2 meter radios Best for the $$$

[grogan]

Bought a Wouxun KG-UV6D and love it. Was looking into getting a 2 Meter olny radio to mount in the shack. Money is tight and I am on a budget. Was looking at three redios Kenwood TM-281A and Yaesu FT-1900R and FT-2900R Leaning towards the yaesu but not sure which one to Get. The extra power of the 2900 does not make me say buy the radio. I am confused on what is the better radio if they are olny 10.00 apart. What would make you buy one over the other even if they were the same wattage and price.
Thanks

 

[AK9R]

It may come down to user interface. Which radio do you find easier to program and use? You may have to a amateur radio store to check that first hand.

And, speaking of programming, figure the cost of the cable and software into your price. Some manufacturers make the software available for free while others don't even offer programming software and make you deal with a third party.

 

[grogan]

Yes I agree the Wouxun came with cable and software makeing it the best handheld I have owned.And they are a must for ease of use and enjoying/programing the radio. thanks.

 

[kb0nly]

I have a 1900 and a 2900, darn fine radios and either one would be a good choice. The 2900 has a little more transmit power and was tested to have a little better intermod rejection, but either one would be a fine choice.

 

[N8IAA]

Normally a Yaesu person, but not this time. I truly suggest the Kenwood 281. Using programming software on a single band, 200 channel radio is kind of a waste. But, Kenwood does supply free cloning software on their website. Unlike the Yaesu radios with the pay to use software.
HTH,
Larry

 

[kb0nly]

The Yaesu software has always been an argument, i don't use it myself, and the programming software i do have for my radios is from...

G4HFQ Radio Programming Software

But i only have his software for my 8800 so its easier to manage all the memories i have in it. I use the free commander software for my FT60R.

At least the Kenwood is finally inline with others price wise, they used to be way over priced for a single band radio, with the current $25 manufacturers coupon at least its down to the price of a 1900 now. Although the 281 didnt do as well in the ARRL lab.

 

[k8mcn]

if money is tight right now i would suggest just using the Wouxun KG-UV6D in the shack for now--if the repeaters you work are within a reasonable distance. Put up an antenna outside a have at it. you could put a hand mic on your radio...use and adapter from the SMA or BNC on your Wouxun to the exterior antenna--you could build a J-pole for little of nothing..and save up your money for the rig you want later...........

 

[K6ARL]

I had the same dillemna when I bought my 2-meter rig. I chose the FT-2900, because it had a higher TX power, and the FT-1900 tends to overheat, due to the lack of a heat-sink. Of course, another big factor is what antenna you will be using. I purchased a Comet SBB-25, which is a 2-meter 5/8 wave, with a 4.1 db gain. It's a great combination, and cost me less than $250, which is pretty good for a 2-meter base. Hope this helps!
73s
K6ARL

 

[VE3RADIO]

for a portable I enjoy the FT-270 by Yaesu.

 

[pjtnascar]

I would go with the Kenwood. It is 144.95 right now at Universal Radio. I got mine on Black Friday from HRO and paid a bit less. It is a very good radio, and I love the front firing speaker. You really don't need computer programming for it. At least I didn't.

 

[grogan]

I may go the Dual Band antenna route get good coax, and a cheap speaker mic. Later get a dual bander. For some reason the 70cm band is more active in Pa NJ ,,,

 

[pjtnascar]

I'm not exactly sure what you're looking to do, but I have the TYT UVF1 that I added a speaker mic to and usually run it in the base a dual band antenna. That will definitely improve your range. I also have limited funds, and if not for the generousity of others at Xmas, and a few good Ebay sales of my CB equip, I'd be pretty much limited to the HT on the antenna. It does a surprisingly good job. If you're looking for a really inexpensive base antenna, check out the radio shack model 20-176. It's a scanner antenna, but it works very well for dual band HT's. I used it all last summer and fall until I got a real dual band antenna. Mounted up high, it's a big improvement over the rubber duck. And don't tell anyone here on the forum, but I used it with the cheapie Radio Shack coax.

