Shop VHF external speakers at West Marine.
What the URL address on this page refers to as “external vhf speakers” encompasses several types of speakers: single-function VHF speakers, intercom speakers, PA horns, and loud hailer horn speakers.
Single-Function VHF External Speakers
The simplest type of external speaker offered on this page are Poly-Planars’s Compact VHF Speakers which are single-function speakers that enable boaters to hear their VHF radio above the din or an engine or howling winds.
Intercom Speakers
Intercom speakers like Standard Horizon’s MLS-300i speaker simplify communication with crewmembers onboard. They are used along with an intercom device, VHF or hailing device with intercom capability.
Loud Hailer Horn Speakers
Loud hailer speakers, like Standard Horizon’s 5” Round Hailer/Foghorn Speaker and Shakespeare’s 40W Loud Hailer Horn Speaker are designed for use with hailers or VHF radios with loud hailer capability.
About Hailers and Intercoms
Many VHF radios have a loud hailer function which (when used with a loud hailer horn speaker like those by Shakespeare or Standard Horizon mentioned above) enables you to make your voice heard from a distance—which beats yelling! Along with amplifying your voice for a distance, most also have a “listen back” feature, which enables you to hear others from a distance.
Intercoms allow you to chat with people in different areas of the boat, which can be helpful as boats become longer than 50 feet or so.
Hailers and intercoms are generally a powerboat item, although large sailboats use them as well. One handy feature of hailers is that they can act as automatic fog signals, which must be sounded at specific intervals under the International Rules of the Road.