Need 2m/440 ht recommendation

[KB2GOM]

Looking for "name brand."

Yaesu seems to have the most offerings, but it is difficult to compare models. Must have dual receive, 5 watts, rugged.

My current 2m ht is an Icom V86 and I love it. (that should calibrate you).

 

[jaspence]

If you want digital and analog (dmr or ysf), there are some, but analog only is pretty well radio history. The Btech 6x2 (Radio Reviews - Miklor) is a decent choice and well above the standards of the normal CCR. Anytone also has versions of the same radio with different firmware and features.

 

[N2IXX]

If you just want analog then the Yaesu VX-6R will do you and it's pretty rugged. I have one an like it.
If you want digital and lean towards System Fusion then the Yaesu FT2DR is a nice radio, again i have one and enjoy it.
There are others out there but I can't vouch for them as I have never used them.

 

[K4EET]

Hi @KB2GOM, the Yaesu FT3DR is now available. I have that for Yaesu System Fusion (YSF). I also have the Kenwood TH-D74A for D-STAR although Kenwood stopped production of that model on 31 December 2020 with no replacement yet. You’ll have to look at Icom for D-STAR. For DMR, I have chosen, but have not ordered yet, the AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus. That model promotes having both transmit and receive for APRS as well as holding up to 500,000 DMR IDs. There are almost 200,000 DMR IDs which is why most of the other DMR radios are going to “max out” on their 200,000 limit and many are not upgradable.

Sooooooo… Question for you: Are you planning on staying analog only or are you going to move up to digital too and if you are going to look at digital, do you know what mode(s) your friends and local clubs use in your area?

73, Dave K4EET

<edit> Also, have you considered a good quality hotspot for your shack to do cross-mode communications? Not a perfect solution but may save you some dollars.

 

[Hit_Factor]

Anytone D878uvii - dual receive, APRS, rugged (probably equivalent to the Icom), 3100mah battery, bluetooth, DMR, weather, broadcast FM. Can be setup as a tribander. Largest tx freq range of any HT I know of.

 

[K4EET]

Anytone D878uvii <snip> Can be setup as a tribander. Largest tx freq range of any HT I know of.

Please explain what the third band is not counting 2 Meters and 70 Centimeters. Also when you say "Can be setup as a tribander" are you referring to transmit capabilities? If so, how is that possible?

 

[Hit_Factor]

Please explain what the third band is not counting 2 Meters and 70 Centimeters. Also when you say "Can be setup as a tribander" are you referring to transmit capabilities? If so, how is that possible?

Yes, Tx and Rx.
From memory 134-178mhz, 220-225mhz, 400-520mhz.
It's in the firmware. IIRC, it's mode 14.

I have a pair of these, they are a treat.

 

[K4EET]

Yes, Tx and Rx.
From memory 134-178mhz, 220-225mhz, 400-520mhz.
It's in the firmware. IIRC, it's mode 14.

I have a pair of these, they are a treat.

Wow! Very interesting. If that is totally accurate, then I wonder why AnyTone is not marketing this as a tri-band ham HT since it covers 222 MHz to 225 MHz? I am getting ready to buy a Diamond SRJ77CA (2M/70cm antenna) for it since BridgeCom Systems does not carry the Diamond Antenna line. Looks like I may want to investigate a tri-band antenna like the Diamond SRH320A that I have on my Kenwood TH-D74A which is a tri-band HT (2M/1.25M/70cm).

I'll probably get the HT from BridgeCom Systems since they have the style case that I'm looking for. It works with the belt clip that is attached to the 3100 mAh battery. The case that other vendors usually carry has a big silver belt clip as part of the case and I believe that you have to remove the belt clip from the battery to get a good fit.

 

[alcahuete]

Wow! Very interesting. If that is totally accurate, then I wonder why AnyTone is not marketing this as a tri-band ham HT since it covers 222 MHz to 225 MHz?

Because the radio is not at all designed to transmit on 220, and you can VERY easily burn out the VHF transistor doing so. Transmit power is around 100mW and receive isn't great either, though it does receive.

If the other guy wants to take that risk, all I can do is salute and say good luck. I just use mine as a dual bander, with 220 receive.

The Anytone 578 is a true tri-band radio (mobile) and thus Anytone markets it as such.

 

[K4EET]

Because the radio is not at all designed to transmit on 220, and you can VERY easily burn out the VHF transistor doing so. Transmit power is around 100mW and receive isn't great either, though it does receive.

If the other guy wants to take that risk, all I can do is salute and say good luck. I just use mine as a dual bander, with 220 receive.

The Anytone 578 is a true tri-band radio (mobile) and thus Anytone markets it as such.

Ahhh... Now that makes more sense. And yes, the 578 mobile version is a "real" tri-bander. LOL! Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Hit_Factor]

Looks like I may want to investigate a tri-band antenna like the Diamond SRH320A that I have on my Kenwood TH-D74A which is a tri-band HT (2M/1.25M/70cm).

As I recall, the SRH320A, tested better on 2m/70cm than the SRJ77CA, when I swept it on my VNA.

 

[Hit_Factor]

Because the radio is not at all designed to transmit on 220, and you can VERY easily burn out the VHF transistor doing so. Transmit power is around 100mW and receive isn't great either, though it does receive.

Why do you think mode 14 exist?

I run mine in mode 8, that gives me GMRS and Marine.

When I had a TH-D74 the only time I ever had traffic on 1.25m was for a multiplier during Winter Field day.

Here is a list of the available modes.

