Recommendations for a wideband receive 2M/440 DMR-capable HT

[br0adband]

Howdy,

Been using a TYT MD-UV380 for a while now and while I do like it even in spite of some issues (no I don't want to get into that in this thread), I'm currently looking for a better piece of hardware which means spending a bit more cash whenever it comes my way and I'm able to do so.

Note: I'm not looking for a scanner, it must be an actual Amateur Radio HT because I intend to be getting my license soon, currently studying and hoping to take the exam at some point this year. Because of where I now reside (Springfield MO) and the occasional serious weather issues we get here being in "Tornado Alley" or damned close to it, I realized last year after I moved here that having the license and being part of the local Ham community would be a huge benefit not only to myself and my Wife but also to others if a serious storm comes rolling through here and wrecks the place. So while I have a laptop and I'm extremely fluent with modern SDR hardware and software and usage, this new HT I plan to get has the primary purpose of providing me actual communications capability and not exclusively monitoring as I've been doing for 40+ years now so I want to get a solid well designed and "tough" HT that can take some abuse if SHTF someday. I can do SDR monitoring using my smartphone and some software on Android + the RTL-SDR stick I have as well so redundancy is a good thing.

Here's the basics I'm hoping for and realize that I am doing research into what's currently available even in spite of me making this thread:

- 2M/440 dual band operation (this is a given it would seem)
- compact size but not a micro-tiny super duper palm size thing like the Yaesu VX-2R, that's just too small for me honestly and I know the trend is to make things smaller and smaller, I wish I could find a seriously awesome HT with all the features I'm hoping for that is a large device almost like a professional Motorola or other HT
- wideband reception capability from the traditional 500 kHz up to 1 GHz or so, anything more is a bonus I suppose but not absolutely necessary (if such a device even exists), multiple modes (AM/SAM, U/L SSB, NFM/WFM/BFM)
- traditional 1/8" headphone jack, I would guess it won't be stereo compatible for BFM monitoring duties but one can hope I suppose
- a decent useful somewhat large/larger LCD display that's fairly bright, maybe even customizable in terms of color schemes/themes/etc
- the idea of having a computer controllable HT is awesome but I suppose no such thing exists hence me doing research, sure scanners can be totally controlled nowadays but transceivers are obviously a different beast altogether but a high level of computer control capability would be awesome
- DMR capability is a must because here in the Springfield area it's apparent that DMR is taking hold and analog is always going to be around as required, the move to digital is just not something that'll stop anytime soon and it'll just become more and more prevalent with each passing day
- GPS would be a nice addition 'cause in a massive storm if the power goes out entirely and is out for days it would be nice to be able to pinpoint a location as required - sure I have a smartphone and it's in a good case and it's a decent device but why not have multiple devices to fall back on with the same or similar features
- maybe APRS capability as I see that's gaining interest and use as well, still need to do more research into this feature but I suppose if I'm going to spend some decent cash on a great device I'd rather not miss out on such a feature, having it is better than not after the fact
- at least 5 watts output power max with appropriate lower power output as well, I know that going from 5 watts to 7-8-9 watts isn't a massive boost in terms of getting the signal out there, a better antenna works wonders more than just pumping out more raw wattage, so the typical 5 watt high power output option is about the most I think I'd ever need

But for me one big aspect that I really seriously hope is available on a device with some or most (heave forbid I find a perfect device for me that matches all my requirements) is:

- the ability to be powered by a traditional "wall wart" or car battery/external battery/generator/etc with a DC output barrel plug and not having to sit in a battery charger to do it (even if it means some customized battery dummy-pack that provides the capability as I've seen on some units from Yaesu and others in the past)

That pretty much covers it, and while it's not a perfect device for me considering I do hope there's something out there that might cover those aspects. Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, those are the brands I know are trustworthy, and some of the newer brands (not really new but I think most people understand that those 3 companies have been producing Amateur Radio hardware for many decades now and have that respect because of their very long commitments to our hobby) may offer most of what I require as well.

If anyone has any suggestions or cares to recommend some given HTs for consideration, I would be most grateful to read whatever you care to share.

Thanks for reading, and have fun, always...
bb

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I picked up a AnyTone 878-UV a few weeks ago. It's dual band/DMR/APRS/GPS. Nice solid radio for the $218 price tag. Only drawback based on what you're looking for is it requires a charging station as opposed to a wall wart. Battery life is incredible though, I typically can use it for 2 to 3 days without having to charge up

 

[br0adband]

According to the details about that AnyTone device - which looks nice at first glance - it doesn't support wideband reception capability from 500 kHz to 999 MHz which is a requirement for me. I do like all the features that one supports, however, I'll keep it under consideration, so thanks for the recommendation.

I suppose I should say to anyone reading this don't think that I can't make use of a device such at that AnyTone unit, but the wideband reception is somewhat of a priority, guess I should make that clearer in the 1st post so I'll highlight it now and make it known it's a priority.

Thanks...

