TH-K20A vs TM-281A (Handheld vs Mobile VHF)

[RailroadScanner160]

Hello all, I am in the market for a new radio/scanner/HAM under $200. I'd rather get a good product and a great lifespan, than a poorly built scanner with soso reception and quality.

I monitor the 160-162 Mhz Railroad band, and am looking for a receiver.
Here is the basic just of what people have told me
Yaesu FT-270R for handheld
Kenwood TH-K20A for handheld
Kenwood TM-281A for mobile
ICOM IC-2300 for mobile
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1. Paired with a good antenna, would I get a noticeably better range (reception) with the 65W of the mobile Kenwood vs the 5.5W Kenwood?

2. Railroads operate on the Narrowband VHF FM (12.5khz). If I use the Kenwood's which are both narrowband fully capable, would this mean clearer voices, range, and audio?

3. IF I were to get a mobile, why do so many people get power supply's? Can't I just use an adapter plug and plug it into the wall like any other item like a lamp, radio, etc??

4. Given these 4 options, which would you choose?

Until railroads convert to NXDN which could be many, many, many years from now, I will likely stick with what I have, so as long as I can get the best performer in the 160 MHz range for under 200 bucks, I'm a happy camper.

Thanks

 

[hill]

The output power has nothing to do with how well it receives. Receive would be based on how good your antenna is. Guess the choice comes down if you want to be carry the radio around sometimes are will always be using it home.

They are ham radios, so they many do narrow band, but mainly ham 2 meter still operates in wide band.

These mobile radios are powered by 12 VDC and the house power is 120 VAC. If you were to plug it in at home would blow it up. You need a power supply to operate a mobile radio as a base.

 

[03msc]

The TM-281A is an excellent 2m (VHF) radio. It'll receive RR traffic well, when paired with a decent to good antenna. Since RR traffic is often simplex then you may want to get an antenna that receives from a farther range but you probably know that already. I think there are some videos on YouTube of the 281 being used to monitor RR traffic (base and/or mobile).

As a side note, I've also seen folks use the Icom IC-V8000 to monitor RR traffic. It has a higher output power but since you're just going to be monitoring/receiving then I'd think getting the 281 (or Icom IC-2300) would suffice.

 

[Mike-KC8OWL]

If you are looking for something stationary I would go with one of the mobiles mentioned. I use an Icom v8000 for base 2m work and also rail monitoring / scanning. I also have a couple of the Kenwood TH-K20a handhelds - one of them I pretty much dedicate to rail scanning and it works quite well for that job. If you are looking for something to grab and go or take with you then the TH-K20a is a great choice and is also easy to program on the fly.

Mike KC8OWL

 

[RailroadScanner160]

If you are looking for something stationary I would go with one of the mobiles mentioned. I use an Icom v8000 for base 2m work and also rail monitoring / scanning. I also have a couple of the Kenwood TH-K20a handhelds - one of them I pretty much dedicate to rail scanning and it works quite well for that job. If you are looking for something to grab and go or take with you then the TH-K20a is a great choice and is also easy to program on the fly.

Mike KC8OWL

Thanks for the recommendations. I'm either going to get a Kenwood TH-K20A, or a Yaesu FT-270R. The 270R looks like a tank, but heard it's a kick in the rear to program and fool with settings before you mess everything up, and that itself is just not worth it. How many miles of range do you get with the K20A? And what antenna do you use with it? Its teeny tiny size and lightweight scares me a little bit on its performance level.

 

[KD8USW]

Wouldn't a Uniden or Whistler scanner make a whole lot more sense than a ham radio? From the reviews I have read, the Kenwood is a better choice for a 2m radio, would like to have one.

 

[cbehr91]

Wouldn't a Uniden or Whistler scanner make a whole lot more sense than a ham radio? From the reviews I have read, the Kenwood is a better choice for a 2m radio, would like to have one.

Amateur rigs are much hotter receivers than pretty much any scanner other than the Regency HX scanners from the 1980s.

 

[chief21]

I monitor the 160-162 Mhz Railroad band, and am looking for a receiver.

Here is the basic just of what people have told me
Yaesu FT-270R for handheld
Kenwood TH-K20A for handheld
Kenwood TM-281A for mobile
ICOM IC-2300 for mobile

Personally, I would suggest the Yaesu 270 portable and/or the Kenwood 281 mobile. Both are VERY easy to program and use, both are nearly bulletproof, and both are inexpensive. The Kenwood mobile, in particular, has a forward-firing speaker with powerful audio. Many ham radios and scanners are weak in this area.

If you plan to use the mobile radio at home, remember that you will need a DC power supply to operate the radio from the AC house current.

John AC4JK

 

[Mike-KC8OWL]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'm either going to get a Kenwood TH-K20A, or a Yaesu FT-270R. The 270R looks like a tank, but heard it's a kick in the rear to program and fool with settings before you mess everything up, and that itself is just not worth it. How many miles of range do you get with the K20A? And what antenna do you use with it? Its teeny tiny size and lightweight scares me a little bit on its performance level.

I use it with the stock antenna and it works well. I could use the larger size 2m/440 antennas on it but then it gets too top heavy and wants to fall over more easily. Since I use as a portable and easy to carry monitoring option I stick with the standard antenna which I presume is already tuned (somewhat) for the 2m band which is not far from the RR band. Range depends on a lot of things but I have no problem hearing 2 or 3 different remote bases on the Wheeling & Lake Erie as well 2 or 3 on CSX. Trains usually need to be closer but still I have no problem hearing them many miles out.

The weak link in the Kenwood is the stock battery in my opinion - it is only around 1100mAh. That still more than enough for a full day or more of use but overall it is pretty small compared to todays standards. I'm sure the Yaesu would be a very solid choice too - hard to go wrong with either but programming the kenwood on the fly is a breeze too (I have never used the Yaesu).

Mike

 

[chief21]

The 270R looks like a tank, but heard it's a kick in the rear to program and fool with settings before you mess everything up, and that itself is just not worth it.

What programming issues are you concerned with? I've always considered the Yaesu 270 programming to very straightforward and not confusing at all. Certainly MUCH more intuitive than the Baofengs.

Keep in mind that it's always good practice to familiarize yourself with the features of any programmable radio since the more features it has, the more likely it is that an incorrect setting could cause problems. Programming software (free or low-cost) can help to minimize potential programming issues.

John