Ham Radio Forum

hamradiostuffing · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 18

You can get cell phone wifi which actually will be cheaper since the wif company will support the back bone. Also FCC rules will not allow the use of email or any bussiness transactions due to part 97 rules. The radios are about 1300 dollars per radio. That does not include the price of the ID 1 that is required.

So why would I buy DSTAR?

hamradiostuffing · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 18

ICOM D-STAR 2820H Reply

by K5ADF on March 25, 2007 I will try posting my comments on here since they were removed from the product review section. It seems as though I made some ICOM lovers unhappy with my opinion.

ICOM is pushing D-STAR. They have several transceivers on the market including the IC91, which I own. I am happy with it and the price I paid. I was awaiting the IC2820 D-STAR dual band radio with my money in my hand. I had talked to the ICOM representative at HamCation in Orlando in February. Even though I have never purchased a new product before it had been on the market for at least six months, I was ready to submit my order.

Then it happened. ICOM announced that it was ready to ship. I went immediately to my local dealer to place my order. What a shock to say the least. The IC2820H is priced at $650!!! That would not be too bad IF it included D-STAR. But it does not. That is an additional $300 making the total price with D-STAR $950!! I guess ICOM does not really plan to sell many of these radios.

The Yaesu FT8800 sells for $375, $275 less than the base IC2820H making the IC2820H almost twice the price as the Yaesu. The IC2720H, which the IC2820H replaces, is rated by 159 eham users as 3.3 with a lot of complaints about the final. The FT8800R is rated by 107 users as 4.5! It seems as though the FT8800R users are a much happier lot.

Therefore not only would I be paying a $275 premium for the basic rig but the radio it replaces leaves much to be desired. The rating difference is why I have FT8800R rigs in both my vehicles. I was ready to bite the bullet and hope that ICOM had solved their VHF/UHF mobile problems so that I could have a D-STAR mobile. Yes, I know about the ID800. I should be grateful however since now I will not be the one to find out the rig is perhaps no better than the one it replaces in terms of reliability.

I love my ICOM 956Pro and would not trade it.

Too bad ICOM - you really blew this one!!

hamradiostuffing · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 18

ICOM D-STAR 2820H Reply

by K5ADF on March 25, 2007 I will try posting my comments on here since they were removed from the product review section. It seems as though I made some ICOM lovers unhappy with my opinion.

ICOM is pushing D-STAR. They have several transceivers on the market including the IC91, which I own. I am happy with it and the price I paid. I was awaiting the IC2820 D-STAR dual band radio with my money in my hand. I had talked to the ICOM representative at HamCation in Orlando in February. Even though I have never purchased a new product before it had been on the market for at least six months, I was ready to submit my order.

Then it happened. ICOM announced that it was ready to ship. I went immediately to my local dealer to place my order. What a shock to say the least. The IC2820H is priced at $650!!! That would not be too bad IF it included D-STAR. But it does not. That is an additional $300 making the total price with D-STAR $950!! I guess ICOM does not really plan to sell many of these radios.

The Yaesu FT8800 sells for $375, $275 less than the base IC2820H making the IC2820H almost twice the price as the Yaesu. The IC2720H, which the IC2820H replaces, is rated by 159 eham users as 3.3 with a lot of complaints about the final. The FT8800R is rated by 107 users as 4.5! It seems as though the FT8800R users are a much happier lot.

Therefore not only would I be paying a $275 premium for the basic rig but the radio it replaces leaves much to be desired. The rating difference is why I have FT8800R rigs in both my vehicles. I was ready to bite the bullet and hope that ICOM had solved their VHF/UHF mobile problems so that I could have a D-STAR mobile. Yes, I know about the ID800. I should be grateful however since now I will not be the one to find out the rig is perhaps no better than the one it replaces in terms of reliability.

I love my ICOM 956Pro and would not trade it.

Too bad ICOM - you really blew this one!!