Standard Horizon HX851
First Look at a Next Gen Handheld

The Standard Horizon HX851 is an updated and enhanced handheld VHF radio based on the very popular HX850S, which at the time of its release was the first marine handheld VHF to integrate a GPS receiver.

This latest version of the radio adds significant navigation capabilities. You can use the HX851 to steer to a waypoint, store up to 200 waypoints, and navigate to a DSC position request call.

Standard Horizon
HX851

It also has the ability to store and recall with a single button push 10 of your favorite channels.

Like its predecessor, this Standard Horizon handheld VHF floats, has 6-watts of output power, and has a built-in 12-channel GPS receiver.

This radio is built on a die cast frame with polycarbonate housing. One new feature on the HX851 is a luminescent--glow in the dark--gasket between the case halves. This should make the radio much easoer to locate in the dark.

The HX851 ships with both an automatic AC charger and a 12-volt DC charger. It uses an 1150 mAH lithium-ion battery pack.

A large dot-matrix display screen with 132 x 64 pixel resolution is used to display data. According to Standard Horizon the HX850 screen choices with show--radio and position data--radio, course and speed data--waypoint navigation--and a compass display.

Other features on this Standard Horizon VHF handheld include significant DSC functionality, programable channel comments, NOAA weather channels, weather alert, and all US/International and Canadian channels.

This radio also has a water activated SOS strobe light.

Its rated waterproof to the IPX7 standard meaning it can be submerged to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes without sustaining any damage.

The radio carries a 3-year warranty on the radio and a 12-month warranty on the battery.

As soon as I get my hands on this radio I'll running it through a battery of tests.

You'll see my report here.