AR8200MK3 Alpha Tags Question

[sparklehorse]

Hello.
I'm seriously considering buying the AR8200MK3 receiver. I've read that "text comments" of up to 12 characters can be stored with each memory channel. I've assumed these text comments are analogous to the Alpha Tags one can program in modern Unidens, Whistlers, Baofeng, etc., and will be displayed when the radio is stopped on an active channel. However, after looking at dozens of images of this radio on the internet, and several videos, I have yet to see a text comment actually being displayed on the 8200 screen. So the question is, does the radio display the text comment when monitoring a memory channel? Or are these text comments buried, only there for the purpose of doing a text search when looking for a particular memory channel?

Also, can anyone comment on whether the AR8200MK3 is essentially an AR8600MK2 in portable form? What I'm looking for is an analog receiver that is very sensitive at VHF-Hi frequencies, but is also reasonably decent at HF frequencies (using different antennas of course). I'd mainly be using it in a rural, coastal area that is not swamped by local FM broadcast stations, etc.

Thank you very much for the help.

.

 

[eorange]

Yes, the "text comments" are alpha tags, which function just like every other radio with alpha tags. So no worries there.

I'd say the MK3 does pretty well with VHF Hi; I mainly use mine in that band for aircraft monitoring. The HF does about as well as can be expected for a handheld, so reasonably decent is a good way to describe it.