20 Best Car Ham Radio (2022 Updated)

Coming from an IC705 I FOUND This menu driven radio very hard to adjust to. Also the built in speaker is really tinny sounding making the already noisy HF bands even more difficult. There is no built in way to lower the power for swr tuneup simple.

I set AM power to 5 watts and use that for tuning. Several buttons later your back to your operating mode. Using an auto tuner selecting TWN and holding the function button down will kick tunning into effect but I have no idea how much power the rig is jamming on the air on the autotune relays.

Sounds like a machine gun. I like the radio as I’ve gotten accustomed to doing everything through menu after menu. The rig is very portable with battery and 100 watts but all I really want is a small footprint 100 watt amp for my beloved IC705.

Right now the FT891 is cheaper then an external amp for the 705. IC7300 is much larger footprint compared to the 705 or the 891. So now I’ve got both and I get really fast contacts on the 891 when the band doesn’t favor QRP.

K7DT 73.

I was recently in the market for a base station I could also use portable. I only operate SSB and am learning CW. I am not at all interested in any digital modes of operating. I did extensive research comparing different radios to suit my needs, and narrowed my choices down to the Yaesu FT-891, Icom 7300, and Kenwood TS590G.

Living in a Rural HOA subdivision, I still have a lot of RFI and was constantly at an s5-7 noise levels with my first radio a Yaesu FT-77. My main option I was looking for was the ability to filter out a lot of the noise so I could hear the weaker signals.

I watched a number of videos online that showed the FT-891 had superior filtering than the Icom or the Kenwood. I went ahead and bought the Yaesu FT-891, and I could not be more happy. Not only was it half the cost of the Kenwood and $400 cheaper than the Icom, it did exactly as I saw in the online videos.

After spending an hour or so acquainting myself with the navigation of the extensive menu system and connecting it to my Alpha Delta DX-EE installed in my attic, which is a very good antenna for attics if you have the space, I was able to get the noise levels consistently down to s3 or below, and I must say I am very impressed with the Yeasu, and have zero regrets buying it.

One of my initial contacts was in Zamibia over 8500 miles from my QTH. With the filtering off, I could not even hear that station, but they were crystal clear after adjusting the DNR and IPO. My previous longest contact before the FT-891 was a little over 5000 miles using an old Yaesu FT-77.

Overall I would definitely recommend this radio. So many people put it down because of the menu system, but if you take a little time to acquaint yourself with it, make all your initial adjustments to your liking, it is really an easy menu to operate with.

Most functions are set them and forget them, so after initial setup, I basically just access the different filters. I set the 3 “quick” buttons to TNR, DNR, and IPO, since they are the functions I use the most.

The IPO basically turns the preamp off, and I usually like the preamp off while operating at home. In the field with less noise, I will leave the IPO off. Since the FT-891 doesn’t have a built in tuner, I paired it with the MFJ 939 which is a pretty good antenna tuner.

Once setup, you just press and hold the TNR function on the 891, and it automatically tunes. The only other upgrade I made to the radio was the purchase of the Timewave ANC-4. After the initial learning curve with the ANC-4, I can consistently get the noise levels in my shack down to s1-s0!! Best purchase I have made in a long time!! I have only taken this radio remotely to a couple parks trips in the country, and the first time I did, I thought I had it hooked up wrong.

Using my MFJ 2286, I had S0 levels across all bands and it was dead silent with no static!! I made a lot of good contacts in the parks, and it just reaffirmed my decision to purchase the Yaesu FT-891!!.

I use this radio as a base station and have talked to hams across the world. I like the static scan more than I thought. The noise reduction is fabulous. It really cuts through the floor noise so you can hear weaker signals.

It doesn’t have an internal tuner though(which keeps the price down). But odds are you are going to have one anyway in your Schack. Some people complain about the menu. I don’t see what the big deal is.

I read the manual and no big deal. I think its easy to use.

