anyone using the BlackBox VHF mobile?

Blackbox VHF portables and mobiles? personal experiences

  • below average

    Votes: 3 33.3%
  • worth the money

    Votes: 3 33.3%
  • stay away from them

    Votes: 3 33.3%

  • Total voters
    9
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jm3691175

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Iowa, USA
thinking of pulling the trigger on my first radio (BlackBox VHF mobile)
and the way this radio looks It will double as a mobile scanner for me too :)

any comments on these radios ? handhelds too if you have either one.
thanks
 

jm3691175

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Iowa, USA
1st- to replace a dying farm 2way
2nd- maybe put in a wideband murs on low power for close comms.
3rd- being on this site has made me start scanning some of the local ham repeaters and thinking of joining the ranks of amateur operator
4th- also am a storm spotter and currently use my cell for communication
5th- ....does it matter....
6th- i just want comments from people who have used this brand to see if they are worth anything or complete junk
 

jm3691175

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ya, ive looked.... but im thinking out of the "box" here. (sorry i know that was terrible)
Can i get even a slight feedback from someone.
Usually No news is Good news, but Im thinking that doesnt pertain here
 

kayn1n32008

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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8350i/4.6.1.294 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/126)

Sorry I can't give you any feed back, I have not used the Black Box radios at all. My self I am a Vertex guy, my next radios will be Vertex
 

krokus

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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.973 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I can't comment on them, as I had never heard of them, previous to this thread.
 

K9WG

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Greenfield, Indiana USA
OK, so putting on my flame suit I will ask, is this radio certified for public service/commercial? From what I have seen on their web site it looks like you can just tune in the desired frequency. If you look at the manual it refers to "This amateur mobile radio". Nowhere does anything on their web site or literature say this radio is part-90 certified. If this is true then using this transceiver on anything other then Amateur Radio is illegal.

Flame suit firmly in place

eta: I emailed the company last week asking if this radio was certified for public safety and have NOT received a response.
 
K

kb0nly

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Link???

NEVER HEARD OF IT... Would like to see what your talking about.
 

K9WG

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Link???

NEVER HEARD OF IT... Would like to see what your talking about.

Blackbox Radios

BBMobileRadio_flyer.jpg


BB-Mobile_Data.jpg
 
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canav844

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Jul 15, 2007
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I did some looking at them last night, for less than the asking price of $309/unit you can pick up an Icom F5021 with 125 channels, and for slightly more you can pickup a Vertex 4600 series radio with 512 channels; most radio shops will program them new the first time for you for free, so you wouldn't need to worry about a software package and programming cable. Vertex and Icom have a more reputable name, and are a little more of a known entity.

Now looking at the spec sheet there, and having read through some of the manual, if you already had your Ham Radio license, I could see the VFO mode being a nice feature when traveling; and if it is indeed certified to be used off of the Ham Bands (they claim FCC certification in the manual, to which part I could not tell) then that would be a nice rare feature on Part 90 gear.

Those for buttons on the top do worry me about installation options, when the head is permanently attached to the radio. I haven't actually used one so I can't speak to menus and how well they preform for what they advertise.

If I were in your shoes shopping though, there are at least a few other options that I would seriously consider if you're looking at the radio as an investment that you expect to last you 20 or more years.
 

K9WG

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The thing that caught my attention is "NO PC REQUIRED". Also if you look at the FCC certification referenced by the spec sheet, it is for different radios. To me this really smells like they are marketing an Amateur Radio as a part 90 public service/commercial. Not much different than the illegal 10-meter (easy to convert to CB) radios.
 

krokus

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Without being able to see one in person, the mobiles look like a Vertex/Alinco crossbreed.

I would be leery of them, at this point, until being able to verify compliance with FCC Part 90.
 

jm3691175

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Location
Iowa, USA
thanks for the crosstalk info. exactly what i was looking for.
PS- i dont think your flame suit even got warm

is there any way to find out from the FCC what these radios are actually certified by their FCC ID# ??
 

northzone

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It does not do the new 7.5khz channel steps in the VHF model. Will be useless once these channels start to fill up, which is already happening. For $150 get a kenwood TM-271A which does 7.5khz steps (actually 2.5khz steps but that works) and be done with it.
 

jm3691175

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Dec 26, 2010
Messages
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Location
Iowa, USA
I just pulled the trigger and have 1 on the way.
If anything, at the least, I will have just added a 200 channel scanner with alpha tags to my collection.
I will soon see
 
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