So after a small delay in shipping I finally received my QT40 yesterday. I had already installed the programming software prior. Within minutes I had it converted for 11 meter and programmed. I even made my own custom Roger beeps via the software.
I'm using it in the garage for a base station for the time being. Bone stock with stock mic (which I modified with a bigger hole to speak in to) I was able to talk to my buddy 25 miles away (his base is a Stryker 955) on AM using a fiberglass 102 on a mag mount slapped on my metal garage roof. Quite impressive. He said the audio was loud and clear. A few hours later i talked to 4 guys yacking back and forth in Ontario Canada on straight AM during a band opening. Very impressed with this radio.
As a bonus, for those who didn't know... You can program VHF 140-170mhz freqs in to the weather band. I removed the WX freqs and added local EMS, Fire, MURS, and ham freqs. Then set it to scan. Makes for a good backup scanner, or something to listen to when the chicken band is silent. You can even select a specified frequency to act as your weather alert instead of the weather.
The receiver on this thing is great. It has really good ears. I like the old school look of it, and the physical knobs and switches. It even has a freq counter if you hold the up/down channel buttons on the mic. It scrolls in the channel display. Neat.
On TX all audio reports have been positive. Some even said it sounded like I was running some fire in the wire because I was really loud and clear. I did turn NPC on (not to be confused with NRC), which the experts on YT say not to, but it really opens up the audio. There is nothing I don't like about this radio. Very impressive rig for $169.99.
I'm using it in the garage for a base station for the time being. Bone stock with stock mic (which I modified with a bigger hole to speak in to) I was able to talk to my buddy 25 miles away (his base is a Stryker 955) on AM using a fiberglass 102 on a mag mount slapped on my metal garage roof. Quite impressive. He said the audio was loud and clear. A few hours later i talked to 4 guys yacking back and forth in Ontario Canada on straight AM during a band opening. Very impressed with this radio.
As a bonus, for those who didn't know... You can program VHF 140-170mhz freqs in to the weather band. I removed the WX freqs and added local EMS, Fire, MURS, and ham freqs. Then set it to scan. Makes for a good backup scanner, or something to listen to when the chicken band is silent. You can even select a specified frequency to act as your weather alert instead of the weather.
The receiver on this thing is great. It has really good ears. I like the old school look of it, and the physical knobs and switches. It even has a freq counter if you hold the up/down channel buttons on the mic. It scrolls in the channel display. Neat.
On TX all audio reports have been positive. Some even said it sounded like I was running some fire in the wire because I was really loud and clear. I did turn NPC on (not to be confused with NRC), which the experts on YT say not to, but it really opens up the audio. There is nothing I don't like about this radio. Very impressive rig for $169.99.
