One critique just from a scanner hobbyist as well, when mentioning wide-band receive capabilities, remember that they can only RX analog conventional systems. A lot of departments have gone to some form of digital mode (DMR/NXDN/ProVoice/EDACS/P25 Phase1/2) or utilize analog trunking systems; none of which can be received by most (only because I haven't exhausted researching) mobile/HT radios.
What I would like to see is quad band that is 2m/70cm/1.25m/6m. Might be a bit difficult to have a single antenna support all of these bands. If someone came out with this radio, they might have to sell an antenna for it too -- but I think it would make a good bundle if they could.
I would love to see this as a contest series, comparing 2 similar radios head-to-head in a bracket championship. TH9800 VS 578UViii, ID5100 VS FTM300DR, AT5888 VS IC2730, etc. Compare Rx/Tx quality, power draw, heat/cooling system, menu access, mics, faceplate/mounting, screen quality, and last features (cross band repeat, dual monitor, APRS, how easy to do text/email, etc)
For my money in 2023 at least, I went with the Yeasu FT-818ND for battery powered portability, reliability, and versatility, and the Yeasu FT-991a for capability. 👍
Pretty good run down!! I was waiting for this video from you for 2023, I knew it was coming! I would like to see some newer “shack in the box” type rigs. I am aware of the 991a but I mean something new and around the same form as my 706 mk2g. One can dream! Ko4uhp 73!
The industry and sorely lacking on full power "shack in a box" mobile rigs - right as I was trying to find one. Every video I've seen mentions all the best models and they are all discontinued and fetching 800-1000 dollars.
The Yaesu FTM400 and FTM-500 could easily be the best if not two of the best mobile radios if only they had multiple memory banks or zones. That major deficit eliminates most if not all of the Yaesu mobiles from being top contenders. But most of the Yaesu mobiles still sell well (I have 3 of them) even with that major flaw. But it certainly puts them all out of the running as best mobile.
I agree with you on the 400 but the 500 is one radio that I would never own. I am really disappointed with the way it's designed and the menu structure.
I know it's discontinued, but I love my Yaesu FTM-7250DR and would recommend it to any new hams who can find one used. ** 2m/70cm with a wide Rx range - 108MHz - 579.995MHz ** Digital capable and easy to switch between modes (All I have to do is touch-key the mic to switch between analog and digital) ** Weather radio channels with programmable alerts when it receives severe weather notifications (very handy for my ARES spotting) ** Perfect entry-level price point (I got mine new in 2021 for $250, but am not sure what it's going for used)
I want to see a replacement/upgrade for the Yaesu FT-857. A mobile "all band", HF, VHF/UHF, But also has 6m, and 1.25 (220) as well. Color touch screen, separate control unit so I can mount the business end in the trunk, and the head on the dash. That's what I want.
In 14 years of being a ham i've only used the 440 band 2 maybe 3 times. And that was only to program it in as some one mentioned it and maybe test it. This is not counting cross band repeat used by my ARES group at our yearly event as I use 2m in to the temp network.
Hi Jason great video as always but I was shocked you didn’t put the icom 5100a in that lineup it has crossband repeat it has dual vfo’s that you can listen to at same time it does D-star and it has the largest display of all radios mentioned. It’s 50w both bands and it has the most intuitive menu system I’ve ever used so next video put a supplement in and add that radio. I also already have a few of the radios mentioned so great job pal keep up the great work always like your stuff and all your core group buddies that have their own channels 73’s P.S. if you want to talk shack in the box radios for my money even though it’s no longer made the kenwood ts.2000 no radio today can do most of the features it can do. The only radio that came close was the Yaesu ft-847 but even that couldn’t match the 2000 none of today’s shack in the box radios can do crossband repeat they are all single vfo’s they do digital like D-star and C4fm but you can’t crossband into hf like the 2000 and the sky command function was cool at the time but now people use tablets or computers using team viewer. Plus there were 1.2 ghz version and it did satellite operations all in one radio. Now you gotta buy a Icom 9700 and a 7300 combo to do what that radio did and the 9700 hundred does not crossband repeat.ok signing off pal great video keep up the good work 73’s
I just pulled the trigger this past weekend and ordered the Alinco. Dual band, dual VFO, removable head, data port for packet…it ticked all the boxes for me, and unlike the Yaesu FT-8800 (which would be my top choice if I could find one!) it’s still in production. This + a Mobilinkd = an APRS/Winlink station in my car. It’ll replace the Vero VGC VR-N7500 that I’ve been using for about a year, which is a fantastic concept but which has been really frustrating to use (the iOS app support is kind of abysmal).
