Jody Radzik
EF2
I am going to obtain my technician class license soon. What choices should I be considering for a mobile ham radio? This will be installed in my vehicle rather than handheld. Thanks in advance for your advice.
2-meter radio suggestions
- Thread starter Jody Radzik
- Start date
Tom Stefanac
EF2
I strongly suggest getting a dual band radio for your first ever purchase simply so that you have versatility and can work any repeaters you need to.
Get something which has a dual receive and a fair bit of memory, at least 200 channels. The Kenwood TMD 7000 is a nice rig which can listen to any two VHF or UHF frequencies at the same time, plus it has a TNC built it so you can run APRS. The alpha tagging is nice allowing you to store longer name tags than most other radios.
If you are going to strictly get a 2m radio, get the Icom-8000 simply for power. It cranks out 75 watts, is very rugged and ideal for simplex communication. The face plate cannot be moved or remotely mounted so the whole radio must be visible to the driver.
Visit eHam for some good reviews.
Get something which has a dual receive and a fair bit of memory, at least 200 channels. The Kenwood TMD 7000 is a nice rig which can listen to any two VHF or UHF frequencies at the same time, plus it has a TNC built it so you can run APRS. The alpha tagging is nice allowing you to store longer name tags than most other radios.
If you are going to strictly get a 2m radio, get the Icom-8000 simply for power. It cranks out 75 watts, is very rugged and ideal for simplex communication. The face plate cannot be moved or remotely mounted so the whole radio must be visible to the driver.
Visit eHam for some good reviews.
Chris Nuttall
EF5
Yaesu FT-8800 is an awesome dual-band, dual-receive radio. It has just about every feature you could ever want. Fully programable, you can receive any freq. you want for 2m or 70cm on either side of the radio. The only bad thing I've come across with this radio is that the buttons on the faceplate are not lit, so you can't see them in the dark. But, the mic has several programmable buttons that take care of whatever you need.
It gets great reviews on eHam.net.
It gets great reviews on eHam.net.
Ben Pinette
EF1
I'll echo the sentiments made above. Dual band is really the way to go. You'll get much more flexibility over a 2m radio for little additional expense. The FT-8800 is a great choice if you have no need for APRS. I've been using its predecessor, the FT-8100, for 7 years now with no complaints whatsoever.
Jayson Prentice
EF5
Although I only went with the 2m, single band, I have to say that the Yaesu line is top notch and great for the price. Plenty of memory and can easily put out enough power to reach wherever you need too
Andrew Herron
EF3
I'll pipe in and say my FT8000R is great! Very little to no alternator noise!
Jody Radzik
EF2
Thanks to all for the suggestions!
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