Long story short, I cleaned up my signal on the closest repeaters, and reached a few others I couldn't before. Total investment was about $50.00. Oh yeah, and the mast was 1" or 1 1/4" PVC conduit. It swayed a bit in heavy wind, but only cost about $3.00.

I may have some pics somewhere.......

P.S. Expect to replace the speaker mic every couple of months. Had a Wouxon model that broke, a TYT model that broke, and a Wouxon I got in March that is already finicky......

 

[62Truck]

I would go with the YAESU 2900. I have the 2800 and I've had good luck with that radio. The Yaesu's are pretty easy to program by hand. Programming the Alpha tags are a pain in the you know what when it comes to do thing that by hand.

 

[SCPD]

I would go with the Kenwood. It is 144.95 right now at Universal Radio. I got mine on Black Friday from HRO and paid a bit less. It is a very good radio, and I love the front firing speaker. You really don't need computer programming for it. At least I didn't.

+1

The Kenwood user interface is incredibly simple and hard to beat. The transmit audio is first class.

See my review and others: Kenwood TM-281A Product Reviews

 

[redshift]

I did the opposite of you -- the first radio I bought was a TM-271A and I ordered the Wouxun HT yesterday.

If you are looking for a mobile 2m, I would look no further than the Kenwood. I have nothing but good things to say about mine, which seems to echo most of the comments above. The radio is stout, well-built, easy to manage (as long as you aren't completely hung up over a squelch knob), and the audio quality is excellent. I use mine as a scanner more often than my actual scanner since the audio is better and the front-end is less prone to intermod (although the trade-off is losing the wider band receive).

The only complaints I've heard about the 281 vs. the 271 is the fact that they changed the board a little and removed the solder pads to which you could attach a packet data jack. On the flip side, the backlight color on the screen and mic match now, which they didn't on the 271. I never noticed, but a passenger saw it once and thought it was the weirdest thing they'd ever seen.

Side note: I was running my 271 in the garage yesterday, plugged into an AC power supply and sitting on a shelf. The shelf collapsed and the radio took a 6-foot drop onto the concrete floor. The fall turned the power supply to shrapnel, but the radio still works perfectly. I guess they really are rugged.

 

[ropin4gold]

I have the TM-271 mounted in the truck. It's a heck of a radio. Check the classifieds here and qth, you can pick them up for around a hundred bux.

 

[KD0IPM]

You get another vote for kenwood from me. I don't like the menus in the 2900, don't make much sense. If you end up with a 271 or 281 get the RT Systems programming software. Makes it much easier to program memories with names and such.

Qrz and qth are great places to check for classifieds as well. Wouldnt pay over 120 shipped for a 271 and I'd get that over the 281.

 

[SCPD]

If you end up with a 271 or 281 get the RT Systems programming software. Makes it much easier to program memories with names and such.

Why pay for programming software? The Kenwood MCP software is plenty good and works great! Don't bother with 3rd party programming -- the Kenwood radios don't even really need it.

 

[KD0IPM]

I'm just not a fan of sitting around messing with it, RT Systems is much faster, more features, and more user friendly. The main thing I didn't like about the kenwood software is that it didn't automatically put in the repeater offset in relation to the frequency.

 

[LtDoc]

The best advice I can think of is also the most difficult, get your hands on one of each and see how you like operating it. The 'user interface' really is a biggy (at least to me). I don't do a lot of 'programming' or changing of the programming mostly. There are a couple of changeable thingys that are used more often than others and those are the only ones I even 'half way' remember (sometimes). I am more comfortable with Kenwood's programming scheme so guess which radio I'd recommend!
Am I completely happy with everything about that '281? Of course not, but I haven't run across anything (yet) that would prevent me from getting another one.
I also have a Wouxun HT, actually two of them, different models. (They fulfill their purpose, not primarily ham use.) They are in a different 'class' of radio use, not really comparable to the other selections given. Add an antenna that isn't a 'rubberduck' and they do almost the same as the mobile radios I have.
Price isn't a very good way of selecting a radio, but it IS certainly a consideration! (It ain't easy being this cheap you know! )
- 'Doc