InterceptRadio.com Forums

I'm taking the test next week for Tech.... I had one about 15 years ago and let it expire, getting it again now.... but I long ago sold my old Alinco.... I'm looking for recommendations on what to buy... I'm thinking I need at least 2m/70cm and wondering about 6m and the 220 range stuff... I'm thinking I'll start with a handheld and get used to things again with the portability...

your best bet if you want 2m/70cm and to play around on 6m and 220 might be to check out the new VX-8R from Yeasu. $395 at http://www.hamradio.com Covers 6/2/220/440 with wideband RX, built in APRS with an optional GPS unit. If I was in the market for a new HT I would seriously be looking at one of these.

_________________
Tim - KD7DEY

You may want to do your homework about the XV-8R. I have heard a lot of people are having issues with these radios. Google VX-8R and read what people had to say about it. I know that the VX-7R is a good solid radio and is cheaper...

Motorola bought Yaesu a while ago and this is the first HT to come out since then. Quality=result of the take over?

_________________
I taste copper.
Comments, views, opinions - and trails of destruction - are my own.

yea the 7R is solid, until the 8R is vetted or you know someone who has one to talk to them rather then read the always hateful internet reviews. either way get the 7R or 8R best little rig you can have for the money IMO then go get a mirage dual band amp for 150 bucks and you have a portable/ mobile install radio that will double cover your needs.

_________________
If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
_____
DE K7MHI

I've been digging and seriously considering a couple options:

1) Kenwood TF-6A
2) Yaesu VX-6R or Yaesu VX-8R
3) ICOM IC-92AD

The only reason to do the ICOM is DSTAR, not sure if it's worth the big money :-)
For tthe VX-6R to 8R there's a big price difference, is it really worth it?

I really like the features of the Kenwood but I'm hearing strong recommendations to go Yaesu or ICOM.... I do have bigger hands and am a little worried about the tiny size of the Yaesu....

no reason to get D* for your first radio it isnt that cool around here yet (will be) but nothing amazing you cant do with the free copy of echolink. till you get into the hobby. dont get me wrong Icom is a great company but for your first handheld might as well save some cash till you get ideas of how you use the hobby.



7R not 6R, and if your asking the question on the price difference get the 7R and dont worry about the 8

if your worried about the size of the yeasu then worry about the size of the kenwood, I thought it was smaller. Im a big dude and the yeasu is just fine for me.

looks like 220 was a band you wanted, I dont know of a lot of users around here other then marine but I strongly you google the phrase..

kenwood TH-6A or Yaesu VX-7R

lots of posts and compares

sounds like you dont want to buy yeasu :) I would recommend then that you buy whoever your recommending elder ham is. If you have a radio influence who has the radio that you have tested and likes it buy the same, then they can show you how to use it. I think this group is mostly all big fans of the yeasu7R as its a very awesome radio for a lot of reasons, but anything you want to buy is fine- as you likely will sell it for something better! so go for a Alinco and save the cash till you figure out how much yappin you do. I for one listen more then I yap - so its not always in my best interest to buy the biggest radio on the block. If your in the metro area then you dont need anything better then the Alinco as everything you do will likely be repeater use. Spend the extra cash on a antenna to put outside the house. Thats the best way to get into the hobby and then scale how much cash you want to dump into the property. I love it so much I just bought a new house because my old one was a RF-Hell-Hole.

_________________
If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
_____
DE K7MHI

Thanks, that was helpful!

I'm not against Yaesu, but have never held one before. Got ahold of one from my "advisor" today vx-5r and that was very helpful.... I'm liking the yaesu a lot more now :D

Why are so many folks for the 7R and not the 8R?

8R is real new, so new that up until a few weeks ago you couldn't find them

so you have a few things going, 1) untested radio 2) people dont like change 3) people dont like to spend 300$ on a radio(the7R) and 8 months later its "old news" so naturally you hate the new one.

also the 7R will freeband which a lot of people like.

the 8R has GPS for APRS and bluetooth, which is real slick - I will upgrade if it has no major issues over time. But basically my 7R rocks and I dont need that other stuff right now, and have better things to do with 400$ then get APRS and bluetooth.

