other brand commercial gear on ham radio - what's out there?

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 2:02 pm

I'm a motorola freak. I've had motorola stuff for years and I really like it.

Howver I know there must be other companys out there with quality gear that cover the ham band (2m/6m/440 and 900).

What do you all run and how do you like it?

RapidCharger · Post by **RapidCharger** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 2:16 pm

I'm seriously considering Vertex-Standard. Well made. A lot of features for the money, cheap and legal to program with real legal software, a serious looking radio (some models look like toys, some dont) I hear Kenwood makes some great commercial radios now but I can't say from experience. None of them have 900 radios and most don't even have 800 radios. The Standard stuff looks like it was designed to look like a /\/\. Sort of like what Toyota did with the Tundra, they said the F-150 is the best selling vehicle in the us, lets make the Tundra look similar to it but be of higher quality.

Still waiting to hear what performace is like slightly out of band on the vx600 and 900 portables and any of the mobiles.

Blitzbug2u · Post by **Blitzbug2u** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 5:17 pm

Like the Moto stuff--also use MRK (GE-M/A com-Ericsson-,-,-) ad nauseum infinitum.Don't really believe the audio is quite Moto, but other features I like better. They're both good--how about other input, guys/gals?? Blitz.

CTAMontrose · Post by **CTAMontrose** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 5:48 pm

RapidCharger wrote: None of them have 900 radios

not true, I have several Kenwoods in service on 902/927 and the guys on the AR902Mhz group have rewritten the firmware in several EF Johnsons to the ham band.

The problem with other manufactures is typically on 900 they use the concept of channel numbers instead of frequencies. This is where Motorola gear has the advantage. On other manufacturers VHF/UHF radios, alot of the time their software wont allow the programming of Ham frequencies. It probably can be hex edited to allow it, but not sure if its been done or not.

The advantage that Vertex/Standard has, is that when i need software, i simply call the 800 number and they email it to my box for free. Granted I did purchase their programming interface.

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 6:40 pm

This is a bit off the wall, but you might want to consider ICOM as an alternative commercial radio.

Over the past 4 years, ICOM has developed a complete digital voice/high speed data system called "D-STAR" that currently is a commercial system that the Japanese Government is using, primarily for high speed mobile data at 128 kb/s. ICOM is bringing this commercial system to the USA Ham band initially on 1.2 GHz by the end of this month. Later, ICOM plans to offer digital voice and a lower speed data (at least 28 kb/s) on 2M and 440 (since they don't have the available bandwidth for 128 k data that is available on the 1.2 GHz band).

Their system sounds as good, if not better than, APCO P25 since they use the DVSI AMBE+ vocoder (albeit it is a 2.4 kb/s half-rate coder), rather than the much older P25 DVSI IMBE vocoder.

The really neat thing about D-STAR is its ability to conecct to the internet on a fully digital basis (no A/D required like IRLP, WIRES, etc.) via any DSL/Cable connection. This allows the Ham to enter any other D-STAR users call sign into their radio, and the ICOM server will locate the D-STAR repeater that the other ham is registered on, and tie them together. A little like Nextel's approach, except you can also monitor all traffic on both repeaters (if you choose to), and you can tie together virtually an unlimited number of D-STAR repeaters located around the world, so long as they are on the Internet. It's also better than the Nextel approach in that there is almost zero latency on D-STAR.

Larry

CTAMontrose · Post by **CTAMontrose** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 6:54 pm

are they going to release the DSTAR specs to other manufactures?

seems to me the biggest problem with ham band digital is all the formats and proprietary schemes that makes one brand of digital incompatable with another. Look at alinco's digital, only alincos can use their digital, and if memory serves me correctly, conventional analog repeaters do not have the bandwidth to pass the digital audio.. i may be wrong with that, but if i am, please correct me.

Hopefully more ASTRO stuff will become feasable for the amateurs, bring on the retired quantars hahahaha..

w7com · Post by **w7com** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 7:20 pm

I use an old Midland 65w UHF rig for my IRLP node. Nice radio and sounds good. It can be a :o to get programmed (EPROM on their own board) if you don't know anyone with a burner.

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:26 pm

D-STAR specs are published for all vendors to see and implement. Kenwood has now endorsed the D-STAR standard, while Yaesu remains hung-up on their old WIRES analog set-up. The Japan MTP has "strongly urged" Alinco to utilize D-STAR on any next generation digital voice radio.