 

[KB2GOM]

If you just want analog then the Yaesu VX-6R will do you and it's pretty rugged. I have one an like it.
If you want digital and lean towards System Fusion then the Yaesu FT2DR is a nice radio, again i have one and enjoy it.
There are others out there but I can't vouch for them as I have never used them.

My priorities are the Commuter Assistance Net -- Commuter Assistance Net -- which I run, and it is analog, and Skywarn, which is also analog.

While I understand the attractions of digital (if I've got it right, you can basically "DX" without all the aluminum), but it bothers me that Yaesu, Kenwood, and Icom all have their proprietary digital modes that are not cross-compatible . . . and none of them do DMR, which appears to be available on rigs that enjoy a "mixed" reputation for quality, audio quality on transmit, etc. . . . although there is one ham who participates in the Commuter Assistance Net and his Anytone sounds great.

I am willing to be educated; am I missing something?

 

[Hit_Factor]

While I understand the attractions of digital (if I've got it right, you can basically "DX" without all the aluminum), but it bothers me that Yaesu, Kenwood, and Icom all have their proprietary digital modes that are not cross-compatible . . . and none of them do DMR, which appears to be available on rigs that enjoy a "mixed" reputation for quality, audio quality on transmit, etc. . . . although there is one ham who participates in the Commuter Assistance Net and his Anytone sounds great.

Digital modes generally give improved audio quality, better efficiency, and less battery drain.

DMR is generally too complicated to program from the keypad on the HT. While most DStar and Fusion capable HTs allow configuration on the HT.

DMR uses talkgroups (TG), DStar uses reflectors, and Fusion uses rooms. Essentially these are equivalent functions, just different names. Depending on the repeater configuration, you may link up to other users worldwide.

Hotspots allow you to configure personal access to the internet and the various TGs, reflectors and rooms. Some hotspots can transcode between modes, making them cross-compatible.

 

[jonwienke]

DMR is TDMA, so when you key up, the transmitter is active for 33ms, then off for 33ms. That reduces your transmit power by 50% for battery consumption purposes, without reducing range. Turbo mode on the 578 and 878 lets you take advantage of that to increase power beyond what would be prudent with analog.

 

[mjdewey]

I recently purchased the Anytone ATD878UVII Plus, I h as very had it for less than a month. The receive and te as not range are very good on analog and DMR. The battery life is unbelievable I charged it yesterday for the first time since the original charge. It has a ton of features still tweaking them to where I want them.

The mode is what I really wanted for the 220 receive. The radio shows mood 14 but doesn't indicated 220 mhz or will allow me to enter it manually or with the CPS. Been a great radio.

God Luck.

 

[jonwienke]

If you can't enter 222MHz as a frequency, you aren't in Mode 14. Use the AT_options program to change modes, not the keypad/menu thing, which is disabled in newer firmware anyway.

 

[WB9YBM]

Looking for "name brand."

Yaesu seems to have the most offerings, but it is difficult to compare models. Must have dual receive, 5 watts, rugged.

My current 2m ht is an Icom V86 and I love it. (that should calibrate you).

Since everyone's got their own ideas of what constitutes the "perfect" radio, it's going to be a challenge to recommend one. Based on my own preferences and what I've seen of Yeasu's performance, I'd agree that brand is definitely worth keeping an eye on. In addition: I don't know what the latest offerings are from Icom (if they match your needs), but I've had both H.T.s and mobile radios from Icom that I've been very happy with over multiple decades of operation.

The only other thing I could suggest is if you have any friends with interesting looking radios, ask them if you could borrow it for a QSO or three to see if it performs to your liking.

 

[MTS2000des]

You can't go wrong with an FT-60 for analog FM. Rock solid, Japanese built, traditional receiver design (dual conversion superhet) with real front end, GREAT transmit and receive audio. Easy to program/operate, FAST band scan and memory scan, and wideband receiver including air band. Can be powered off DC directly, and alkaline battery cases available. And Yaesu now has a 3 year factory warranty.

 

[K4EET]

My priorities are the Commuter Assistance Net -- Commuter Assistance Net -- which I run, and it is analog, and Skywarn, which is also analog.

While I understand the attractions of digital (if I've got it right, you can basically "DX" without all the aluminum), but it bothers me that Yaesu, Kenwood, and Icom all have their proprietary digital modes that are not cross-compatible . . . and none of them do DMR, which appears to be available on rigs that enjoy a "mixed" reputation for quality, audio quality on transmit, etc. . . . although there is one ham who participates in the Commuter Assistance Net and his Anytone sounds great.

I am willing to be educated; am I missing something?

Good afternoon @KB2GOM. Icom and Kenwood both have D-STAR which is an acronym for Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio. It is an open standard digital communication protocol established by the Japanese Amateur Radio League (JARL). Yaesu System Fusion (YSF) is a proprietary protocol by Yaesu. Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) is another protocol that is used by quite a few radio manufacturers and has been around a lot longer than the other protocols. DMR first became popular in Europe before gaining popularity in the States. In terms of the number of users worldwide, DMR leads the pack.

The “DX” part of these protocols comes in to play when the repeater is connected to the Internet. Depending on the system, there are rooms and talkgroups that have users from around the world. The users access these rooms and talkgroups either by connecting via their local repeater or via their own hotspot mentioned earlier in this thread.

Digital is up and coming. Actually already here. Again I suggest that you see what your friends and local ham clubs are doing in the way of digital. Going with what is active in your local area is usually best. Also look in:

Repeaterbook.com - Home

Worldwide Amateur Radio Repeater Database

RepeaterBook.com

to see what types of digital repeaters exist in your local area. Let us know what you find out.

73, Dave K4EET