My First Radio

[nater]

Well, this Saturday is my exam, and I am fortunate enough to be local to universal radio (where the exam is being held). I figured it would be a good time to pick up my first radio while I am there.

I am currently considering the Yaesu FTM-400DR. I like the touch screen and the built in APRS. Currently there is a $100 mail in rebate, so it brings the price of the unit down to "reasonable" for me. The other contender is the Icom ID-5100A (which is on the high end of my budget). My understanding of this radio is that I would have to add APRS somehow? I know there is a huge debate over digital formats, and with a little google action, it looks like my area has several D-STAR repeaters.

What would it take to add APRS to the Icom? How important is my choice of digital format? What am I not considering here?

 

[SARguru]

Im a big fan of Yaesu but imo the digital side of the ft400 is a big fail, i havent seen a repeater that will function on that format, whereas there are lots of DSTAR and DMR repeaters. If you plan on using digital then the ft400 is perhaps not the best solution. Unfortunately ICOM and Yaesu sell us a digital system that isnt compatible with others, which I think goes against the fundamental concepts of ham radio. Comparatively DMR although limited primarily to UHF has several manufacturers on board, i think DMR is the better way to go for digital.

You can add aprs pretty easily but it will cost you an additional 100 - 250 for the set up, one of several options is tinytracker. Keep in mind as well that with add on you may also loose some aprs features, how important is it to be able to send messages, or do you want to be able to other station position?

You might want to determine what is more important to you digital or aprs and go from there. Kenwoods have a good aprs function but no digital mode

Nic

 

[Crom]

I say avoid digital and skip APRS for now. I'd recommend a decent dual bander from one of the big three. It's a lot less expensive, and if you truly decide you want those things, you can upgrade later.

 

[libarata]

Who are the big three?

 

[steve c]

I just bought and installed the FTM-400DR last weekend.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Who are the big three?

Yaesu, Kenwood and ICOM.

Crom's advice is good but there is a certainly advantage to the FTM-400 and TM-D710 if you do anticipate APRS. Having it all integrated is easier to get installed and operate. FWIW, I had a FTM-400 and currently a FTM-350. I felt the 400 was an improvement or equal to the 350 on analog and APRS, so if you approach it from that standpoint it's a good radio. The C4FM is fine technically but the fail is that it's got zero to no adoption (yet), so it's not of much use. I will say that as an alternative to analog simplex it does work, so if your group adopts Yaesu there is some advantage. But I wouldn't get it over a D-STAR (if that's your thing) or DMR. I got a Vertex DMR HT personally.

AFAIK the ICOM does not do analog APRS, so in that respect it's no different than any other FM rig that can be made to do it with a TNC & beacon added on. The ICOM only makes sense if you intend to do D-STAR or/and DPRS.

 

[Crom]

If you want to play around with APRS, and you have a modern Android phone or tablet, you can install an app called "APRS Droid" by George Lukas. Use it to track other hams and send your location through the Internet. Your Internet transmitted packets should be travel through the APRS network, and be retransmitted over local digipeaters. It sounds a little bit complicated, but it's not, at least its not for the APRS Droid operator. I recommend this setup to folks before they spend the money on something that they may not end up using. Use a site like http://aprs.fi to see your packets.

 

[DaveInDenver]

APRS-IS is handy but not a substitute for RF APRS. For one it does not work in the backcountry unless you have cell service while there are digipeaters that might. It shows what APRS is sort of about but eliminates the main reason for it in the first place, which is packet communication with infrastructure independence.

Also there are times when I use APRS as a quasi-tactical display to track a group where others are beaconing over the air and their locations appear on my display locally. It requires only simplex paths, no cell or digipeaters. I'm also building a portable digipeater to use when there isn't one that will give wider coverage, but again doesn't need Internet access.

It's kind of a chicken-and-egg problem. Messing with it on your phone at home doesn't demonstrate the usefulness really.

 

[AA1PR]

not a fan of yaesu since vertex bought them out, sorry about raining on your parade

I had warranty issues with a vx5r, still under warranty & had to pay for its repair, caveat emptor they're not the same

though I'm an Icom fan & say look into the kenwood radios

I had an older triband that was awesome in all manners

 

[CaliMobber]

everyone will have their opinions and they should be well taken but I think for your first radio it needs to be a solid 2m/440.

I would look on QTH(http://swap.qth.com/) for a good used mobile. I love my yaesu ft7800/7900 but almost any of the big 3 brands will be a good choice.

 

[AlbanyTom]

First, congrats for getting into the hobby!

One of the best things about ham is that there are so many options. So I'd suggest figuring out what you want to do, then pick the hardware to go along with that. For me, that was a single band 2m mobile as my first radio. I'd do that again. Lots of people love digital, but I don't see any advantage over FM for me. What I want most is compatibility with as many other hams as possible, and net a simple, cost effective, and reliable radio. So to me extra features are a disadvantage.

But in some areas digital and 440 are more popular than they are here, so those things could be more of an advantage to you. My net mobile will probably be a dual band, probably a yaesu.

I would add Alinco to the top brands. I've had Kenwood, Icom, Alinco, and Yaesu, and I like different things about each. My second radio was a Kenwood TS-50, and I love it - nice, simple little HF rig, but I'm not a big fan of most Kenwoods these days. My more recent is a Yaesu FT-2900, and I like it a lot. I would strongly suggest shopping for models rather than brands.

APRS is cool. I know several friends that have it. But not everybody has it, or wants it. So with only some people having it, to me it's kind of a "toy" thing, rather than a universal standard thing, and because of that something I'm not interested in much myself. But if I had a family, or a small group I went out with on a regular basis that all had it, I'd probably change my mind.

Oh, and huge congrats for looking at a mobile instead of an HT for a first radio! Each has advantages, but a mobile is the way to go for VHF/UHF when you're out in the woods.

 

[MobTuff]

Also there are times when I use APRS as a quasi-tactical display to track a group where others are beaconing over the air and their locations appear on my display locally. It requires only simplex paths, no cell or digipeaters. I'm also building a portable digipeater to use when there isn't one that will give wider coverage, but again doesn't need Internet access.

What is your setup to display other beaconing mobile APRS radios?

 

[DaveInDenver]

What is your setup to display other beaconing mobile APRS radios?

I run a FTM-350 into a Garmin Nuvi 350 via an Argent Data cable. Other received stations appear as waypoints on the GPS, so you can see them spatially or use them as a destination. The messaging I have to do in the radio, which is one place where the FTM-400 excels. If you can text on your phone writing APRS messages is super intuiative and quick compared to the dial-and-button method of the old radios.

 

[lysol]

everyone will have their opinions and they should be well taken but I think for your first radio it needs to be a solid 2m/440.

I agree with this. I mean, APRS is cool, but I think you should get a radio that can just handle VHF & UHF first. Some would even go as far as to tell you to just get a VHF-only radio first, but this really depends on your area. I am spending $400 on the following Kenwood (TM-V71A). It has VHF & UHF and gives you 50 watts on each band (some radios will only give you 35 watts on UHF). Also, you don't have to worry about drilling down into various menus to change things.

http://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-TM-V7...m_sbs_e_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1BFF940742H0W9ZQ3N34

You can find cheaper dualbanders, but this one allows you to remote mount the head.

 

[DaveInDenver]

If you stick with the hobby, a solid V/UHF rig will always find a use. That TM-V71, FT-7900/8800 or whatever will end up as base rig, in a go-box, dedicated APRS at home, experimenting, etc.