Great radio, I purchased it primarily for use with a Kantronics KPC-3 for packet operation and the radio has performed very well. ~2. 5, 5, 10 amp draw for the three power levels of 5, 30, and 65 watts.

Firmware has decent feature set, including temperature monitoring. Fan noise is barely audible compared to even just my computer idling, it is NOT loud. The fan starts up around 80F operating temperature and tends to stay on, again no problems here.

The air intake for the cooling system is located just behind the face of the radio on the bottom side, so be sure to have at least a little clearance for this. There is an aluminum cover over the air path that appears to be removable if you desire to dust it out.

Hot air exits toward the rear. The heat sink temperature only gets into the mid 90’s even working at high power, and the internal temperature display reflects this, so the thermal solution appears to be doing its job.

Fast shipping and great packaging from DX as always, thanks guys!.

I would recommend this radio to a friend. Runs cool after long key downs. Great TX/RX audio. Hot receiver. Compact with great looks. My only problem is, the cooling fan runs all the time and it’s a bit noisy.

If this is normal, I’ll have to install a resistor or a quieter fan as I’m using it as a station. Probably would not be a issue in my truck.

The Yaesu FT-3DR comes from a long family of high quality digital radios. I have been using the FT-1DR and FT-2DR. All of the accessories are common to the family saving a considerable amount of money, especially for batteries.

The radio has a great receiver that has good sensitivity and selectivit. I cannot see a shortcoming to report at this time.

It is easy to use and program especially with the free programming software, has plenty of power and awesome receive sensitivity. Several of my friends recommended it and they weren’t lying. It’s the best ht that I have ever used.

Ive been saving for a Fusion (C4FM) HT and this Fit the Bill! It hasnt all the Bells and Whistles as its big brother but it has WIRES-X! Excellent Audio! Light Weight! Loaded With Features! Real Easy To Program via Yaesus CPS or On The Fly! The Analog FM has Great Sensitivity as do the Multiple Receive only AM/FM Bands! Great Price for a Terrific Little HT! I Highly Recommend It!.

Surprisingly small, robust construction. Hugh heat sink! Love the 4 step power levels and 65 watts max. The instructions are a large sheet, not especially user friendly. I watched a couple YouTube videos and had it programmed in minutes! Only cons, the volume and squelch pots must be PC mounted, rather than attached to the case, so the knobs seemed a little wiggly.

I don’t care much for the mic connector either. They will probably be fine, but just my opinion. It does come with all hardware to mount mobile! Highly recommended.

I really like this little radio. I say that having gone through various VHF & UHF radios, portable & base & HTs, over some five decades of playing radio. The front-panel program buttons are easy to use.

You can even personalize the layout. The radio is easy to program on the fly and even easier to just park a frequency, offset, tones &c with only a few button pushes. Of course, it’s expected that you’re not deluded enough to try and do this while zippin’ down the Strae.

But it’s still much easier than the TH-9800 (my in-house base station). The microphone is rather large but it has all the functions available on the front panel & is likewise easy to personalize for your needs.

And you can switch the radio to use the microphone as a speaker-mic, with an option to disconnect the radio’s speaker or use both the radio speaker and the speaker-mic setting. Quite sweet when cruising around.

The three power levels are perfect for driving around town & using local repeaters and the 20W high power setting works just fine for simplex conversations on the road. The audio output is clean and strong and the speaker is sufficiently large enough to use in a car.

I do wish that it had come with the programming software and cable (you have to deep search for the online download [from a Russian site]) but looking at the software, I’m probably better off hoping it’s eventually accessible through CHIRP (which I use for all else in the shack).

I believe the cable comes with the radio if you buy it from a British distributor/vendor. In all this is an extremely affordable, compact, easy to set up and use two band VHF/UHF transceiver. I am very impressed & am actually thinking that I might replace the base station set up with another one.

Yeah, I like it that much.

Hi, This is not a professional review or paid by anyone. I bought two AT-778UV radios after the resents earthquakes here in PR for my sons on their vehicles to be in contact if something worse occurs.

