YAESU VX 7R 50/144/440 Handheld Tri-Band Radio - Any Good?

[hotdjdave]

YAESU VX 7R 50/144/440 Handheld Tri-Band Radio - Any Good? Suggestions? Comments?

I want to get a new HT ham radio. I have an iCOM W2A and it has seen better days.

I have been checking out the Yaesu VX 7R 50/144/440 tri-bander HT or the 20/144/222/440 quad-bander HT, both with 0.5 - 999 MHz receive. I have never owned a Yaesu, but have heard many good things about them, so the brand is not a big deal. I would like at least a dual-bander, but would prefer a tri-bander or quad-bander. I want to get into MARS, so whatever is needed for that helps. I don't mind a good-condition used one. I would like to keep it around $300.00 to $350.00 or less, but maybe higher if necessary.

Is the VX-7R a good radio?
What are the pros and cons?
Any better suggestions?

As far as I can see, the only thing this radio is missing is APCO P25 digital capabilities.

Here is one on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=280019296066&rd=1&rd=1

 

[z96cobra]

I love my VX7R! It does have a lot of features and you need to keep the manual handy for some of the stuff you don't use as often though. Being waterproof is also nice. Jim Mitchel ( www.kc8unj.com ) has some excellent software that he wrote for the VX7R also. It even allows you to do the mars/cap mod through software.

BTW the VX7R is actually a quad band radio (limited power though on 222Mhz) quote from yaesu.com... "the VX-7R provides a full 5 Watts of power output on the 50, 144, and 430 MHz Amateur bands, with bonus coverage of the 222 MHz band at 300 mW (USA version only)."

Roger

 

[DaveNF2G]

Ditto. I use a VX-7R with VX7 Commander software. Out of band reception is excellent, although audio is low in AM mode.

 

[ThunderBritches]

I love mine too!

 

[aaron315]

I have had mine for several years, and have been very happy with it. The VX Commander software is excellent. I would not suggest the ADMS software. Take the time to study the manual when you get the radio. It will frustrate you at first, but once you pass the 'ahh-hah' moment, it will be fine.

 

[djeplett]

VX7R Pros:
1) Small size
2) Waterproof
3) With VX7R Commander it's modifiable without opening the radio up
4) It covers 4 bands for transmit and even does AM on 6M
5) You can get a two AA battery pack for it and it will still transmit at 300mW

VX7R Cons:
1) Boy, does it get hot on long QSOs at full power
2) Each memory group only holds 48 channels and you can't link groups when scanning
3) It only scans at about 15 channels per second and is a little slow on PL/DPL decode

Overall it does what it does very well and I am happy I bought it used for a great deal. I will continue to use it until something happens to it as it is more than enought HT for me.

73s

 

[hotdjdave]

How much?

Thanks so far for all of your advice, so far.

One more question: What's a good price for a used one?

 

[kingpin]

I've had mine for 3 years and I love it. Picked mine up for 285 used with the barometric unit installed.

 

[kg4pbd]

While you guys are on this subject I'm curious what you think about the VX2R. I've also been looking at getting a new hh, though I'm just looking for a dual band radio. It looks like RX is the same though the VX7R certainly has more to offer, not to mention it's about twice the cost. I also realize it's only 1.5w on 2m on battery vs 5w for the VX7R.

It seems as though they pack an awful lot into these mini HH's for the price, especially when compared to what a scanner cost.

 

[djeplett]

I'd say a good price on a basic VX7R would be anywhere from $250 to $300. If the price is close to $300 it would be nice if you had some extras with it.

The VX2 is even smaller and does have some nice features. If you're close to the repeaters you intend to use the VX2's 1.5W will do fine. I use my VX7R mostly mobile now and that's where the 5W comes in handy more often.

 

[monitorman]

Vx-7r & Vx-2r

I own both a 7R & 2R, the 7 is considered a top end ht and is an excellent radio check the eham reviews and the yahoo groups for more info. The 2R does alot of what the 7 does except it is just dual band and there is alot in that little radio, again it is an excellent radio imho. Yaesu makes good stuff!

John

 

[N9JIG]

I want to get a new HT ham radio. I have an iCOM W2A and it has seen better days.

