Features I want in a Handheld

[Reptile]

I am already looking at handhelds:

I MUST have a touch screen.

Looking for the following features:

1. Touchscreen
2. Connectivity to iPhone for texting

3. D-Link or whatever is the best digital ham radio

4. Rugged and waterproof

5. MARS CAP mod - I want to buy a Euro model from eBay

http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/handheld/id51aplus/default.aspx

http://www.yaesu.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=179_217&products_id=1276

 

[drgrant]

Lol.. touch screen... not sure if serious.

 

[Reptile]

Lol.. touch screen... not sure if serious.

Well yeah...

I have this already:

https://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?c...BAFA58BCC1C131EAC0&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0

It's a nightmare.

 

[drgrant]

Yeah because you need to program it with software and learn the radio.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

Well yeah...

I have this already:

https://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?c...BAFA58BCC1C131EAC0&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0

It's a nightmare.

Radios aren't something you turn on and intuitively know how to use unless you know how to use a radio, if that makes any sense. It takes time to learn them, and the more feature rich they are the longer it takes to figure them out. A touch screen and smart phone integration sounds like a nightmare.

I have a VX7R that is so feature rich I don't use it, picked up a simpler (more useful to me) FT60R and am much happier with it.

 

[AHM]

It's quite common for shade tree "MARS/CAP mods" to use the wrong Auto Repeater Shift subbands settings (or even lose ARS entirely). Although come to think of it, operators who are unable to program their rigs from the front panel can't use ARS anyhow.

Also, I once had someone pick up a pair of VX-1R's right in the Akihibara district in Tokyo, and it was a big mistake. While the receiver was completely unblocked and could listen to analog cell phones, the transmitter could only access 144-146(?) MHz and it was unchangeable. So you could end up with a rig with some weird Euro restrictions...

 

[blindfire]

The connectivity for iPhone for texting thing is something I've never heard of for ham radios.

Remember, your radio is NOT on the cell network. While technically, you can get radios that can hear on those freqs, 800MHz, 900Mhz, 1800MHz and 1900MHz, you will not be able to get your radio to join the cell network.

Now, if you want to be able to text in a full grid down scenario, you can look here: https://www.gotenna.com/

Unfortunately, this uses the MURS frequencies since those do not require an FCC license, but the MURS band is power limited...so you'll only get about 3 miles or so (line of sight...as MURS is in the 150MHz range). I suggested to them on their Facebook page to make a version available that would require a ham license so that you can go above the 1W limit. It would work the same way as Echolink does...you send them a copy of your FCC license and they'd "unlock" the device for you. Then the device can broadcast at whatever power they want up to 1500 watts on the UHF/VHF bands.

Hope this helps.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

I am already looking at handhelds:

Looking for the following features:
1. Touchscreen

They certainly make menu selection easier. I could go for that, if I intended for the radio to be the ham radio equivalent of a safe queen and was not worried about field suitability.
I have an FT1D that has essentially the same feature set as a touch screen FT2D, but with proven durable physical buttons.

2. Connectivity to iPhone for texting

Da what?

3. D-Link or whatever is the best digital ham radio

Welcome to the great debate over D-Link, DPMR, Fusion, P25, please choose your flavor and begin to argue its benefits.
As I said I have the FT1D which uses the System Fusion [C4FM/FDMA] standard, but I do not think there are any Fusion repeaters around, so I have never used it and if I did it would probably be simplex with a buddy just to test it. (I do not use 2m often)

5. MARS CAP mod - I want to buy a Euro model from eBay

Euro model really? It's your dough, but if it was me I would think it was wasted. I lay out the cash for this fancy new touchscreen radio with all these features that simplify operation, but I buy a model not optimized for my location.
Unless things have changed since I operated there, EU repeater band plans are different, with 2 meter allocations topping out at 147 MHz, the use a 1750 Hz tone burst to open repeaters, and I do not recall if the splits are different. I think I would rather spend my money on a product aimed at the market I was going to use it in.

It is all good though, what ever you choose, have fun

 

[Reptile]

Thanks everybody!

I had no idea that EU had different "splits".

iPhone texting: it would be cool to use an iPhone keyboard to text messages on the digital bands- there is a Android radio that does that.

iPhone: It would be cool to use it as an interface to operate the menus.


Since my VX6R is so complicated - I would be better off with something simple.

What is the Glock of HAM radios?

 

[Evtide]

I believe the cream of the current handheld crop would be the Icom ID-51A + and the Yaesu FT2DR. I have the Icom and to me it's the best HT I've ever owned. Like anything else there is a learning curve, though, and if you got frustrated by your VX6R you might have trouble with this one as well. Having owned both Icom and Yaesu gear, I personally find the Icom menus and such to be more intuitive and 'common sense' than the Yaesu, but to each his own. Check out review on eham.net for whatever you think you might be interested in.

Also, new models are often introduced at the Dayton ham radio show in May, so you might want to hold off in pulling the trigger on a new radio for a bit.

I tried putting up links to the above-mentioned HT's but for whatever reason they kept getting duplicated. Google 'em.

 

[drgrant]

The thing that pisses me off is with limited exceptions, most amatuer HTs make a lot of concessions in build quality and battery capacity. The monobanders are better but the multibanders are kind of embarrassing. Teeny batteries and easy to damage SMA connectors. The problem is you can't get commercial-grade radios that will do things like D-Star, etc.