I have been a very happy Yaesu and Icom radio owner for many years but the price of those equipment’s is very high. After looking for a cost effective radio I found the AT778UV (sold under other brands like many China made radios) and I need to admit that they are really good radios, very well built.

Great TX audio and excellent receiver with a powerful speaker. The color display looks great! The unit can be programmed by hand if you want only a few repeaters and/or simplex frequencies but it is a task that can be a pain if you want to program a lot of frequencies and channels (up to 200 memories).

Programming cable is widely available on eBay. the cannot be programmed using Chirp and you can only use the Anytone software for this matter. The microphone is big but feel great on your hands. Unit get very warm when used for long periods of times but without any issues (in my case).

Sorry for my English. I can recommend this radio because of my experience with it. Thanks, Luis – WP3LR.

Great radio, owners manual. eh, not so much. Crisp clean auto, good signal reports. Build like a tank. Display bright and clear (though a bit cluttered). Would have given 5 stars but for the manual. Includes programing cable and software (this one did anyway).

Software is easy to use, a lot like Chirp but not quite as featured (very limited editing). I have been told it is now compatible with Chirp but haven’t tried it yet. Might even buy another.

I really do like this radio. First let me throw out Kudos to DX. I have come to the realization that I won’t purchase radios from anyone else but DX. Their customer service and knowledge of radios is superb.

Going to their showroom was like being a kid in a candy store. Back to the Icom. I love the radio and actually switched from the FTM-300DR to this radio. As much as I enjoy digital, when it comes to general use, the Icom blows Yaesu out of the water in my opinion.

The reception, clarity, ease of programming, and functionality of Icom is greater over Yaesu in my opinion. The only dislike I have with this particular unit (IC-2730A) is the amount of characters you can use in the name field (only permitted six).

I loved the screen of the 5100 but it had horrible reviews for vehicle applications after being in summer heat. Too bad they didn’t use a more defined screen for the 2730 but not the 5100. All that being said.

If you want a great radio with great reception and aren’t interested in the digital features, you can’t go wrong with the IC-2730A. The only issue with Icom that I have is the fact that you have to purchase the mounting plate and mounting bracket as a separate purchase.

Come on Icom. it’s 2022. But your radio still kicks butt so.

I now have three IC-2730A’s – one in my truck, one on my desk, and one in the shack. Likes: It’s a very sensitive receiver and pulls in repeaters and NOAA stations that some other radios I’ve tried can’t hear.

The display is excellent and easy to read. Having independent volume, squelch, tuning, scan, and VFO controls for each side of the radio are all very convenient. Programming is easy with the RT Systems software (highly recommended).

It’s scanning capabilities are very versatile and the way in which channels can be organized into banks is well implemented. The cross-band repeater function works well and allows me to use an HT anywhere in the house or yard as though I’m sitting at the radio in terms of reception and coverage.

Having a mic plug in the head as well as on the radio is convenient. The mic itself has backlit keys and the buttons are actually useful. Dislikes: The unit is fan-cooled and the stock fan is rather noisy.

It’s not an issue in the truck but it can be a little intrusive in the shack, and leaving it on the “Auto” setting results in it spinning up to top speed even on Low power every time you key up. There are aftermarket alternatives that are quieter.

The menus take some getting used to, but that’s less of a criticism of this radio and more a state of all radios. I personally find ICOM’s menus to be the most logical of the “Big 3” and much easier to deal with compared to what you find in entry-level radios, but that’s a personal preference.

If there’s a feature I haven’t used in a while, I usually have to consult the manual. The audio quality isn’t the loudest or fullest-sounding so I would plan on a small external speaker. ICOM gets a lot of grief for not including mounting hardware with this radio.

They include a remote cable for the head, but don’t include a mobile bracket for the radio itself or the bracket needed to mount the remote head to the radio or to any surface. The bracket kit adds another $60 or so.

