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Looking to buy 2m/70 mobile

M

m6rkw

Member
Aug 31, 2009
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Having taken the advice from a user on this forum i am looking to buy a 70cm/2m mobile unit.

I have ready many reviews and more often than not then contradict one and another..

Being very new to radio i just want to make sure i get the best i can for the money i have got ( as we all do i guess )

Then theres the d star option, not much around where i live but i do travel, alot.

I was thinking icom 2820h which im told is good but has a realy random set of reviews on eham..

so whats the best..?
 

Mark,
I would suggest that you decide on a list of 'options' that you just don't think you can live without. That 'D-stars' being one of them, cross-banding, etc. There are some abilities/options that after trying them, you'll wonder why you thought they were necessary at all. (Cross banding is just dandy, but how often do you think you would do that? Same for 'D-stars'.)
Different brands do programming in different ways. I have a Yaesu '7800. It does exactly what it says it will do, is a nice radio and well worth the cost. I hate the @#$ thing! It's programming, or menu system, makes absolutely no sense to me. If I don't have the manual, I can't reprogram things, too complicated (for me). I have Kenwood radios that do 'make sense' to me (I'm prejudiced in favor of Kenwood, BTW.). I have no idea of your access to the different brands, but a 'hands on' type evaluation is always the best, and also the hardest to do, naturally. In case you haven't found out yet, a radio with a detachable 'head' is very nice!
So, no specific suggestions, just this general one. Do a lot of 'looking' before buying.
Have fun.
- 'Doc
 
Doc, get the FT-Basic software...makes it a snap! Between that and the FT Commander software, I have one file that I update and then punch in to my other radios. My FT-857, VX7 and 7800 all have the same layout basically.

G4HFQ Radio Programming Software

Jim Mitchell - KC8UNJ

There really isn't a bad radio among Yaesu Icom Kenwood so it truly becomes what features you want.

If your budget allows, a dual-receive radio is a great idea, FT-8800, TM-710D etc etc. That way you can scan repeaters on 'one side' of the rig and talk to someone on the other...or just monitor a 440 and a 2m at the same time.

D-Star is very cool, but be sure there is activity in the area with well supported repeaters or you just paid a butt load of money for nothing.

The Kenwood radios have an advantage in that their mic inputs are a more standard impedance for playing around with different mics if you want. The Yaesu and Icom radios are trickier for sure.
 
Kinda on the same line of advice already given.....

A balance of cost and features is the most difficult decision to make in buying a VHF / UHF dual band radio.

Cross band repeat is not something you will find yourself using in a mobile rig. The ability to monitor 2 meter activity while transmitting on the 440 side may be something you'd like, but it can also become an annoyance trying to listen to one conversation while carrying on another. Ask yourself..."do I really want or need this option".... if the answer is "no" then you just saved yourself some money, and probably aggravation.

Yaesu promotes it's "WIRES II" system, kenwood the "APRS" thing, and Icom has D-Star, research all three before deciding on any of them. Yaesu's WIRES II is very popular in Japan, but very unsupported here in the states. APRS has a strong following, but I personally see little advantage to it's use unless you like having strangers follow your every move on a Google map.
I favor the D-Star system, however D-Star has a lot of support in my area with more repeaters and digital hotspots going up all the time. I'm also involved in Emergency Management, and both Counties I deal with have gone to D-Star digital voice and text messaging for emergency operations. Because of this I got into the mode more by need than by choice, but now that I have it, and have learned how to use it, I enjoy it a lot.
Again, you need to find out if D-Star is supported in your area before making that decision to spend the extra money for a radio that may have no practical use where you live.....

I've owned radios from all three major manufacturer's, I tend to favor Icom because I believe their menu systems are easier to understand, and I also believe they build a stronger radio capable of withstanding the rigors of mobile use. kenwood also builds a decent radio with a fairly easy menu system, Yaesu radios run cheaper, are built pretty well, but I find their menu systems to be very confusing and difficult to learn.

You may find that a standard dual band radio to be all that you will ever want or need, then again you may discover after buying it that APRS, or D-Star suddenly appeals to you, and you'll kick yourself for not getting it.
It's not an easy decision, but one you'll eventually have to make on your own.....

Good luck, and be sure to let us know what you end up getting.....
 
I Agree fully with what WX2MIG said..

I go mostly with ICOM..
but any of the top 3 likely will do well..
Unless you want certain features..
 
still looking..

