devolic
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TM-281A or the IC-2300H which is better?
Kenwood or Icom
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mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Ask 10 hams and you'll get at least 1,345,329 answers.
Best you can get is individual -opinions-.
I owned an older Icom, I think it was the 2200. I had an older Kenwood 2 meter radio, and now use a bunch of Kenwood commercial stuff.
In my -opinion- the Kenwood's were my favorite. The microphones are based off their commercial mics and don't have the absolutely ridiculous amount of buttons all over the. Since the microphone is the part of the radio you interface with the most, I always appreciated a basic microphone with less functions and less chances of fat-fingering something while driving. After owning a few Icom ham and commercial radios, I learned to loathe their microphones. The cheap PTT switches would fail frequently on their commercial mics. I still have a bunch of spare PTT buttons since I had to replace them so often.
Standby for the other 1,345,328 other opinions:
Best you can get is individual -opinions-.
I owned an older Icom, I think it was the 2200. I had an older Kenwood 2 meter radio, and now use a bunch of Kenwood commercial stuff.
In my -opinion- the Kenwood's were my favorite. The microphones are based off their commercial mics and don't have the absolutely ridiculous amount of buttons all over the. Since the microphone is the part of the radio you interface with the most, I always appreciated a basic microphone with less functions and less chances of fat-fingering something while driving. After owning a few Icom ham and commercial radios, I learned to loathe their microphones. The cheap PTT switches would fail frequently on their commercial mics. I still have a bunch of spare PTT buttons since I had to replace them so often.
Standby for the other 1,345,328 other opinions:
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In the VHF/UHF category, I prefer Kenwood (or Yaesu) over Icom. Somehow, I've never cared for the Icom menu functionality and I find the other brands to be more intuitive. On the other hand, I prefer Icom rigs for HF. Go figure.
The Kenwood TM-281 is a good rig and the front-firing speaker works well.
The Kenwood TM-281 is a good rig and the front-firing speaker works well.
vagrant
ker-muhj-uhn
The Kenwood microphone buttons allowed me to keep my eyes on the road and let my thumb make changes on the radio without having to look at it. I previously used a Kenwood D710 which has the same microphone layout. I now use a Yaesu and the tactile feel with the microphone design is not the same. More buttons on the Yaesu and Icom, but slower for me to feel my way around to make sure I have the right one. I miss that about the Kenwood microphone, but I often made changes from scanning to direct memory entry, or direct frequency entry.
How you will use all parts of the radio are something to consider and not only which one is better. In a vehicle I would prefer the Kenwood. At home I would prefer the Icom for the extra button options on the mic.
How you will use all parts of the radio are something to consider and not only which one is better. In a vehicle I would prefer the Kenwood. At home I would prefer the Icom for the extra button options on the mic.
TM-281A is an excellent rig. The V71A is even better. Of course, you can buy a TK-7180 for dirt cheap on EBay and it'll sound even better than the 281A. I got a used 7180 on E-Bay for ~$90 and it runs great.
N4KVE
Member
That’s like asking who makes the best pickup truck. Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. When I got my ticket in 84 I had a few Icom radios. But 10 years later, I started going with Kenwood. Then 10 years later I moved to Yaesu. Now it’s only Motorola. They’re all good.
I'd have to disagree. IMHO, ICOM mobile rigs have never live up to my expectations over the years. I'm not saying they don't make decent gear but each model does seem to have a weird flaw. I owned a V8000 for a few years but got tired of its weird squelch issues and poor front-end filtering. Yaesu mobiles have been a bit better but they're best when you get them on sale. IMHO, Kenwood radios have the best audio quality and seem to come very close to their commercial units. When I finally went to a commercial Kenwood I never looked back -- I didn't have to. I like their relatively small footprint and front-firing speaker options compared to Motorola or others.
I am getting more interested in the APX4500; however, my last Motorola (XTL2500) experience was disappointing so I'm not in any hurry to try.
I'm not familiar with those specific models but in general I've had better luck with Icom gear by a large margin.
I have a TS-2000 and IC-9700, as far as programming is concerned i much prefer Icom. I also have a TH-D74 that i like a lot, i am not fan of Kenwood's menu system but it works very well and it seemed to be the best handheld available for my needs at the time.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
Kenwood and Icom rigs are neck to neck, the 281 and the 2300. The 2300 is Japanese made, the Kenwood is made in Singapore. What one has to ask is who will be around a year or two? Kenwood seems to be slowly withdrawing from the amateur market, less and less innovative products every year, whereas Icom seems to be putting out NEW stuff like the Icom IC-705, the ID-52a, and has responsive state side support. I personally like the form factor of the 2300, it's small to fit in most cars on the side of a console. Not to mention the larger display, changeable backlight color.
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