Depending upon your installation requirements, this may or may not be a big deal. I ordered the Nifty desk stand with my first one (no longer available) and splurged for the little metal plate that allows you to attach the head to something for the truck, but it would be easy enough to make a little bracket yourself if you’re handy or simply use Velcro strips to attach the head which is what I’ve done in the shack.

If you are looking for a pure analog 2m/440 radio and don’t need DMR, D-Star, or System Fusion, the IC-2730A is a great performer, easy to use, has lots of features, and is a bargain at its current price.

After going back and forth with two other brands of radios in this class of radios, I decided to purchase the ICOM IC-2730A since it has so many features. Dual band, air band and the crossband repeater all are some of the main features that I was looking for.

I did test the power output with a (Diamond DL-30A) dummy load and all the 3 levels of power outputs from the radio were performing per specifications. The reason I am giving this product 4 stars is because, ICOM went cheap by not providing the face adapter and the mounting bracket.

Almost all manufacturers provide the hardware with the radio and also not mention ICOM is charging way to much for the necessary hardware. It is like buying a major brand car, but the car does not come with seats.

Not sure why ICOM did this?.

I’ve had several brands of ham radios, like many new hams I started out on cheap other brands, but you get what you pay for. This radio is easy to program, works great and I’m already loving it. Wish I hadn’t wasted money and time on others.

Extremely underrated HT. Have owned it less than 2 hours and wow. Love it.

Great Radio, well built, night and day different and way better than a Chinese radio, even beyond build quality, the sensitivity and more important the discriminating is top shelf.

I have to ask why is there an “Amateur Band” radio that is built to operate on 12 and 10 meters and apparently only transmits AM? AM is not used on those bands. It could but it’s not. However, right in between 12 and 10 is the 11 meter band, aka 27Mhz CB band.

Very fishy indeed. I’ll betcha a nickle there is an easy wire to clip that will allow it to transmit on 11 meters. Better idea! Why not build it as a CB and sell it as a CB. That is what I seriously believe was the original intention.

I as a Licensed Ham for 45 years would never buy this radio for 12/10 meter AM operation and I really don’t know any other Ham who would. de KD5OM.

I thought this version of radio might be almost as easy and fun and as satisfying to use as prior analog radios. No, its not. It is digital shortcuts all the way. Key deficiencies: No analog Signal Meter All digital controls Awkward nonintuitive operation.

Overloaded controls. Better off buying older style radios. This one is up for sale. Ease of use is absolutely a key feature that I look for.

Very happy with President Ronald radio. Conversion for CB frequencies is easy. Just add 1000k ohm resistor. This is a set it and forget it radio which is great for mobile use so you dont get distracted while driving.

My only complaint is the speaker, so I definitely recommend buying a good quality external speaker. It will be night and day difference.

I understand the 4 stars and less when Bought by CB’ers who want the mod and don’t get it. However On ten Meters The Lincoln’s have out performed even my TS 2000’s on USB. When you buy them from someone who knows what they are doing, the Recieve is almost unbeatable and the Clarity of the signal the same! From Wisconsin I have talked to New Zealand and back on only 33 watts.

That was on the Old version! band conditions did have much to do with that, however Solar cycle 25 is already shaping up to be very promising. I am looking for some new 10-10 numbers so I want a good radio and the Quality vs Dirty power will be my answer! If you wand a Loud CB that Bleeds over every one then buy something else.

If you want Intelligent conversation with say Europe, Antartica or even Florida or Mississippi; The Lincoln should be in your shack or Vehicle! kb9vsb.

Only feature missing is priority channel option. It mimics the chipswitch to the T otherwise. I still run with the hr2510. Anyone who knew Doc, I worked with him and know his secrets to the 2510.

I ran a Top Gun Quad Five for a couple of years & was beset with road noise in the receiver. I switched to this mobile & all of that went away. Lots of Features, Great Display & Small Package. Awesome HF Mobile.

