New Hams: What Radio and Accessories to Purchase

One of the questions I am asked most frequently is “What radio(s) do you recommend for new hams and emergency responders to purchase?”

My primary selection criteria for EMCOMM use is the radio must be able to operate at full power on a set of AA batteries. This is the easiest way to assure that a radio will be usable several hours into an emergency, especially a radio owned by a beginner or occasional user.

This requirement means really small talkies are not suitable unless you have multiple rechargeable batteries and a way to charge them (without normal electricity) quickly enough to stay ahead of your running them down communicating.

For several years, my primary recommendation was the Yaesu VX-170, which has been replaced by the FT-270R. These are single-band VHF submersible radios selling for less than $150. At the time, PAVE PAWS radar made UHF pretty unusable where I live, so a single-band radio made sense, especially since it cost $50 less than the second-choice Yaesu FT-60R.

Recommended Radio: Yaesu FT-60R

Today, the dual-band Yaesu FT-60R or the VHF-only FT-270R are closer in price ($145 vs. $130) and we have adopted a local strategy of building multiple low-level UHF repeater systems to take advantage of the band while staying within the PAVE PAWS restrictions. (If you live outside Northern California this PAVE PAWS radar stuff doesn’t apply to you).

Because we’ve starting using UHF, a dual-band radio is a better choice today and — unless you are planning to submerse your radio — that suggests an FT-60R for most people.

However, the dual-band radio I carry is one I have never recommended, a Wouxun KG-UV3D. This “cheap Chinese” “commie-talkie” works well (until it loses all memory every so often) and is cheap enough (about $119) but I consider it too difficult for a beginner to use. I bought mine at Dayton in 2011 and while I don’t regret the purchase, I still can’t recommend it.

Sometimes Recommended: Wouxun KG-UV6X

I am also now recommending — in very specific circumstances — the Wouxun KG-UV6X handie-talkie. This radio is more difficult to use than I’d like, but can be powered by a AA battery pack. I recommend this radio when the user is affiliated with a public safety agency and needs a radio that is Part 90 certified and can narrowband, both requirements for non-ham, public safety use.

There are also some narrowband channels (two used by local fire departments) with frequencies that cannot be dialed up on most ham rigs (but most scanners will receive). If you need to listen to Ripon Fire, for example, and want to do it on your HT, you need the KG-UX6D. The radio covers 136-174 and 315-512 MHz.

Shopping Lists

When people ask what radio to purchase, they also want to know what accessories are required. I asked Ham Radio Outlet to compile two shopping lists for me, one for the FT-60R and the other for the Wouxun. Both include all the accessories a new ham is likely to use, including power, speaker/mic and external antenna.

Yaesu FT-60 Shopping List (PDF)

Wouxun KG-UV6X Shopping List (PDF)

Both shopping lists are complete with all the accessories you need and total about $330 at this writing. If you call Mark at HRO in Oakland and quote the invoice number he will know precisely what you want to purchase. He can also help you make changes to fit your budget or specific needs.

Choosing Your First ARES Radio (Part 1)

Yaesu FT-270R — Our recommended talkie

I received an e-mail from a new ham today, asking for advice on what to purchase as a first radio. For several years, I have been recommending Yaesu radios to our new ARES members. And with good reason.

First, this disclaimer: There are lots of good radios available. I developed my recommendations after discussions with dealers, users, and considering the needs of our new hams, both financial and technical. You might recommend a different radio for reasons as valid as my own. (But, if you do, please tell me why).

Here are the criteria I used in selecting a radio to recommend.

Key issues:

• Low cost — The economy is bad and many people are buying a radio primarily to use in their ARES, CERT or other volunteer activities. They don’t want to spend a lot of money and would probably skip the purchase if the price seemed high.
• Ease-of-operation — This is really important as many of these radios won’t get a tremendous amount of use until they are needed for an ARES or CERT response. Fewer buttons and “power user” features are a win.
• Survivability — The radio needs to be tough and submersible is a plus. Bad things often happen on rainy days, it seems.
• Low cost — This is important enough that I mention it twice.
• Easy programmability — Yaesu doesn’t give away software. But, the RT Systems-developed software they sell, especially the new Version 4, is nice work and makes it easy for me to move my programming files between various Yaesu radios.
• Standardization — It is a huge help to have our members mostly using a single type of radio, all programmed the same (above channel 20 as we make the lower channels “user option”). During an incident, time for technical hand-holding is at a premium. Fewer different radios in the hands of inexperienced users is a win.
• Power — The radio must be capable of operating at full-power from a AA-battery pack. This was a deal-killer for many radios I considered. Including all the tiny, cute ones that I’ve tried.

