220 MHz solutions

As you've read here before, I have been searching for a 220 MHz solution. For CERT and Emcomm use, 220 MHz is ideal as it is a WAY underutilized band in these parts. I am quite content with my Alinco DJ-V5 144/440 MHz dual bander; but was thinking of selling it in order to purchase the Kenwood Tri-band handheld. Seeing that as a bit cost prohibitive, I then started thinking about purchasing an Alinco 220 MHz monoband HT.

I started discussing this with Tim AB2ZK, one of my fellow VE partners at the test session last night (who also happens to be a Kenwood Tri-band owner). He made me aware that one of the candidates happens to be selling Wouxun Chinese manufactured VHF/UHF handhelds at some really great prices.

So I waited until the session was over and approached him about it. Sure enough, he still had several of the 144/220 MHz models left (in his car); and asked me if I was interested? It turned out that the radio, the KG-UVD-1P (which comes with two antennas and a drop in charger), an extra battery and a programming cable came to quite substantially less than either option I was previously contemplating.




Figuring out some of the basics was quite intuitive and easy and I was able to quickly program in my repeater club's 144 MHz and 220 MHz repeaters. I even managed to figure out how to store them into memory rather easily. What I am not having an easy time figuring out is how to switch from VFO mode to "memory" mode. It's not quite as easy as other handhelds as I don't see any buttons marked as "mem". The manual is pretty good; but not the absolute greatest. The fact that I can be thick as a brick at times doesn't help matters, either. Looks like I'll have to do some Web surfing to see what other Hams have figured out.

72 de Larry W2LJ