I have been enjoying the band openings with it. President has got it right with this version! All the latest upgrades & improvements. Just add a 1K 1/2 watt Resistor & program sequence & you are good to go.

I am planning on using this radio on my desk in my radio shack. The channel or frequency knob is a click-type knob and not like a thumb or finger dial. No, since the radio was more designed for mobile use this click-type knob would work great since once it is set it will not move until you click it one more time up or down.

I think this would very useful for mobile since you could not accidentally change channels or freq’ s by just touching the knob. If you wish it is also very easily converted to 11Meters by one resistor change.

I really want to get on 10 meters and start making contacts.

Best value for the price. All mode 10 meter xcvr. am, ssb, fm, and cw. power output is as advertised. Scan function scans in groups of frequencies. Frequencies are divided into blocks A-J which speeds up moving from one portion of band to another without turning, turning, turning the VFO.

Finally made contact on 12 meters. Band in poor shape these days. I find it easy to operate. Manual seems direct and easy to use. Now need a dual bander like it for 17& 15 meters.

I have had this radio for about a month and really like it. I wanted a radio that would fit inside one of the cubby holes in my 2003 Honda CRV. There are several such locations and this fits them all.

I have had excellent signal reports. Transmit audio is crisp and clear, and the receive audio matches the TX performance. Even though it is a physically small radio, the received audio is easily heard when going down the highway.

Upon receipt of the radio, I put it on the bench and found that it was right on frequency, the output power was as stated in the literature and the receiver was incredibly sensitive. I have not noticed any intermod or spurious signals.

I continue to be amazed at the performance and functions that this radio provides. It will do anything that I want it to, and then some. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs a small sized radio with big features.

This radio has performed well for me in mobile use. It has sufficient power to quiet most repeaters in my vicinity. It can be programmed with software available from the manufacturer (no Chirp support).

Documentation is poor. Not very versatile in terms of basic options – for example, the display colors are not selectable. My major Con is the poor screen display – numbers are not very readable even a few feet away and the choice of foreground/background colors does not help.

The radio comes with every thing in the picture and a small cd. I tried 2 different computers to down load the program and neither one was able to auto play or run the program. XP and Windows 7. It comes with instructions to manually program the radio.

kinda hard for me to fallow but slowly figuring it out. great audio and good receive. This is my first radio of the kind and having fun. It transmits well also. If you bought all these things separate you would pay double.

This Icom ID-5100A transceiver is an outstanding radio. The radio is loaded with features such as touch screen, dual band operation on 2 meters and 70 centimeters (440), DSTAR, GPS and an available optional Blue Tooth module.

I find at 50 watts, the radio has more power than you will ever need on FM. DSTAR has a steep learning curve, but the thick manual takes you by the hand and leads you through the maze. There are numerous DSTAR videos online to help you along.

DSTAR, C4FM, Fusion, and DMR all do about the same thing, digital, world wide, communications. But, I think DSTAR does it best. The built in GPS enables this radio to do Digital Packet (Position) Reporting to a computer system map, right out of the box.

There are no extra cost GPS modules to buy. This radio is available for about $450. 00 from all the major ham radio stores online. Add another $100. 00 if you want the blue tooth module. I love my state of the art ID-5100A Dual Band DSTAR radio.

This is an excellent radio for VHF/UHF DSTAR operations. I am very glad I got one from the USA as the prices in Europe are so much higher, even after import duties were added. 73s

Great radio, features are many not only for FM but also for DV. Display is easy to read and touch screen is easy to navigate, very little need to consult the manual. It would be great if it had a TFT display but maybe the next version will.

I’ve owned this radio for several years now. Most of that time it has seen service in my vehicle. Recently, I put it in service as my base unit. The radio has been used all over the midwest, New England, and back and forth between the Great Lakes and Florida.

