I recommend the Yaesu 400XD and a Diamond NR770HB antenna, or whichever version of the NR770 would best suit his needs. He will also need a few additional items.
If you do not want to spend $600 on either of these radios, then the next step down I recommend is the Kenwood V71A $350. It is basically the same radio as the D710, but with a different control head that does not offer as many bells and whistles. (You can actually purchase a control head separately and essentially turn the V71 into a D710, but that RC-D710 control head alone is around $320.)
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Mobile Radio:
- I currently use a Kenwood D710 in my vehicle.
- At home I use a Yaesu 400XD.
The Kenwood is a great toolbox that offers a few additional options the 400XD is unable to do, but not to many operators use those extra features. The 400XD offers a digital mode in addition to analog, but a repeater that offers that may not be in his area. There are also fewer C4FM digital users than there are of analog.
What I like about both is that they are dual RX and TX. Thus, I can monitor one frequency while scanning through others at the same time. Another option is using APRS (sending a tracking signal) on one side while scanning or listening to a particular frequency on the other. Both of these radios offer that.
Antenna:
- I have found the Diamond NR770HB to be a very suitable antenna for my needs. There are two other versions of that antenna as well. A feature he may or may not use is that antenna has the ability to fold over, when not being used.
Mobile mount and coaxial cable:
- In addition to the radio and antenna, you will need a suitable mobile mount and the coax from the radio to the mount. The best location for the antenna is at the highest point of the vehicle, but sometimes a compromise must be made. He will need to think that one through.
Programming:
- I use RTSystems software with all my radios. Sure, one could program a radio by hand, but that is not for me. I load up quite a few frequencies. That software alone costs about $25 and it is well worth it. (These radios have wide RX coverage. I program in and listen to much more than amateur radio.)
The Kenwood requires a programming cable. The Yaesu can use a common MicroSD memory card. A cable is also comes standard with the Yaesu, but I only use it for firmware updates.