BaoFeng HT Questions

[tarster]

I really looked at the FT-8800 and 8900 radios and just couldn't justify the price, I normally only use 2m and 7cm, I am on the peak radio network often and I couldn't use my Icom 2100h anymore since they went to the DCS tones for the valley here. My buddy with the antenna in the house was running a FT-8800 and it does have quite a bit more functions then my TYT.

One of the nice things is that the tyt has most of the same features of the 8900 minus it doesn't do multi bank scanning, but it will do the repeater functions and it will also FM transmit on CB channels and is not locked to amateur channels, you can full transmit on commercial and amateur also.

 

[OutlawHoss]

I really looked at the FT-8800 and 8900 radios and just couldn't justify the price, I normally only use 2m and 7cm, I am on the peak radio network often and I couldn't use my Icom 2100h anymore since they went to the DCS tones for the valley here. My buddy with the antenna in the house was running a FT-8800 and it does have quite a bit more functions then my TYT.

One of the nice things is that the tyt has most of the same features of the 8900 minus it doesn't do multi bank scanning, but it will do the repeater functions and it will also FM transmit on CB channels and is not locked to amateur channels, you can full transmit on commercial and amateur also.

That sounds like a pretty decent set of functions, and minus the 4 band antenna, it is probably a lot clearer in tx. You definitely want to have DCS capability, though not as much in use, the Peak Radio net is a pretty significant for use in most of Oregon.
I'm not much of a rag chewer myself, so I listen more than I transmit, but see being able to monitor a lot of traffic and relay in an emergency, especially to my non-ham friends on the FRS/GMRS, is a feature I like.
I have a Cobra 29LX with a Wilson 1000 for CB. It's really well made, and it has a scanner function which is great as there isn't a lot of regular local traffic around here so I can find who's talking a lot easier. I get a lot of DX traffic, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, when the D layer is right; I get constant 'superbowl' traffic on 6, which is mostly annoying, but I can program it to scan only selected channels. I was calling a local on 7 and 11, also superbowl-like channels, and got a guy in Louisiana! But my radio isn't exactly barefoot, so I can talk 30 miles easy. Again, my location in the valley being the limiting factor more so than the radio's tx power.

 

[tarster]

Im right there with you, I really enjoyed being able to receive more than I talk, for there there is very little use to be on 10 and 6m and I didn't really want a quad band antenna as it is normally really hard to tune without really expensive tuners and also I have a dual band thats perm mounted on my truck, I took out my Cobra 29 that has been heavily modified, someone added 10m finals to it and dead key im about 5w and full out I push close to 115w on that cb, downside is the finals make the already huge radio larger and then the older 29's dont have the scan function, I really like the 29LX's but never bought one because of what I have, I need to re-mount that back into my truck as the IC-2100 took its spot awhile back. I will probably mount another whip for my cb on the other side of my truck and leave the dual band diamond that I have on the opposite side.

I mostly use the TYT for police and fire scanning but then also have mem channels set for FRS GMRS channels incase I needed to use that, and I need to set up some quick key functions for the repeater, so that way I can just have it setup and punch a few buttons and put it into repeater mode instead of trying to dial to the freq's and set everything up every time.

 

[OutlawHoss]

Im right there with you, I really enjoyed being able to receive more than I talk, for there there is very little use to be on 10 and 6m and I didn't really want a quad band antenna as it is normally really hard to tune without really expensive tuners and also I have a dual band thats perm mounted on my truck, I took out my Cobra 29 that has been heavily modified, someone added 10m finals to it and dead key im about 5w and full out I push close to 115w on that cb, downside is the finals make the already huge radio larger and then the older 29's dont have the scan function, I really like the 29LX's but never bought one because of what I have, I need to re-mount that back into my truck as the IC-2100 took its spot awhile back. I will probably mount another whip for my cb on the other side of my truck and leave the dual band diamond that I have on the opposite side.

I mostly use the TYT for police and fire scanning but then also have mem channels set for FRS GMRS channels incase I needed to use that, and I need to set up some quick key functions for the repeater, so that way I can just have it setup and punch a few buttons and put it into repeater mode instead of trying to dial to the freq's and set everything up every time.

Yeah, that's a great thing about the Yaesu, I have 6 distinct 'hyper' memories that save all settings together, each under one memory recall. I have one just to scan for priority local channels on 2m, then each hyper memory I've programmed to step up and expand to include more channels and bands all the way to scanning pure VFO in all bands. Each hyper memory has a home freq/mem, programmable band edge limits, and dual receivers with a toggle to tx on either one, etc., etc. If there was enough users of the 10m and 6m, I would duplex the antenna feed and have two separate dual band antennas and it would probably get out a lot more efficiently, but there just isn't the need to get that complex, or have an antenna farm on top of my truck (more than there already is!)

Nothing wrong with the 29; in fact if I wasn't hooked on being able to scan, I'd forego the whole l.e.d. features for sake of simplicity of the standard 29. Then again, I'd probably look into SSB units too.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

+1 on the iCom, we use those for work- and for what they are and cost, with a serial programming cable, and software, you are really in the real time for UHF/VHF bands and radios that will last after being dropped or knocked a distance.

I have a Baofeng, which is a cool unit, and six of the Midland GMRS radios, but for serious work the iCom's are the workhorses. They are as tough as the Motorolas, have a nice discreet ear bud type surveillance headset, and for a fraction of the Motorola price.



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[OFADAN]

ICom and Yesau are like Ford 'n Chevy. Right? Or is one vastly superior?

 

[Kruel J]

I have a Yaesu FT-2900R in "the shack" with a mag mount antenna on a commercial sized cookie sheet for the ground plane. I can hit anywhere from Timber to Portland to Salem repeaters. In the car, I have an Icom 2300H with an on glass antenna and I have similar success although not quite as good. If I use my J-Pole in my attic at home, I can and have used the Peak repeater in Corvallis. All from Hillsboro.