Yaesu VX-8: My Next New Radio?

I have not been in much of a radio buying mood lately, perhaps because I recently laid-out “too much” to buy an Icom commercial UHF P25 talkie so Elionora and her partner can listen to the local PD while working in their ambulance. As for other potential purchases, I’m completely immune to the siren song of Icom’s D-STAR. Of late, I’ve mostly been carrying around my trusty Yaesu VX-170. It’s a great, nearly bomb-proof, $120 2-meter talkie that Ive been recommending to my ARES group.

But, the new QST arrived today and on the back inside cover is a full-page ad for Yaesu’s newest small wonder, called the VX-8. What interests me about this radio isn’t the small size—I already have a VX-7—but the broad trasmit coverage and it’s support for APRS through an add-on GPS unit. I can hear the ker-ching! of the cash register right now. Pricing hasn’t been announced.

Heck, there is a big ad in QST and the radio isn’t even shown on the Yaesu web site. The best online reference is a YouTube video recorded by the ARRL’s Katie Breen at the Dayton Hamvention back in May. The 1:28 long video isn’t a demonstration. My guess is the radio shown wasn’t even functional. It’s not powered up, for example, and the Yaesu lady never even touches it.

Here’s what I like about the radio (based on the advertising):

• Built-in APRS capability — though this probably will be a very expensive add-on.
• Expanded transmit — the radio runs 5 watts on 50/144/440 MHz. and 1.5 watts on 220, a band that could use more support.
• Built-in AM/FM broadcast receiver that can be used while you’re listening to amateur frequencies, etc. Stereo audio through earbuds.
• Bluetooth support — It will be interesting to watch how this plays out. I don’t know how the Bluetooth adapter will work. If it attaches outside the radio, as I bet it will, it’s not nearly as interesting as Bluetooth added internally. Who wants something else hanging off the radio? Especially when the GPS is external.
  

Speaking of which, with the GPS module installed, the speaker/mic is almost as big as the radio. (I am writing this in near darkness and don’t want to wake Elionora. My memory is that the radio is 3.7 inches by 1.5 inches by .7 inches in size. I will correct this in the morning). There is an illustration in the QST ad that shows what appears to be the GPS module by itself attached to the radio, seemingly through the mic jack on the top surface next to the tuning/volume control.

Before even thinking about buying, I’ll want to know a whole lot more about the APRS functionality. Will the TNC inside the radio support other packet applications? I am hoping Yaesu has learned from Kenwood’s non-support of anything beyond APRS in its early digital radios and half-hearted support in the current line.

I’d like to have an easy way to hook a computer to the talkie and send/receive packet data. Wouldn’t a PC-to-radio Bluetooth connection be sweet? It’s hard to imagine that will be available, but I’m entitled to dream, aren’t I?

The VX-8 will accept a 2 AA battery holder that will power the transmitter at 1 watt. That isn’t enough for real emergency use, so the VX-170 (which can be fully powered by 6 AA’s) is in no danger of being replaced. Yaesu says if you purchase the optional $$$ Lithium-Ion pack that the radio will run for 9 hours. That isn’t great battery performance for my dollar.

I am expecting that, GPS and speaker/mic included, this radio would set me back $700. Add the Bluetooth module and one of Yaesu’s Bluetooth mics or headsets and I can imagine spending $1100 pretty easily. Maybe I’ll be surprised, but I am not expecting the VX-8 to be anything but pricey.

OK, maybe I am talking myself out of the market. Time will tell. Still, this looks like a sweet new radio.

Update on Sun, September 28, 2008 at 12:08PM by David Coursey, N5FDL

HRO tells me that pricing for this speck of a radio will be $499. No word on the GPS, but I am expecting $399-ish. This is an expensive radio.