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recommendations please

J

Joe

Active Member
Aug 5, 2005
115
0
26
Just north of Toronto in the Province of Ontario
well folks I will be writing my test early next week for my basic with honour's (80%) and above, basic is 70% to 79%

I see no problems for basic and should be able to pull off at least an 80 soooooooo

I will be looking for a good multi band hand held. I don't want cheep, but I don't want to spend 500 dollars either so I welcome all recommendations

Here is the store I will be shopping at

http://www.radioworld.ca/

thanks in advance
 

If you have 220mhz activity in your area, I really like my Kenwood TH-F6A. It's 2m, 220, 440. Check out the other specs on Kenwood's site.
 
Chuck Bravo said:
I would suggest the VX-7. Lots of support.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YaesuVX-7/
http://home.comcast.net/~sllewd/

You will get much better service from:
http://www.durhamradio.com/s/customer/home.php

Radioworld shipped me a Yaesu FT 7800 that had no audio on xmit.
I had to ship it back at my own cost for repairs. No refunds, all sales final, no reimbursement for shipping. They sold me a bad unit and I had to pay extra for it. Durham will not treat you like that.
Click to expand...

Hi Chuck your right about Radio World I have been in there 3 times since its only 15 mins down the road and they have a lot of work to do on the side of customer service, it's almost like they are doing you a favor by letting you shop there.

They would not let me return an antenna I bought there because the envelope packaging was torn to get the antenna out, so I called the owner and guess what he let me return the antenna lol

I have dealt with Durham I actually bought my CB from them and it was worth the drive to Whitby

Thanks for the info I would love to hear more.
 
I talked to Durham and he mentioned the ICOM T 90 $349
as the most bang for the buck any thoughts


ICT 90A Icom Tri-Band Handheld 2M/70cm/6M plus wideband RX.

Features
Wideband receiver: 495kHz to 999.990MHz
The commercial grade IC-T90A transceiver offers a wideband AM, FM, and WFM scanning receiver. Not only you can hear your favorite TV programs with the pre-programmed TV memories, but also you can listen to shortwave, AM and FM broadcast radio stations with good sound quality. Fire, aircraft and various amateur bands also can be tuned.

DMS (Dynamic Memory Scan) bank scanning
With 555 alphanumeric memory channels, including 50 band edges and 5 call channels, Icom's DMS technology gives you flexible scanning lists. With a maximum of 18 banks or 100 channels per bank, you can pick and choose the desired channel for scanning from the 500 memories.

Lithium-Ion technology
Enjoy a full 5 watts from the supplied 1300mAh Lithium-Ion battery pack, BP-217. Along with the energy conserving settings, the BP-217 provides up to 5 to 6 hours*1 of operating time and greatly reduces both the size and weight needed to get full output power. Just recharge and go!
*1 Tx high: Rx: Stand-by duty ratio= 1: 1: 8

Rugged palm sized*2, splash resistant construction
This compact radio is comfortable in the smallest of hands, and offers full radio control for large fingers. The aluminum die-cast case and chassis is designed for the most rugged environments with splash resistance equivalent to JIS 4 specifications.
*2 See back for actual dimensions.

DTCS and CTCSS tone squelch
A standard feature of the IC-T90A is both DTCS and CTCSS encode and decode capability. Choose from either 104 DTCS or 50 CTCSS codes for receive and transmit, individually. In addition, a pocket beep function gives you an audio alert when a matched tone signal is received__a great feature for quiet, group operations.

Simple operation
Simple, one-handed operation is the most valuable feature of the IC-T90A. The backlit ten-key pad allows you to enter frequency, memory number and set various other features. The tuning knob can be customized for either channel selection, or volume control.


DTMF encoder with 10 DTMF memories
Auto squelch
Morse code synthesizer indicates the frequency in morse code
Backlit LCD and keypad
High speed scanning
13 scanning modes
Antenna tip replaceable
PC Programmable
5.5-11V DC operation
Split operation
Weather alert scan* (* U.S.A. version only)
Wide/narrow transmit capability
and more...

