Okay folks, here's the deal: I've had my license for 5+ years, but sadly, I have yet to be active on the bands. For Christmas, my wife contributed to the "ham radio fund" and said that she wanted me to finally get my first HT. So now it's March, and I'm still stuck on the decision between three great handsets:
1) Yaesu VX-8DR: Widest Tx/Rx range, submersible, rugged, jack of all trades.
2) Icom ID-51: DSTAR, microSD, large display, submersible
3) Kenwood TH-D72: USB port, computer functionality, excellent APRS features.
I wish I could just buy all three, then I wouldn't be bugging you guys, but I have to start with just one. That being said, I can now afford any one of the three.
Of course the answer is ultimately, "they're all great in their own way -- it just depends on what you want to do with the hobby." I guess that's something else I'm stuck on since I'm a greenie.
Thus this thread: If you own one of the above radios, I want to hear why/how you have fun with it. Who out there likes the DSTAR technology, and do you think it's the future of amateur radio? I'd like to make an investment in a radio that will last for a while. Is there a way to get the Icom ID-51 to do APRS, even with using some sort of external device? It would be great if some of you guys have owned more than one of these radios, and one as stood above the rest for some reason.
1) Yaesu VX-8DR: Widest Tx/Rx range, submersible, rugged, jack of all trades.
2) Icom ID-51: DSTAR, microSD, large display, submersible
3) Kenwood TH-D72: USB port, computer functionality, excellent APRS features.
I wish I could just buy all three, then I wouldn't be bugging you guys, but I have to start with just one. That being said, I can now afford any one of the three.
Of course the answer is ultimately, "they're all great in their own way -- it just depends on what you want to do with the hobby." I guess that's something else I'm stuck on since I'm a greenie.
Thus this thread: If you own one of the above radios, I want to hear why/how you have fun with it. Who out there likes the DSTAR technology, and do you think it's the future of amateur radio? I'd like to make an investment in a radio that will last for a while. Is there a way to get the Icom ID-51 to do APRS, even with using some sort of external device? It would be great if some of you guys have owned more than one of these radios, and one as stood above the rest for some reason.
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