of course single items of information in a large easy to read format.
Features:
Rugged fully waterproof* construction.
Programmable memory scan - lets you store and scan an unlimited number of your most often used channels.
Large LCD readout - Allows viewing even in direct sunlight.
Channel 16 instant access button.
Security keylock - allowing operation only on channel selected.
25 Watts output power - for clear communication even at maximum range.
Front mounted DISTRESS button with protective cover.
Waterproof* Fist/Microphone with integral numeric keypad, channel select and DSC function buttons.
Meets CE standards EN301-025, EN60945 complies with R & TTE directive for non-compulsory fit handheld VHF radios.
Specifications
General:
Input voltage: 11 - 16VDC
Frequency range: 156.025 - 163.275Mhz
Channels: 1-28, 60-88 (excl CH70).
Ch70 only receiver for DSC distress, urgency and safety (using single antenna).
RF power output: 25 Watts
Low power: 1 Watt
Current drain:
Standby: 0.3A
Receive: 0.9A
Transmit: 5.0A high power
Dimensions(mm): 79(H) X 179(W) X 130(D)
Weight (grms): 1175g
* Silva S10DSC Meets IPX-7 standard and is waterproof to a depth of 1 metre for up to 30 minutes.
Urgent Safety Notice - SILVA RECALLS EARLY S10 FIXED DSC VHF RADIOS FOR CRITICAL UPGRADE
(9 December 2005) Silva Ltd has today issued a recall for an early batch of S10 fixed DSC VHF radios. These radios carry the serial numbers 0300001 to 0401060 and were supplied to the market between December 2003 and May 2004.
Very recently Silva received feedback that an S10 DSC radio from this batch had transmitted a distress signal that was received by the coastguard. The latter successfully established contact with the vessel concerned, however the GPS position transmitted by the unit was immediately obvious as erroneous, and it is for this reason that all the units from this batch are being recalled.
The manufacturer responsible for this particular run was replaced in 2004 by a UK-owned and managed company with ISO 9000 accreditation and a reputation for excellent quality control and consistency, and tests of subsequent S10 units have shown them to be working at 100% of specification.
To ensure that the recall process causes the minimum of disruption Silva has put in place a fast and simple returns service that delivers a brand new S10 direct to affected owners while at the same time collecting their original sets for return to the company – all at no cost to themselves. Full details can be obtained by calling 01506 406288 or going to http://www.silva.se/vhf
The serial number on each S10 can be found both on the top right of the upper surface of the VHF casing, and on the outside of the box in which the unit was supplied.
Silva apologises unreservedly for any inconvenience caused, but is confident that the recall is the most prudent option in the interests of both customer safety and satisfaction.
The Silva S15 dsc radio is a very advanced and complex radio (compared to others in it's class) and needs a good read of the manual several times to take in. I'm sure it could be made easier!
By John S
I bought the navman as a replacement for a swiftech 198.
I chose the navman because of its ease of use as much as anything else.
The instructions are written in English rather than translated so they're that much easier to understand.
The radio has performed perfectly in the limited time I've had it,the speaker is more audible than the swiftech.
I've not had chance to use the DSC feature yet as there's not that many people on the system yet but I can see the sending of individual calls will be useful as will the position request.
The installation was easy and with a bit of advice the GPS interface wasn't to difficult to set up.
SPECIFICATION
Supplied with microphone, bracket and flush-mount kit.
Builds on the benefits of DSC-integrated models
Sturdy casing designed for use in extreme conditions.
Simple installation thanks to the flush-mount kit supplied as standard.
Large FTSN display (46 x 26 mm), with amber backlight (display + keys).
4 lines of text display DSC, NMEA and channels data.
Integrated and independent DSC.
DSC to a boat, a group of boats or a shore station.
Dual/Tri watch, All-Scan and Favourite Channel scan modes.
Position polling.
Waterproof microphone, 5 backlit keys.
All international channels, plus ATIS function for inland waterways in Belgium, Holland and Germany.
Local/distant feature eliminates unwanted interference in high traffic areas.
