Over the years there has been a ongoing discussion about the merits/detractions of using commercial gear on the ham bands. Leaving that argument behind and going with the assumption that you use commercial gear What would you recommend ?
Please include the following:
audio quality
cost of accessories(batteries etc)
programming ease
capability Channels, priority, etc
cost
no flaming, opinions are just that .
specific models please, not just brands
As an example I love my moto mts 2000 however batteries can get expensive and the programming is very Motorola...
Just about all of the major radio vendors have radios that can be used on the commercial / public safety frequencies as well as most of the ham frequencies. You would be more helpful if you provided some information on just how you expect to use the radios. Like there are dash mount and trunk mount mobiles. There are low power, medium power and high power mobiles.
How many channels are required?
Do you intend to use zones to separate the channels?
Is there any special requirements the radio needs to have?
Does the radio need to stay on after the engine is shut off?
Do you need a portable radio? Portable with speaker mic operation?
You will need programming cables to match the radios you select. In some cases there may be a requirement for a voltage level converter between the radio and the computer. In other cases, this level converter is part of the programming cable. Most of the current radios use a programming cable that plugs into the computer with a USB connection.
Plus you will need the programming software to program the radio. Some vendors require a software license to be in place before you can obtain the software and other vendors will just sell you the software.
You will need a computer to put the software on. In most cases this can be a computer that has Windows XP all the way up to Windows 10. I tend to stay away from anything above Windows 7. Call me old time, but it's stable and I don't have to keep updating my printer. It doesn't need to be the top speed that you can find. A computer with a clock speed around 1 GHz. is fine.
Some radios have problems being programmed with faster computers. I know the older EF Johnson radios like the 5100 and 5300 don't like high clock speeds. But they will work well on the commercial frequencies as well as the ham bands. I own a number of these EFJ radios.
My personal selection seems to be Icom, Kenwood, and Motorola. I use what I can get my hands on. My personal preference is not important to this discussion. But I do spend my frequent time on the road on the ham frequencies. I do have 5 radios in my truck, to keep me amused while on the road.