Thanks for all the advice so far, still plenty of reading to do on this i guess.

Realy fancy somthing D star, although the closest repeater seems to be warrington and im in blackpool. Not sure how to find out when d star repeaters will be near me..

Also the GPS tracking sounds like fun, the YL would realy like to track my car when im all over the uk..

off to read more..
 
m6rkw said:
Also the GPS tracking sounds like fun, the YL would realy like to track my car when im all over the uk..

off to read more..
Click to expand...


Again that depends on APRS receiver sites being located in your area, you may want to research that system before buying into it. I really don't know a whole lot about APRS, but I know a few hams in this area that have been using it for a few years now. The only time that I know of when it's used for a good purpose is for a big Bike-a-thon from Philadelphia to the Jersey shore, hams run the communications for this event, and APRS is used to keep track of all the ambulances, rescue vehicles, and mechanics vehicles so they can dispatch the closes unit to a problem.
 
If you are a new Ham -as I am- you may find any 2m/440 radio a little challenging. So many button combinations to reach what you may want. And - what do you want it to do? I still only aware of 1/4 of the functions on my radio - so far. Pretty complicated piece of gear if you ask me...

I bought my Yaesu FT-8800R from Ham Radio Outlet under the advice of one of the salesman. I have no help to understand how this radio works - so I take it a day at a time. Just getting it to work on a repeater was my first real challenge.

I think that I would have picked an easier radio without so many functions if I were to do it all over again.
D-Star?
What dat?!?
I don't even know how to use WIRES as yet. Packet? Forgetaboutit. But if you get a new radio - you might want to get the programming software and cable. I think that Yaesu should have put that in the box with the radio - instead of playing a nickel-and-dime game with a cheap piece of cable and simple software. Instead of making it separate and asking another $50.
 
I seriously doubt if you need worry about APRS/packet in the UK. You will find quite a bit of it. It isn't 'plug-n-play' exactly, but it isn't all that difficult to get set up. I think it's fun, not always 'useful', but still interesting.
- 'Doc
 
Rob KI6USW said:
I bought my Yaesu FT-8800R from Ham Radio Outlet under the advice of one of the salesman. I have no help to understand how this radio works - so I take it a day at a time. Just getting it to work on a repeater was my first real challenge.
Click to expand...

Have you looked into local clubs yet? Check this link out.

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/cl...4&selzip=Show+clubs+near+ZIP+location&dist=20

If this link doesn't work, go to arrl.org, at the top of the page is a link to 'clubs' and punch in your zipcode. You have a bunch of clubs locally and they are a great resource to get local hands-on help.
 
Rob KI6USW said:
D-Star?
What dat?!?
I don't even know how to use WIRES as yet.
Click to expand...

Rob,
When I had my Yaesu FT-2800M it was "WIRES II" capable, so I looked into what it was, and what I'd need to use it. What I found is that it's a system of directly connecting your radio to the internet through WIRES II capable repeaters. I also discovered that there are only three of these repeaters actively used in the U.S.A. The system is big in Japan, but never caught on here in the U.S.

D-Star on the other hand is much bigger here, and it's growing fast. It will never replace analog FM, but I believe it'll be a big part of VHF / UHF amateur communications for years to come.

Truth be told, there's plenty of activity on analog FM to keep anyone happy for a long time without the added confusion of WIRES II, APRS, or D-Star, but if you were to choose one, D-Star would offer you the most since it will also do the APRS thing when connected to an outboard GPS unit with a compatible cable.
There is a steep learning curve with D-Star, but if an average "plug n play" amateur like me can figure it out........:wink:
 
the mission carries on

So after some reading and taking the advice of the guys on here im pretty sure the mobile setup is better for me than the hand held option.

90% of my radio life is mobile as i travel alot.. ( uk that is )

On the raido front i want to make sure the radio does it all, now thats a big ask of course.

The unit im stopped at is the icom 2820, D star ready with the optional board. I wan the radio to do all the usal but also im dipping my toe into the field of being able to track the mobile station via gps.

Any thoughts on the 2820? eham seems all over the place on this review wise but gps tracking does seem alot of fun. ( the mrs can keep tabs on me?!)


Suggestions on the 2m 70cm radio are welcomed as ever!
 
If yer going D-Star that's a nice radio.

I was just playing with one of those at a friend's house, has a nice display and dual-receive.

A lot of the sour grapes is due to the cost and overall value delivered. It's a damned expensive setup with all the options.
 

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