Looking for a solid APRS rugged handheld radio

[DannyLLama]

Looking for recommendations on a rugged 2M handled radio with built in APRS. Yaesu seems to have fallen by the wayside in this category.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JimBiram]

Pretty happy with my Ft-1dr ht.


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[DaveInDenver]

You'd have to look for a used VX-8R if it has to be Yaesu. AFAIK the only option new at the moment is the Kenwood TH-D74. That is of course much dinero. Seems more cost effective to get a plain 2m radio + Mobilinkd + phone.

 

[Grump E-Vet]

Some of it is a little old but the site is a good source

https://wcares.org/special-interests-3/aprs/aprs-what-are-my-options/

As far as rugged you probably know that radios are definitely a “buy once, cry once” item. For radios I know that have stood up to soldiers beating the crap out of them in austere environments, I have always liked Motorola though some units had Kenwoods.

 

[Frdmskr]

Best of the best is the Kenwood HTs D7, D72, D74. They have the best implementation of APRS. Yaesu never did a complete implementation.


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[sonoronos]

When it comes to radios, more often than not, HAMs buy often, and cry often. It's just a fact of life

I'm not sure what the OP means by "Yaesu seems to have fallen by the wayside". Lots of HAMs use Yaesu radios (HT and Mobile) for APRS just fine.

 

[DannyLLama]

Some of it is a little old but the site is a good source

https://wcares.org/special-interests-3/aprs/aprs-what-are-my-options/

As far as rugged you probably know that radios are definitely a “buy once, cry once” item. For radios I know that have stood up to soldiers beating the crap out of them in austere environments, I have always liked Motorola though some units had Kenwoods.

Thanks this was super helpful.. I have a kendwood in my truck and i love it... $400 is steep for a mobile unit, but looks pretty good.

I'm not sure what the OP means by "Yaesu seems to have fallen by the wayside". Lots of HAMs use Yaesu radios (HT and Mobile) for APRS just fine.

80% of their radios have issues, read reviews on multiple sites including eham. Wasn't the case a few years ago. They also seem to turn around radios often for whatever reason.

 

[DaveInDenver]

80% of their radios have issues, read reviews on multiple sites including eham. Wasn't the case a few years ago. They also seem to turn around radios often for whatever reason.

What issues? How did you arrive at 80%, do you have some sort of warranty data? It's been a while since I bought a new radio but that was an FTdx-1200 and it worked fine. Hated to sell it but needed the money.

Either way, guys in my club are buying FTM-400 radios left and right and haven't heard any complaints, other than they are backordered nationwide at the moment.

 

[kb1ejh]

Solid APRS rugged handheld radio, Yaesu VX-8DR with the attached GPS unit. You will have to search around as it is no longer made unfortunately. Runner up would be the FT-2DR by Yaesu. Yes there is a screen but it is recessed a bit to protect it compared to the Kenwoods. Kenwoods are great but the display tends to get bumped up at times on the D7 and D72's. Those that have issues with the Yaesu's probably are not used to the quirks of the Yaesu's. They work fine, just a bit different than the Kenwoods. Both brands have their merits and both have room for improvements.

 

[BagiMT]

I have an FT-1DR and it's a great radio. Works really well for APRS. Too bad they stopped making it but you might be able to find one used. The VX-8DR is more rugged but the lack of an internal GPS makes it more cumbersome for APRS.

 

[wirenut]

I've had a Yaesu FT1XD for almost 2 years now. I bought it brand new for $230. It works great for voice communication as well as APRS. I haven't had a moment's problem out of it. It's a bit cumbersome to type in a message to send thru APRS but I think that's the case with every HT. My FTM-400XDR has the touch screen which makes messaging much easier.

 

[Jengum]

I use a Kenwood D72, but this could be a cost effective way to add APRS functionality to your existing HT.

http://www.mobilinkd.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI09OVtKTD4AIVOCCtBh1oVgV5EAAYASAAEgKnjfD_BwE

 

[mickmutante]

I justo bought a Yaesu FT1Xdr, used at eBay... Great radio, didn't buy the FT2DR beacause the touch screen, i do not want to break it, i am hard with toys...
What surprise me is the price... I paid $235 plus shipping... for a used radio... Well it came with all the accesories. box. manual, program cable, etc...