Key concepts:

• Because of the military PAVE PAWS radar located North of Sacramento, 70cm UHF has been largely depopulated in my area.
• This means a single-band, 2-meter VHF radio is an excellent choice for our members.
• Standardization is a big training win. We now have about 60 of the recommended talkies out there, all programmed alike above channel 20. All the hospital base stations are programmed the same way, as are many mobile radios.

Yaesu FT-270R: Our talkie of choice

Selling in the $130 range, the Yaesu FT-270R is a rugged, submersible radio that can be fully-powered from a 6-AA battery pack. We recommend that every new ham purchase at least the radio and the AA-pack (or, better two so one says in the glove compartment). A mag-mount mobile antenna, a speaker/mic, and a longer gain antenna as an alternative to the supplied antenna round out our recommended kit.

Total purchase price is $170 to about $250 at our preferred dealer, Ham Radio Outlet in Oakland (ask for Mark, the store manager). The FT-270R is the replacement for the discontinued VX-170R, which we previously recommended.

We have some users, however, who want a dual-band radio, primarily for scanner listening. That is going to change soon as our county moves all UHF public safety to P25 digital. But, if you live South of us — where 70cm becomes useful again — or travel, a dual-band radio is a valid choice.

Yaesu FT-60R: Our dual-band option

For these users, we recommend the Yaesu FT-60R. It is a dual-band radio that costs about $50 more than the FT-270R. There is only one VFO, so the radio tunes easily. It also uses the same accessories — including the FBA-25A AA-battery case — as the FT-270R. It is not submersible, but I believe there is a “water-resistant” claim.

I don’t own one of these radios, but the people who have purchased them like them very much. I have, however, purchased the programming software as the two radios both use the same programming cable.

Accessories

Besides the AA battery case, we recommend a small “Hershey Kiss” magnetic mount antenna. (It’s named for the size and shape of the small magnet).

These are not especially rugged, but are inexpensive and absolutely necessary for anything like solid repeater coverage here running only 5-watts.

The small mag mount can also be taken inside and used on a metal surface, such as a filing cabinet or cookie sheet, to help get a signal out of the building.

Yaesu sells an expensive, submersible speaker/mic that is too large and seems to muffle the mic audio. We recommend the less-expensive “standard” speaker/mic as an alternative. It features an earphone jack on the mic. The earphone is recommended, but many people don’t buy them or can’t find them when they would like to use one to keep noise (and prying ears) to a minimum.

Some people purchase a cigarette lighter power adapter. I’d rather see that money invested in a mobile radio.

Not just for beginners

In recommending the FT-270R, I don’t want you to think I am dumbing-down the choice for our new hams’ benefit. I own a whole bunch of radios — include VX-8, VX-7, VX-5, etc. — but find them all too hard to use. OK, the VX-8 is pretty easy, but it doesn’t fully power from a AA pack.

Indeed, the FT-270R is the talkie you are most likely to find me using, too. It’s a great radio, at a price that won’t break me if the radio disappears.

Coming in Part 2: Mobile radio options — Yes, you need one.

Yaesu Confirms FTM-350R Troubles

This morning, I received an e-mail from Yaesu tech support telling me they had reproduced the NAVIgation problems that I’ve been experiencing and reporting on. Yaesu USA has sought help from Japan in dealing with the problem.

Do you suppose this radio was actually tested before it was released? How difficult is it drive around and see if the navigation function points in the right direction?

It appears the radio cannot be changed with a firmware upgrade, so I am expecting they may all need to go back to the factory. As I remember, there was also a recall of VX-8’s when they were released.

FTM-350R Bad Navigation Video

As a demonstration for Yaesu, I drove around and documented the problems I am having with the NAVI feature of the new FTM-350R receiver. I misspeak a couple of times—reversing left and right—but the video clearly shows what I am describing and I repeat the correct information a number of times. Also, I had another crash tonight, while the radio was running in my parked car.

The FTM-350R: Navigation Doesn't Work

Click for larger imageThis photo illustrates—you have to take my word for it until I can post a video—how my FTM-350R will not properly navigate to a “point” stored in the radio’s memory. In this case, I want to navigate to WY6E-11, which is ahead of me and off to the left.

However, the display clearly shows the destination “D” as being behind me and off to the right.

The error changes depending on the direction of travel.

Going north, the target error is to the right but north and south seem to be ahead and behind, where they should be.

Going west, a target that should be ahead displays as behind and vice versa. But, when when due south, appears properly in the display. Until you drive past, when the destination becomes ahead of you when it’s really behind. Not to worry, when the destination was in front, it displayed as behind.

I am talking to Yaesu about this.