1. What radio should I buy between the two: Yaesu VX-7R or Kenwood
TH-F6A
2. Where should I buy it from (price) or maybe someone sells one used ?


Without making a judgement call on your questionable comment regarding
talking back on possible non-ham frequencies, I'll make two comments on
those two radios. I have owned both in the past.

I preferred the Kenwood for two primary reasons:

The Kenwood was capable of receiving SSB in the HF frequency range,
albeit the sensitivy was EXTREMELY POOR in that regard.

I highly prefer the Kenwood Menu system.... it was much more intuitive
to use compared to the Yaesu radios.

Both are well built solid transceivers, though.

Ed K7AAT

"Ed" wrote ...
I highly prefer the Kenwood Menu system.... it was
much more intuitive to use compared to the Yaesu radios.

I was just looking at those very two models after getting
my callsign (KE7GKP) just yesterday.

I just bought the Yaesu this afternoon and am still reading
the book. The Yaesu was recommended very much in
preference to the Kenwood by the guy at HRO in Portland.
He claimed the opposite, that the menu system of the Yaesu
was simple enough that he needed the book only once every
vew months, but the Kenwood he never could manage.
Go figure? :-)

On Thu, 9 Feb 2006 19:50:47 -0800, "Richard Crowley"
wrote:

"Ed" wrote ...
I highly prefer the Kenwood Menu system.... it was
much more intuitive to use compared to the Yaesu radios.

I was just looking at those very two models after getting
my callsign (KE7GKP) just yesterday.

I just bought the Yaesu this afternoon and am still reading
the book. The Yaesu was recommended very much in
preference to the Kenwood by the guy at HRO in Portland.
He claimed the opposite, that the menu system of the Yaesu
was simple enough that he needed the book only once every
vew months, but the Kenwood he never could manage.
Go figure? :-)

It would be hard for me to figure out why an HRO sales person couldn't
program a Kenwood. It's too much trouble on any radio without a
computer when you have hundreds of frequencies to input, along with
various option settings. With the free Kenwood software and a cable
it is a simple chore. I would much rather operate my computer than
the tiny buttons on an HT for programming. BTW, the TH-F6A is the
finest HT I have ever owned, and I have owned a LOT of them. I also
own the TH-D7A, but it is the F6A that goes with me on public service
events, etc. I love that little radio.

Dick - W6CCD

"Dick" wrote ...
It would be hard for me to figure out why an HRO sales person couldn't
program a Kenwood. It's too much trouble on any radio without a
computer when you have hundreds of frequencies to input, along with
various option settings. With the free Kenwood software and a cable
it is a simple chore.

I got the impression it wasn't the computer-connected programming
issue, but remembering the "menu-structure" of all the features
when using it in the field. He said that (at least for him) the Yaesu
was easier to remember the button sequences than the Kenwood.

On Fri, 10 Feb 2006 14:58:33 -0800, "Richard Crowley"
wrote:

"Dick" wrote ...
It would be hard for me to figure out why an HRO sales person couldn't
program a Kenwood. It's too much trouble on any radio without a
computer when you have hundreds of frequencies to input, along with
various option settings. With the free Kenwood software and a cable
it is a simple chore.

I got the impression it wasn't the computer-connected programming
issue, but remembering the "menu-structure" of all the features
when using it in the field. He said that (at least for him) the Yaesu
was easier to remember the button sequences than the Kenwood.


From a practical standpoint, you aren't going to be doing that much
programming in the field. Mostly it will be changing power levels and
frequencies. If most repeater frequencies are programmed in by
computer, all you would ever need to do beyond power and frequency in
the field would be to change the tone freq. Shouldn't be that hard to
learn to do one thing. I have had my F6A for a couple of years and
field programming has never been an issue. If it was, I would be in
trouble. :-)

Dick