Having 1000-channel capacity (500 each, on the A and B “bands”) has allowed me to keep all the frequencies needed for all my routes and destinations, with ample room for all the VHF Marine, Railroad, Aviation, FRS, and GMRS frequencies that I enjoy listening in on.

A few things would make this radio even better: First would be memory “banks”, to better organize the channels a bit. I keep a PDF on my phone (made from an export of my channel lists) to remind me which channel numbers are of interest at any given time, but banks would be an improvement.

Second, would be extending the use of the Micro SD card to provide firmware updates. Using the cable for this purpose is fine, given the infrequent need to flash new updates, but firmware updates via the Micro SD card would make the process easier than either lugging a laptop out to the car, or having to bring the radio inside to do the update and then having to remount in the car.

Third, when the BU-2 bluetooth module is installed, there needs to be a menu option to software-reset the bluetooth module. I’ll explain. I used to have a Sony car audio system in my car that had a firmware bug.

Every few months the radio would spontaneously reset back to factory settings, and would lose all bluetooth pairings. The Yaesu BU-2 module had no easy way to delete an existing pairing, and would not re-pair with a device it already believed it was paired with.

There were only two ways to get the BU-2 to again pair with the radio. Method #1. ) The BU-2 can pair with up to (I think) 8 bluetooth devices. If you then paired with a 9th device, that device’s info would overwrite the data regarding the first device.

Pairing with a 10th device would overwrite the pairing info for the 2nd device, and so on. So. if you had to intentionally overwrite the first device, the only way to do it was to first pair the device with 8 other devices, to both fill the other 7 slots AND overwrite the first slot.

THEN you could again pair your radio. Method #2. ) Unmount the radio, and open it up to expose the BU-2 module. Place the radio on your lap, and then simultaneously perform the following tasks. Turn the radio off.

Press and hold the small reset button on the BU-2 daughterboard for at least 5 seconds while powering up the radio (a non-conductive implement may be needed to depress the button when the radio is being powered up.

) Yaesu really missed the boat, not including a software-reset option in the menus, for re-pairing a previously paired device. After 4 or 5 such episodes of this, I replaced the Sony car stereo with a Panasonic, and never again had to perform this reset.

In summary, the absence of memory “banks” is a small inconvenience, but not a deal-breaker. The use of a cable rather than the Micro SD card for firmware updates is no big deal given how infrequently this needs to be done (if at all).

And the bluetooth issue I described only applies *if* you have the BU-2 installed *and* the device it gets paired with needs to be re-paired. It’s easier to plug a bluetooth stereo audio dongle into the radio’s speaker jack (without the Yeasu speak jack adapter) to pair with a stereo speaker or car audio system.

Despite the shortcoming listed above, I would whole-heartedly recommend this radio to anyone seeking a solid performing VHF/UHF rig.

Holy cow I went and did it again. Bought another radio that is more capable than myself. Works fine and installs fine. You have to rip all the panels out of your vehicle because there is a lot of wires to run, insulate and hide.

Operation of the radio is not extremely Intuitive at first, but grows on your rapidly. Made my first 2m contacts from my f250 up on Bogus Basin north of Boise. Crystal clear on a tiny NMO $25 Tram antenna with NMO Mount drilled through the roof of the truck to use roof as ground plane.

If I get down in town buried under telephone wires on every street corner, reception/transmission gets a bit more dodgy. But I haven’t tried putting on the 5/8 wave yet. The waterfall display is super neato.

It actually works as you’d expect, kinda. If you see some activity, you can “scroll” on over to it by adjusting the VFO knob and see what it is. Helpful for manual scanning or comparing signal strengths etc.

probably helpful for many more things but I’m a noob and have no idea what I’m doing. Shipping from DX was fast and no issues, although I can’t stand UPS, next time I have to pick another courier. Would be happy to pay for it.

I did buy it from DX but I don’t think I have an account so I am “reviewing as a guest”. Trying to stop myself from buying the ICOM for $1000 right now cause it’s on sale and rebate.

