I have a small boat and was wondering if handheld VHF's work as well as a larger, mounted VHF radios?

i carry a raytheon ray 102,it's waterproof to several meters for 30min. great battery life and easy to use.but i think they are all pretty much the same. would not get one that is NOT waterproof. it will get wet!

Handhelds don't work as well as fixed mount, but its less about the power and more about the antenna.

Here is a good article on handhelds.

http://www.powerboat-reports.com/sample/vhf.html

EL, there are a number of good quality handhelds out there but none of them will compare to a fixed mount when it comes to range. The top end handhelds with a fully charged battery is going to have a 5-7 mile range, where as a cheap fixed mount with a "good" antenna should have a 20 mile line-of-site range.
I wouldn't hesitate to go with a "quality" handheld for Puget Sound use but would suggest a fixed mount for the Straits, and would definitely have a fixed mount on the coast with a handheld as a back-up.
P.S. been meaning to introduce myself for a while, I worked at Godfather's pizza about 15 years ago with you and your brother Craig, also , enjoy your Redondo reports, grew up fishing the pier and trolling just about everywhere from Redondo to Defiance.

AKKings, thanks for your advice! Godfathers huh......Man, that is going way back. I was just a pimply faced pup with an attitude back then. Your first name is not Allen is it? If it is not, do tell so I can travel down memory lane and put a face to your name.

Scott D, delivery driver, moved with Jane (manager) to Kent store and became her asst man.

Now I remember! You are the guy who had that run in with the guys on Lk Fenwick Rd, huh?

Don't remember the incident on Lk. Fenwick rd. but I do remember delivering to the bachelor party with 2 strippers, best tip I ever got.

Didn't you have a problem with some guys who pointed a gun at you and held you hostage for a while then told you it was just a joke?

Damn I forgot all about that, probably going to have nightmares now. Must have blocked that out with the strippers.

It is etched in my mind forever! I will never forget the look on your face when you got back to the store.

face was nothing, should have seen my shorts

OK, enough of reminising (spelling), good to hear from you Scott. Craig will freak out when I tell him I ran into you on this board.

Say, I have a friend who lives in your part of town, Alderwood. I travel to the north end a couple of times a season for fishing with my friend. We should "hook" up sometime if you know a killer spot to fish. Or you could visit the south Sound again. I am hitting the Green for the rest of the month and then some. Have boat will travel!

Hey, that would be cool to hook up, unfortunately, I won't be able to show you any hotspots up here as I've only fished this area (Puget Sound) a couple times, south of Seattle is a different story.
Were you into fishing this much back then, if so I wish I had known. Back in my single days, if I wasn't working, I was fishing, around 200 days on the water. Shortly after my Godfather days I got my capt. license and started guiding up in Ak.
If your ever near the Everett Mall, I work at Boaters World about a 1/2 mile from there, stop in and say hi.
Currently live about 2 miles from Alderwood Mall.

I just got back into fishing a couple of years ago. I was not into it when I was in school. Now I do it all the time, year round. I know some good spots down in this part of town. If you are sittin' around and want to catch some fish let me know. I am more than willing to travel. I know areas 8-2 and 11 pretty well.

Two features that I find most important:

Truly submersible, not water resistant. I want to be able to call for help while I'm bobbing around in my life jacket.

Lithium-Ion battery, not ni-cad. Remember the old, bulky cell phones that went dead after 3 phone calls? The new phones have L-I batteries that are smaller and last for days.

I recently got a ICOM IC-M1V.

SQ, thank you.

Like Slabquest I also bought a handheld VHF by Icom..I was able to communicate from off Tatoosh to Sekiu ...20 miles..with this radio...that was unobstucted line of sight.Great radio..I agree with the battery advise although you can buy rechargeable LI batteries and use them with any radio that comes with AA capabilities..Don't go too cheap if you are considering a hand held vhf...