Another great video. Any chance you can do a video on the benefits of doing APRS? It just seems like a way to allow anyone to track my movements while I'm driving. I'm sure there's some other reasons to use APRS, but I haven't seen seen any other reason to use it.
RE: The VGC vr n7500, the mic has an rj45 cat6 jack, so any cat 6 cable will extend the mic. Amazon has a nifty RJ45 jack that replaces a 12v power port in your car for a stealthy very clean install.
I tell ya I wish Yaesu made something similar to the FT991A with VHF/UHF only. I picked up an FT991A back in the fall of 2021 and the following spring I ended up with an IC7300 also. Both great radios but I really prefer the 7300 for my HF work. That leaves me just using the 991A for VHF but it feels like such a waste just using it for that.
OK, I'm pausing this fun countdown vid because of the break to run the ad for the sponsor. Heh....sell your old radio kite here! And they show someone working CW on a spark-gap transmitter! LMAO!! Awesome. :D
Would like to see an HF/VHF/UFH all mode radio much like the discontinued Yaesu 857D. Basically an FT-891 with VHF/UHF. Same form factor. The form factor of the #1 in this video doesn't really appeal to me, neither does DSTAR. A dual band all mode radio is also interesting!
Yaesu FT-857D still the best mobile rig ever made. They need to bring it back in a modernized version. That said, nice list. Appreciate you covering which ones have audio interfaces for infrastructure setups. Almost no other YT channels bother covering that. Cheers.
@@NatesRandomVideo Well you also said it was the best mobile rig, ever. Which it isn't, lol. But seriously, to each his own - I know lots of folks that like the 857D. It is certainly better than no HF at all - I just wish they still made something similar. I recently picked up an 897 and like it much better than the 857.
@@HamRadio2 What HF/VHF/UHF mobile rig do you think was the best ever? That’s some pretty rarified air to get an all band all mode that covers 90% of everything hams will ever do. (Digital excluded of course, but that’s covered in the modernizing part of the comment.) I’m curious. Nevertheless Yaesu is a LONG way away from that pinnacle on these newer digital rigs, but pushing similar prices… even corrected for inflation… the 857 series (the D, the 897, the TXCO option, the optional filters, and all still in a mobile sized package…) really was the top of their electronics design game… for mobiles. I can’t think of a competitor’s product that did what the 857 series did.
@@NatesRandomVideo The IC-706MKIIg and the IC-7000 were always my preferred models over the Yaesu. The first time I ever went to Costa Rica, 3 of the other guys had the 857D and I had my 706MKIIg - we switched around using everyone's rigs, each of which were on different bands, so I got to compare the 857D to the 706MKIIg in real time. I like the menus and screen better on the Icom. It was just more user friendly. Both rigs sounded good on TX and RX, so it came down to a matter of aesthetics at that point. The Icom takes filters too, though I never spent the money on them.
I just got an Anytone D5888 dual band. Same as the radio you mention in this video but without the 220 band. I am very happy with it. I can listen to AM air band as well with it!
Thank you, can you do one more video to recommend the best radio with High power. I am an outlander and I go to areas no one goes. Additional watts make the difference for me. Thanks for details. Love your videos
Yes, I love my IC-7100, no built in tuner but don't really need one for it as antennas are resonant, as I do my IC-7300 with built in tuner to 3:1 , I would love a radio that included the best features of both. Doesn't exist yet as far as I know. And I do have an LDG AT-200 Pro II Auto tuner 200W that has just been sitting to the side as I don't need it for the bands I work, 70cm, 2M, 6M, 10M, 20M.
I want to see a radio that does 2m/1.25m & 70cm/GMRS with sidebands, Digital, APRS, and can be encrypted. Programming via Chirp, with USB C 3.2+ cables, and Bluetooth. Not to mention cellular connectivity for both programming as well as transmissions. It would also receive everything from CB to GHz frequencies, with transmission on at least 2m, 1.25, and 70cm/GMRS, if not also on CB as well as MURS.