Included Accessories
Antenna (FA-S6270D)
Swivel belt clip (MB-83)
Wall charger* (BC-110AR/DR)
Battery pack (BP-217)
*Depending on version

Optional Accessories
BP-216 BATTERY CASE
2×AA(R6), Output power 0.1W typ.

BP-217 Li-Ion BATTERY PACK
7.4V/1300mAh.
Battery life (at 5W output): 5 hrs. on 144/440MHz band, 6 hrs. on 50MHz band*
*Battery life is approx. time; (Tx high: Rx: Stand-by=1: 1: 8)

BC-139 DESKTOP CHARGER
Rapidly charges battery pack BP-217. Charging time (approx.): 2.5 hours.

CP-19 CIGARETTE LIGHTER CABLE WITH NOISE FILTER
Allows you to operate the transceiver with 11V DC output through a cigarette lighter socket (12V). The connected battery pack is charged simultaneously.

LC-152A CARRYING CASE
Helps protect the transceiver from scratches, etc. Fits any battery pack.

HM-46 SPEAKER-MICROPHONE
HM-46 : Slim dimensions. Equipped with an earphone jack and transmit indicator.

AD-92SMA ANTENNA CONNECTOR ADAPTER
Allows you to connect a BNC type antenna.

CS-T90A + OPC-478 CLONING SOFTWARE + CLONING CABLE
Provides quick and easy editing of memory channels, memory names and set mode contents, for local repeater frequencies, etc.

OPC-474 CLONING CABLE
Used for handheld-to-handheld data cloning.

SP-13 EARPHONE
Provides clear audio in noisy environments.
 
I had one of the early versions of those for a while (sold it). I thought it was a real nice, easy to use radio. It did have one major problem for me, which was that the RX was way too hot and sensitive to intermod on 2 meters. This was really a problem for me in the Los Angeles area. If your area isn't so crowded with repeaters, police, coast guard, pagers, etc., then you may not experience what I did.
 
That is interesting about the experiances with Radio World.I have bought a lot of equipment there over the years and some from Durham Radio as well.I even go back to the days when Radio World was called Atlantic Ham Radio and then Norham Radio. :? I have never had a bad experiance with either,granted I never had to return anything either.I remember when I purchased my FT-857 with the DSP unit which was separate at the time,the Collins SSB filter,and the separation kit.I ordered it online one night and the next day the sales manager called to confirm the order and to tell me the DSP was back-ordered and and ask if I wanted the radio to ship right away or wait for the whole thing.I said send me what you have and then follow with the DSP when available.The next day Angelo the company presidant called me to thank me for my order and confirmed what was sent out to me that day.I even got another follow up call about a week or so after getting the radio to see how I liked it.I have also bought various microphones and antennas and switches and was always happy with how I was treated at both Durham and Radioworld.
 
Hi QRN. Yeah, I remember Norham and Atlantic. I didn't have a problem back then either. This happened two years ago. They shipped me bad product. And after speaking to Jack, Jeff, and Angelo, the thing that really choked me up was nobody even said "sorry". After all the thousands of dollars I spent there over the years, I'm on the hook for $12 shipping? WTF? After I said I would never spend another penny there, Angelo said I could have $5.00 off my next purchase. There never will be a next purchase, and Durham is always cheaper anyhow.
 
Moleculo said:
I had one of the early versions of those for a while (sold it). I thought it was a real nice, easy to use radio. It did have one major problem for me, which was that the RX was way too hot and sensitive to intermod on 2 meters. This was really a problem for me in the Los Angeles area. If your area isn't so crowded with repeaters, police, coast guard, pagers, etc., then you may not experience what I did.
Click to expand...

Thanks Moleculo

I live just north of Toronto so I don't think I will have that problem

However I did have a chat with the guy at Durham and he was very helpful and talked a length on several units and said that the ICOM was easy to use compared to the other one.

Also he said that a hand held is only good for about 3 to 5 miles with the use of a repeater 10 to 15 max depending on the area.

I thought you could have gotten much further that that especially using a repeater, I'm wondering if its worth spending 400 or more dollars on something that can only get that far out.

