Icom: ID-5200 shown at Hamvention

[K9KLC]

Agreed, I use a lot of Motorola gear even though it can present challenges to programing. The thing I like about the ham gear is that it's so easy to program on the fly when I'm traveling. Back when everyone was basically on 2 meters and analog it was all very easy. Now, with DMR systems with talk groups to timbuktu and 2 meters becoming mostly silent it's hard to figure out what to run. Then factor in that auto makers seem bound and determined to eliminate any useable space in modern cars and it all gets very frustrating.

Ya I find myself using my /\/\ gear more and more these days it seems. When they're not hooked up and it's analog I honestly just run my OLD Kenwoods 741 or 641 and get 2 meters, 220 and 440 all at the same time. I'm usually simplex on 2 and 220 and monitor one wider coverage repeater on 440. Honestly I think I'm going to get my old Kenwood 331a out and just use my triplexer and use the Motorolas and that for day to day stuff.

I guess if a guy has a lot of money and does a lot of D* and needs a color screen, then the 5200 might be up their alley but it sure isn't up mine.

 

[kayn1n32008]

I like Icom, I have plenty of Icom radios in my shack, but between missing simple features such as ignition sense on "mobile" radios.

My first portable and first mobile ham radios were Icom.

The now ever growing price point, and the refusal to support more than 1 digital mode and simply turning up their nose at any other mode like it doesn't exist (even if its supported in their LMR catalog) make it hard to even consider the "new" radios we have been begging to be released for years.

Probably because people will try and use them on LMR frequencies, there fore they just wont put those modes in their ham gear. I mean, just look at the oddles of GMRS guys they buy ham gear and modify it. Same with the "just in case" whackers.

The price point is slowly converging between LMR and amateur radios, and the value isn't there anymore.

Years ago I just decided to use LMR gear. Ham gear is just horrible.

I'm sure I'm one of the few, but VFO on a mobile isn't necessary. Failure to plan ahead usually results in failure to succeed. I have FPP in most of my LMR radios, but I haven't used it in years, just lack of need due to proper planning. I often travel 50% of the state for work, and not having a VFO to add a repeater that I don't know if I'm in range of, or know if it's even online, doesn't hurt my chances of having a conversation. The biggest problem is nobody is out there at all.

I've travelled for work a ton, and not having a VFO has never been an issue for me. Same for not having FPP. When I travel, I have my laptop, and I always bring the programming cables I need for the radios I will be taking with me.

Now that more LMR manufacturers are producing multi-mode radios, it really makes the amateur units look and sound like toys, and makes it hard to even entertain as a purchase.

Hammy mobiles have always looked and sounded like toys. The displays suck, the push buttons have fixed assignemnts, and they are usually on the small-ish side.

Although the manufacturers are slowly getting better, things like segmented displays. 6 character displays. poorly designed banks or zones.


Take the TM-V71A and a NX700. The 2 configuable buttons on the V71 were the 2 most used button on that radio when i owned one. I almost NEVER used any other button. Were as my NX700, EVERY button was programmed how I wanted it.

There is exactly zero current ham specific mobile or portable radios that I have any interest in.

 

[mmckenna]

Hammy mobiles have always looked and sounded like toys. The displays suck, the push buttons have fixed assignemnts, and they are usually on the small-ish side.

Way too many buttons, way too many keypresses to be useful while driving. KISS applies when mobile. Large knobs, a few programmable buttons, large display, microphone with no additional function….

 

[tweiss3]

Way too many buttons, way too many keypresses to be useful while driving. KISS applies when mobile. Large knobs, a few programmable buttons, large display, microphone with no additional function….

And I still don't understand the need for reverse in lieu of talk around. I don't want to complicate talking to people when infrastructure is down due to a power outage, we should all revert to simplex on the output, and guess what, we can hear when infrastructure regains power........

 

[mmckenna]

And I still don't understand the need for reverse in lieu of talk around. I don't want to complicate talking to people when infrastructure is down due to a power outage, we should all revert to simplex on the output, and guess what, we can hear when infrastructure regains power........

Quit being logical, you're going to confuse people.

 

[AK9R]

Are we talking about specifically about the Icom ID-5200 or are we making general comments about amateur radio equipment vs. land mobile equipment?

 

[mmckenna]

Are we talking about specifically about the Icom ID-5200 or are we making general comments about amateur radio equipment vs. land mobile equipment?

Yes.