I like the Yaesu FT8500 for simple 2 band operation (144 MHZ/2 meter & 440MHz/70 cm) I use it with the
Mr PotatoHead mike. That's what makes it great.
It puts all the controls on the microphone--very sweet because every control point is unique (you can operate by feel) or you can lift it up to your face to look at it while you drive your [color:"blue"]
Isuzu BlueMigo[/color]. Every other radio I had I needed to work through menus to get where I wanted--try driving and lifting the whole radio display to your face, then hitting buttons.
But from reviews, I see the following:
1. If you buy used, don't hate it if you get a cheap deal and the radio doesn't work right.
2. You either love or hate the microphone. Actually, I saw that in pretty much every review (QST magazine, on-line ham spots, etc.) I love it.
Review:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/415It's older, but older means used which means used/less expensive. I've owned two of them. (First one drowned)
While I like Yaesu for rugged, if you want to go HF[color:"red"]
*[/color] (as well, the Icom 706 series gets great reviews.
[color:"red"]
*[/color] HF = This was consider "high frequency" in the 'old days' which means in the KHz band like AM Radio, not MHz band and up. I work on Transmit/Receive stuff now that goes well over 50 GHz!
Kenwood also has really upped the ante with their radios, building both a TNC[color:"red"]
*[/color] and APRS[color:"red"]
*[/color] in. I own their TH-D7AG handheld
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1332(like it says; bigger battery and better antenna make a big difference) and use it to transmit my GPS coordinates; it disappoints me that all mobile (car) radios don't have this standard now. The car equivalent is the
TM-D700A This saves you from buying a TNC to integrate into your radio.
[color:"red"]
*[/color] TNC =
Terminal Node Controller. Lets the ham radio work with digital data, similar to a computer modem or LAN connection.
[color:"red"]
*[/color] APRS =
Automatic Position (or Packet) Reporting System That page also has
a slide show by the presenter
Why is GPS + Ham Radio cool? Because when you turn it on, your friends/family can keep track of you. Here's who's active around Orange County. Click on a station to get more details....including (in some cases) the speed. (Don't let the wife know about it) and you can use it to send messages from your ham, to the internet that they see when they pull your call sign up.
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/map-near.cgi?zip=9286573 back to you (click for meaning--and I'm using the *modern* usage)
Wa7yne (yes, I'm that nerdy--that is my ham radio call sign)