Great video! I have a few odd questions. I'm shopping for radios to put in my girlfriend's truck and other family vehicles for emergencies. I have my technician license, so I'm thinking of using 2m & 70cm radios. I want something easy to use. My plan is to use a mobile radio with mag mount antennas and a cheap handheld just in case they have to leave the vehicle behind. I'll teach them how to use it and write instructions, but they're not familiar with the hobby, so simpler is better. Since it'll be for emergencies, I prefer not to spend too much on fancy features. Right now I have boafengs programmed and stuffed in everyone’s glove boxes but they struggle to reach local repeaters so it’s time for an upgrade. I have a base antennas for 2m,70cm, 10-11-12 meter currently set up but I’ll probably stick with the 2m & 70cm for this application but I’m open to suggestions. We’re on the coast and usually about 40 miles away from each other so I figure the more power the better. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Glad to see the VGC VR-N7500 on the list. It's a great radio that has some features a lot of the more expensive ones don't. The latest firmware update really added full APRS capabilities whereby you can see on a map where folks are, message them, send beacons,etc. AND it does this while still having 2 additional channels you can be monitoring. Since it's an SDR the features now are like an entirely different radio since when it was first launched. I added the bluetooth mic which is way more than just a mic. It's actually got GPS for the the APRS and it's controls allow you to change all kinds on thngs on the radio remotely. It actually feels like you are using a HT but everything you do is actually controlling your more powerful Mobile unit under the seat I'd love to see you do an updated review with the latest firmware and remote mic Jason as I think you'd be very impressed with this setup. Yeasu and Icom should take note as these SDRs with iPhone or Android software are the wave of the future. Oh and it has a lot more that 16 channels...
That is all good info, perhaps I will make an updated video about it. They're product description is quite lacking, if everything you said is correct. They need to update their own pages with these details.
@@HamRadio2 I totally agree. The software has a lot of features but is definitely not intuitive. There's probably 4 or more different config screens... I did find an issue this weekend with the remote mic: you cannot change the channel when it's receiving. I had a couple of guys chewing the cud for minutes at a time and I couldn't tune to another channel while they were chatting away. I had to pull out the Android tablet to switch the channel instead.
Howdy from SE Texas. On your suggestion I found an Anytone 5888UV iii on eBay. However, I went to program the radio and it's unsupported by Chirp, and the software that was included on a thumb drive by the seller is not intuitive. There's nothing on Anytone's website for this radio, probably because it is no longer made. Any suggestions on where to find directions outside of the manual programming shown in the instructions?.
Aloha Jason, your pick of the Anytone AT5888UVIII PLUS is the best choice for a mobile rig in the truck in your case, Jeep in my case! 😂🤣 With a A/B button on the mic that also has a built in speaker, everything is at your fingertips. It also does Cross Band Repeat at a push of a button. This rig also offers the option of using just one external speaker for both sides or a speaker for each. Yes, it’s Chinese made but American engineering, with has been a wonderful story if you’ve been following the production of this rig from over six years ago. I started off with the AT5888UVII which I still have in a “go box” and also own two of the UVIII Plus also in the shack and one in my Jeep, mounted under the passenger seat and used a CAT5 cable to mount the head on the dash with a Velcro strip. 🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻
So , what bands are the most popular with the most amount of people using it? Like in a total grid down situation I want to know where people are going to be communicating.
My recommendation would be a ft-991a but it has a steep learning curve… took me months to learn how to use it… and lots of RU-vid videos on using it… the pages of the manual are well worn 😅 probably a little to big for mobile but I make it work in a Toyota Prius…
Great video Jason, as always, and very informative too. However I was wondering if you had any recommendations for a minimum dual band mobile (vhf/uhf) that could withstand a long transmit time, for say winlink, that wouldn't overheat and shut down (or burn up)? Presently I use a FT2900 in my shack that performs very well (albeit only 2m), but have been searching for an affordable radio for my Go Kit and haven't been too successful.
The duty cycle on the monoband, higher powered models is going to be better for long Winlink sessions - such as the Yaesu 2980 or Icom 2300. If you want dual band, the power won't be quite as high, but I would stick with Yaesu and Icom. The Kenwood V71A is a good choice also.
Glad to see there is a tri band radio with 220 that isn't putting out a pathetic amount of power. I may switch to that for my mobile setup, but I still would rather just have a 2m all mode with a remote head that's cheap. Truth is I hardly ever want to bother with any other band while mobile. I have a screwdriver antenna and have ran hf mobile before, but it's just not a pleasurable experience most of the time. 10m and 6m fm are totally dead, and 220 and 70cm are low use.
