Yaesu FT-60R or 250R?

[docfitch]

I am just getting interested in amateur radio and I would like opinions on whether to get the 60R or the 250R. Is there an advantage to having a dual band radio? I mainly plan to keep it in a Go bag for use in offroad situations. I have found that you can't always make contact with CB. Any info., including better handhelds for about the same cost, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ham4CW]

Hiya Ken

If you only have a choice between those two handhelds I would opt for the FT-60R, mainly because it is a dual band handheld, so if you think about it you would have twice as much chance of making a contact. I've used single band radios in the past and found that 99 times out of 100 the activity is always on the band that you don't have with you

So dual band beats single bander every time in my books.

Something that did come to mind while looking at the specifications to those handhelds was that they don't mention that they are waterproof.

If you going out into the 'wilds' then maybe a waterproof handheld might be a better choice, something like a Yaesu VX-6 or VX-7 maybe. They cost more but they are both submersible, so even if you fall into a river they will still keep on ticking!


73, Mark.

 

[docfitch]

thanks for the response, Mark. I have only looked at Yaesu, so far. According to reviews, they seem to be pretty good. I am still looking, so any alternatives would be appreciated. I do want a handheld, so I can carry it around driving, hiking, etc. And, price is a concern at this time, so something around 150. would suit me. That way, I can get additional accessories.