Yaesu VX-8r Review

[C2]

You're not helping my wallet stay nice and fat!

I looked in the brochure and saw some good screenies there too.

I already sold the THF-6a.

That answers my next question...

 

[Happy_Hamer]

Here are some pictures with the GPS unit attached to the radio. You can see that, as expected, it adds some bulk to the radio:

At first I was concerned (from pictures I had seen) that the GPS bracket would cause a lot of stress on the mic connector and something would break. However, the Yaesu engineers thought about this and designed a bracket that installs in between the radio and the antenna and screws into the GPS. On one side, the base of the bracket slips into a little notch on the radio. This makes the GPS attachment very strong and will not compromise the integrity of the mic connector.

One thing I don't like is that the GPS bracket forces you to take off the rubber grommet that goes between the antenna and the radio. This rubber grommet is part of what helps with the water protection. You can see a close up of how the bracket and antenna fit together in this pic:

I guess having thing GPS attached to the radio in this manner is a little more convenient than having the hand mic attached. However, it does add a lot of bulk to the radio if you're going to carry it on your belt. I'm not sure whether or not I will keep it like this or just go back to carrying the hand mic. One thing that really stinks is that Yaesu charges you $30 for the bracket to allow you to attach the GPS to the radio. IMO, this bracket should be included with the GPS receiver.

Does the manual say that it is no longer submersible with the GPS unit mounted like that? Is the GPS unit labled submersible from Yaesu?

 

[Moleculo]

Does the manual say that it is no longer submersible with the GPS unit mounted like that? Is the GPS unit labled submersible from Yaesu?

No it doesn't. It says that the hand mic is submersible and the GPS unit will fit into the hand mic. It doesn't say one way or the other about whether attaching the GPS unit to the radio will affect it's waterproofing. My guess is it will work just fine.

 

[C2]

Hey Molecular Dude! I got one too.

I was wondering, and this may be more of an APRS question, but when I sent a beacon, I received myself in the STATION LIST. This only happened once, so I was thinking maybe someone else digipeated my beacon. So then I wondered, is it possible to see all the vias?

 

[Moleculo]

You sent a beacon and the local digipeater (or a fill in) picked it up and repeated it. That's how it's supposed to work so you know that you were picked up. I don't know of a way to see all the relays on the VX-8. You probably will be able to see it if you go to one of the internet sites like APRS.FI or openaprs.net and punch in your call sign. However, what I've learned so far about APRS is that some fill in digipeaters do nothing but just repeat, without adding any of their own relay info onto the packet.

 

[C2]

Yeah, I was having a hard time believing that I hit that repeater 35 miles away, with 50mW from my living room.

Anyway, I'll have to get the GPS later as I ran out of pennies.

 

[C2]

However, what I've learned so far about APRS is that some fill in digipeaters do nothing but just repeat, without adding any of their own relay info onto the packet.

Wait a minute, but that would be an illegal transmission, right? Don't they at least have to add their call...maybe not, if they ID later.

 

[Moleculo]

Wait a minute, but that would be an illegal transmission, right? Don't they at least have to add their call...maybe not, if they ID later.

Yeah that's what I thought at first, too. However you can configure your digipeater to ID itself every 10 minutes by beaconing with your own call. That's what I did when I configured my station to be a fill-in using MixW

 

[Moleculo]

A quick update on battery life:

The stock battery on this HT while powering the GPS receiver will not last all day, even if you are just monitoring. I frequently take it to work, turning it on about 8am. I have it do an APRS beacon fairly often while on my 30 minute drive to work (a beacon only takes a split second to tx). When I get to work I change it to beacon manually since there's not point beaconing all day. If I leave the HT on to monitor local repeater/police/broadcast/whatever, by 4pm it's dead. I suspect this is because it's also powering the GPS the whole time. I'm going to do some testing to see what happens with the GPS detached to see how much longer it lasts.

 

[C2]

I've read that folks think the optional high capacity battery should have been standard.

 

[bjpell]

A quick update on battery life:

The stock battery on this HT while powering the GPS receiver will not last all day, even if you are just monitoring. I frequently take it to work, turning it on about 8am. I have it do an APRS beacon fairly often while on my 30 minute drive to work (a beacon only takes a split second to tx). When I get to work I change it to beacon manually since there's not point beaconing all day. If I leave the HT on to monitor local repeater/police/broadcast/whatever, by 4pm it's dead. I suspect this is because it's also powering the GPS the whole time. I'm going to do some testing to see what happens with the GPS detached to see how much longer it lasts.

I have the same problem.

 

[bjpell]

I've read that folks think the optional high capacity battery should have been standard.

Yes, they were silly not to have done this for the consumers sake. But, now they know that anybody who really uses their radio much during during the day will be forced to buy at lest 1 spare 1800 to make it last 12 hours... Yeasu wins, because we loose another ~60 bucks to overpriced accessory's.

 

[Moleculo]

Yes, they were silly not to have done this for the consumers sake. But, now they know that anybody who really uses their radio much during during the day will be forced to buy at lest 1 spare 1800 to make it last 12 hours... Yeasu wins, because we loose another ~60 bucks to overpriced accessory's.

I can understand why they didn't make it standard. It is really nice how slim the radio is. How does Yaesu know how many people will buy the GPS, which sucks power? They probably figure that if you want the GPS, then you know what you're getting into and understand that you should also buy that hi-cap battery.

 

[billythec]

Another newbie:

Glad to see some in the same boat. I got the ham bug last week, got the book, got a 100 on my tech test on monday and agree this vx-8r is just TOO badass to pass up!

Now maybe I'll sell $400 of my other junk on ebay to make my brain feel better and get on with it. Waiting for a call sign.....

Anyone try the bluetooth yet? Ideally I would carry this on my commute and use it as a scanner most of the time. The bluetooth would make that really comfortable, leaving the unit in my bag! Plus I havent been using my blackberry bluetooth unit much and that would give me great reason to use it!

Now to ease into this whole ham thing and learn how to go about it all - great forum here and I am learning lots!

 

[Moleculo]

Now maybe I'll sell $400 of my other junk on ebay to make my brain feel better and get on with it.

If you do that, post the links in the ebay section on the forum (shameless plug )

Anyone try the bluetooth yet?

I didn't purchase that (yet!). I have heard that any bluetooth earpiece will work with it. Keep in mind that this is going to suck more power from that battery.