The stock fan only runs when the PA gets very hot. For digital modes, this is insufficient.
He hesitated. The TKM-707 had saved him twice—once in a whiteout, once when the main engine died and he needed a tow. Respect. But also, it was just atoms.
: These allow the radio to transmit outside of the pre-programmed marine ITU channels, often covering the full 500 kHz to 30 MHz range that the receiver already supports.