Yaesu ft-2900r. is it missing any must haves?

[troyboy162]

ive been watching the 2m conversion and web wheeling radio info. this radio seems popular or i should say its 2800m predecessor was a popular radio.

not really knowing much it seems that at $160 it pretty cheap compared to what most people end up buying and that seems odd. im guessing it is missing a few bells and whistles that might be considered must haves.

so does this have everything it needs to work out on the trails? will it be able to use the repeaters that are available in the desert?..especially death valley? and are any freq bands missing that i would miss? any features its missing that would make you pass this radio up?
edit learned 440 aka 70M is used alot in other states and seems to overlap some 2m repeters here in cali.

also what kind of freqs is this mod opening up?
http://www.worldwidedx.com/yaesu/441...-mars-mod.html
and is that illegal?
edit learned this one. its a millitary freq range so pretty pointless to open that up.

got another question...i saw one post about receiving frs or gmrs walkie talkies. is that common? or are only certain radios able to do that?

[troyboy162]

opps didnt go far enough in the pages of the post below. fishpoets posts are answering alot of questions i had
http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/sh...t=14226&page=4

[Nipple Twister]

Ft2900r

Troy, for what it's worth I have been using this radio for about a year now and so far very happy with it.....my interest in using this rig is:
1. Durability, no cooling fan and a HUGE heat sink.
2. 75 watt output.
3. Compact size.
4. Price, I got it on sale for $140 from HRO so even if it does fail not as big as issue as bouncing my $800+ Kenwood Tri-Bander in my off-road rig.

Short comings for me:
not enough digits in the analog display feature.
No extension cable/s for the mic cord.

So basically for off road type use I would strongly recommend this radio....

[Roger]

Troy,

Do you have your ham License or are you working towards it? You can't legally transmit on the radio without the proper license.

Please note that any modifications to two-way radios is illegal. They are all "type accepted" by the FCC as manufactured.

[troyboy162]

i havnt gotten my license yet Roger. im just learning and seeing whats out there. earliest test i found was in lancaster on the 11th but its in the middle of when im alseep. the local VV hams club one wants too much time devoted. total of three full days i think...i can understand there view point but im going to learn on my own and take a tech test somewhere.

the more i learn about repeaters the more i would want 70cm capability too but then who ever you need to talk to has to have 70cm as well so it gets kinda slim chances. i like the idea of relaying a hand held but cant think of when i would really do that. the biggest feature i can see now is the detachable face. that makes the install a whole lot easier

the 2900 really seems hard to beat though

[Roger]

i like the idea of relaying a hand held but cant think of when i would really do that. the biggest feature i can see now is the detachable face. that makes the install a whole lot easier

the 2900 really seems hard to beat though

If you are hiking away from your vehicle, the repeater function could be very useful.

[troyboy162]

yeah its nice but if im out of the cab then the people im with are too and we are all hiking to the same place. i bet it would be used daily if i was in the foresty service. i might be able to use it hunting though. i wouldnt turn down a good price on a 8800 or 8900, but they are fetching $300 on the used market. 7800/7900's arnt far behind

even repeters probably wouldnt be used very often if at all while im on the trail, but i do think the ability to use 440(70cm) repeters is valuable in our area from the repeters ive found. interestingly google earth lists a 220 repeter on ord mtn.

but this is all hypothetical of course since i have no clue hahah

[Matt2001TJ]

i do think the ability to use 440(70cm) repeters is valuable

Troy,.. did you know that one of the local repeaters in victorville requires a 440(70 CM) input even though it is a 2 meter (output)repeater ? Do yourself a favor and get at least a dual band rig. Also the newer ones can be programed with computer software that makes your life a LOT more enjoyable. Get a new tech license book at amazon.com They have the best deals most of the time. Read it and then go take your test it is a lot easier than classes and less demanding. Just my :2:

[troyboy162]

Troy,.. did you know that one of the local repeaters in victorville requires a 440(70 CM) input even though it is a 2 meter (output)repeater ? Do yourself a favor and get at least a dual band rig. Also the newer ones can be programed with computer software that makes your life a LOT more enjoyable. Get a new tech license book at amazon.com They have the best deals most of the time. Read it and then go take your test it is a lot easier than classes and less demanding. Just my :2:

man thats dirty trickery right there on that repeater. im keeping my eyes open for something fancy but if all else fails those 2900/2800 look about perfect for 90% of trail situations.

[Matt2001TJ]

man thats dirty trickery right there on that repeater. im keeping my eyes open for something fancy but if all else fails those 2900/2800 look about perfect for 90% of trail situations.

Agreed,... I do like yaesu myself also. Best of luck and if you have any questions or need any help getting your ham ticket then PM me as I am also in the local ham club and am always willing to help out....MATT...