2m mobile rig recommendations?

[sdnative]

Hi all, I am in the market for another primary radio for my vehicle after selling my Yaesu FT-8800 a couple years ago. Upon scanning the horizon, it seems a lot has changed in that time.

My current collection includes a couple of Yeasu HTs and a Yaesu FT-1500M as a backup 2m and APRS rig (using a TinyTrak4). Now I am looking for a 2m/440 dual band, dual receive with remote mountable head. I like the look of the Yeasu models FTM-400DR or FTM-350AR (which I hear is better for off-road ham use). There is even the new FTM-100DR but is not dual receive nor crossband repeat capable so it is less attractive. All of these have limited APRS functionality built in so that's a plus (although APRS is more of a novelty for me).

Primary usage would be repeater operation, with the occasional communication with another vehicle on simplex. I don't go out with groups much anymore, but rather longer solo trips to fairly remote areas so high power, reliability and robust operation is very important.

Not at all familiar with the current Kenwood or Icom lineup, but it seems Yeasu leads the pack.

I am leaning towards the FTM-400DR right now unless someone talks me out of it. Yeasu is offering a $100 rebate as well until the end of the month bringing the price down to $500. I have even considered an all-band radio like the FT-857D (a bit dated) or the FT-991 :drool: ($$$), but not sure how much I would use HF.

Thoughts and/or recommendations? Thanks in advance!

 

[tgreening]

I use the 400 and I'm happy with it. I'm not a hardcore enough user to find any faults that really grind my gears. I had looked at the 350 but it's been discontinued and the ones on the used market appeared to be gold plated, at least when I was looking, so I ended up with the 400 anyway. As I recall Icom is wrapped up in D-star vs APRS, so Kenwoods D710 series is your best bet there. Brand wise I have/had all of them and dont really have anything bad to say about any. They each have their ups and downs but mostly just little quirky things like this button too small, or in an inconvenient spot, or that knob too big and too easy to turn, etc etc. Function was always fine.

I'm also kicking the all-band HF can, you know, for when the zombies attack, but still haven't pulled the trigger on everything involved in that. Part of it is not being able to find and all-band mobile rig that really floats my boat, and as you've noticed the Yaesu lineup doesn't seem to be getting much love from the factory.

 

[1911]

Since you already like Yaesu, seems like the FTM-400DR would be a good fit. I like Yaesu, once you figure out how to read the manual!

My current mobile radio is a Kenwood TM-D710A and it is excellent for plug 'n play APRS and a nice dual band/dual receive radio otherwise. They are somewhat known for a filter problem that is always fixed under warranty; maybe Kenwood has addressed this issue in the current model D710G; I don't know.

Mobile HF: I can see how this would be fun on a long solo road trip, but don't know how you could keep a log while driving. Personally, I carry a portable HF radio and a portable mult-band antenna in my truck and then operate HF in camp if I feel like it. YMMV.

 

[1911]

???

No particular "need" to keep a log on HF or any frequency. It hasn't been a requirement for decades.

Yes, I realize that. I like to keep a log of all my contacts though.

 

[sdnative]

Thanks for the replies!

I went in to the local HRO today to play with a few radios. While the 400 looks nice I really didn't care for the touch screen (I was comparing it to my phone, maybe I shouldn't). And the menu system leaves a lot to be desired IMO. I am sure with some use it will become secondary, but there will be a learning curve. I wanted to take advantage of the $100 rebate until the end of June, but was told the rebate has been extended a couple more months. I have time to do more evaluation. I may end up with this radio after all.

I also liked the Kenwood 710G but it was a bit more expensive. If price was the same, I would be seriously tempted to go with that radio instead.

 

[BettysNephew]

I have retired from industrial maintenance but have a bit to interject here. Regarding the problems I saw over the years, touch screens were one of the items that caused downtime in our systems. Granted the industrial environment is much more severe than most of our radios will ever see but they were one of the things that required replacement more often than most electronic devices. Between the girls poking holes in them with sharp finger nails (although this is lessened by glass screens) and touch cells that stick in the on or off position or screens going blank due to illumination failure they caused more issues than many electronics. We got to the point that when we upgraded/purchased machines the start/stop and certain often used controls were changed back to mechanical push buttons to curtail such problems in the long term. Just something to consider when making your purchase. I chose the Icom IC-2730 over the IC-5100 for this and several other reasons. Generally simple is better, KISS principal and all that.

 

[whatevah]

I have the Kenwood D710A (and a GPS) but that's because I wanted a radio with native APRS support. Previously, I had the Kenwood V71 and loved it but I wanted full APRS support. One cool thing for me is the V71 control head can mount upside down on the remote mount... I had it mounted to the top of my Jeep's windshield frame. With the D710, I had to flip and extend the mount to be able to use the same mounting location for that control head.

The V71 is a great radio, I'd get it again if I didn't need(want) APRS. HRO occasionally has open box models for cheaper than you can get on ebay, that's how I got my D710. I wish Kenwood had a 2M/70CM/HF combo unit like Yaesu's FT-857D but with full 50W on 70cm.