EDIT:
OK, so now there's a time limit on editing posts, not a good thing I'd say but that's how things are now here at RR, odd.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I'm not 100% sure such a DMR device with that wide of an rx exists. Only transceiver I am aware of with that wide of an RX is the Wouxun UV-9D but this isn't DMR and lacks the requirements you need:
Wouxun KG-UV9D Multi-Band Two Way Radio

 

[kayn1n32008]

According to the details about that AnyTone device - which looks nice at first glance - it doesn't support wideband reception capability from 500 kHz to 999 MHz which is a requirement for me. I do like all the features that one supports, however, I'll keep it under consideration, so thanks for the recommendation.

I suppose I should say to anyone reading this don't think that I can't make use of a device such at that AnyTone unit, but the wideband reception is somewhat of a priority, guess I should make that clearer in the 1st post so I'll highlight it now and make it known it's a priority.

Thanks...

EDIT:
OK, so now there's a time limit on editing posts, not a good thing I'd say but that's how things are now here at RR, odd.

What you are looking for does not exist. Not even close.


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[Whiskey3JMC]

Best bet for that level of multi-band rx & DMR decoding would be a communications receiver or a software-defined radio. Neither of which can TX

 

[kayn1n32008]

I picked up a AnyTone 878-UV a few weeks ago. It's dual band/DMR/APRS/GPS. Nice solid radio for the $218 price tag. Only drawback based on what you're looking for is it requires a charging station as opposed to a wall wart. Battery life is incredible though, I typically can use it for 2 to 3 days without having to charge up

The only DMR radios I know of that will charge with just a wall wart(kind of) is a SL300 , but does not meet majority of what he is looking for.

He’s going to have to decide what features he really needs.

The one he won’t find in a DMR radio is the DC to daylight RX, along with some of the other wants.


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[br0adband]

Best bet for that level of multi-band rx & DMR decoding would be a communications receiver or a software-defined radio. Neither of which can TX

Then I suppose the HackRF and the BladeRF - both of which support transmitting and are both SDR devices - would be out of the question too, eh?

Yes they both offer transmit potential but of course the output power is quite limited; having said that the signal can be passed to a power amplifier I suppose, it's a neat feature that I never found appealing nor the cost of entry for either of those products but I wouldn't mind owning one (or both) obviously like most folks.

And yes, I do realize that my particular list of wants is a bit steep considering the efforts involved in creating such a multi-purpose beast. I suppose given I have a relatively decent and functional DMR HT already (even in spite of some limitations with the tuner that never seemed to matter to me) would mean I can skimp on the need for DMR. In that respect maybe consider DMR not a priority or even a necessity and I'll focus on that aspect from now on which means it'll be a pure analog HT. Maybe the APRS aspects could work but since that does involve transmit at times that might not work either.

We need Star Trek style replicators, really: pay a price, tell it what you want, it spits out a working product.

 

[AK9R]

The Kenwood TH-D74 meets most of your requirements, but its D-STAR, not DMR.

 

[br0adband]

Nice looking piece of hardware, that TH-D74, but not a wideband receive capability, I suppose in the long run some manufacturers just don't consider it an important thing in an HT and I can understand that POV on things. Looking at some Icom units at the moment but it seems they favor D-Star as well but I can't let that be a limiting aspect considering the wide receive capability I'm hoping to get will always be for analog signals I suppose.

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

The Kenwood TH-D74 meets most of your requirements, but its D-STAR, not DMR.

I was thinking that too. I had one briefly and sold it since DMR is bigger in my area. Only thing other than D-Star is that RX only goes up to 470mhz

 

[kayn1n32008]

What do you expect to listen to above 530MHz?

700MHz public safety will be all digital, same with 800MHz. If they are not digital, they will be eventually, and regardless, they are likely using some sort of trunking protocol, so unless it is a small, lightly used system, you will have issues tracking voice calls.

Other than that about the only analogue you will find ‘might’ be ham stuff @900mhz.


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[kayn1n32008]

Honestly, if DMR is a must, buy something of quality, then get a DC-Daylight scanner for the rest. You won’t find a DMR radio that will have that broad of a receiver. Even if it did, it would suck when introduced to high RF environments.

As for the wall wart nonesense, buy a battery eliminator, or have 3 or 4 batteries. Many of the chargers will be 12v in, or get a dual source(12v DC/120v AC multi-voltage output laptop power supply with a bazillion tips to operate the drop in charger.

I have yet been involved with an event that will drain 2 or more batteries, and a rapid charger will charge a dead battery before a full one will be depleted by a radio.


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[TailGator911]

Quite a few of your requirements are met with a Yaesu FT2-DR. Very nice bright touch screen. I am using it a lot and it is a very nice HT. Wideband coverage is excellent. Check it out:

Welcome to Yaesu.com

JD
kf4anc

 

[br0adband]

Honestly, if DMR is a must, buy something of quality, then get a DC-Daylight scanner for the rest. You won’t find a DMR radio that will have that broad of a receiver. Even if it did, it would suck when introduced to high RF environments.

As for the wall wart nonesense, buy a battery eliminator, or have 3 or 4 batteries. Many of the chargers will be 12v in, or get a dual source(12v DC/120v AC multi-voltage output laptop power supply with a bazillion tips to operate the drop in charger.

