I need a boat radio - Can someone help me with a radio antena combo????

[bassmantweed]

So i am not having much luck. When I had a radio in my car is was a science where you had to have a tunable antenna and a certain amount of cable to get a radio that would be worth anything. is the same true with boat antennas?

I have the following Chart plotter:

http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Marine/HDS-High-Definition-System/HDS-5-FishfinderGPS-Chartplotter/

and was thinking of buying this radio:
http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Marine/DSC-VHF-Marine-Radios/LVR-250/

What size antenna should i buy?
What type of mount do you recommend?
What cable length should i buy?
Are there any tuning steps?

I have a 19 foot boat and very rarely go any more than 5 miles off shore.

 

[bassmantweed]

Re: I need a boat radio - Can someone help me with a radio antena combo????

here is what i went with------

1 Lowrance LVR-250 DSC VHF Fixed-Mount Marine Radio
1 Shakespeare 5206-C 8' VHF Antenna 5206-C
1 Shakespeare 4187 Stainless Steel Ratchet Mount

 

[dingbat]

Re: I need a boat radio - Can someone help me with a radio antena combo????

Where and what you do will determine the best setup for you. I run big water so the most important thing for me is range and reliability. The ability to get a call out at great distance could mean the difference between life and death .Your situation may be different so only you can assess the situation and choose what is best for your situation.

Personally, when it comes to VHF radios, I?d stick with one of the big three. Standard Horizon, Uniden and Icom all have very good reputations for building quality products. You cannot go wrong with any one of these three.

My setup:
Icom M504 VHF Marine Transceiver
Shakespeare Galaxy 5225-XP
Shakespeare 4187HD Stainless Steel Ratchet Mount