Standard horizon gx1700 ,any input?

[chucko]

I saw the active cap special of week was the standard horizon GX 1700, has DSC and gps built in, for under 200$ and also a 40 buck rebate, seems like a Deal for the $, can anyone chime in ?

 

[colbysmith]

I don't believe the 1700 has an AIS receiver, but that may not be important to you. Colby

 

[thataway]

The GX 1700 is a good deal at that price. What the built in GPS does is to avoid the issues of hooking up to a chart plotter to get the GPS position for the DSC. You have to have an MMSI number for the DSC to be utilized.

As Colby notes no ASI receiver--and I sure appreciate that feature.

Also no loud hailer/fog horn. Rarely is there use for a Loud Hailer on C Dory 22--but the automatic fog horn is very nice to have--and we have used ours on occasions when we are running in the fog, with radar....If you don't run in fog--then not important. The Standard Horizon with all of these features, will cost $200 more...

 

[Aurelia]

We run that model on our current boat and have been very happy with it.

Greg

 

[chucko]

Good catch on the AIS Colby,I didn't realize that. I don't know if I want to pay double for that feature, or just wait on technology to catch up,thanks everyone for the feedback

 

[thataway]

Good catch on the AIS Colby,I didn't realize that. I don't know if I want to pay double for that feature, or just wait on technology to catch up,thanks everyone for the feedback

If you boat on the ICW or major harbors with commercial traffic, AIS is worthwhile.

Not sure what you mean by waiting to technology to "catch up". I doubt that AIS will change in the next few years. The cheapest stand alone AIS receiver is $200, and to use that requires some technical work in hooking it up.

I checked on the comparable Icon (506) and it is the $600 range with AIS. (Granted it does have a recorder) There are several models of the Icon 506--the most expensive having the AIS--and it costs about $200 more than the model which does not have AIS..You can buy the Icon circuit board for AIS for about $200 to put in a 506 which does not have AIS...

For the Standard Horizon with AIS, you also get the loud hailer, fog horn, and capability to put in an intercom if you wish (??)..for that extra about $200.

 

[colbysmith]

Move up to Standard Horizon's GX2150 (w/o GPS) or GX220 (w/ GPS). They both have AIS receivers as well. I had no problem hooking my 2150 up to my chartplotter, which provides the GPS signal. I've also used the Fog Horn capibility a few times on Lake Michigan in fog. Actually, it's nice hooking these newer radios up to your chartplotter anyway, just to see the DSC or AIS information right on your larger chartplotter screen. The VHF Radio screens are usually smaller, and most of us mount them in positions that don't provide the best view, other than to change channels. Colby

 

[thataway]

It appears that the 2150 is discontinued, but the 2200, is only $325 minus the $40 rebate, on Amazon. ($285)

Agree with Colby ref putting the display on a chart plotter, I have an older 5" Garmin which I dedicate to the AIS.

 

[Jazzmanic]

I'm sure it's probably the connection but my 1700 unit doesn't start up at times and will just start on its own 5-10 minutes later. Or it dies out for no reason then takes its time restarting. And the sound is sometimes very scratchy and hard to hear at times but I'm sure that's due to my poor soldering job. I'm going to redo the wiring and soldering this winter.

That's my experience with the SH 1700, obviously not so good. YMMV

Peter

 

[hardee]

I saw the active cap special of week was the standard horizon GX 1700, has DSC and gps built in, for under 200$ and also a 40 buck rebate, seems like a Deal for the $, can anyone chime in ?

Chucko, that is a good price for a decent VHF and with the internal GPS (and the aforementioned MMSI), you have DSC service available. This would be an excellent radio for a second VHF, but that is assuming you already have one with an AIS receiver mounted on board. If not, then it would make good boating safety sense to invest in the Standard Horizon GX 2200, which will have the internal GPS AND it will have the AIS receiver built in. If you are not familiar with AIS, study up on that before you pull the trigger on the 1700. There is plenty of information here on the site about DSC, AIS and second VHF use. (Go to the search button and type in AIS. Enough there for a days worth of reading.)

AIS receiver capability provides instantaneous important collision avoidance information, very useful in meeting and crossing situations with commercial vessels, and many recreational vessel that are running AIS class B transceivers. Once you get used to having that, you would not go back. It would be comparable to having a boat with a speedometer and gas gauge to one with a speed log (taffrail tail) and a dipstick for fuel monitoring.

JMHO, YMMV.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[chucko]

Thanks Sleepy C for the reading AIS suggestion, I think I'll hold out for the AIS option.

 

[hardee]

Thanks Sleepy C for the reading AIS suggestion, I think I'll hold out for the AIS option.

Chucko, You are welcome. I think you will be glad you did. For me, I consider it an added safety feature, and now, it would scare me to go out without it. (That is why I have it available through duplicit redundancy. :roll: :lol:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon