What to choose, Yaesu or Kenwood?

[prcguy]

Here are my observations on the Yaesu vs Kenwood debate.
In the 1980s and 90s Kenwood seemed to have fairly good radios and at the time Icom was considered the best HF radio of the big three then a tossup between Kenwood and Yaesu depending on the specific radio. I had many of each brand back then and probably had more problems with Icom and Yaesu handhelds over Kenwood.

Then something happened where Icom and especially Yaesu came out with newer, better and innovative radios and Kenwood did not seem to progress at all. Their flagship handheld until recently seemed to be the TH-F6A, which was a 10yr old radio and the other brands had progressed light years past Kenwood.

Then about 10yrs ago Yaesu grew so much they moved to a newer larger facility, Icom was doing great and Kenwood announced they were filing for bankruptcy protection. Kenwood seems to be doing better today but their engineering dept is way behind the other mfrs and when I look through radio catalogs today there is nothing that Kenwood offers that I am the slightest bit interested in.

So when you talk to people about their radio experiences and what radio is best it depends on what vintage radios they own since the "who is on top" debate seems to change as the years go by.
prcguy

 

[Kf4mnc]

Here are my observations on the Yaesu vs Kenwood debate.
In the 1980s and 90s Kenwood seemed to have fairly good radios and at the time Icom was considered the best HF radio of the big three then a tossup between Kenwood and Yaesu depending on the specific radio. I had many of each brand back then and probably had more problems with Icom and Yaesu handhelds over Kenwood.

Then something happened where Icom and especially Yaesu came out with newer, better and innovative radios and Kenwood did not seem to progress at all. Their flagship handheld until recently seemed to be the TH-F6A, which was a 10yr old radio and the other brands had progressed light years past Kenwood.

Then about 10yrs ago Yaesu grew so much they moved to a newer larger facility, Icom was doing great and Kenwood announced they were filing for bankruptcy protection. Kenwood seems to be doing better today but their engineering dept is way behind the other mfrs and when I look through radio catalogs today there is nothing that Kenwood offers that I am the slightest bit interested in.

So when you talk to people about their radio experiences and what radio is best it depends on what vintage radios they own since the "who is on top" debate seems to change as the years go by.
prcguy

All very good points. However when you make class leading products 10 years ahead of everyone else there
Is no need to come out with something new every year. (Think Apple.) Not saying I wouldn't like to see some new radios, but I'm quite happy with their current offerings and price points.

 

[rapidcharger]

The v-71 is a far superior radio to the 8800.
I had an 8900 and couldn't wait to get rid of it.
Kenwoods are so much more user friendly. Things like clearly marked buttons and not having to scroll through endless menus for the simplest of functions and free programming software go a long way with me. As for which one is better in long term durability, I don't know if there's a clear winner. They're both ham toys. The microphone on the v71 is obviously better, it's the same shell as their basic commercial mic. But any claims in the brochure of being "durable" should be taken with a grain of salt.
I now have 2 v-71s and I put a lot of hours on at least one of them. They sound better, they have higher power on uhf is where I spend most of my time.

 

[Rt169Radio]

I haven't tried any other ham radios other then Yaesu's yet, so I can't really say which is better. But I haven't had any disappointments with them so far.

 

[oesjmr]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions! I think I'll end up going with the Kenwood. My funds had to be reallocated for a repair, so it may be a little while until I can pick one up. Thanks again!

 

[W5KVV]

Well, I think you'll be more than happy with the TM-V71a. When you get it, spend a couple of hour getting to know it & go from there.

Good luck & I hope you GOTA soon.

 

[chief21]

another vote for the Kenwood V71...

(I have three. And YES, I've owned various Icoms and Yeasus, but I prefer the V71 )


John AC4JK

 

[mrstangblb]

I bought a UV-B5 a few weeks ago because reviews on it were so good. I earned my callsign Saturday after getting through the Tech exam, so I hope to put the Baofeng through its paces tonight!

------------

Barry

Jeremiah 29:11-13 / John 3:16

 

[KR7CQ]

TM-V71A, all the way, no looking back here. This is the only mobile unit that I am aware of that has cross band with an automatic CW ID for both bands, and has a FULL 50 watts on BOTH bands. For those who care it can be had with extended TX (I purchased this option with the radio from AntennaFarm for another $30 I believe). For a mobile unit I chose the Yaesu because I want my microphone to plug into the control head, but the Kenwood is a better radio that is far stronger on UHF (if UHF matters to you), so the Kenwood will be my base station. The display is the weak point of the Kenwood, as I hear they eventually do strange things from the heat the unit puts off. I will be using a second fan to keep mine as cool as possible in my base installation.

I plan to cross band with a rink-dinky little Yaesu VX-3R on 100mW with a stubby antenna for the UHF side. For my required range (under 75') I think it will be more than enough and the (relatively small) battery should last a while. I'm mainly going to use cross band for one particular VHF simplex frequency that is very popular around here, and plan to turn the CW ID off completely, and simply click over one memory to the VHF simplex frequency and ID when needed (in between the TXs of the other stations), and then flip back to the UHF frequency to cross band. With the tiny antenna on the VX-3R and 100mW output on low, nobody more than block away should be able to hear me ID on VHF, but my repeater WILL hear it, and then broadcast my ID over the UHF frequency, keeping me legal on both bands without annoying the guys on VHF simplex with regular CW IDs that are going out on top of people talking (Auto CW ID is both bands, or none, you can't just do one band).

I'm very excited about getting it all set up. I will be able to move around my home and yard and chat it up with the "big tower guys" in my area, with my tiny little HT using the power and range of my base. I have been testing my top three choices for my UHF frequency for any interference, and have found nothing. Thankfully UHF is barely used in Phoenix. I will still be using a DCS code as an added layer.

 

[Nicholas440]

I've been a ham since 1977, and have had over a dozen mobile rigs and I kept going back to the Kenwood because of it's premium transmit audio quality and it's reliability.

I currently have the Kenwood TM V71A also, and it's a great radio . The Yaesu's are good radios too but I've always enjoyed the Kenwoods more.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that with this Kenwood TM V71A you can put it into the Remote Control Mode, and you can use your hand held to put it into the Cross band mode, or do most anything you want remotely without being near the radio. You use the DTMF tones from your HT to control the Kenwood, and lets say you're cross banding and you're away from the mobile rig and you wish to change the power level, or go to another repeater, well, with this Kenwood you can remotely change frequency, power levels, tones, and a lot more all by using your hand held. I use mine a lot and I can be 5 miles down the road and control my Kenwood which is set up as my base radio, and it's hooked up to a Cushcraft 10 element dual band beam up at 40 feet, so if I wish to get the repeaters that are about 100 miles away I can turn it on from my car and do it. The Yaesu will not do remote control. The Kenwood will also Identify every 10 minutes in CW or Voice if you have the voice module installed.

I really like the TM V71 and I think you will also. Good luck, and welcome to ham radio...

 

[LtDoc]

The 'best' radio is a matter of personal preference/taste, and cost naturally. If you can't use the thing, no matter how 'perfect' it is, it just isn't very good for you. I have owned a couple of radios that did exactly as they were supposed to do, but I couldn't get the 'hang' of programming them so they 'left'. I have a preference to brand because I seem to 'understand' them better, can usually program them without much trouble.
All radios have 'qwerks', something that's a bit 'odd' about them. That's about as normal as it gets. If you can handle those 'qwerks' and can sit and stare at the thing for hours, then that's the 'best' one for you. I think it's a fairly safe bet that your 'best' isn't going to be the same as my 'best'. But as long as it 'works' for you, what's the difference?
- 'Doc

(I presently own a Chevy. It has a 'qwerk' or two. I've owned most of the other brands, they had 'qwerks', but the Chevy is the 'best' till I change my mind... again.)

 

[W4EMS]

Agree with what LtDoc said. I have had both and love the 8800R but again I have learned how to use it. Whichever one you get take time to read the manual and play with it. That is why it is called amateur radio. As the years go by you will be more experienced and what you like today may not fit your needs in the future. And if cost is not so big and you live where D-Star repeaters are found think about that option too. The world is wide open for your to learn and have fun. After all, it is a hobby. Probably second only to NASCAR. (lol)
Doc W4EMS

 

[AgentCOPP1]

Kenwood TS-2000 anyone? That radio has got to be one of the best out there.

 

[mrstangblb]

I want a TS-2000. We used 2 of them with dipoles (WAY up) on Field Day and broke through a lot of pileups.

------------

Barry

Jeremiah 29:11-13 / John 3:16

 

[N0IU]

I want a TS-2000. We used 2 of them with dipoles (WAY up) on Field Day and broke through a lot of pileups.

------------

Barry

Jeremiah 29:11-13 / John 3:16

I don't own a TS-2000, but it appears to be a very capable radio.

However...

The actual radio is only part of the equation. Without good antennas, a $12,000 Kenwood won't do a whole lot better than $2,000 Kenwood... or any other radio in that price range.

The age old question is, "What is better, a great radio and a mediocre antenna or a mediocre radio with a great antenna?" The mediocre radio with a great antenna wins every time!

And as far as busting pileups, technique also plays heavily into the equation. Were these pileups being busted by new guys with very little experience or were the radios being operated by more experienced operators?

 

[AgentCOPP1]

Ignore what the anti-Chinese-radio radio snobs seem to say, save yourself a few hundred dollars and grab a Baofeng UV5R and its external speaker/mic from Amazon. Stick it in one of those bracket things somebody mentioned in another thread and an hook up an external aerial and that baby will scream. (Bonus street-cred points if your car's a decomissioned "Police Interceptor" Crown Vic, with spotlights and roo bars. ;o)

Depending on where/how you shop, you could probably afford to implement three of those kind of setups for the amount you'd probably spend on one Yaesu/Kenny mobile just for the rig itself, and probably have just as good of performance.

Having said that, flame on, everybody. Bring on the hate!

That really is the cheapest way to start your mobile rig. That's what I did. I just bought a cheap $40 Baofeng radio, hooked it up to my antenna, and there you go. I later on bought an 80 watt linear 2 meter amp so that I have even more talk power haha.

 

[spiritwolfpr]

Simply, my bet is Kenwood