If you got the cash buy it.. :)

_________________
If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
_____
DE K7MHI

My personal favorite - the Kenwood F6A

It's been around a bunch of years now, so the "bugs" have been worked out (not that it had any to begin with...).

It does full power on 144, 220, and 440 (5w high power).

6m in a handheld (especially on a duck) is about useless unless you are right near the other station or repeater. 6m ducks are really inefficient, and I don't miss it in a handheld.

It has a real versatile receiver - will pick up most AM broadcast stations no problem, and will do an "ok" job on other HF bands (though an external antenna is probably a must, and don't expect very good selectivity).

The battery life on the Li-On battery is pretty good - though the stock batteries can't be charged in a drop in (have to use the wall wart). After market batteries and quick chargers are available.

Down side - the stock duck rather sucks on 2m and 220. It seemed ok on 440, though. I regularly use a Comet HT-224, and it works real well on all bands with that antenna.

Also - I really wish there was a "moderate" power level. Low is 50mw, Medium is 500mw, and then it jumps to 5w for high. A mid-range like 1 or 2 watts would be real handy - but, it's a minor thing.

It's my personal daily driver radio. Good overall performer, and fairly easy to use/program.

Brad/N7JGX
Whidbey Island, WA.

_________________
Whatever.....

A couple more questions:

1) Freeband? do you mean mod so it can xmit outside amateur bands? I had done that with my old radio because I worked with county & city emergency mgmt and used their freqs (with permission)....

2) Kenwood - darn it, I really like the looks and sound of the kenwood. I really want dual receive and you have to get that or the Yaesu vx-8r to get that feature (at least in the radios I'm looking at). I'm new so APRS isn't such a big deal and I don't envision talking so much I need bluetooth...

As you can tell I'm now totally waffling. I really like the TH-F6A because of high power and what seems to me to be the most useful bands for Puget Sound (2m, 1.25m, 70cm). I like the looks of the VX-8R because it does all these bands and dual listen, as well as some features I may grow into. But as you said it's $110 more. Rather not throw money away if I don't have to :-)

sigh. I think I need to physically hold an ICOM and a Kenwood. Might have to road trip it to Portland saturday....

Some very good points brought up on this thread. I own a VX-7R and am happy with it. As previously said, the VX-8R is very new and people are already discovering some problems. I'll probably get one down the road if/when the bugs are worked out but would rather have the VX-7R for the time being. 6 meters from a handheld is basically worthless due to antenna inefficiency so at that point its a tossup with the Kenwood F6A. Both are good radios.

Technically that's illegal. Equipment doesn't have be certified to be used inside the ham bands (that's why we can build our own radios) but it does on the other bands. It's cool to use a regular, certified PLMR radio on both, but not the other way around. Which sucks because the ham radios are more feature rich.

Dual receive--The VX-7R cannot transmit and simultaneously receive on another band as some other "dual-receive" HTs can, but the dual-receive on any combination of bands functions reasonably well. The "Sub" VFO is limited to frequencies around the 50, 144, and 440 amateur bands, while the "Main" VFO has a much broader frequency coverage.

its actually not illegal - its clearly stated that it is legal in the case of a emergency.

as for the hardware that is licensed by the FCC you arnt supposed to modify hardware to transmit in other then its purpose - but then again you can legally apply a MARS patch. also what about radios you build and what about for emergency use... and thus the gray area that will forever keep people debating the use of a freeband radio.

****
i say go to Portland and play around and buy on the seat of your pants. get the 8R and tell us how it is. Also I see that you have a lot of interest in 220 but I didnt think there is much in the way of repeaters in the area for them, I know of two major systems that have a patch but are there many active 220's

_________________
If I had an antenna, I would; but I can only transmit on 160 meters.
_____
DE K7MHI

Oh - and another thing....

My personal favorite band is 220. A lot of the country is a 220 wasteland - fortunately, the Puget Sound region isn't one of them. Lots of good repeaters on the air, and they are mostly quiet. Just enough activity to be interesting, but not obnoxious.

That still brings me back to the F6. Great radio. Probably couldn't go wrong with the VX-7, either....I just prefer higher power 220, and have no use for 6M in a portable.

Brad/N7JGX
Whidbey Island, Wa.

_________________
Whatever.....