I mentioned last week that I decided to get my Ham license. My copy of
Now You're Talking arrived the other day and I've started studying. Obviously, the ticket isn't much use without a radio, so I did a fair bit of research at various ham sites online, including reading
product reviews at eHam.net.
Several factors were considered when looking at radios:
- Transmit frequency bands
- Receive frequency bands
- Tx and Rx audio quality
- Ease of use
- Ruggedness
- Reputation for quality
- Price
I decided to pick up a
Yaesu VX-5RS from Universal Radio, who has a good reputation from what I've read online. The VX-5R has actually been discontinued but it'll still come with a warranty, and received very high user ratings. I wanted a portable unit so I can use it at home, in my truck, or out in the woods. I also wanted something that can transmit on at least two bands; this radio does three. Finally, the cost is reasonable.
Along with the radio I ordered a DC power adapter for use in my truck, and an adapter to allow me to connect an antenna with a BNC connector to the unit's SMA connector. I also ordered a small, fold-up pocket reference for the radio's features.
Today I got an email with the UPS tracking number. Hopefully, I'll get the radio next week and can at least start to listen on the Rx bands, even if I can't transmit for awhile.
Posts
2 comments:
Did you get your ticket yet? How do you like the VX 5r?
I sure did and I like the VX-5RS a lot. The stock rubber duck antenna is only so-so, so I got an MFJ tri-band replacement, which I've since posted about. I also got Yaesu's kit for programming the radio using my PC, which makes entering things like freqs, CTSS tones, and offsets MUCH easier.
In retrospect I probably should've bought a VX6R, since its a current production model and will be supported longer, and the lack of 6M capability is no big deal.
Post a Comment