I have yet been involved with an event that will drain 2 or more batteries, and a rapid charger will charge a dead battery before a full one will be depleted by a radio.

Well if that's the issue - "there's nothing to listen to up there..." - then one wonders why any wideband receivers on such radios reaches to 999 MHz, wouldn't one?

I want the capability because it exists, basically, and I could potentially find a way to tap the discriminator on such a radio and make use of the signals for a variety of purposes, as crazy or insane as that might sound to some folks.

As for the "wall wart" aspect, I meant plain and simple that the HT will have a power input jack on the side of it so I can power it however I want and not be restricted to only using batteries. I did point out that some HTs have an accessory, a "dumb battery" if you will, that is the casing for an actual battery but it has a hard-wired plug attached to it, usually ends in a cigarette lighter plug, and even with one of those I could do some cable splicing to be able to attach whatever I want. I simply don't like being forced to use only batteries to power a device like an HT which is the case with the TYT MD-UV380 I own:

It's either running directly on battery or it's on the charging stand and the AC adapter provided with the unit can only slow charge the battery because it outputs a meager 400-450 mAh which is useless if I decide to use the radio while it's on the stand. A few moments of transmitting at 5 watts and poof, a good chunk of the previous hour's charge cycle is gone.

I want the ability to power the HT as I want to power it, in any given situation. I already have 3 batteries for this TYT HT and it's great on battery life, but again that's not the point. If batteries are the only form of power supply I have, and I'm caught in storm situations where the AC power is out for an extended period of time, and I can't even use a car battery or car charger to charge the batteries I do have, well, obviously that becomes a serious issue. So, charging batteries is not the ideal solution: having an HT that can run off a variety of sources because of an internal power jack is the ideal solution.

I'm not interested in events like Hamfests or competitions, this is more or less part of a "Survival Kit" in case of some severe weather catastrophe situation where both electrical and potentially cellular connectivity is gone for days, perhaps even weeks at a time.

Quite a few of your requirements are met with a Yaesu FT2-DR. Very nice bright touch screen. I am using it a lot and it is a very nice HT. Wideband coverage is excellent. Check it out:

Welcome to Yaesu.com

JD
kf4anc

Oh that one does look useful, thanks for the recommendation, checking on it now.

 

[br0adband]

I think that Yaesu FT2DR/DE might be just the radio I'm looking for so again thanks to JD aka TailGator911 for the nod towards it. The specs look great, has most everything I'm hoping for, will do research into the programming software (seems weak from what I've already been reading), and it's a solid Yaesu device. Hoshnasi, creator of the YouTube channel "Ham Radio Crash Course," did a nice review of the FT2DR/DE late last year and it's definitely looking to be the one I'm leaning towards.

Thanks for the responses...

 

[AK9R]

Nice looking piece of hardware, that TH-D74, but not a wideband receive capability...

Receives from 100 kHz to 524 MHz.

I think that Yaesu FT2DR/DE might be just the radio I'm looking for...

It's not DMR.

As others have stated, if you are set on DMR, buy a dual-band DMR transceiver and add a wide-band receiver to the mix. While it will be two devices to handle, it also eliminates a single point of failure.

 

[chief21]

Keep in mind that DMR (and most DMR-capable radios) were originally developed for commercial use and only recently introduced to the amateur radio scene. Primarily for that reason, you aren't likely to find many models that offer the features you desire... wide-band receive, especially.

 

[bill4long]

Radioditty GD-77 is an excellent radio at a very good price. About $75.

Radioddity GD-77 | Dual Band | 2 Time-slot DMR | 2200mAh | 5W | Cable

 

[br0adband]

Receives from 100 kHz to 524 MHz.

It's not DMR.

As others have stated, if you are set on DMR, buy a dual-band DMR transceiver and add a wide-band receiver to the mix. While it will be two devices to handle, it also eliminates a single point of failure.

I'm aware of the specs, and as I stated above having it cut off at 524 MHz isn't acceptable to me. I also stated that since I already have a DMR capable HT, the TYT MD-UV380 (which is not the MD-380 that's so crazy popular and older) and it works great, DMR use can be addressed by this TYT unit and it would give me a leg up on Fusion which is something I have no experience with at all, never even heard anyone using that kind of digital hardware either anywhere I've lived in the US. The FT2DR/DE is pretty much as close to what I'm hoping to get as I've been able to track down so again a nod to JD for that mention, I didn't notice it at the Yaesu site earlier today when I was checking that out.

The Radioddity one is unfortunately nowhere near as capable as even the TYT I already own so, no sense tossing away another chunk of cash towards an inferior product than what I already own.

The Yaesu FT2DR/DE is what I've decided on so again, thank you for the recommendations and suggestions. It hits almost every aspect that I was hoping for - even works like a frequency counter-like/sniffer operation in some respects because it has a display mode that shows a bandwidth spectrum which is pretty awesome, Josh aka Hoshnasi mentioned that in his review video and even made use of that feature for tracking down some unknown transmission frequencies.