Since they use GMSK and a half-rate (2.4 kb/s) AMBE+ vocoder, current D-STAR digital voice channel spacing is roughly 9 kHz, as opposed to 25 kHz for Ham FM. (Note: APCO Phase II will be 6.25 kHz channel spacing with the new half rate P25 coder.)

Quantars may soon become a lot more affordable for Ham use, not because of D-STAR, but because the Quantar replacement is now ready to go, subject to Motorola Marketing releasing the darn thing! It has extremely robust VoIP capabilities, but I wouldn't say better than ICOM's D-STAR repeater, mainly becasue ICOM is having many 3rd parties now working feverishly on all sorts of outrageously KEWL VoIP applications. From what I understand, Motorola's Quantar replacement machine's VoIP application(s) will be much more simplistic than what ICOM will support for Ham use, albeit I bet the new Motorola machine will work darn nice with VoIP!

Larry

chipjumper · Post by **chipjumper** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:32 pm

I want a D-Star system. Does this mean I can legally set up a 128Kbps data route to my vehicle to browse the 'net, check my Batlabs PM's????

I'm sometimes a lazy reader. Is D-Star like VoIP? Is Icom going to target commercial radio???

kf4sqb · Post by **kf4sqb** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 8:52 pm

Well, back to other manufacturers commercial gear on Ham bands. I'm currently using an old GE Phoenix for a 2m base. Looks really ancient. OK, so it is really ancient! Seems to work great, though. Only drawbacks are that parts are getting hard to find, at least around here, and they are a real b%*#h to program without the proper equipment, which I don't have. I may also have, in the future, a Midland used for 6m, and two Standards, one on 2m and one on 70cm. However, I have never any of those, so I can't comment at this time. Seems like I'm going to have an all "commercial" Ham shack! Now if only someone would give me a PC-programmable commercial HF rig.........

W4WTF · Post by **W4WTF** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 3:09 am

I have a bunch of Kenwood TK-330 serving double duty as fire and 440 ham rigs. Built like bricks, but at $50 on ebay because the proramming cables are a :o to find I can't lose. I even sell soem to local volunteers who really want a radio but have to buy thier own.

We just got a bunch of TK-941's to run 900mhz ham as well, we have one of only 2 900 reapeaters in the state here.

And I have in the past used Bendix King HT's on 2m.

mike m · Post by **mike m** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 8:27 am

I use a stack of Ge rangrs for 220 MHz, 6 and 10 FM with the hamflashed S990 heads, 128 channels and direct keypad entry cannot be beat. Maxtrac for 900 MHz and maxtrac for 10 FM.

Several GE hamflashed MPA's for 2mtr, 220 MHz 440 MHz and 902-928 continuous coverage. GE MPD for 902 to 928 continuous coverage and a 220 MHz ge MPD ht.

The MPA's program from the keypad similar to the S990 heads and have excellent receivers. I also use a VHF saber, an absolutely excellent radio and last but not least is a VHF front panel programmable XTS5000, P25 HT with the best receiver of all but I sure wish Motorola would fix the dang dual priority scan and the hot keypad DTMF flaws in it.

Mike

nc5p · Post by **nc5p** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 9:39 am

GE-Ericsson-M/A Com Orion is a great radio. I have a 440 UHF one and it has great audio, the two-row display puts my spectras to shame, and it has tons of channels. They also make a low band one that covers 10m fm and a 2m split 138?-153. Not sure about the high split low band going into 6m, the Orion is pretty tight where filters are concerned so it isn't easy to go out of band.

Doug

Tom in D.C. · Post by **Tom in D.C.** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 11:46 am

For Rapidcharger:

There have been many, many historical/technical posts about this radio here on the Batboard. Suggest you do a search as there's a ton of info about these radios available, and not all of it was posted by me.

10-95 · Post by **10-95** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 4:07 pm

I really like the Ericsson stuff, MPA's , MPD's are really nice , also the MRK is "O.K.", I Would rather use the MPA. The Kenwood TK230/330's are also pretty nice, if you like a brick.

Frank

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 4:15 pm

mpa's on 220?

talk to me guys

easy mod?

I'd love t0 get some inexpensive commercial gear on 220

10-95 · Post by **10-95** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 4:25 pm

I shoot you a word document with all the specifics for doing the mod.

frank

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 4:30 pm

coolness

007 · Post by **007** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 6:58 pm

I had 3 hamflashed MPA's (2 VHF 1 UHF) and regret selling them...

other brand commercial gear on ham radio - what's out there?

other brand commercial gear on ham radio - what's out there?

Other--

VX900

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