{"id":7419,"date":"2013-10-02T14:55:39","date_gmt":"2013-10-02T18:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=7419"},"modified":"2017-10-23T10:51:05","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T14:51:05","slug":"the-best-shortwave-receiver-for-your-boat-or-yacht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/the-best-shortwave-receiver-for-your-boat-or-yacht\/","title":{"rendered":"The best shortwave receiver for your boat or yacht"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Updated: October, 23 2017]<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

SWLing Post<\/em> reader, Bob, recently emailed the following question:<\/p>\n

\"Yacht\"“My wife and I live on a boat and plan to go to the Bahamas this season.\u00a0We cannot afford to install a SSB radio \u2013 costs $7K to $8K.\u00a0But we need to be able to hear the weather reports and forecasts<\/p>\n

So we are thinking of just getting a SW radio receiver.<\/p>\n

A friend has purchased a Grundig satellite 750 but it does not seem to have the range, and he has not been successful connecting an antenna.<\/p>\n

I think I need a SW radio I can connect to an antenna.\u00a0I am thinking of a CommRadio CR-1 ?<\/p>\n

What do you think?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thanks for your question, Bob. \u00a0I’m going to give you a few suggestions, then open this one up to your fellow SWLing Post<\/em> readers, as I suspect there may be some with experience setting up and using an HF receiver on the water.<\/p>\n

Important<\/strong>:\u00a0As Bryan commented<\/a>, just after I posted this review, readers should note that none of the receivers\/transceivers I offer here are designed for maritime use, thus they lack features like\u00a0GMDSS, DSC and DGPS and have no extra protection from the corrosion of salt water on their circuit boards.<\/em><\/p>\n

Receivers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"The<\/a>

The CommRadio CR-1<\/p><\/div>\n

For my part, as an inlander, I think you’re on the right track with the CommRadio CR-1<\/a> or CR-1a<\/strong>. \u00a0Not only will it cover the entire HF spectrum (for HF weather fax, RTTY and many ship-to-shore communications), but it also covers VHF (64 – 260 MHz) and\u00a0UHF (437 – 512 MHz)\u00a0frequencies. The CR-1 is also a very stable receiver and covers all of the modes you’ll need (upper side-band, lower side-band, AM and FM).<\/p>\n

If you’re space conscious, fortunately the CR-1 has a very<\/em> small footprint; you could mount it nearly anywhere. The CR-1 also has a built-in battery pack and can run\/charge on an array of DC voltages (6-18 VDC).<\/p>\n

You may also wish to consider the Alinco DX-R8T<\/strong> (see our review<\/a>) or the Icom R-75<\/strong><\/a>. The Alinco has a detachable face plate, thus may also be easily accommodated. The Icom R-75 is a great receiver for your application, as well, but is larger than the CR-1 and does not<\/em> have a detachable face plate option.<\/p>\n

Again, I think you’re on the right track with the CommRadio CR-1.<\/p>\n

Another option to consider…general coverage ham transceiver<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"The<\/a>

The Kenwood TS-480SAT is full-featured, small, and has a detachable face plate.<\/p><\/div>\n

Here my advice is going to sound a bit like that which I gave reader Phil recently<\/a>:\u00a0I would strongly<\/em> urge you to get your amateur radio license.<\/p>\n

It’s a simple process–even elementary kids do it–and the license\u00a0no longer requires a knowledge of Morse code (CW), <\/em>(although I am a devotee of code and would suggest pursuing a knowledge of this at a future date).<\/p>\n

Moreover, the testing material will make for an excellent primer on radio communications, so if something goes wrong in the middle of the ocean, you’ll be better prepared to diagnose and fix it.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Yaesu FT-857D<\/p><\/div>\n

Additionally, in case of an emergency, a ham radio transceiver would provide yet another means of calling SOS to a community that is well-versed in handling emergency communications.<\/p>\n

Check out\u00a0this previous post for suggestions on getting your amateur radio license<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ham radio transceivers also offer excellent stability and the modes you’ll need to decode any voice or digital mode.<\/p>\n

Keeping in mind that you’ll need a transceiver 1) in the same price range as the CR-1, 2) that is compact or has a detachable face plate, 3) has a general coverage receiver, and 4) is rated for 100 watts of output power, I would suggest the following:<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Alinco DX-SR8T<\/p><\/div>\n