Marine Electronics News

Miami, FL (February 16, 2006) - At the 2006 International Miami Boat Show, Icom America proudly introduces the M504 as the new industry benchmark in mid-priced recreational marine VHF radios. Now boaters can get all the advantages of Class D DSC, something that up to now was reserved for high-end radios.

Class D DSC allows for advanced emergency communications and the latest in convenience features. Emergency in that the M504 contains two independent receivers inside the one radio, with one receiver constantly monitoring emergency CH 70. Convenience in that a boater can easily share their own and other ships’ position data without ever using the mic – the data displays on the M504’s LCD. Received position information can be transferred to a third-party GPS unit that uses industry-standard NMEA 0183, to poll whether a specific ship is within communications range and to plot their position.

The new M504 has the most impressive audio of any Icom to date. An incredible 4.5 watts of acoustically tuned receiver audio (over double some other manufacturer’s specifications!) will cut through any ambient noise you’ll encounter in a marine environment.

A built-in 25 watt hailer and 4 pattern foghorn come with the M504 as part of this radio’s great value. Icom’s “receiver-repeater” feature is built-in so the boater can monitor the M504 through an external speaker or through the hailer. It’s a handy feature when you’re busy out on the deck but you need to monitor the radio. The hailer feature may also be used for making on-board announcements through the M504’s handheld speaker mic.

The

Icon M504

is the first fixed mount marine VHF to receive Icom’s “Submersible PLUS” (IP-X8) rating. Built to survive direct submersion nearly 1/3 deeper than any other Icom marine radio, IP-X8 will keep the M504 safe when you rinse it down with clear water after a day where the radio’s been getting sprayed with salt water.Like all Icom radios, the M504 is built to survive. Icom uses a rugged, one-piece die-cast aluminum chassis for efficient heat dissipation as well as solid construction. The high-resolution, LCD display is over 50% larger than older Icom, and the M504 has a 7-level adjustable backlighting and contrast levels for maximum visibility. The control layout is ergonomic, user friendly, and offers a menu button to quickly scroll through this radio’s many user-controllable features.

All the great “usual” Icom features are present, like multiple scanning modes, dual/tri watch, optional voice scrambling, and more. “Icom’s never come out with a radio with so many boater-friendly features and innovations at such a reasonable price”, says Rick Waedekin, Icom America’s National Marine Sales Manager. “The M504 is, in our opinion, the best value of any radio on the market – even any other Icom.”

Also new is the third generation of Icom’s popular remote control option: COMMANDMICIII™. This new submersible option offers total control of the M504, DSC included, from up to 60 feet away from the parent radio. It’s like getting a second radio station on board for the price of a simple plug and play option.

Icom America expects a common “street” price of under $300 for the M504. The radio is available in black or gray. The COMMANDMICIII™ typically retails for under $150.00 and is available in black or super-white. Every Icom authorized dealer sets their own sale price.

Icom began as an engineering and manufacturing company, making advanced, compact solid-state radio equipment for use by amateur radio enthusiasts. Icom has since grown to become an industry leader with a product line that includes state-of-the-art communications equipment for land mobile and marine use as well as avionics. Icom America’s headquarters are in Bellevue, Washington. www.icomamerica.com

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 18th, 2006 at 5:54 pm and is filed under VHF. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.