"When we received the pre-production samples of the VHF650 at West Marine, I borrowed one and installed it on my Zodiac RIB. The first thing I noticed was that its short chassis fits the console perfectly and doesn t protrude like the old radio. It s also a cinch to use, since the dot-matrix LCD display has a scrolling menu function that makes it easy to set up DSC functions and to change display settings. It even has a pre-set low-voltage alarm which has reminded me more than once that I need to crank up the engine (while it s still possible!) Since this is a full Class D DSC radio, it has incremental digital capabilities for monitoring the locations of other DSC-equipped boats and for sending distress messages which are coded with the nature of the distress (including piracy which, while not common in California, might come in handy elsewhere ). All in all, a compact radio at a great price." Replace your old marine VHF today and get one-touch distress calling! Automatic distress calls, round-the-clock