Why You Like The Amateur Radio Brand You Like

Since I'm still real real new to Amateur Radio I'd like to find out why you like the brand you like without trashing the other brands. I'd like your opinions along the lines of "I prefer IKenSu to other brands because they have really great ...".

The poll asks for your overall brand preference, but in your reply you can break it down by base station, mobile, and hand held or other form.

 

All my main station HF rigs purchased new have been, up to just recently, all Standard- HORIZON. They have performed very well. All of my V/Uhf gear has been Icom since 1982. Again, excellent gear.

I recently purchased two new rigs - an MFJ-9200 for a QRP travel rig and a Elecraft KX2 because I had to... The KX2 is a wicked good radio. Almost any of the Big Three HF rigs from the past 30 years are a good buy in terms of performance and performance.

 

When I passed the tech test I purchased a Yaesu FT-7900 for my vehicle and an FT-60 HT. Both are duel band and the reviews were good on both units. Then I decided to get a unit for the house. Since I already had and was used to the 7900 and had the software for it I purchased another one. Then I saw a well priced used one on QRZ and decided to get it for the XYL's car.
Now I have 3 Yaesu FT-7900's and a Yaesu FT-60 HT!
When I passed the test for General I researched the Yaesu 450D, but it didn't meet all my requirements. Long story short, I purchased a Icom 7300. I like all my radio's and I am pleased with all of them!
Purchase what meets all your requirements, they are all good units!

 

I don't prefer one brand across the board. But I don't care for the Chinese cheapies.
Mobile gets a Yaesu 8800 for v/uhf, and Alinco DX70...fairly simple to operate without excessive need to dive into menus.
Base has Kenwood and Icom for v/uhf (1 & 3 qty) for different applications (packet, ssb, fm) and Kenwood and Icom for hf. The Kenwood has more bells and whistles, while the Icom just plain works without all the tweaking...apples and oranges really. It all depends on what I want to do...or feel like doing.
HTs run the gamut...Standard, Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu, Radio Shack....couple of Baofengs for those instances when I might not wish to expose a real radio to the weather

 

480SAT, 480HX, TS-690S, TS-2000, TM-V71a (x4), TH-F6a. Guess I'm a Kenwood man too. Also an Icom 2820 (hard to use), Icom 718 (Works OK, just does not sound well receiving or transmitting), Vertex 7200 x 2 for DMR, a TyT MD-390 (UHF and DMR), several UV-5R and a stable of various Motorola stuff, and some GE repeaters.
My name is Tempstar, and I'm a radioholic. I've been radio free for 18 minutes now....

 

I bought a Yaesu 757-GXII for myself as a college graduation gift many years ago and have kept loyal to the brand ever since. I've got nothing against the rest, Yaesu just kind of stuck on me. I will say that the styling and layout of some of the Kenwood rigs makes them a little weird looking.

I still have the GXII (in storage) and now my active HF rig is an FT-950. I also have two Yaesu handhelds and an FT-817. The 817 is truly a legend. No one else makes anything even sort of close, and no other radio stuffs so much into such a small box.

I also have 2 Baofeng handhelds. I do not take them seriously and would not want one as my only rig. I keep them as loaners/spares that I won't be heartbroken over if something happens to them. For all the bitching and trash talking about Baofeng, considering its price tag it is a respectable radio.

My advice for newbs would be to stick with the "Big Three": Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom. None of them are junk. If you need a radio and only have $29.00 to spend, the Baofeng will give you a decent bang for the buck.

 

I don't think you'll get much help as this discussion will just boil down to the age old question...are you a Ford guy? a Dodge guy? a Chevy guy? Everyone has their favorites but the reasons are generally very subjective. BT likes Kenwood because it's flexible. But what does that mean actually? That it bends? Tevin likes Yaesu because that is what he happened to start off with and stayed with it. Tevin doesn't like Baofeng because he doesn't take them seriously. But what does that mean actually?

For me I just purchased my first ever radios and they were Baofeng which I chose specifically because they were so cheap. I wouldn't have bought anything else because I'm not going to spend that kind of money on something I am just getting started in. Besides, what I want to use them for is different from what others may want.