New Ham, passed Tech on 1 June, very first radio rig, the choices can seem daunting. Listened to my mentors and shopped around but used DX site to easily compare the specs. Programming the FTM-400 takes some practice but no problem once you learn the process and shortcuts.

So far, most happy with the VHF/UHF Dual Band cape, scanner & memory functions well. This radio makes it easy to see and react to whatever band you’re listening to. Initiating digital ops (Wires-X) in my area not as simple as advertised but I will figure it out eventually.

Once I settled on my desired mobile/base choices, consolidating all the gear with DX made shipping nearly worry free. The DX pre-fab RG cables are secure, Pwr Supply arrived early, got everything I needed @1 week, up and running by 20 June.

I’ll be sticking with DX for future needs.

So far everything works as advertised. I don’t find that programing the BF-F8HP is that difficult as stated in some (many) blogs. Very nice the fact that batteries, antennae, accessories etc. are interchangeable with UV-5R.

A very good product for the money.

I already have an older UV-5R. I saw this for a great price & figured I would snag it as another back-up radio. I have no intention using it for the additional output power. I had two 3800 mAh batteries laying around & a spare antenna from my UV-5R.

I felt the need to put a radio to the the accessories. I am only using it right now to focus on listening to certain scanner frequencies when there is bad weather or other events. Everything sounds very clear.

Operation is easy.

learning how to program this set up. a very good radio. nice design a little heavier. but that’s for your protection ! so it will survive some abuse ! this is a cool one for around S. W. Idaho !I don’t have a license yet so just listening.

is worth the bucks. enjoy if you get one.

The driving decision for me was local C4FM repeaters, or I wouldn’t have purchased. The radio is “ok,” but nothing stellar. If you use memories, it does not retain all the relevant settings per memory.

Mic gain, filter width, DNR, and more, are not retained, thus requiring you to navigate multiple menus to reenable or disable, depending on the previous operating mode. I have a preference to make connections at the rear of transceivers, which you can do, however, doing so makes the use of both voice and digital modes difficult, as you must select the rear interface in various menus, and the parameters for a mic versus sound cards are different, and back to mucking with menus again.

If you like to fashion your own single wire mic/headset connections, you won’t be happy, as rx audio isn’t on the mic plug. So you have a pigtail to loop up to the 1/8th inch jack for rx audio. It could be a nice rig if you could just reassign a few buttons.

They do have one button for this, but it only works against the numbered functions, which I’d need half a dozen of. How about a MEMORY button??? To scroll through memory channels you have to hit V/M, F, scroll left or right to get the MCH, then F again, and if nothing else was out of whack, the multi knob now lets you twirl through your memories.

Oh, you hit the vfo? Repeat the above. Audio is average. I did replace the handmic. It’s ok for FM rag chewing, just adjust the gain PER BAND for decent performance. Oh, did I mention having to adjust the USB sound card gain PER BAND? One would think this wouldn’t be necessary.

I tested with a Signalink and didn’t have to, so something is amiss with the internal sound card. Others have mentioned this is needed, so I don’t see it as a repairable item. Another item for digital mode gain.

I typically run at 2 or 3. Mind you this is on a range of 1-100 – I think some engineer missed some values.

For perspective, I’m a new amateur. I picked up the tech license about a year ago. Started with a Boofunk HT, and wanted an upgrade. I got this because I wanted a good portable for 2m/70cm, and I wanted to encourage myself to take that general exam.

I’ve got several ancient pieces of Yaesu gear that I intend to restore and I like consistency. Ok, so now that you know a little about my background. I love this radio! It’s been so much fun to operate, and just reading the manual was educational.

I can’t remember the last time I bought an electronic product that came with such a useful manual! There was even a service manual with full schematics and parts lists! That’s the first time I’ve bought any commercial product and found schematics.

The radio has lots of features I like already. As I’m still learning in general, it will take me a long time to be truly familiar with everything this radio does. The touchscreen display is nice. I’ve never found myself annoyed because it registered a touch incorrectly (or not at all).

