NEW: Yaesu VX-8R

[Bill_White]

I might be selling my VX-6R soon.
I kinda like the new VX-8R:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0008.html

Well, maybe after BETA testing..:roll:

 

[Grog]

Still only 1.5w on 222mhz? Failed once again..... :roll:

 

[trixwagen]

I thought the Icom IC-92AD was the new king of the HT hill. Why not complain that the VX-8R doesn't do 1.2 gig? And no SSB?

Still pretty impressive. They must have saved some room for improvement for the future VX-9R.

 

[N1SQB]

I wonder!

Are they saying wide band receive only because it covers the broadcast band? Or is this a true wideband receiver IE....coverage below 30 MHZ? HMMM!

Manny

 

[mancow]

Great... there goes 400 more bills. :roll:


Even though it sounds like it's just a glorified 7r I gotta have one.

This is what I want...

A HAND HELD FT-817!!! WITH COVERAGE TO 174 MHZ. I asked and engineer from Yaesu about it last year at Dayton and he thought I was smoking a bowl. But think of it. The 817 is only 5 watts anyway. Why not make it the size of a Bendix/King with all the features of the 817 and 7r with a large LiIon bottom mounted pack and submersibility. Now that would be some s*** right there.

 

[prcguy]

I have a VX-7R (300mw on 220) and can hit any 220 repeater within 50mi just fine using stock rubber duck. Sounds like Grog is an Icom or Kenwood user. Icom has put put some real crap in the past and how come Kenwood was on the brink of bankruptcy recently while Yaesu moved into a newer and larger building to keep up with the growth? Maybe because Kenwood can't design a handheld radio to keep up with the times?
prcguy

Still only 1.5w on 222mhz? Failed once again..... :roll:

 

[Grog]

I have a VX-7R (300mw on 220) and can hit any 220 repeater within 50mi just fine using stock rubber duck. Sounds like Grog is an Icom or Kenwood user.

I actually have three yaesus (one with no TX output that I got for almost nothing, thanks to that great yaesu quality ) and I have an icom in the back of the truck for emergency use (AA power and BNC). 99% of my ham use is motorola gear.


As for the rest of your drivel, a lot of 222mhz HT users but the kenwood because it gives them real power output. If anyone wants real power output on 222mhz, then it's alinco to the rescue.

 

[N1SQB]

For the record, I was once an Icom fan ( IC2-SRA,IC-W2A, IC-W32A). Now, I am a Yaesu fan (FT-50,60,VX7RB FT-847). I have to say that Icom and Kenwood have lack luster portables at best. Yaesu has been pretty good at keeping up with the needs of the Hams. Real needs, not D-star crap that boosts the price into the ridiculous range for a portable. I do agree with Grog, If you make a 4 band radio with 5 watts on only 3 bands, what is the problem with just making it 5 watts on ALL bands? I see the point he is making. Its just dumb.The VX-8 looks interesting but lets see more details before we say yea or nea!

Manny

 

[Grog]

This is what I want...

A HAND HELD FT-817!!! WITH COVERAGE TO 174 MHZ. I asked and engineer from Yaesu about it last year at Dayton and he thought I was smoking a bowl. But think of it. The 817 is only 5 watts anyway. Why not make it the size of a Bendix/King with all the features of the 817 and 7r with a large LiIon bottom mounted pack and submersibility. Now that would be some s*** right there.

I would love to see that too

 

[Grog]

For the record, I was once an Icom fan ( IC2-SRA,IC-W2A, IC-W32A). Now, I am a Yaesu fan (FT-50,60,VX7RB FT-847). I have to say that Icom and Kenwood have lack luster portables at best. Yaesu has been pretty good at keeping up with the needs of the Hams. Real needs, not D-star crap that boosts the price into the ridiculous range for a portable.

All the big three have what they do best, right now yaesu has some winners in the VHF/UHF mobile category (7800/8800/8900) and the all-band mobile/base (857/897) as well. Kenwood seems to make the APRS crowd happy, Icom sure has a following in the HF market with the various 706 versions, the 7000 as well as the 746s that make many drool.


Alinco takes care of the 222mhz group

 

[fireant]

I agree Grog, the only thing about the alinco's that could be better is give them a better battery don't have one myself but have heard the battery don't last long even on a full charge.