I have been checking out the Yaesu VX 7R 50/144/440 tri-bander HT or the 20/144/222/440 quad-bander HT...

Is the VX-7R a good radio?
What are the pros and cons?
Any better suggestions?

I might suggest that you look at the Kenwood TH-F6A. This is a tri-band miniature HT (2M, 220 and 440) that also receives from 100 KHz thru 999 MHz (Cell Blocked of course). It handles SSB and CW on HF, works great on AM and FM broadcast and the various scanner action bands along the way. One can have V-V, U-U etc., with true dual-watch etc.

While I don't have the VX-7R nor have I used one, I have heard several people tell me they really like theirs.

 

[blackbelter]

I own the Kenwood Th-F6A and by far is the best tri bander HT that i have ever used. Easy to program with great battery. No radio sounds like a Kenwood.

 

[hotdjdave]

Silver? Black?

Is there a difference between the silver VX 7R and the black VX 7R besides the color?

 

[djeplett]

Is there a difference between the silver VX 7R and the black VX 7R besides the color?

Nope.

 

[mandlair]

excellent radio altough my first and only ht.i have nothing to compare it to but excellent none the less. Mike

 

[monitorman]

Vx-7r & Vx-2r

I forgot to mention this time of year mfr.'s offer discount coupons check the bigger ham stores eg HRO for how much.

 

[MarkWestin]

I have the VX-7R. (I bought two of them actually) It is an excellent radio. It only has a couple of things that you should know about:

It is deaf as a post in the 72 Mhz area.
The "barometric pressure" option is a bad joke, don't waste your money (or buy one mine, I'm not using either of them).

In my opinion, the VX-7R is a much better radio than the Kenwood TH-F6A. I disliked this radio so much that I sold it so that I could buy the VX-7R

Mark

 

[SCPD]

Dave, one thing to consider is that the VX-7, if I remember right, has the 220 band, but at a very low power. Southern Calif. probably has the best 220 coverage of anyplace in the country. There are two very large interconnected networks on 220 in the area. The Kenwood Th-F6A has 220 at the full 5 watt power for a handheld. I had a VX-5R with the 6 meter coverage and you should consider that a good antenna for that band needs to be much longer than a 2m/1.25m/70cm three band antenna. Also there are fewer 6 meter repeaters, even in the southern Calif, than in the other bands. When I think of working 6 meters it is with more power to begin with and using more than a handheld antenna, so I don't see 6 meters as being real useful.

Every amateur radio I own, with the exception of my brick (a Bendix/King 144-174 programmable), and my Kenwood TH-F6A, is a Yeasu. So I am partial to Yeasus. After owning the VX-5R and the Kenwood F6A I would have to say that operating the Kenwood is far easier (some call it more intuitive) than the Yeasu. With the VX-5R I had to carry the manual in my car as a small cheat sheet type wallet card just didn't cover everything you needed to know when using it. With the Kenwood, I really don't find myself looking up procedures very often, if ever. I often wonder if the Kenwood mobiles would be easier to use than my Yeasu mobiles, but there are things about Yeasu's mobiles that I like better than any other brand. I like the 50 channel banks and the ability to link them together in any combination for scanning, something the Yeasu is not capable of. The Yeasu beats the Kenwood when it comes to accesssories as Kenwood does not make a desktop charger, the carrying case is worse than worthless, and support for spare parts is not at all as good as Yeasu. The programming software for Yeasu is superior to Kenwood's also.

The linked scanning banks and the 1.25 meter band is what sold the Kenwood to me. Also, the Kenwood actually has two receivers and you can scan different banks or sets of banks on each at the same time, no matter what frequency bands are involved. At work, where I am employed by a Caltrans contractor and road condition information is important for dealing with the public, I scan two banks in the first receiver, and monitor the local Caltrans repeater in the other. In that way I don't miss hearing a fire dispatch and the Caltrans repeater if both are transmitting at the same time. This is better than priority scanning.

I'm not really a brand loyalist, amateur radio, or with other products, so this should be a fairly objective review of the two radios.

 

[Dubbin]

3) It only scans at about 15 channels per second and is a little slow on PL/DPL decode

That really shouldn't be a con since the radio is not a scanner.