Boy, you missed out on the deal of the century. I bought six QYT KT8900R 25 watt triband (144/220/440) for less than $90 each. 25 Watts output on 2 meters, 25 watts output on 220, and 13 watts output on 440. Now, they also make a dual band (144/440) that's the KT8900 in the same price range. The KT8900R is getting impossible to find. I've had one of them go bad on me. After about a year's use the TX power dropped to about 1 watt. I think the exciter is still working but the power module died. Now it's only good as a tri-band Scanner. I also have one of them that works perfect as a base station but a Ham buddy told me that the audio sucked so I put it away and hooked up another one and he said the audio was as good as any radio he has ever heard. Hmm.... Maybe I just need to swap out the Mike on the bad sounding one with the one where the power dropped because it has a perfectly good mike.
FTM-300 is my top choice. If I lived where there was no digital I would probably go with the Wouxun. Their HTs are feature packed for the price. I had the dual band Anytone 5888 in my truck for a year before moving it into the shack. It has poor selectivity. The B band would pick up Marine VHF or NOAA in my area, then when you switch over to that side it will stop.
Thanks now I have to save. The thing costs more than my first car. Lol. Is there any logic to having the same radio in your car as you do as the base station? My thinking is if they are the same there is no learning curve. Being 60 with disabilities and with a spouse who has ALS the fewer new tricks I need to learn the better. But if there is a reason not to I would love to hear it.
I have a Standard C-5900DA tri-band. I really like it, but I find it cumbersome to pull it from the shack tho put in the truck. What would be a modern equivalent with cross-band repeat and amber back light. Dave ka4mep
I have the TYT 4 band you years. works great. no longer any 6 meter repeaters buy me. but there is a 10 meter one. part of a linked system. I would like to see a dual band all mode/ AM/FM/SSB/RTTY /CW with sound card port for digitel. maybe even bluetooth . would also like more support for 900 and 1296 Mhz. the 1.25 meter repeater buy me has great coverage. Boston NY. 73's
I like your videos but when you talk about icoms you should say that the display has troubles in the heat of the car. I have an Icom 5100 and left it the heat of a car and it gets lines in the display so I have to take it out when it's hot inside the car
Interesting. I was looking for comparison videos between the ID5100 and FTM300DR, and the only video I found also mentioned the ID5100 getting a washed out screen from the heat. I wonder how many people have this issue.
Fairly brand new to Radio, know nexyt to nothing - Looking for a Mobile Radio for Truck, primarily to monitor Fire/Ems/Police as we used to with Handheld (boefeng - used as scanner) but police went digital so we cant avoid trouble spots. Secondarily for emergency comms. Nice vid but Im way lost, all Greek - any suggestions ?
At the time of this recording, it was being sold new-in-box by many vendors. When Kenwood stepped away from the Ham Radio game in 2020, lots of radios were already in warehouses, ready to be sold. This was true for several models.
13:27 if you are going to use a computer you can as well use Direwolf, so the DATA interface is not that useful, the 2730 on the other hand has CAT, that is very useful, the Yaesu doesn't, while you can add the equivalent of a DATA interface with a soundcard and modem, you can't add a CAT interface
Thanks for the insights. How does the FTM-500DR figure in this list here in May 2023? When I’m in the U.S. I’m mainly in the Houston/Galveston/Austin/SA areas. I like to road trip out to NM, UT, AZ, CO, WY, MT, WA, OR, ID, NV.
The TYT TH-9800 also has a squishy mic that reeks of cheap plastic junk. I bought another just for backup. I also have the TH-UV8000, which is a great radio, but again, the knobs are loose and feel cheap, even though the radio is very good...apparently. Both radios have cross band repeaters. What? I said both radios have internal cross band repeaters.
I run an ic 7100 in my jeep paired to a little tarheel hp Absolutely love it Cannot find anything that compares with such a small footprint Pics of my setup on my QRZ page From KI5RBC 73
I have the Wouxun KG-UV980P and only had 1 issue with it; there was no setting to control mic volume. I am a bit of a soft-talker, so I've switched to the iCom 2730A (which does have mic volume management). Love the 2730A. If anyone has found a way around the mic volume on the Wouxun, please let me know. I would like to keep it as a backup if I can solve that.