And that is something you need to plan. Make a list of thing you want to be able to do. What problem are you trying to solve? What do you want to accomplish with amateur radios that can't be met by something else? Those desires and needs will drive your procurement decision making.

 

I have to agree with Imasham. I like Yaesu and Icom. Only because those are the two I brands I have and use. Would I like a KW? Don't know never used one. Baofeng? Don't know. At one point I sold guns at a local shop and folks would always come in and want to know why Hipoint is so cheap. Just is. I had customers that only bought Hipoint. I had customers that wouldn't give a nickle for one. Doesn't make them good or bad just harder to decide.
For me I had to decide what I wanted the rig to do. How much could I afford. Look at reviews and talk to folks. Unless it is a complete lemon there will be 5 star reviews and 1 star reviews. If you have local hams see if they will show their equipment and maybe let you take a test drive. Good luck.

 

yeah modern computerized gear is going to have menus, you get used to the interface of a brand, no reason to subject yourself to having to learn another. They all work. It really is mostly preference. QST Labs do testing and yeah, there may be a slight performance difference between them but not enough to matter for most things. Pick what you like. I've used Kenwood mobile and H/T, Icom and an old Cubic Astro for HF, and I like em all ok. Had little to do with Yaesu or Alinco. You can't really put Baofeng and the like in a category with those brands, but I do have one I won at a hamfest, used little, haven't really tried very hard to set it up. I keep reading how they're supposed to be a nightmare to program without a PC cable and software.

 

Thanks all for a lot of great information so far. I did figure on a lot of comparisons of Ford vs Dodge vs Chevy, etc., and while all are good, each brand does something a bit better than the other.

Here are some more specific questions that might help to split the hairs a bit:

• Are any of them easier/more intuitive to program than others?
• Which in your opinion have the easiest to use menu systems?
• Does anybody have experience with tech support and warranty that they can give feedback on?

 

While I do not yet have any experience the Baofeng handhelds I bought, in nearly all my research, are said to be extremely tedious to program by hand. Every review I read suggested to invest in the programming cable for your computer and to use something called CHIRP software. There are a couple of items on these units (like the ability to give each unit a designator or name) that can ONLY be programmed via your computer.

 

I always get a kick out of guys who insist Brand X is better because of some very minor performance metric (which was measured in a lab and not the real world), then they hook the radio up to a junk antenna that more than negates whatever perceived advantage their "superior" radio gave them.

Which brings up a good point: If you really want to know how good a radio is without actually using it, ask other hams who have one, or look it up on YouTube.

 

I have owned, in addition to the previous post, Yaesu FT-857, FT-897, FT-817, Icom IC-7000, Yaesu FT-101, and a Collins that I don't remember the model. I miss the 817 just because of what the little box would do and hope to get another some day. The Yaesu has really deep menus, as did the IC-7000. Good radios all, but too much hassle for my taste, thus my Kenwood nod. I like more buttons on the front for quick access.
The only tech support I had was a Kenwood TM-V71a with a blown audio cap, under warranty. Fixed by shop in VA under warranty, only cost me to ship to them. The other was the new Yaesu FT-897 with only half the display working, HRO warrantied it out with another one. I would expect any of the big 3, and maybe Alinco too, will have good in warranty service. Out of warranty, I tear into 'em myself.

 

I voted YAESU because that is the brand I own and would buy again if I needed another. And yes, that is the only reason I voted as I did.

 

In short, I have a great Kenwood TM-V71A which is a great mobile rig, but could also be used as a home base station.
My favorite function is the "cross-band repeater" function (read about definition here Crossband operation - Wikipedia). It you want to create your own small repeater; or maybe you have a handheld that cannot hit the location you want to hit, try that out.
It can also do Echolink, but I have never tried that function personally.

I also have several Baofeng handhelds. Don't worry about damaging them as you could replace for about $25 on the cheap end. The Baofeng BF-F8HP+ will do up to 8 watts which is pretty good for a handheld. Other Baofeng handhelds are generally 5 watts. You can also get extended batteries for these -- which, since it is larger, look like a real man's radio.

 

I like Collins HF gear: I have a KWM-2A and 30L-1, because that's what I used in Vietnam and they are as reliable as the sunrise.