I need the assistance of an “Elmer”. (The term “Elmer” in this context meaning someone who provides personal guidance and assistance to would-be hams.)
I’m trying to level up my HAM radio with limited money and even more limited time.
I got tired of my Baeofeng Handhelds. They punch above their weight class but handhelds kinda’ annoy me and programming the Baeofeng was like hiking in a swamp after dark. (Either I should work on my analogies or y’all should try midnight swamp hiking.)
I want a mobile radio with 2M capacity that’s easy to program. The problem is I got wind of DMR and suddenly think I can’t live with out it. I don’t know if that’s true or I’m just buying hype. I haven’t tried DMR. I’m within range (I think) of a DMR repeater.
I also would like to use Winlink sometime in the future. (I’ve no idea if any of these radios is better or worse for Winlink.) I do have a Windows computer I can use for programming and running Winlink.
The mobile will live on my desk 90% of the time and go camping occasionally. Not mounted in a truck but lugged around in an ammo can.
At home I plan to power it with a 10 amp regulated power supply (running on 120V AC). I got the power supply at a garage sale decades ago. I assume it works. If it’s shot, I’ll get something else.
Eventually I’ll pick up a Jackery (which I can’t afford right now) to power it while camping.
I found two radios that might fit the bill.
The first is a Radiooddity DB25-D Dual Band DMR Mobile Radio. It costs around $240. It’s a weird little critter. About half the size of a regular mobile. Max power is 20W (which ought to hit repeaters from my house but maybe not while camping). I like the funky form factor. Reviews are um… mixed. Some say it’s awesome. Some say it’s a hot mess. (There’s a near duplicate radio called the Retevis RT73 Dual Band DMR Mobile Radio.)
The other contender is the TYT MD-9600 GPS Dual Band DMR Mobile Transceiver. Slightly more expensive at $285 (I was trying to stay under $250 and ideally closer to $200.) The advantage is that it has 50W power and it’s not a weirdly shaped half radio. The reviews for this one too are um… mixed. If there’s a clear winner I’m too dumb to identify it.
I’m a victim of analysis paralysis. Right now I favor the Radiooddity because it sounds like my favorite David Bowie song. Illogical? Absolutely!
So there you go, a chance to save me from David Bowie based decision-making.
Thanks for any help, public or private.
A.C.
There’s one more option. I could dispense with my bullshit fascination with DMR and just get a plain old dual band or single band. This would either save me like $100 on an “off brand” or a $20 bucks on a “high end brand”.
Here’s a “low end” (?) TYT TH-9000D. It is 2M only, dispenses with the DMR ability, looks like it’s mostly plastic… but it’s dirt cheap at $145 and transmits at 60W. I have no idea how hard it would be to program this radio. Anyone care to opine?
Here’s a “high end” (?) Yaesu FT-2980 for $226 (still cheaper than my DMR ideas). It’s not a dual band (2M only) but it broadcasts at a mighty 80W. (80 Watt seems like overkill!) I’ve never heard anyone bitch that a Yaesu is junk?
I assume a name brand rig is a would be easier to operate/program. Is that true?
Honorable mention: I should also mention that I looked at the TWAYRDIO Dual Band VHF UHF Back Pack Mobile Transceiver. At $229 for a non-DRM dual band mobile from a no name brand, it’s pricey. However, this strange beast has a built in battery!
It’s cheesy as hell (camouflage?!?) but it has an integrated battery, which I liked. The reviews for this were very negative. About 20% liked it and 80% said it’s crap, which is what I guessed from the “tacticool paintjob”. It’s off my list but deserves mention because of the battery.
Last note, I’ve included links to Amazon because that’s where I (like many people) shop. If you buy anything by following my links I get a little gift certificate from Amazon (it costs you nothing). In case you think I’m a greedy running dog of capitalism… well ok I like capitalism but Amazon links scarcely count. I got less than $7.50 in Amazon kickbacks last month, so I’m not exactly getting rich off them and that’s not why I include them.