The 5 Best Dual band Marine radios (2023 reviews)

We are personally inclined towards standard horizon dual band marine radio, it is not so pricy, but it overachieves its purpose and outstanding in important aspects. Distress Alert transmissions from the HX890 will include the latitude and longitude of the vessel when the internal GPS unit is activated. It features include two scrambler systems built in, a built in fm broacast band receiver, switchable daytime or nighttime mode, waypoint and route navigation, and group monitor function utilizing dsc group position call. The remote microphone (sold separately) does act as a remore speaker and mic combo that one can clip to a lapel or shirt/jacket collar. It will handle rain and spray and very limited/briefly submerged to less than 1 meter.

The prongs are parallel to each other and are about 3/4 inch apart from each other. It could be smaller, battery is good, 3 kilometers with mountain between and it has good reception. Extension cables and wbnc fittings are available in different lengths so you can hoist an antenna up your mast, etc, for longer line-of.

Why We Like This:

Excellent choice for a hand-held vhf
Battery life is just incredible, very little drainage when shut off
Everything is setup, easy to add your mmsi

Best For Marine VHF Radio: Standard Horizon FM broadcast band

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The standard horizon fm broadcast band's superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. It is used for emergency communication in an emergent situation. It will receive FM broadcast bands between 76 mhz to 108 mhz. It comes with a belt clip that works well. It is easy to use after sticking some velcro under the clip. It is used to call coast guard, harbor master, swing bridge operator, etc. It has to be charged from time to time. This gives the radio a much smaller case design yet light enough to float face up if dropped in the water. It comes with a 12v dc adapter for the charger-base.

Why We Like This:

Can listen to commercial fm radio broadcasts and weather
Good value and works great on the boat
Exists and is recommended for casual communication
Good choice for a handheld radio

Best For hunting: Retevis current Channel

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The retevis current channel is the best reliable radio on the market today. It can float on the water until you catch it. It has 85% of the features you might ever need except some of the automated gps transmission functions. It makes your charge easier and faster. The rear battery compartment has a slide-lock fastener for use in removing the battery cover. It can connect to shore timely and smoothly while facing unexpected situations.

The radio can not be used while it is being charged because the charge port is also the headphone port so while it is charging the speaker will not work. It is suitable for use in harsh environments at sea. The output levels are switchable.

Why We Like This:

Smaller than most other handheld vhf radios and slightly lighter in weight
Use for hunting and has excellent range
Three (3) watt two-way marine radio with weather channels and 110vac/12vdc rechargeable batteries

Best For noisy situations: Retevis Dual band Marine Radio

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Retevis line of radio come in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. The RM21 ship to shore radio is designed to be heard in even the noisiest environments with high power supplied to the internal speaker. It comes with an ac adapter, charger cradle, belt clip and removable antenna. This radio also floats when dropped in the water and has a beacon light while immersed in water. It is ideal for noisy situations such as jet skis.

The channels sound clear and great quality. It comes with a very comprehensive guide to use if you're unfamiliar working with handheld radios. There is no need to worry about the time it takes to fully charge the huge 1800 mahbattery as the RM21 is supplied with a 4-hour rapid charger.

Why We Like This:

Ai intelligent noise-cancelling for crystal clear conversations
Good marine band handheld radio, solid performance, good features
Multi-color backlighting, weather (noaa), immediate channel 16, noise reduction, and tx power adjustment

Best For rugged Marine environment: Supxtark Dual band Marine Radio

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This is a nice compact radio with many options. It provides an excellent source of local severe weather info and sometimes sports and fishing news. The radio is very easy to operate and sounds pretty good. It makes it hard to test out and hard to use. The Bluetooth and USB inputs make this radio even more versatile.

The radio also has inputs for an MP3 player along with a USB connection. If you need still more volume, the radio conveniently comes with RCA outputs so you can add an additional audio amplifier if you wish. The radio is very easy to use and sounds pretty good.

Why We Like This: