Gary S. Idontwantspam@net wrote:


On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 02:14:45 -0500, "Dustin"
wrote:

Hello, I was thinking of buying a Yaesu VX-5R handheld, but finances are
kinda tight and I was thinking of a VX-150, I pretty much am just going to
be transmitting on the 2 meter band. What do you guys think of the VX-150? I
know the 5R is a better Radio, but would you waste your money with a VX-150
or would you just wait? Thanks.

It is a very nice rig. I have been very happy with mine, using it for
hiking and for PS events. I know a number of people who have one for
similar uses.

I like mine a lot.

Seems to have a clear signal, in and out, and it will put out the full
5 watts even with the alkaline battery pack (not true of every model).

I bought the battery case Just In Case. One of these days I should put
batteries in the case and use it just to make sure it works as well as I
think it should.

Not that I abuse it, but it does seem quite capable of dealing with
harsh uses.

Mine's been rained on and juggled once (and I don't know how I kept from
dropping it). It keeps soldiering on.

Two thoughts, though:

As with most HTs, a upgrade aftermarket antenna will do better than
the stock rubber duck. I use a flexible 1/4 wave on an SMA-BNC
adaptor.

For my needs the ducky is adequate. Gary, I have seen quarter waves on
a SMA rather than on a BNC. Using one of these would reduce the
leverage applied to the SMA connector on top.

With 200 memories, I would question the sanity of anyone who tries to
program them via the keypad. Get the software and cable (I would
recommend the RT Systems over the Yeasu version).

The Yaesu software carries a license that prevents one from using it in
any kind of endeavor involving creating programming software for the
radio. I never installed the software once I read the license. I can't
say WRT the RT Systems software.

200 memories is a lot to plug in from the front panel. If one can be
content with a small handful of memories, though, programming from the
front panel is not at all onerous.

The only improvement I would ask for is if they made a dual band one.

A 220 version would be nice, as would one on 440. I'd like to see a
weather channel alert feature, though that may be in the software I sold
at a loss once I read the license. Its Public Safety brother, the VX-800,
has a second microphone element on the bottom of the case for noise
canceling. This little radio could use one.

If I had it to do over again, though, I would definitely buy another
one.
--
To design the perfect anti-Unix, write an operating system that thinks
it knows what you're doing better than you do. And then adds injury to
insult by getting it wrong.
- esr