 

[craig333]

I have retired from industrial maintenance but have a bit to interject here. Regarding the problems I saw over the years, touch screens were one of the items that caused downtime in our systems. Granted the industrial environment is much more severe than most of our radios will ever see but they were one of the things that required replacement more often than most electronic devices. Between the girls poking holes in them with sharp finger nails (although this is lessened by glass screens) and touch cells that stick in the on or off position or screens going blank due to illumination failure they caused more issues than many electronics. We got to the point that when we upgraded/purchased machines the start/stop and certain often used controls were changed back to mechanical push buttons to curtail such problems in the long term. Just something to consider when making your purchase. I chose the Icom IC-2730 over the IC-5100 for this and several other reasons. Generally simple is better, KISS principal and all that.

We use many Allen Bradley touch screens at work and they've all been flawless. A couple scratches now but thats it.

 

[BettysNephew]

The later ones with the glass screens were a great improvement, but they are still one of the few components by AB that could be an issue. Most everything else by AB was so reliable that when any of their parts needed replacement it was very unusual. I do not have a amateur dealer nearby but have seen several references in radio reviews that mentioned the screens had to be pushed firmly to initiate a change which indicated to me that some may be using the membrane type screens.

 

[PatoNegro]

D-STAR on Icom 5100 looks nice.

I am currently studying for my Technician license and decided to visit the local ARRL field day on June 27th. I ended up getting a 45 minute demo of mobile radio choices. I got an overview of D-STAR versus Yaesu System Fusion versus DMR. I saw a demonstration of the ICOM 5100 which has a very nice touch screen.

Since then I have been extensively researching (20 hrs+) DV (digital voice) on ham radios. Some say that D-STAR, DMR, and Fusion are proprietary solutions which require a user to choose one or the other. I have found that not to be the case for D-STAR & Fusion. Rather the design specs for both are available and hams are actively working various custom interfaces and solutions. Since D-STAR is the oldest, there are several interesting amateur solutions available now. Fusion on the other hand is relatively new and the software for repeater to repeater linking via the internet is expected by this fall. DMR radios use a proprietary protocol developed by Motorola for commercial needs. It is now available for ham radio users.

Now back to the original question - which radio to choose. For me, I am leaning toward the the ICOM 5100 for the following reasons:

• The quality of digital voice versus analog FM voice.
• The extensive number of linked D-STAR repeaters in the United States and many countries.
• The quality and ease of use of the ICOM 5100.
• The ability of the 5100 to find the nearest analog or D-STAR hotspot based upon GPS and a downloadable list of repeaters.
• The availability of D-STAR USB adapters for PCs which allow connection via internet to a repeater (no radio needed) - just use a headset with mic plugged into your Windows/Mac/Linux computer.
• The availability of pre-built Raspberry Pi mico D-STAR hotspots which link a radio to a repeater through the internet via an iPhone hotspot. Useful while driving with good LTE coverage.

When I went to the field day I only knew System Fusion as a Yaesu marketing term. Since then I now have a better understanding of digital voice and the linked infrastructure of repeaters, hot spots, and PCs that go with it. Unlike the complete, proprietary solutions sold to millions of consumers, ham solutions are slowly evolving and maturing.

If you are only interested in analog voice, then Yaesu, Kenwood, and others are viable options. However your initial interest in Yaesu's FTM-400DR seems to suggest that you might be looking for a digital voice solution using System Fusion.

One D-STAR write-up to get you started: //http://wb8nut.com/dstar/

Now back to studying for my test.

 

[93Cummins]

Not to go backwards but your original post said you had a Yaesu Ft-8800 that you sold. If you don't think you want digital the Ft-8800 is still a good choice for a mobile. If your APRS need is for location services put a dedicated APRS system in outside the mobile radio.

 

[HenryJ]

...If you don't think you want digital the Ft-8800 is still a good choice for a mobile. If your APRS need is for location services put a dedicated APRS system in outside the mobile radio.

Exactly what I have. Wouldn't change a thing The APRS is on with the ignition and rides under the back seat. Small and forgotten. Works like a champ.

 

[93Cummins]

I do something similar. I have Motorola VHF and UHF radios and a dedicated transmit only APRS system that works in the background.

 

[CaliMobber]

Not to go backwards but your original post said you had a Yaesu Ft-8800 that you sold. If you don't think you want digital the Ft-8800 is still a good choice for a mobile. If your APRS need is for location services put a dedicated APRS system in outside the mobile radio.

x2 thats why I was thinking. unless you felt the 8800 was lacking Id stick with a simple 2m/440. I actually prefer the 7800/7900 to the 8800. Its simpler to use and can be found on qth classifieds for around $220 shipped for a perfect unit.

I always buy used Ham since we seem to take such good care of our radios, only bad one Ive seen was from a smoker, so just make sure they dont smoke.

http://swap.qth.com/index.php

 

[sdnative]

Thanks all, I agree. The more I think about it, I may just get another Yaesu 8800 or possibly a Kenwood V71A. I would like to have the Kenwood 710G, but $650 is a bit over the top for a VHF/UHF dual bander with the GPS and TNC. Only issue with the 8800 is it's hard for me to pay close to $400 for a >10 year old radio. I am waiting for a sale in the low $300s and I may bite.

As a side, the FT-1500 with a TT4 is a great APRS combo.