I do wish you would not call APRS analog. Just because the China radios do, does not mean it's correct. Please APRS is a digital transmission and passed digital data.
@@HamRadio2 DMR, Fusion, and DSTAR are passed over analog frequenies as well. Its not the modulation all are analog its the encoding that is digital. APRS uses FM a much older modulation where the reset us versions of FSK. All are digital.
@@thuff3207 A frequency isn't analog or digital, it is a frequency. The DMR, DSTAR, YSF etc modes are digital. If you are saying APRS is digital (which you are correct about) then you can't deny that DMR, DSTAR, etc are also digital. They are digital modes that are transmitted and received. APRS, while also a digital data transmission, isn't a mode. When I say "analog APRS" what I mean is traditional APRS because APRS can also be transmitted over DMR (and others) but this requires a network to pass the APRS traffic along (ex. Pi-star and the RFinder device beacon APRS over DMR via the internet - no internet, no beacon, therefore they require DMR to send/receive APRS) "Analog APRS" means that a normal analog radio, such as the Kenwood D710, can beacon APRS but it isn't doing it over a digital mode, it is beaconing on 144.390 over analog. The Anytone 878UVII Plus and Yaesu FT5D do this same thing, but since they are also capable of digital voice transmissions, they weren't a good example of this definition.
A slight departure… what QRP “HF” radio OF ALL OF THEM has the BEST front end (receive)?……705, KX3, KX2, Xiegu G90, Xiegu X6100 etc….. de W. Bradley Rachielles. KC6NNV Upland, Ca
Ok, i just wanted to find a radio show about my favoritest food on earth, ham!! I love radio and HATE netflix and bs stupidy doopidy-other forms of media. This was about some sort of gobbledy gook weird radio itself that has nothing to do with my favoritest meat treat to eat and i am now a very sad 1 this day. If only SOMEONEEEE (not naming names) would create a radio program about the tastiness and wondrousness of ham (the meat). That would really be life changing but the good kind.
What id love to see this year. 1. Kenwood putting out a new radio. (Wishful thinking but I can still wish) 2. Like you, an all mode dual band radio. 3. Kenwood comes back and the first rig they announce is a dual band all mode radio.
I'd love to see General this year. Working on Technician currently. Ya got me motivated a couple weeks ago. Lots to relearn as I was Technician back in the 1980s. I'll worry about radios when I get my ticket. I'm an old fart now, and don't need new, just functional. I can't believe the cost of a straight key now! Used to get them for $15 - $25 bucks. I'm considering setting up a foundry and casting a few in bronze, just to save a few bucks. (LOL) I already scored a Yaesu FT-101B. Same as what I used back in the day. Too good a deal and already familiar. I'm looking forward to exceeding my capabilities from back then. Saving up for Dayton Hamfest!
Cool run through Jason, I thought the TMV71A had been discontinued and dealers were getting low on stock, maybe that was just a sales technique a while ago. WHAT?! No speculation on the Yeasu 500 🤣 73
Yeah I thought the V71A was gone too, but everyone still has them new in stock. Perhaps they are selling off old inventory, but if so, that has been going on for almost 2 years now. Either way, you can still get a new one today at multiple locations.
Great video and great line up. The ANYTONE AT5888UVIII is out of stock again at R&L and they say probably Dec 2023. I got my technicians just last Sept. and using an FT-60 from being a gmrs user with a few of the Wouxun radios. Have been interested with getting a triband with large screens, the ANYTONE ATD578UVIIIPLUS screen is just too small for me. Although just a dual band, the ALINCO DR735T large screen and features are very enticing. HRO sells the MARS mod for it too. I can hopefully use the DR735 for a while as a base then move it to my car. Working from home, I no longer spend a lot of time in the car.
The AT5888UVIII is a great radio. AFAIK, R&L is the only one that carries it anymore and they get stock when Anytone sends it to them, so they tend to sell quickly.
So I have an installation question. I’ll be installing the AT-5888UVIII in my volvo. The battery is not in the engine compartment it’s in the back of the SUV. I was also planning on putting the radio in the back and having the head in the front. Can I just go right to the positive and negative on the battery then?
Yes you can. I suggest taking the positive from the radio to the battery, and finding where the battery is grounded to, and taking the negative from the radio to that same point. BUT... you can put both of them on the battery also.
