Just passed Tect Test April 8, 2006. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Looking for First Radio. HT or Mobil?
Trying to compare Kenwood THF6A (read about it here first) and
Yaesu VX7R

Westy

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Definitely go with a mobile setup for your vehicle. With only an HT, you may get discouraged by the limited range and the lack of contacts. It can be REALLY frustrating not to be able to talk to anyone when you can hear them clearly. HTs are nice to have as a second radio for when you can be close in to other operators or close to the repeater. I can't advise you on the Kenwood or Yaesu, but my HT is the ICOM T-90a and love it (same features but $60-70 less expensive). Don't even bother considering one rated at anything under 5 watts. BTW my mobile unit is the ICOM V-8000. No regrets on that one either. Check the product reviews on all of these radios at www.eham.net. They are really helpful at cutting through all the marketing technospeak and claims (submersible! ferrite bar!! LED strobe!!!).

Hi Westy,
I have been a ham for over 15 years--it is a great hobby/service!
On advice on what to get for a first radio. An HT is a good choice if you live in a city area where there are lots of repeaters. If you live in a rural area where the repeaters are few or a long distance away a mobile with its higher power makes much more sense for your first radio.
I would recommend you find a local ham club and check out the meetings--a great source of info, and also would echo going to eham.com for reviews of radios there.
Congrats on your ticket
Ford
KG7IW

Welcome. As stated elsewhere, get a decent mobile for your first radio if you spend any time in your car (or you can use it for a base rig). The big three make low-end models for under $200 (or should I say "big four" if you count Alinco). Add another $50 or an antenna, another $20 or so for cable, and you are set.

As to HT's I own the TH-F6A, and I love it.

The Icom T-90 seems nice, but it only has a single receiver. If you accept that limitation, then it is fine.

The VX-7 and TH-F6a both have dual receivers. This means that you can have one receiver dedicated to your favorite repeater, and use the other receiver to pick up broadcast channels. With the T-90, your broadcast would be chopped up every couple of seconds while it "channel-hopped" to check the repeater.

The VX-7 has the advantage of being more rugged. It has a metal chassis, and claims to be waterproof. The TH-F6a has the advantage of picking up SSB/CW, and it has a bar antenna built-in for far superior reception of AM broadcast bands. So choose which is more important, and pick your poison.

Another thing in favor if the Kenwood is that you can download their programming software for free. Then, all you need is a circuit to translate RS-232 voltage levels to 5V TTL levels, and you can program your radio. There are schematics available if you want to "roll-your-own." If you buy Yaesu, you can count of spending $40 for a cable and software.

Have fun! Don't forget to check out "Echolink" software.

OK - in a large city, an HT is probably the way to go. Otherwise get a mobile rig. I like the Kenwood G707 (now on closeout sales)

RE HTs - the "wonder" mico HTs are nice, BUT.... They ALL have problems - be it the Icom T90a (which I own), The VX7, the Kenwood equivilent etc -
1)They ALL get hot under heavy use.
2)The are all somewhat limited to battery life
3)The AA/AAA battery packs that you can get for them TEND to give lower power
4)Being as broad on receive as they are, they tend to suffer from interference in high RF environments - the front end just gets overloaded
5)The audio out is lacking - they have SMALL speakers, and fairly low power amps - this is why you see so many web pages talking about headphones for them (and skip the tiny shoulder mikes they sell for them)

I think one of THE best buys out there is the Icom T7H - yeah, only dual band - yeah, no alpha display - but a good SOLD inexpensive dual bander that has an optional battery pack that gives you full power output. If you want to spend more, the Icom w32a (true dual VFO version) is a great rig.

In many ways I'm sorry I GAVE away my T7H, but it was a gift to a real good friend who had just gotten his ham ticket

I'll also pass along what one of my Elmers said to me "Don't sweat your first dual bander too much. You'll probably end up with more than one fairly quickly if you stay in the hobby, and you'll learn what you like" (BTW Boy was he right - I will say I've gone a bit overboard - I ONLY have 6 HTs, and 17 mobile rigs right now - most in use, but some are "spares" as I do disaster work and there is nothing worse than gear failing - and almost all the gear is Commercial Radios)

I own the TH-F6a, and it has a clever way around this problem. There are two separate receivers. The "B" receiver is DC to daylight, while the "A" receiver only works on the ham band regions. So the B receiver might be subject to interference, but the A side is much better.

Your other points are very valid, though. I tend to mostly listen, so the heat does not bother me at all (but the VX-7 has a metal chassis, so it should dissipate heat well). Audio is a bit small, but good enough most of the time. The AA pack options do indeed give lower power, but this is mostly due to the relative inability of the AA cells to deliver high current. I am actually toying with the idea of making an external battery pack that runs off of 123 batteries.

I currently own a Yaesu VX-150 (single-band 2M) and a Kenwood TH-F6a. I like them both, and the VX-150 seems a little more bullet-proof. But the Kenwood is easier to use, and does a whole lot more. That is what I carry with me.

Welcome to Ham Radio! I got my ticket when I was 14, and have enjoyed the hobby ever since. Others have already given you plenty to consider regarding your original post. I would like to echo the suggestion of checking out a local club. Not only will you get to see and touch various rigs and antennas, but you will meet lots of others who are "prepared", especially if the club is centered around ARES/RACES. So, once you have made your radio decision, you can talk about and see gear that we talk about here, like lights, EDC, etc.

As I said on an earlier post, I just got my license, too. Since I guess one would want both an HT and a mobile I suppose there is no wrong way to go about it, but I would get the mobile first (I did it the other way around). But then I am in about as rural a country as you can be in, too. I also want to get something where I can do some 6m SSB, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

I bought an HT first. In 2 years, I just haven't "gotten around" to buying a mobile. Even in an urban area, its a little more useful, and it still can be portable, just not necessarily "hand held".

I have a Yaesu VX-7R, and I'd have to pick another radio for emergency use. I used to have a Yaesu FT-530, for which I could get a 12v 1200maH NiMH battery, which would last all weekend and retain a charge for a good long time. The VX-7R has only a 7v 1200maH lithium ion battery which lasts about 5 hrs max.

The VX-7R is rugged enough and waterproof, but that battery issue is a killer for me.