Just my thoughts

fireant

 

[prcguy]

Every single Icom I have ever owned has broken, and the list is very long. I still have a 706MKIIG that was repaired once and is holding up and an IC-275H that needs to be fixed for the fourth time. The 7000 gets poor ratings on its receiver and the 706 beats it in many ways, check Rob Sherwoods testing of these. Drool over a 746? Man, your easily impressed.
prcguy

All the big three have what they do best, right now yaesu has some winners in the VHF/UHF mobile category (7800/8800/8900) and the all-band mobile/base (857/897) as well. Kenwood seems to make the APRS crowd happy, Icom sure has a following in the HF market with the various 706 versions, the 7000 as well as the 746s that make many drool.


Alinco takes care of the 222mhz group

 

[Grog]

Every single Icom I have ever owned has broken, and the list is very long. I still have a 706MKIIG that was repaired once and is holding up and an IC-275H that needs to be fixed for the fourth time. The 7000 gets poor ratings on its receiver and the 706 beats it in many ways, check Rob Sherwoods testing of these. Drool over a 746? Man, your easily impressed.
prcguy

Maybe you are hitting the bottle early, but what bug is up your butt?


I know several people with the 7000, no problems from theirs, as for me, the only Icom I have ever owned was a T2H and it works to this day, so for me they are 100%.


If you want to bait someone, go to qrz, they love that stuff over there.

 

[Grog]

Every single Icom I have ever owned has broken, and the list is very long.

So anyway, if icoms are so bad, why have you kept owning them? :lol:

 

[mancow]

GROG
PRCGUY

As far as posts go I know both you guys fairly well and you both have more in common than you probably know.

Ford vs. Chevy... Icom vs. Yaesu.... Charmin vs.....whatever.... in the end it's all junk anway.

 

[Grog]

GROG
PRCGUY

As far as posts go I know both you guys fairly well and you both have more in common than you probably know.

Ford vs. Chevy... Icom vs. Yaesu.... Charmin vs.....whatever.... in the end it's all junk anway.

He likes midgets too?



Quilted Northern FTW

in the end it's all junk anway.

Probably one reason I won't spend $1000 on a fancy-pants HF rig, it'd blow up and Id be ticked for a long time :lol:

 

[N1SQB]

Getting back to the OP!
This new VX8R looks like its built for war like a tank! It certainly looks and sounds interesting enough. I am a bit concerned however with it being submersible. This means that they sealed it up tight like the VX7R. This may be a problem because the the VX7 had an overheating issue. Because no air could get in, none could get out as in heat. This tended to distort the audio after a little bit of use. I had 2 of them and both did that. I had friends who also experienced this in both older and newer versions. The fix was simple,pop out the battery and then pop it back in. But who wants to keep doing that? That ususaly did it! It was just a pain in the rear. Its suppossed to be thinner than the VX7R? HMMM! I cant wait to see one!

Manny

 

[prcguy]

I do like midgets, especially if they are wrapped in Quilted Northern tissue. But my midget friends do not own Icoms...
prcguy

He likes midgets too?



Quilted Northern FTW






Probably one reason I won't spend $1000 on a fancy-pants HF rig, it'd blow up and Id be ticked for a long time :lol:

 

[n9nwo]

I might be selling my VX-6R soon.
I kinda like the new VX-8R:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0008.html

Well, maybe after BETA testing..:roll:

Saw it at Dayton yesterday. Here is Univerisal Radio's web page http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/0008.html

It covers 6/2/220/440 at 5W (1.5 on 220). It does APRS with optional GPS. Also will have an optional Bluetooth headset. It is like a large VX-3, the same thickness but tall and wider. The VX8R is submersible and meets IPX57 specifications (3 feet for minimum of 30 minutes).

The unit they had at Dayton you could touch but the lettering was not permanent. They said it came with a 1400 mAh battery.

It is to be available in late June at between $330 and $350, list.

 

[k9swx]

It does APRS with optional GPS.

Did they say if it's an internal board or an external one that plugs in / uses bluetooth? Though as Bob B would say, you don't need a GPS to use APRS. :-D I wonder what sort of APRS features it will have though. Obviously not as big a screen as my D7A, but the small footprint of the V8-XR would be nice.

It is to be available in late June at between $330 and $350, list.

Is that it? I figured something that fancy would easily be $550-600. I might have to look into that once the beta period is over.