Connects easily to all GPS receivers (via NMEA), to transmit boat position in an emergency.
Saves 20 individual calls, 10 distress calls and up to 30 favourite channels.
DISTRESS button is protected by a flap and Channel 16 key is independent.
REPORT 2
By Dave
I bought the Navman as a replacement for my old radio which had one segment on the display fail.
The installation was easy although I did not install it flush, it comes with all the fittings to do this, as I remove all my electronics when on the trailer.
I have a Navman 5100 plotter so the connection was simple, however it was made even easier when I looked on the web site and found a wiring diagram on the FAQ. Well worth a look if you have any problems.
Navman FAQ
I agree with John's report and have found it has an improved range/reception over my old unit but I suspect it is mainly due to the fact that it is new and has improved electronics. Well worth the money as well as peice of mind.
By Geoff
Home web page Uniden Handhelds
(I'm probably going to get slaughtered by the purists as the unit was puchased whilst on holiday in Florida) Having said that the unit has been thoroughly tested & has all the channels in all the right places when set to the 'International Marine Channels'
There is a price to pay ($320) for the convenience of having communication, DSC and navigation capabilities in a single device but I feel the peace of mind it gives is well worth it.
This is used as a back up unit and not a primary means of navigation.
Specification
Precision engineered waterproof gasket
Easy grip knobs important for nightime use
Illuminated LCD and Key Pad
W.A.A.S. accuracy of under 5M
Sealed Rubber Keypad
Unique waterproof speaker
Full DSC (Digital Selective Calling) operation with the ability to map other boats position on the display
Magellan MapSend Streets & Destinations USA CD or BlueNav CD included
Capable of using optional Magellan BlueNav software maps
JIS7 Sumersible
Full Screen Mapping GPS
Full Navigation Screen
Calling Party Position Indication
Compass Screen
PC Interface for Uploading and Downloading Map Information
S.A.M.E. WX
Triple Watch Plus
Memory Scan
All USA, Canadian & International Marine Channels
LiON Battery
Drop-In Charger with built in Dataport
Swivel Belt clip
Speaker/Mic capable
Design
The Uniden Mystic's two-tone black-and-gray housing consists of almost all high-impact plastic, save for a thin rubber grip lining each side.
Measuring 6.8 by 2.8 by 1.5 inches and weighing close to one pound, this is one hefty handheld.
The Mystic's large (2.2 by 7.5 inches) monochrome display are 12 evenly spaced VHF and GPS function buttons, including a four-way cursor button for changing channels, scrolling through menus, or panning maps.
The display provides two levels of backlighting, as do the function buttons, and it's readable under all lighting conditions.
Features
The Uniden Mystic has all the features you'd expect in a quality handheld VHF radio, including triple-watch channel scanning; one-touch connection to emergency channels (16 and 9); access to all U.S., international, and Canadian marine channels; and multiple SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather channels.
You can also save an unlimited number of channels for automatic scanning.
The Mystic supports DSC (Digital Selective Calling), which allows you to instantly send a distress alert, or Mayday, to the Coast Guard, relaying your position, vessel name, and type of emergency. DSC also allows you to receive distress alerts from other boaters, and you can place private ship-to-ship calls to other DSC-enabled radios.
The Mystic's GPS features include 32MB of internal memory for storing optional BlueNav marine maps.
Storage of up to 500 waypoints with icons; GOTO (straight line) route creation; and a built-in compass.
The device boasts nine navigation screens, including satellite status, map position, compass, and speedometer, as well as a cursor mode that displays information relative to your cursor's position on the map.
The Mystic includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a drop-in charging cradle, a nine-pin serial data cable for PCs, and cigarette-lighter and AC power adapters.
Performance
Most handheld VHF radios are limited to a range of about 5 miles at high power (5 watts).
No problem communicating with a land-based radio while positioned 3 miles from shore, closer to the 5-mile mark, the more garbled the transmission becomes, though this is usual for line-of-sight communications.