The “mars” mod that opens up 11 meters among other things was super simple. There are a few negative things about the radio. Perhaps it’s just my inexperience, but I wish the memory would also store output power settings.

For example, I’d like to have the output power automatically drop to 5 watts if I switch to a memory on 11m. Some repeaters are close to me and I also run 5 watts to them. Others are further away and 50 watts is more appropriate.

I really wish the memory stored output power. Also, many of the features are disabled on 2m/70cm. Some you don’t really need but others would be really nice. Both metering and audio processing are like this.

All in all, it’s a great radio. My gripes are minor, and could be entirely a result of my inexperience.

This radio is great because it does classic analog Hf VHF UHF but it also does Dstar digital as well as connecting directly to PC or Mac for other digital modes, such as FT8, JT9, etc. This radio even decodes RTTY in stand-alone mode with no external computer.

For the time being, this is the rig to get if you want to play with digital modes in my opinion.

This came as a complete setup and I am rating the radio IC-7100. It performs as it should and I have received signal and audio reports that are outstanding. It is easy to use and setup with the touch screen and menu selections.

Very easy to program.

I-com 7100 is a perfect radio for over all ham use. It does everything and more a person expects. The only draw back to it is the Manual is very hard to follow. Some elements of the radio are hard to learn how to use.

I used the YouTube videos to learn how to operate it.

I received my new ICOM HT very promptly. It has a very solid feel. Both TX and RX audio sound great. It has plenty of power and a large battery. I really like the BNC antenna connector, and the supplied antenna is longer and more efficient than others I have used.

The battery charger has a nice feature I was unaware of– you can choose to optimize battery life rather than charging it to 100%. Although I did not time it, the battery seems to charge in a reasonably short time.

One thing I’m not fond of is the recessed buttons. They are hard to press with a fingertip. A wooden or plastic stylus should work OK. The display is a little harder to read than some. As with most of these units, it’s a pain to program.

Other than that, I think it’s an excellent value for the price. I would recommend it vs. other choices.

I use this primarily at our hunting camp. There are about 20,000 acres of land that we hunt and communication with our group is critical. I used to use a much cheaper products and they did not have the clarity, ability to reach other members, and they would either fail and lose functionality in a short amount of time.

So instead of continuing to replace them, at the recommendation of another club member, I bought the ICOM. A few members have older ICOM models and they have used them year after year. only needing to buy a new battery after five or so years.

This was my first year using the radio and once programed and locked, I had no issues. Very clear and seemingly powerful enough to communicate with others. I often found myself relaying messages between members with cheaper radios.

Overall, a great handheld. Good output, good receive and loud enough for noisy environments. Inadvertently tested robustness a couple of times and it’s holding up very well. Excellent battery life too.

Two small criticisms: 1. Maybe it’s been updated, but when I bought, the manual was unclear on how to save frequencies to memory. Got it figured out eventually, but that was not great. 2. Display is small and hard to read, even with backlight on.

However, once programmed, it’s not that relevant. Overall, love it and wouldn’t trade it.

We are running a couple of these on high volume VARA FM gateways, with either RIM9600 or DRA boards. Hardware installation is quick an easy: connect the RIM9600, turn on the radio, set power to medium and put radio in digital mode.

On the software side, turn off the AGC in Windows, adjust the audio output and input levels and have fun. Using UZ7HO we also have Packet 1200 running, as a backup function for Winlink. The screen is easy to read and the knobs are solid.

It is a good radio, which can handle lots of traffic, especially on medium power.

Relatively easy setup out of the box, everything needed was included, well packed against damage, and worked perfectly with no issues. I especially like the real microphone connector instead of an RJ45 that requires exceptional care.

The switches on the microphone to turn off unneeded function are also a nice feature. A friend on simplex who used to be marginal is now full quieting so the box also has ears. This was my first Alinco product.

I believe it was a good decision.