Icom M72 VHF Radio Cheatsheet

The Icom M72 VHF radio or M73 is a great compact handheld with a good form factor. It transmits at slightly greater power than most handhelds, is extremely loud, offers IPX8 submersible protection, and uses a shorter antenna that’s as efficient as a standard sized antenna. It also includes every feature a kayaker or canoeist might want.

For years, I’ve been using an Icom M72 VHF radio and love it, so I’ve created a handy cheat-sheet to carry around with me that shows button commands to get into the more complex features. The cheat-sheet also includes a handy cheat-sheet covering the basics of good radio talk and a step by step list on how to call out Mayday, Pan Pan, Securite, and Station to Station. It’s useful for everyone with a VHF radio. Although, you’ll probably won’t refer to the cheat-sheet during an emergency, it’s nice to have in camp or during role-playing practice sessions.