What mobile ham would you recommend?

[Firekite]

While I like the radio (at least after a few firmware updates) I don't think I'd pick it for my first mobile dual band unless I were set on predetermined repeaters and frequencies only.

Please elaborate.

 

[N4GIX]

I'm curious, N4GIX, what is the radio just under the in dash stereo. Unless it's a 220Mhz radio, it looks like you have your bases covered with the 800D and the Yaesu.

That is a TYT-7800 2m/70cm with dual transceivers, dual VFOs and FPP. Normally the FT-857D is tuned to the N9IAA 6m repeater. memory channel.

That large display is a real joy for me to use. One of the neat feature is that I can quickly set up a list of up to 16 zone/channel combinations making for a two touch instant change. Another list is up to 16 of my favorite zones, again for instant switching. With the current programming of 52 different zones (mostly repeaters in Indiana) you can see how it would take a lot of button pushing to use the standard front panel...

 

[bharvey2]

When I purchased the radio, Connect Systems had yet to iron out all of the bugs. As such, I had some intermittent, odd radio behavior in DMR mode. I knew there might be some going in so this was no surprise. newer firmware updates arrived over the course of a few weeks that helped resolve most of those issues.

With regard to the latter part of my comment, the CS800D doesn't offer the "on the fly" programming flexibility of radio designed specifically for the ham market. I have a number of Kenwood TM-V71A radios that are much easier to input or modify a channel on the front panel. That being said, the CS800D is marketed as a Part 90 radio so many of the features available to a ham-centric radio are necessarily withheld on a Part 90 radio. Not that front panel programming options can't be incorporated as an option but I find those features easier on a radio designed for ham users specifically.

N4GIX - One of the features that really motivated me to get the CS800D was the removal of the 16 channels per zone restriction. Does that carry over on to the display as well? And yet another question, how do you contend with two dual band 2M/70cm radios in your vehicle antenna-wise?

 

[N4GIX]

N4GIX - One of the features that really motivated me to get the CS800D was the removal of the 16 channels per zone restriction. Does that carry over on to the display as well? And yet another question, how do you contend with two dual band 2M/70cm radios in your vehicle antenna-wise?

Yes it does carry over. Aside from some user programmable convenience options in the display's firmware/software, the display simply uses the same data available to the tiny front panel display. Not visible in the photo I included in my reply above, is the original CS800 front panel that was installed in my Toyota Camry at the very bottom of my center console. Not only was is difficult to reach and read, it blocked the ashtray and cigarette lighter from being accessed.

The three radio bodies are under the front bucket seats, and I've deliberately left the programming cables installed on them. I can quickly reach them for re-programming from my laptop without having to remove them from where they're installed.

 

[prcguy]

Not sure if the OP is still looking at a dual band 2m/70cm mobile, but here is another twist on things. I have or have had many of the radios mentioned so far and some of the extra bands on some models definitely do not get used much like 10m FM or 6m. A year or so back I picked up an Anytone AT-5888 UV III, which is a tri-band 2m, 220, 440 radio which is much better suited to a Tech class licence. 220 has a lot of activity in some areas and tri-band antenna options are easy and not overly large with 220.

This radio has nicer features and better operation/performance than my TYT-9800 or any other Chinese radio I've owned and its only about $250 new from a US distributor. Its menu structure is similar to the Yaesu FT-8900 and it receives AM aircraft and most of the VHF/UHF commercial bands. The only thing my much more expensive Yaesu FT-8900 does better is having slightly better Intermod rejection on a big base antenna, but I live in RF hell and many radios don't do well here on big antennas.

This is the place I got mine and it looks like they have gone up slightly but there are other vendors. AnyTone AT-5888UV III Tri-Band Analog 144/220/440 MHz Mobile Radio US Seller | eBay

 

[cmdrwill]

but I live in RF hell and many radios don't do well here on big antennas.

How very TRUE. And some radios do not do well even with "small" antennas here. It IS a big RF sinkhole...

 

[bharvey2]

Yes it does carry over. Aside from some user programmable convenience options in the display's firmware/software, the display simply uses the same data available to the tiny front panel display. Not visible in the photo I included in my reply above, is the original CS800 front panel that was installed in my Toyota Camry at the very bottom of my center console. Not only was is difficult to reach and read, it blocked the ashtray and cigarette lighter from being accessed.

The three radio bodies are under the front bucket seats, and I've deliberately left the programming cables installed on them. I can quickly reach them for re-programming from my laptop without having to remove them from where they're installed.

Why two UHF radios connected to the display and how do you run three 70cm radios together without interfering with one another?

A year or so back I picked up an Anytone AT-5888 UV III, which is a tri-band 2m, 220, 440 radio which is much better suited to a Tech class licence. 220 has a lot of activity in some areas and tri-band antenna options are easy and not overly large with 220.

This radio has nicer features and better operation/performance than my TYT-9800 or any other Chinese radio I've owned and its only about $250 new from a US distributor.

I've heard good reviews on this radio. People do seem to like them. The Anytone radios on average seem to be a cut above many of the other CCRs.

 

[N4GIX]

Why two UHF radios connected to the display and how do you run three 70cm radios together without interfering with one another?

I don't have two UHF radios connected to the display. I have one CS800D U/V radio connected to the display. The original control head is still mounted where I had installed it. I simply haven't removed it yet.

The current lineup is:

1. TYT-7800 V/U analog on a dedicated dual-band antenna.
2. CS800D V/U analog/DMR on a dedicated dual band antenns.
3. FT-857D on an ATAS120 (auto-tune) antenna.

Although I do have 2m and 70cm channels programmed into the FT-857, they are only there as "backups" in case of failure of both of the other two radios, or I pull the FT-857 out of the car for a special event. It has a self-contained battery supply for "portable" operations.

One of the eventual new features of the CS-BFD display will be the ability to connect the FT-857 for operation, although I doubt I'll take advantage of that. In theory though, the BFD will eventually have the ability to connect four separate radios to a single display.