Offshore Communications

They told you the right thing

What you mentioned in your post is correct thing to have offshore. I would with out a doubt get the auto tune. The icom700 is a great maching for the money and is the only source of long range communications offshore in that price range. Uless you want a sat phone but It will cost you

Wh yA auto tune

Well the auto tune helps lock on to the signal better. when you are on the water you are not in ideal conditions. the auto tune will track the tuning and help bring in the receptoin better. Every time you program a freq. into the ssb you will need to calibrtate it and set the correct tuning before you can recieve a clear signal. Now when your onthe water it will change as you move and rock. The auto tune will do this for you and works better. Hey ask guys who own them or try and find some one with and without a auto tune and compare. But my reccomendation is a auto tune Hope this helps good luck

both! Never enough when it comes to saftey!>>>>

You could never have enough Safety equipment! If the Sat phones are that cheap I will actually have to look into myself. I remember when they first came out it was like 3 grand for one? I guess now like anything else it has dropped. But I still use a SSB and find many of the boats out there use them to communicate long range. Like I could call my buddy before I leave the dock and find out what is happening in the canyon? So the more the better for safety is a good motto to follow.