Not so lucky. Pretty much only those from southie or wormtown can handle what I have to say and how I say it.
Total waste of money for analog FM use, but DStar reflectors (accessed via hotspot or local repeaters) are relatively busy. Chris
@M0JSX Jonathan, I wish to thank you for the video. How on the Earth a radio above $600 can have no APRS? Even Yaesu HTs have APRS. I owned ID-51 Plus (aesthetically almost the same) and have to say it has the worst price/enjoyment ratio I ever saw. Kit battery and kit charger is a pain (spend ~$150 for better ones or your HT will be almost useless); kit antenna is really bad on 440. No APRS/AFSK/whatever; to connect an external TNC you have to pay $30 for an Icom branded piece of wire (I solved this for $0.01; see my QRZ page). I expect newer ID-52 could be even worse due higher street price.
No neither can I ... a lot of cash rich hams out there buying a must have toy ...Icom must be having a giggle ...
I agree with you. If you already have the ID-51+ or +2 then the upgrade is probably not worth it. I sold my ID-51 around a year ago to part pay for my IC-705, I soon realised I missed having a D-STAR HT though.
Previous employer!!! Where will Chris 'n me get our free coffees when we come over in March? Hope your well and good luck for the future m8, enjoyed your vid by the way. 73, Rich 'n Christine.
Sadly not me Rich, but you can always send me the folder direct . All the best you Christine and you.
You wonder how much radio you would get for say L300-350 Hmm, try something from the MFJ line up, LOL
You work for Martin Lynch in the England, don't you. Probably got great discount HI Hi. And with the UK out of the EU no one in their right mind would buy from the UK now, €630 + import duty could bring it up to € 700 Its a bit over priced for what it is. The Yeasu FT5D is a better buy. Regards Lez 73's
Hi Jonathan I did not know, noting was said on the Martin Lynch channel. Best of luck with the new job. Regards Lez 73's
I love an Icom radio, but I've been sucked into the "bells and whistles" of an HT several times. I kick myself all the time for buying "that HT'. I have them from 25 years back, that still work. This radio is nice, don't get me wrong, but it does nothing that I need in an HT, that can't be done in a far cheaper HT radio. So many new hams buy an HT as their first radio, with the mindset that "I can take this one radio everywhere and if I want to use it in the car, I'll get an external antenna and cigar lighter plug." The HT just doesn't perform as a mobile radio does, the 2m and 70cm repeaters aren't very active in most places, and the new ham has just invested $500 to $600 in a radio with accessories and can't talk to anyone or it's a hassle. The new ham looses interest, puts the radio in a drawer, and they find a new hobby. Seen so many times. I stayed away from D-Star for years, just due to the prices that Icom charged for their digital radios. I also work with commercial land/ mobile Icoms as a radio tech, some of the best radios out there. Tough to sell to someone that has a shelf full of HTs and very seldom uses them, and I'm sure there are a lot of us!! hihi. I wish them luck with this radio, hopefully the price will fall to a reasonable level.
That's exactly why I bought my Yaesu VX-7, the most expensive HT on the market IIRC, some 17 years ago. I wanted as much radio as I could get in single portable device and it came down to that one or the 817nd (had I known I'd be updating to General in a year or so, I might have gone with the 817 instead). I have always been very active outdoors and wanted a radio that could join me on those activities. The VX-7 gave me 4 bands (6m/2m/1.25m/70cm) and two modes (FM and AM). It was rugged, waterproof, and compact with great battery life. I've used the heck out of that and have had QSOs using every supported combination of bands and modes. It has been a neat platform for antenna experimentation and outdoors operation. I don't for a second regret that purchase. In fact, had I gone with a more basic radio, I might have gotten bored with AR. VHF repeaters are boring. I still have the VX-7, but have also added another expensive HT to my collection, a Kenwood TH-D74. It has a combination of features I can't find elsewhere (APRS, GPS, full power 1.25m, and so on). I've used most of its features and have even starting piddling around with DStar because it's there and why not. I don't think any ham who honestly evaluates their plans and decides a premium HT fits those needs is making a poor decision. Chris
