corax
Explorer
I've been looking for a true dual bander for the last few days to start saving my pennies for. My 2 meter FT-2800m has worked well when I used it, but lacking any real place to mount it in the 4runner I came to the decision I should get a radio that I can remote mount the display and thus get more use out of. The Kenwood TM-D710 isn't in the running, unless someone knows of a great deal somewhere - it's just too expensive for my budget and has more features than I really need. I've looked at the Yaesu and iCom offerings, which are generally just out of my budget (and what's with iCom having a remote display, but the mic still connects to the radio body?). Then I found the Alinco DR-635T/E which seems to fit the bill. Some of the things I like about it are 1) remote mount (you can even select a different display color for tx & rx) 2) narrow FM capability 3) cross band repeat (nice, but not entirely necessary) 4) a much more secure mic connector than most (looks similar to the type a CB uses instead of a cheesy RJ connector).
The only real negatives I've seen on the reviews at eHam seem to be related to intermod or the lack of a squelch knob. I've also heard the APRS doesn't work quite right (it's an add on circuit), but I'm not very interested in that unless there's a strong argument why I should be.
So what are the general opinions of Alinco here and is it backed up by any direct experience? Just saying they suck doesn't help me much - the intermod issues seem to be concentrated to urban areas (no surprise), but it seems that's a trade-off with all wideband receivers (some more than others I guess) and might be mitigated with an appropriately tuned antenna. The Alinco is also under $350, which is pretty much just inside my budget if I buy it new.
Alinco DR-635T/E: www.alinco.com/Products/DR-635/
eHam reviews: www.eham.net/reviews/detail/5195
The only real negatives I've seen on the reviews at eHam seem to be related to intermod or the lack of a squelch knob. I've also heard the APRS doesn't work quite right (it's an add on circuit), but I'm not very interested in that unless there's a strong argument why I should be.
So what are the general opinions of Alinco here and is it backed up by any direct experience? Just saying they suck doesn't help me much - the intermod issues seem to be concentrated to urban areas (no surprise), but it seems that's a trade-off with all wideband receivers (some more than others I guess) and might be mitigated with an appropriately tuned antenna. The Alinco is also under $350, which is pretty much just inside my budget if I buy it new.
Alinco DR-635T/E: www.alinco.com/Products/DR-635/
eHam reviews: www.eham.net/reviews/detail/5195