The Uniden Mystic's GPS receiver is strong and precise, establishing a lock on five satellites within 30 seconds and navigating to waypoints with a high degree of accuracy.
The Mystic's battery life varies, depending on factors such as backlighting and mode of operation, and Uniden gives a rated time of 10 hours in continuous use with which I agree, however you can plug into a cigarette lighter socket if you wish to recharge during longer trips.
The Bluenav charts are easily installed & offer the detail you'd expect when purchasing a local chart.
The europe charts aren't listed for use with unit but they work a treat.
The software can be uploaded to the unit as many times as you like to the installed memory (no MMC card) - trips plotted at home can be uploaded & used, deleted, saved, or altered & uploaded again.
If you're looking for a budget DSC/VHF Marine Radio, then the Icom 421 Euro could be just the ticket. At the time of writing, it is on offer at less that £150 and comes feature-packed. In fact, some more expensive models would struggle to match this superb product.
Combined DSC/VHF VHF Marine Transceiver
Compact in size and easy to use, the IC-M421 Combined DSC/VHF Transceiver is ideal for pleasure craft, small commercial fishing boats or any user that require Class D DSC equipped radio for next April's EU rule changes.
JIS Grade 7 waterproof protection
The IC-M421, including the microphone, has waterproof protection, equivalent to JIS waterproof specification grade 7 *. Equivalent to IPX7 of the corresponding international standard IEC 60529 (2001). 1m depth for 30 minutes.
Compact
The IC-M421 is extremely compact measuring only 164(W) x 78(H) x 139.5(D) mm.
Built-in Class D DSC
The IC-M421 has a built-in Ch 70 (DSC channel) receiver, which monitors activity, even while you are receiving another channel. When in an emergency situation, an automated distress call can be sent with a touch of a button.
Digital selective calling features
The DSC uses a unique ID (MMSI code) similar to a telephone number. So you can make a contact with intended ID station or group directly or all ships in the area. When connected to an external GPS receiver, the position request and position report functions allow you to exchange ships position information. The polling (request/reply) function checks whether a specific ship is in communication range. A total of 100 address IDs can be programmed with 10-character address name and up to 40 received DSC messages (20 distress and 20 other calls) can be stored.
Large LCD with Dot-matrix characters
The IC-M421 has full dot-matrix display with up to 168-character capability that allows you to see a host of information such as channel number, channel name, position and DSC data etc. With the backlit display, the large buttons and knobs, the IC-M421 is easy to operate.
Loud Speaker Audio
The IC-M421 has a large speaker grille, which gives excellent audio quality from the front-mounted speaker. This results in clear reception, even over wind or engine noise.
Specifications:
Powerful, compact, combined fixed VHF/DSC at a competitive price.
Durable, stylish and compact design allows for flexible installation and long product life.
JIS7 equivalent waterproof construction. *1m depth for 30 minutes;
Simple to use operation with a large, user-friendly key layout.
Built in Class D DSC capability. Separate Ch.70 receiver built in. One push distress call operation.
NMEA Input for GPS receiver connection. NMEA 0183 version.: 2.0 or 3.01. Sentence formats: RMC, GGA, GNS, GLL.
Programmable channel comment. Automatically scrolls when more than 8 characters are programmed.
Dual/Tri watch plus multiple scans as in the rest of the Icom marine range.
Large backlit LCD with easy to read characters. Full dot LCD allows up to 126 (6 lines x 21 characters) to be displayed.
Improved standard hand-mic and speaker performance for clear voice transmission and audio.
Large front mounted speaker for crisp and clear audio.
External speaker connection possible.
Optional 3 year warranty
2-step power saver function
Supplied remote function microphone for convenient channel and transmit power selection
Up to 70 programmable channels
Simple and easy tag scanning system
Dual watch and Tri-watch functions
Low voltage indicator for low battery alert
UK marina channels included
25W or 1W output power
Disclaimer: Everything written in these reports are based on personal experience and the individual's opinion only. I have tried my best to present the facts correctly, but I/we take no responsibility for any mistakes or omissions.