Standard Horizon HX400 Handheld VHF Radio
- Brand:
- Standard Horizon
- Part no:
- HX400
Image: Fisheries Supply
Where to buy
Specifications
- Mounting
- Handheld
- Transmit power
- 5 W
- Waterproof
- IPX8
- Battery life
- 18 h
- NOAA weather alerts
- Yes
- Battery
- 3200 mAh
The Standard Horizon HX400 is a handheld marine VHF radio with a selectable 5 or 1 watt transmit output. It carries the USA, International and Canadian marine channel sets, plus NOAA weather channels with a weather alert function. A 3200 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated for about 18 hours of talk time, and the radio is submersible to IPX8, 1.5 m for 30 minutes. A noise cancelling microphone and a built-in voice scrambler are fitted, and the internal speaker is fed 700 mW.
Our take
The HX400 pairs a 3200 mAh battery rated for about 18 hours with IPX8 submersion protection to 1.5 m for 30 minutes. That means a long stretch between charges and a radio built to survive a brief dunk on deck or in a dinghy.
From our buying guide
Standard Horizon says range depends far more on the antenna than on transmit power, and that a handheld on its stock antenna at sea level may only reach a mile or two. It has its own battery and antenna, so it keeps working if the boat's power fails.
Check before you buy:
- It has DSC and GPS if you want a distress button that sends your position, since handhelds are not required to have DSC.
- The waterproof rating comes with the maker's depth and time, since IPX8 has no fixed depth or time.
- The maker says it floats on its own, since some float only in an optional case.