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(More customer reviews)I bought this handheld Marine VHF radio after reading a very positive review of it in Sea Kayaker Magazine. I won't review the feature set here, which is great(it floats!). My concern is with the reliability and customer service.
I purchased the radio last summer for use when kayaking off the Maine coast. I frequently paddle alone or with one other person. The radio was to serve as part of my backup plan in case of trouble, a failed roll etc. It had minimal use. It got wet a few times, after which I rinsed it in fresh water and dried it. It was well-cared for.
In September I turned on the radio and was greeted with a painfully loud buzzing noise. It was impossible to receive or transmit. I returned the radio for a warranty repair, got great expedited service from "Devon," and got back a working radio. Or so I thought.
A month ago it failed on me again with the same problem. What to do? I couldn't trust the radio now, even if I sent it out and came back repaired. In fact, I couldn't picture buying a new one - I'd be really annoyed with myself in my last moments if my 2nd hx750s failed to work. I bought a new ICOM M36 (so far so good) and sent the hx750s back.
In a polite and thorough cover letter I explained how I used the radio, my need for a really reliable device, and asked for a new one, not a repair. I followed up with a phone call, and got a vague response. The radio came back yesterday, "repaired." No new radio, no explanation of what was wrong. It "works" for the moment, but it isn't going out on the water.
This should have been a customer service no brainer, especially with a product that seems to be nearing the end of its life cycle (It seems to be heavily discounted). It's a critical piece of equipment, it's failed the 2nd time - replace it, and keep a customer.
Important Update: A day or two after I wrote the above, I received a very cordial email from tech support. They explained that in fact they had replaced the radio, but had attached the S/N from the old radio so that the outgoing scan would match the input from the incoming scan (the paperwork didn't explain this).
So, while I'm disappointed that the radio failed (and I'm glad I was not at sea), the repair service clearly did the right thing. Thank you. I'd be willing to give Standard Horizons products another try.
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Standard HX750s Floating Handheld VHFProduct Description: HX750S 6 Watt "FLOATING" Handheld VHFDrop it on a deck or drop it in the water the HX750S the most rugged FLOATING handheld VHF on the market. Designed to take on the roughest of seas and keep you communicating all day the HX750S is ergonomically shaped internal die cast chassis heavy duty belt clip long lasting 1150mAh Li-Ion battery and a full 6-Watts of transmitting power. Advanced features include:built-in thermometer Volume & Squelch indicator on the display SOS strobe light Programmable Scan Priority Scan Dual Watch NOAA Weather Alert and a speaker microphone jack allowing connection of optional accessories. The HX750S and HX850S are the ONLY floating handhelds on the market supplied with drop in cradle and both 110VAC and 12VDC chargers. The HX750S is backed by an industry leading 3-year waterproof warranty.FLOATING - Submersible JIS-7 / IPX7 (3.3 feet for 30 minutes)6 Watt Transmit powerErgonomically shaped with Rubber Armor for Non-slip GripVolume & Squelch indication on displaySOS Strobe lightSpeaker Mic JackLow battery indicationPreset key (Maximum 10 channels) 700mW internal speaker audioEasy to read Large LCD and the Channel indicationAll USA/International and Canadian Marine ChannelsNOAA Weather ChannelsBuilt-in thermometer sensorSelectable Power Output 6/5/2/1 Watt1150 mAh Rechargeable Li-Ion battery 110VAC and 12VDC Chargers included3 Year Waterproof WarrantyProduct : STANDARD HX750S FLOATING VHF HAND HELD Manufacturer : STANDARD HORIZON Manufacturer Part No : HX750S
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