Yaesu makes nice HT's. I have owned an FT-50 for about 8 years. I had to replace the crappy old tech NiCad battery (look at the MaHa stuff) The 6 meter and 220 mHz bands are not really a big deal, but nice unit nonetheless.
For over 300 bucks I'd get something else besides a 4-band HT
Hi,
I'm the guy who lent Warpdriv the H.T.! I really like the VX7 . Another alternative is Motorola commercial products. They make the venerable 'Saber' family of H.T.'s The family members have (mostly) interchangeable batteries. There are even waterproof/explosion-resistant derivatives for firefighters & rescue personnel. The external speaker-mics kick *ss. I have personally used them to communicate in very loud, crowded environments (like race organizing or voter election offices) , on a motorcycle at highway speed etc... All I can say is they are incredible radios. . They are arguably the toughest H.T.'s in the world! I think they are designed for cops clubbing people with them (no joke).
The *ONE* downside is that they are not field-programmable using the front panel. Ie: There is no 'VFO' mode. I know other MUD members who bring a laptop and cables to reprogram them on trips.
A HT-1000 can be obtained for about $100, even less if you are a RACES member
I think Yaesu makes the best HTs, especially compared to iCom. I have an FT-60, really like it. I ended up getting a better antenna (Diamond SRH77CA), and I put the remote mic on it.
Yaesu also makes the Vertex brand units, which is from the commercial division. I see they are now under the Yaesu brand. These are for everyday use, very solid--but bulky, single band, without some of the bells and whistles. I have two friends with the 150 model, now known as the 170 model.