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

Since my VX6R is so complicated - I would be better off with something simple.

What is the Glock of HAM radios?

A commercial radio that you program with a computer that works off channel banks is much more user friendly, the downside is they're not really field programmable without a computer, but its easy enough to cover most contingencies with the large channel banks. It's also not going to have all the fru fru crap you want. It's something to communicate with and that's it. You can't have it both ways.

-Mike

 

[hminsky]

If the iphone radio could be programmed to transmit and receive on the ham bands, it would be possible to have a great user interface. Seems stupid to have a separate device when the radios in the iphone 6 can already transmit and receive on


Model A1549 (GSM)*/ Model A1522 (GSM)*
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)

+ GPS + Wifi + Bluetooth

How much hardware would be needed, if any, to add 2 meter and 400 mhz?

 

[drgrant]

If the iphone radio could be programmed to transmit and receive on the ham bands, it would be possible to have a great user interface. Seems stupid to have a separate device when the radios in the iphone 6 can already transmit and receive on


Model A1549 (GSM)*/ Model A1522 (GSM)*
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)

+ GPS + Wifi + Bluetooth

How much hardware would be needed, if any, to add 2 meter and 400 mhz?

Cell phones have shit power output, which is why they can make everything tiny. To get usable 2M and 440 you'd need a whole other RF deck in the phone to do it. Not to mention the batteries in cell phones are way too small. An idea might be separate unit that latches onto an iphone with its own battery pack and app to control everything, as well as its own speaker.

-Mike

 

[s&w3913]

I want a true DMR dual band handheld with VHF and a UHF band split from say 440-490 or 512 MHz.

 

[Reptile]

I'm going to wait to see what is announced at the Dayton Ham Fest.

 

[blindfire]

Cell phones have shit power output, which is why they can make everything tiny. To get usable 2M and 440 you'd need a whole other RF deck in the phone to do it. Not to mention the batteries in cell phones are way too small. An idea might be separate unit that latches onto an iphone with its own battery pack and app to control everything, as well as its own speaker.

-Mike

Ooooh...SDR on the iPhone...that is intriguing!

 

[AHM]

Cell phones have shit power output, which is why they can make everything tiny. To get usable 2M and 440 you'd need a whole other RF deck in the phone to do it. Not to mention the batteries in cell phones are way too small. An idea might be separate unit that latches onto an iphone with its own battery pack and app to control everything, as well as its own speaker.

And suddenly, that iPhone would have to be FCC type-accepted for ham use...

Now, with some programming one actually could interface a small Android tablet to any ham radio that had a USB control interface.

73's,
/AHM

 

[blindfire]

And suddenly, that iPhone would have to be FCC type-accepted for ham use...

Now, with some programming one actually could interface a small Android tablet to any ham radio that had a USB control interface.

73's,
/AHM

There is a combo cell/HT.

If you don't mind being on an old version of Android, you can try this: http://www.outfone.com/products/show/2.aspx

ETA: Ran across another hybrid device. The guy who makes the RFINDER app has come out with a full fledged phone. Based on Android 6. Screen size is about the same as an iPhone 6. You can get a UHF or VHF version that can do FM only, FM DMR or just DMR. Pretty slick.
https://www.ecwid.com/store/store10195853/

 

[drgrant]

And suddenly, that iPhone would have to be FCC type-accepted for ham use...

Sorta kinda, but not really. It's approval for sale, not use. (the FCC bullshit is very similar to handgun compliance, LOL) And the phone wouldn't have to be approved but the piggyback thing would, assuming anyone cared about having it mass market in the US and not just some export device.

Having a piggyback device that attaches to an iPhone 4/5/SE would actually be pretty cool, just use the phone to run the interface. it'd be kinda bulky but it would work pretty well. I dunno how much battery would get wasted though by the app on the phone running the radio, etc. Might run into some power conservation issues there.

-Mike

 

[Love Machine]

Bluepoop it, don't plug in directly. Would make things a lot smaller.

 

[cockpitbob]

I would say the biggest drawback for the layperson is the antenna needed for 2 meters. People just aren't used to things sticking out like that anymore.

 

[blindfire]

I would say the biggest drawback for the layperson is the antenna needed for 2 meters. People just aren't used to things sticking out like that anymore.

That's because they are idiots

Remember, the size of the antenna is more important for transmitting and not receiving.

Not saying that a longer antenna doesn't help with reception, but it isn't as important.

 

[AHM]

Moar Because Moar

There is a combo cell/HT.
...
ETA: Ran across another hybrid device. ...

Both kinda tacticool colored.

---

Sorta kinda, but not really. It's approval for sale, not use. ... And the phone wouldn't have to be approved but the piggyback thing would, ...

Having a piggyback device that attaches to an iPhone 4/5/SE would actually be pretty cool, just use the phone to run the interface. it'd be kinda bulky but it would work pretty well.

Yeah, OK by me.

I dunno how much battery would get wasted though by the app on the phone running the radio, etc. Might run into some power conservation issues there.

Specify a big battery for the ham frob; heck, have it keep the cell charged too.

---

Bluepoop it, don't plug in directly. Would make things a lot smaller.

In general, yes.

Although having the ham frob keep the cell battery topped off via a USB pigtail would be worth a lot. So yeah, make the whole system a brick.