Indeed !
Not it’s not my advert, I’m not selling mine but… There’s a pair of VX-170s for sale together on UK eBay just now. A bit dusty but should clean up with books, antennas, chargers. Top end of the price range in my opinion.
As good as the FT-270 / FT-60 and almost as good as the V-85 and they blow most everything else on sale new well out of the water.
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What do you think of the Alinco VX-50 compared to the FT-65?
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i think alincos are unvalued as a brand. I nearly had a HF alinco as my first rig when i got my first license. Except i got scammed via ebay for it. Lost 50% of the money in the end 
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I have the same doubt. Being a Yaesu man, I have to admit that the Alinco has some advantages. I think the best solution is to go to the local shop and check them out in person.
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Lately, I’ve been looking for radios that can withstand heavy downpours; the IP67 rating appeals to me, especially for SOTA operations. Right now, I’m testing the Ailunce HA-2, which is IP67-rated and features APRS, 7W output, a 2800mAh battery, Bluetooth, app-based programming, and USB-C charging. When connected to my X-510 antenna, it easily picks up distant repeaters (190 km away)—the Yaesu FT-4X manages this too, the Alinco DJ W70 as well…but not all radios from Chinese manufacturers can. Then again, for €90, you can’t really ask for much more. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference.
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[quote=“G5CJA, post:85, topic:41709”]
think alincos are unvalued as a brand.
[/quote]
I think the Alinco of today are a different beast to a few years ago. They did produce some good equipment at a decent price (dg-7) , but I think nowadays they are the same circuitry as in many of the Chinese radios.
I don’t like Alinco radios because memory management. In every other radio empty memories are skiped. In Alinco radios if memory is empty memory number flashes
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I don’t understand what you’re saying; are you referring to when it’s in scan mode?
English is not my native language and it is hard for me to explain. Best way to understand is to look at Alinco radio and try it
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It depends on the specific Chinese radio; Chinese manufacturers can produce very high-quality gear if you’re willing to pay for it. The FT-4X is made there and performs quite well. I believe Anytone is manufacturing some of Alinco’s radios in China.
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A slight niche take on this thread; Does anyone know of a handie that can connect and use a bluetooth mic and speaker?
I’m thinking about 2m mobile on my motorbike. My helmet has an intercomm in it that accepts bluetooth audio connection two way, but doesn’t have any physical audio or mic connections on it. I know rigs like the FTM-300DR I have can use bluetooth audio both ways, but that’s a bit oversized for an install into a motorbike under the seat!
My other thought is to use my VX-7R and plug in a separate bluetooth module into the audio/mic socket via a 3.5mm jack, which seems like it should be do-able from this: LINK. The downside is that it is 200 quid
TIA
Dave G7SAT
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I agree, I have one and it goes everywhere with me. Its not some super high spec radio, but it does what is does (ease of use) at a price cheap enough to fall into a lake and not to cry about it.
The difference is that its made to a Yaesu specification with a little extra filtering on both transmit and receive. I was mainly refering to the likes of Quansheng and Boafeng that have wide open front ends that are overloaded by someone lighting a camping stove and even worse, some have severe out of band transmissions.
Having said that, the quanshengs are fun to play with with the modifications if useless anywhere near other sources of radio.
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Thanks for that, I’ll look into them 
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if you have a HT without BT, there are specific add on accessories specifically designed to go under M/Cycle helmets, which have one half plug into the two pin connector used on most Chinese plus Kenwood HTs the other half is the (USB rechargeable) mic and earphone which fit under the helmet.
Taking this route, you don’t have to worry about incompatible BT types/versions as the two parts use the same BT standard.
73 Ed.
My Kenwood TH-D74 and Motorola DP-4801 work very well with my Poly Bluetooth headset.
73, Peter - HB9PJT
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you operating whilst stationary or actually riding? I dont think i could ride my motorbike and think about having a QSO at the same time. I do take my 2M HT in my rear seat bag when i go out riding but only operate or have a listen around when i’m stationary.
Although I also dont listen to music too often and definately don’t listen to the top gun theme tune whilst on the bike. God knows what speed that would end up make me doing 
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Back in the 80s and 90s, I used a 2-meter handheld radio while riding my motorcycle…
The radio sat in the tank bag. The PTT button was mounted on the handlebars, while the microphone and earpiece were installed inside the helmet. The cables were chosen to be thin enough to snap off in the event of a crash. The connection to PTT .. and the helmet was a 3.5mm jack that tucked away between the padding and the shell. It worked quite well… especially for bike-to-bike communication while on the road (which was exactly what it was designed for).
73 Armin
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When I’m out on my bike I sometimes hum ‘Just for Kicks’ by Mike Sarne from circa 1962 ( that dates me!)
“If there’s one thing that I like, it’s a burn up on my bike etc”
On my 19 year old 350 RE Bullet, the words ‘burn up’ are somewhat wishful thinking…
73 all.