Built tough to withstand the punishing marine environment, the Icom IC-M502A fixed-mount VHF radio is a must for safety-minded boaters. The commercial-quality radio is outfitted with a host of valuable features, including a large backlit LCD display with multiple contrast levels, an intuitive, easy-to-use keypad, and a rugged waterproof housing that's submersible in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. More significantly, the radio works with all 57 U.S., 61 Canadian, and 57 international channels, along with 10 weather channels from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). The VHF channels offer an ideal way to communicate with other boaters--whether exchanging information on a hot fishing spot or sending out a distress signal--while the NOAA channels notify you when inclement weather is approaching. Aesthetics aren't a concern thanks to the radio's compact 4-by-6-inch front panel, which is designed to blend seamlessly into your cabin console or dashboard. And users with moderate to poor eyesight will love the LCD's full dot matrix characters, which stand out in virtually any lighting scenario. The integrated microphone, meanwhile, is finely tuned to pick up voices while minimizing ambient background noise, such as a boat engine, wind, or seagulls. As a result, both casual conversations and urgent distress calls come through loud and clear.
The IC-M502A offers several scanning modes, including an auto scan function that starts scanning whenever no signal is detected, a traditional scan mode that searches through all the tag channels in sequence, a priority scan mode that does the same but also monitors the distress channel (number 16), and a weather alert option that immediately switches the radio to the appropriate weather channel when a storm warning comes through. Users will also dig the Dual Watch and Tri-Watch functions. The former lets you communicate on a channel of your choice while also keeping an eye on emergency channel 16, while the latter monitors two channels--channel 16 and another channel--while receiving a third channel. The pair of "watch" modes guarantee that you won't miss an important emergency call from a distressed boater while your attention is otherwise engaged.
As with other high-quality fixed-mount VHF radios, the IC-M502A comes with built-in Digital Selective Calling (DSC), which lets you send a formatted distress message in an emergency. DSC activates an instantaneous, continuous "mayday" signal that identifies your vessel, reports your position, and time stamps the message. Users have their choice of up to 40 distress IDs, and they can store up to 40 received messages (distress or other) in the radio's memory. As a bonus, the IC-M502A is also compatible with GPS receivers, letting the radio send your GPS position to other boats, or it can poll the GPS location of another vessel and display the latitude and longitude on your LCD screen, provided the navigational device accepts the NMEA data format. The polling function also checks whether a specific ship is in your communication range.
And by adding the optional HM-127 CommandMic (sold separately), users can control all available functions of the IC-M502A from a remote location, such as from the deck or the fly bridge. In addition, the CommandMic doubles as an intercom, making onboard communication easier than ever. Other details include instant access to channels 16 and 9, compatibility with UT-98 or UT-112 voice scramblers for communication privacy, and a sleek black housing.
Named the best fixed-mount VHF radio of 2002 by the National Marine Electronics Association, the IC-M502A measures 6.5 by 4.34 by 3.16 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a three-year waterproof warranty.
What's in the Box
IC-M502A radio, hand microphone, mounting bracket kit, spare fuses, DC power cable, user's manual.
