Dual Band Opinions

[SpugEddy]

Looking for some opinions on a good, but
below or just at, $200 Dual Band radio that
would cover VHF and UHF up into the 500's.
Seeing some of the TYT radios are there but
I'm not sure how good TYT brand is.
I am starting to like the Icom radios more and more
lately.

Any suggestions? Used will be ok also

 

[mule1075]

About 50 dollars outside of price range. But could find it cheaper or something similar on ebay,eham classifieds etc.
https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/0725.html

 

[ladn]

I've had a TYT TH-9800 as my travel radio for several years. It's a quad bad radio, but I've never used it on 10m or 6m. It performs well.

 

[N4KVE]

ANY Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, or Alinco radio is light years better than any CCR. Plus you get USA support. Yes they will cost a little more, but amortized over a few years, we're talking 10 cents a day.

 

[Hans13]

ANY Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, or Alinco radio is light years better than any CCR. Plus you get USA support. Yes they will cost a little more, but amortized over a few years, we're talking 10 cents a day.

I use some Alinco products and I like them very much. That being said, Alinco has released collaborative models with Anytone. There are some superficial differences between the Anytone versions and Alinco versions but essentially they are the same base hardware for those respective models.

TL;DR - Some Alinco innards = Anytone innards.

 

[robertmac]

ANY Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, or Alinco radio is light years better than any CCR. Plus you get USA support. Yes they will cost a little more, but amortized over a few years, we're talking 10 cents a day.

Oh how I agree with this. After trying a Powerwerx DB-750X, I have become so frustrated with it. While I do like the speaker in the Microphone, the scan rate and other negative things remind me of why I like the radios from the Big 3 [can't comment on Alinco mobiles as have not used them].

 

[krokus]

Buy a used major name, not a CCR. While I like Kenwood, find what works for you.

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[russellmaher]

I'm in agreement with mule1075. I believe if you add another $50 to your price point and go with the
Yaesu FTM-7250DR you will be happy. You'll have a name brand dual band radio and you can talk
digital with its C4FM System Fusion option.

I'm very satisfied with the Yaesu and I've got two of them. Just my opinion, of course.

Russell

 

[SpugEddy]

Some good information and opinions.
This is proving to be something of a riddle for me.
While I like one radio, I find another I like better, then
discover the one I like more has less options and
features, which leads me to a 3rd radio that I start
to like more, but ultimately leads to a 4th radio...
and so on.

So far, I seem to gravitate towards the Yaesu and
(believe it or not) the TYT TH-9800.
I like the price and the quad band of the TYT
I like the stability and popular opinions of the Yaesu.
Having said that, $50 does seem trivial, but I lose
a lot of Rx bands and 2 Tx bands with the Yaesu.
I LOVE the Yaesu FT-8900. HATE the price. I would
buy this used at a good price if I could trust the seller.

Still looking though.

 

[K7MH]

but I lose
a lot of Rx bands and 2 Tx bands with the Yaesu.

It depends on if there is any activity on 6 or 10 FM. I am in Seattle. Big population area with many hams. Very little activity on 6 or 10 FM. Not a lot on SSB either these days for that matter! I had a 6 FM rig in the car for a year or so and sold it.
There may be something to listen to outside of the ham bands with that radio but maybe not a lot. You'd have to research that in the RR database.

There are also antenna concerns for the two extra bands, 6 and 10 meters.

 

[k4fx]

Yaesu FT-8800 or 8900 are great radios, have cross band repeat. Hard to beat. The 8900 is quad band and the 8800 is dual. Either would last you a lifetime.
Good luck!
Bill K4FX


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KD2FIQ]

I really like my Kenwood TM-V71A. But its a few bucks. I wouldn't hesitate to give the TYT a go. I have their 1.25 meter monoband radio and its a great deal. I wouldn't get the quad band version. I'd get the TH-7800. A local around here has it and it works good!

 

[SpugEddy]

Still chewing on it KD2FIQ. haven't made a final decision
but the 7800 is definitely on my list. Thanks for the input

 

[bharvey2]

I really like my Kenwood TM-V71A. But its a few bucks. I wouldn't hesitate to give the TYT a go. I have their 1.25 meter monoband radio and its a great deal. I wouldn't get the quad band version. I'd get the TH-7800. A local around here has it and it works good!

I have a couple of the Kenwood TM-V71A radios - One in my truck and the other acts as a base station at home. Both are bone stock with no mods. They're great radios. The only thing I don't like about them is that the mic plugs into the deck rather than the head so in a remote head/deck setup, two cables are needed.

They have wide receive coverage, transmit and receive audio are great and I think the programming is pretty intuitive. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I were looking for another dual band radio.

 

[tglendye]

Anytone 868UV is dual vhf and uhf. It was priced around $168 and also does DMR. A new model (878, I believe) is close to coming out.

 

[N4GIX]

The main advantage of both the TM-V71A and the TYT-7800 is the "dual receivers" which allow one to really monitor two signals simultaneously.

 

[bharvey2]

The main advantage of both the TM-V71A and the TYT-7800 is the "dual receivers" which allow one to really monitor two signals simultaneously.

Excellent point N4GIX. I'm so used to used to that I forgot to bring that up. Having two receivers is different than those radios he claim "dual watch" which really just scan quickly between two channels but can't receive two simultaneously.

 

[AA6IO]

TM-V71A is a great radio. Have had two of them for a long time. Wide receiver range, dual band receivers, and very rugged. Use them in a couple of go-boxes with Bioenno batteries.

 

[chief21]

+1 for the Kenwood mobile family... good, solid radios with excellent TX audio. Fairly easy to find used ones.

John AC4JK

 

[N4GIX]

+1 for the Kenwood mobile family... good, solid radios with excellent TX audio. Fairly easy to find used ones.

John AC4JK

I still have and use the original TM-V7A (nearly 20 years old!), as well as the newer TM-V71A and two TYT-7800 radios.