I don't think I would have to may contacts to make within a 5 mile radius of my home lol
 
Most Hts have a provision to connect an external antenna instead of the rubber ducky that they come with. When you do that, you can expect the same range as you would get with a mobile or base radio connected to that same external antenna.
 
all three are nice radios, i have the yaesu my buddy has the kenwood, they seem to be similar on rx using the same diamond srh771 antenna but the kenwood has slightly better tx audio on its internal mic while the vx7 is a better size for my hands and has a waterproof metal case, i have no trouble talking 50 miles back to my locals from a high point i dx from on either 2mtrs or 70cms, you should go and look at all three handies and decide which suites your needs best,,,, so far i am happy i chose the vx7
 
Joe said:
thanks highlander.....even if it only puts out 5 or 6 watts
Click to expand...

Well, yes, the lower power output of the HT might be a factor in range, but probably not as much as one might think. With VHF/UHF antenna height is much more of a factor than transmitter power. But there are situations where a little more power helps.

My first Ham set was a RadioShack HTX-202 2 meter HT. I often used it at home connected to a homebrew 3 element cubical quad at about 40 feet (Which didn't have a rotor, I used the "Armstrong Method" to turn it, lol.) When the band was open, I could talk well over 100 miles direct, sometimes over 200 miles with just 5 watts. I still like to take it on trips, using a RadioShack 5/8 wave mobile magmount antenna. Sure, I would rather bring my Yaesu FT-847 along, but I'd rather risk the 202 getting ripped off or damaged than the Yaesu....
 
Highlander_821 said:
Joe said:
thanks highlander.....even if it only puts out 5 or 6 watts
Click to expand...

Well, yes, the lower power output of the HT might be a factor in range, but probably not as much as one might think. With VHF/UHF antenna height is much more of a factor than transmitter power. But there are situations where a little more power helps.

My first Ham set was a RadioShack HTX-202 2 meter HT. I often used it at home connected to a homebrew 3 element cubical quad at about 40 feet (Which didn't have a rotor, I used the "Armstrong Method" to turn it, lol.) When the band was open, I could talk well over 100 miles direct, sometimes over 200 miles with just 5 watts. I still like to take it on trips, using a RadioShack 5/8 wave mobile magmount antenna. Sure, I would rather bring my Yaesu FT-847 along, but I'd rather risk the 202 getting ripped off or damaged than the Yaesu....
Click to expand...

Thanks again

The more I read about this stuff the more excited I get about obtaining my ham licence

I'm scoring a steady 85 % on the on line test so I hope by mid week, next week I will have it in hand :D
 
Also he said that a hand held is only good for about 3 to 5 miles with the use of a repeater 10 to 15 max depending on the area.
Click to expand...

The part about "depending on the area" is critical.
We have several 2 meter/440 machines up on the east side of the valley here that i can easily use with less than a watt on my vx5r....with a mighty-fine-junk rubber-duck.

These are 50+ miles away as the crow flies and work great, and cover well over 100 miles up and down the valley. Remember vhf/uhf is line-of-sight, even a little elevation at the repeater site is a BIG advantage. Were are you located at? What kind of terrain characteristics do you have around you? Hills? Valleys?
Another good thing is to talk to Hams in your area, see what is working there real time. Do you have a scanner?
Plug in a few frequencys or band scan on 6/2/220/440 and listen for activity, or repeaters.
And as highlander has pointed out, 2 meter antennas are small and easy to build, 440 even smaller. A home brew 4/5 or 6 el 2 meter quad can be built from wire, and PVC pipe. LOL one of the first two meter antennas I built was a 5 el quad, I used a 2x4 split in half for the boom, and 3/8 wood dowels for the spreaders. a drill, a bit, some wire and a tape...good to go.
Don`t give-up on VHF/UHF yet!

HT
I really like my Yaesu VX5R, tri-bander.
Has 6/2/440, and the rx covers shortwave thru public service. Super small,lots of features,solid good batt life.
Linearone might say its "BomB Diggity"

73
Jeff
 

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