Basic 2 Meter Radio

[Chris]

Yeah, my first venture into this board and more confused than enlightened. I don't have any interest in a dual band setup at this time, just a basic 2 meter unit to bolt in the truck, i.e., no hand held.

What do you ham geeks recommend?

TIA!

 

[Romer]

I know Nathanial and a few others have used the Yaseau 2800.

I think the good brands are yaesu, Kenwood and Icom

 

[nakman]

You can get a 2800 for under $120 right now.. http://www.hamcity.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=10 and that would be a fine radio to toss in the truck for sure.

 

[Chris]

That links doesn't bring up anything specific Tim, I assume it's for the YAESU FT-2800M is that right? I think that's one that Hulk mentioned in a post a while back that I couldn't find.

 

[Hulk]

Chris, that's exactly the radio I would recommend.

 

[Crawler#976]

I had two Ft-2800's. They are very durable, built to Mil-Spec, and if they made the same unit with dual band capability, I'd own one.

 

[Hulk]

Link:
http://www.hamcity.com/detail.aspx?ID=321

 

[Chris]

Thanks guys. That's the one I'll likely go with Hulk, any antenna recommendations?

 

[DaveInDenver]

Thanks guys. That's the one I'll likely go with Hulk, any antenna recommendations?

Larsen NMO150 is a good choice for a 2m only antenna. Cheap ($30), durable and a good performer. Or PM Groucho and get in on the self-build one. That would be under $10 since he's offering to give you the expensive part to make.

 

[Chris]

Added myself to the self-build, thanks.

 

[Hulk]

Larsen NMO150 is a good choice for a 2m only antenna. Cheap ($30), durable and a good performer.

This is the antenna I have, and it is simply great. I originally purchased a different antenna, then returned it for the 150. Details here.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i've got the 2800 yaesu and i guess it's good. i gotta use it to know for sure

 

[Tanglefoot]

I have the Yaesu FT-2200--the 2800's little cousin. It's not mil-spec, but it's been choking on dust and bouncing around in the 4x for 6-7 years without a problem. I didn't realize the 2800's were so cheap now. I haven't seen any mags or catalogs in a few years--I'm a little out of the loop. Yaesu also has some tiny mobile rigs out now if you want something smaller. The 2800 is a fairly "substantial" radio.

**EDIT...sorry, I was picturing the FT-2500M. Just saw the FT-2800 on the HRO site...wow! That looks like a great radio at an amazing price. I'm sure it'd be hard to go wrong with that. That's less than I paid for my used FT-2200.

For an antenna, I use a very simple 1/4 wave mag-mount stuck to the fairing below the windshield. Some say it's mag-mounts aren't a good permanant solution, but it's been working great for years. I think it was about $15.

LARCFEST is coming up....April 5th I believe...Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. That's a great place to see a lot of gear and find bargains.

Eric/KG0YS