FROM:
Ken, N0YGM--DM78ov
eMail: N0YGM@juno.com
On Tue, 15 Jul 1997 08:47:11 -0400 DSolomon@systems.TEXTRON.COM writes:
Re: [Yaesu] Yaesu VX-1R HT
> Any comments on this new toy, looks interesting.
> 73, Dick, W1KSZ
>
>--
Seeing as I just received a new Yeasu VX-!R HT, I thought that I would
briefly share my initial comments.
The unit minus the screw on antenna is about the size of a pocket pager.
It uses a single Lithium Ion battery at ~3.6VDC. It charges in the radio
with the supplied wall transformer charger. Charge time is very quick.
Once fully charged, I have left the unit on for more than twenty-four
hours before needing to recharge. I did little transmitting during that
time, which would cut into charged capacity.
Out of the box, the radio I found the radio simple to assemble and
intuitive to operate. The readout is sufficient for me to read without
to much difficulty. Turning it on, it comes on in a VFO mode. Receive
is divided into 9 bands: BCBand, FM, AIR, V-HAM, VHF-TV, ACT-1, U-HAM,
UHF-TV and ACT-2. BCBand is AM radio reception. The radio does not do
well to receive these signals with the limited antenna. Placing the
antenna next to a metal object such as the swing arm on my desk,
dramatically improves AM radio reception. All other bands receive
satisfactorily with the small attached antenna. I was amazed while
pushing the "Band" switch to find something coming in on every band
without having to tune for it. This gave me a good feeling, for an out
of the box radio like this. FM radio sounds impressive for the size of
the radio. Accessing local repeaters from my underground shack did not
pose a problem. This radio is a dual band transceiver for 2M and 70CM.
Setting modes is easy by the intuitive design of the radio. It is much
easier for me to set that either my Alinco or Yeasu FT50R HTs. CTCSS
encode and decode are supported and easily set. There are numerous
battery save functions. Setting quick scan involves pushing one button
for a specific receive bank. There is no DTMF pad, yet the radio
supports DTMF dialing through menu setup. Besides the Power and PTT
buttons, the radio has seven front buttons. Multiple assigned functions
are controlled via a function select button. For the small radio size,
the audio is satisfactory, a bit on the treble side, but that is better
for voice understanding. Volume and Squelch are controlled by one button
and the function button to differentiate the mode. The radio has dual
watch capabilities, that is, to monitor two frequencies at same time. It
does this by fast switching between the two defined frequencies. There
are a lot of features packed into a small radio the size of a pocket
pager. The radio easily fits into a pocket or purse. It supports almost
three hundred memories. My next step is to play with memory programming
and try this out. A drawback is that the frequency range for the 2M
Amateur band also includes the weather band frequencies. This causes a
little problem in the way I use my Alinco HT for Skywarn net support by
being able to monitor WX channel and repeater frequency. I found an easy
way to do this task with this radio, is to program the WX frequency into
memory and hold the repeater in VFO. By switching between memory and
VFO, I can quickly access these frequencies.
For the price and the features, I am overall satisfied with my Yeasu
VX-1R. It is more of a radio than I thought it would be. Its intuitive
design and ease of operation relieves problems in operation for me that I
have with other radios given the fact that I am crippled in my hands and
legally blind. From what I have learned of this little "toy" radio so
far, I would give it a grade of "B+" and a recommend to anyone looking
for a full featured very small HT with wide receive and scanning
capabilities. By comparison, I would give the Yeasu FT50R a grade of
"B". That is driven by my ease of use. As with any new products, there
are many pros and cons to state. I am satisfied with my VX-1R. It is
not my Yeasu FT736R!
Take the antenna off the Yeasu VX-1R, put a wrist strap on it and it
could almost be a "Dick Tracy" radio communicator!
These are my thoughts and comments. Of course, someone else trying out
this radio will have different recommendations. I am not associated with
Yeasu in any way. I enjoy my Yeasu products and have found them
supportive of my interests in Amateur Radio Hobby.
I hope this helps. I also would appreciate any other comments anyone
else might have on this radio or the FT50R for comparisons.
73,
Ken, N0YGM--DM78ov
eMail: N0YGM@juno.com
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