Quote:
Originally Posted by brwhite
WALLEYE651: Oh I was thinking of both! I just want the best handheld waterproof radio. Period. Don't care what frequency it's on!
I was looking at the cobra 425s, seemed like a radio we can use for the drive up and then switch to vhf on the water.
So what are the rules with VHF? Does anyone use it? Are there issues with other groups on the same channel (I read there aren't very many)? Are you going to get in any trouble joking around on it?
does the 425 have a removable antenna? I'm still toying with the idea of a large antenna!
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The antenna on the 425 is larger than any GMRS one that I have seen but I don't think it would be practical to look at replacing it with a larger one. Or even possible for that matter.
You do need to be aware of the VHF rules. IF I remember correctly, US citizens can operate VHF radios without a license on US inland waters and Canadian-US border waters. But you need a Canadian license to operate inside of Canada. I know there was some discussion about getting rid of the license requirements for both countries for non-commercial use but I don't know if that ever amounted to anything. Canadians also need a license for in the US non-border waters. Also, you do not want to get caught using a VHF radio on land. That is what is nice about the 425's - you can switch to other frequencies when needed.
You can obtain a course book from the Canadian government for taking the license test. It cost about $25 if I remember. I do not have the contact information of where to get it readily available.
If anyone knows if the licenses are no longer required I would like to hear about it.