Back at it

[kd8oqq]

Last year, I looked at getting myself an HT, but never could decide and so it fell to the wayside. I need to just do it. For the time, this will be my only radio, mostly to listen and learn, but occasional xmit and some ares/races/skywarn stuff. I guess gps/aprs really are not needed. Originally I had ALMOST decided on a Kenwood THF6, but got caught up in paralysis by overanalysis.
One feature I have a question about, dual watch? Good idea? Must have? Looking at a 144/440 minimum

Thanks for any thoughts

 

[Moleculo]

For me, dualwatch isn't really necessary if you're getting a dual band HT. However, a lot of people like that feature, so it's really up to you. I used to have a TH-F6a and always liked it. I always wished it was a little tougher, though.

 

[kd8oqq]

To clarify, dual watch is the radios ability to listen to 2 different freqs at the same time? or to listen to a specific station and scan with the other? Want to make sure I understand that correctly

 

[Road Squawker]

... getting myself an HT... I need to just do it...mostly to listen and learn, but occasional xmit and some ares/races/skywarn stuff.

you should REALLY consider an inexpensieve (i didn't say cheap on quality) WOUXON ht.

 

[W5LZ]

That listening to two stations at once is the basic idea of 'dual watch'. The ability to scan, and how that scanning is done is sort of brand/model specific, not all the same. I wish I could tell you about the 'TH-F6a', that'd mean I had one. But, I don't. I do have one of the Wouxun's and it serves my purposes just fine. It is NOT the 'end all' of HT's, it's more a 'bare-bones' sort of thing.
Best advice I can think of is to figure out the features you can't live without, and then go from there. That's much easier to say than to do, so good luck!
- 'Doc


If you don't have any other repeaters besides 2 meters locally, then that dual band radio isn't going to be of a huge use. Certainly nice to have though.