After realizing my cheap chinese HT is quite deaf, if not very deaf to incoming radio signals and the fact my DJ195 HT is 2m only and quite old and the batteries probably need replacing. I’m thinking of getting a new HT. under £200 suggestions please? I have had a brief look and the FT70D, liked by Tom M1EYP is the current likely contender, mainly as it appears to do a good job and i get to play with C4FM which i have never touched or used before.
Any other HT suggestions?
dual band, decent receive(although i suspect everything is better than the Beofeng),
Yaesu FT-60 seems to be the most popular HT at the moment for 1 reason
It has a very good front end and able to reject intermod fairly well vs these cheaper direct conversion radios. This is expecially helpful at summits with large commercial transmitters nearby, see the article below
I was lucky to get ahold of a Kenwood TH-22E for veeeery cheap before i got my licence.
Just used it for a activation this Sunday.
Provided I had to buy a new battery because the one it came with was shot,and I bought a quick charger . Plus I found a new old stock DTMF keyboard so i dont have to use the knob to dial in frequencies. All in all around 80 euros.
I could have gotten a new TH-K20E for about 180,but the 22E was about 13 euros so it would be crime to pass the offer.
It seems that I, just like you, was also on the hunt for a Baofeng replacement (…mine was the UV-5R) for the same ‘deaf’ reasons. I ended up winning two auctions and now have a used Yaesu VX-170 and an un-opened FT-65 to finally choose from. I am currently putting them both through their paces. The 170 is 2m only and very VERY solidly built. The 65 is dual band and, unbeknown to me, has a RP SMA which means all my Baofeng antennas and accessories fit it.
Several SOTA people (including me) using the FT-65
It has the advantage that at the price, I won’t be too distressed if it gets dropped, wet or whatever. It is robust, and paired with an RH-770 telescopic antenna it works really well.
But it is by no means immune to out of band signals, as I managed to prove to myself on GW/SW-019. Pair it with a Sotabeams filter and you are on a winner for the money.
Should be better on 2m that the FT65. Fairly bullet proof on RF rich sites. Mine is 13 years old and still almost mint. It’s in the outside string pocket on the rucksack and has been for much of that time. I needed a new battery in 2020 after buying it in March 2008. Would I buy it again? I did! A used example from eBay needing a battery and antenna but almost complete new for £35 as a backup.
The Yaesu FT and VX-whatevers are all good and reliable.
Out of these, I’ve used the VX-110 and VX7R extensively. They knock spots off the cheap HTs mentioned without being hugely more expensive (well not the 110 anyway).
I now use, as you know, the FT70D, which knocks spots of the VX-110 and VX7R. It’s so good that rarely can I be bothered disconnecting the helical antenna to connect it to a beam or dipole.
FT60R! I did my 1st MG all VHF 90% with the FT60 Great radio built like a tank. (Dropped 2x) Snow, Light rain, desert heat the Yaesu takes it in stride. Also important is resistance to front end overloading.
A Signal Stick/Rollup 2/70cm and a Handheld Yagi makes it a formidable SOTA weapon. Sprinkle in Patience if your all VHF.
I clipped the HT to my backpack on the way down listening for other activators. Unfortunately this antenna is heavy and I think the constant waving and weight on the connector is a no go at least for hiking. The Signal Stick is IMO the best antenna for hiking with. Lightweight and with the rubber gasket put less stress on the connector. They also have glow in dark tips, at first this sounds like a gimmick but if you activate at night come in real handy.
I am using ft65 and never had isues with him. Much better than uv5r. Never been on realy heavy crowded spot so maybe, one day…
I am looking for good band pass filter to avoid any issue
I like 6,25 kHz step because pmr is little bit aside, not at 12,5 kHz.
And for antenas, it is not RP sometning. It is SMA. If has a little hole than is female or little stick is male. So, antenas are SMA-F or SMA-M. That on the picture is sma-f
