Magnum257HP

[K3WEC]

It has a 100hz display. 100hz display radios were last seen on ham radios in the 80's thats how crap it is. Most radios today have a 10hz display and have very good accuracy.  The tuning resolution on this radio will also be poor compared to a cheap DDS  ham radio. Even the cheapest mobile radios like the FT857 comes TCXO which  basically means that  a radio like FT857 will  have much better stability. 

This strikes me as humorous.  My Drake TR-4c has a vernier PTO and I couldn't say if I'm +/- 100hz to save my life.   I just tune to when the received signal sounds natural and leave it at that.   I assume those stations receiving me do the same, as I don't have off-frequency problems.  It is not "crap" and I'd guess has better performance in some regards than some modern rigs. 

I don't dispute the quality of the Magnum one way or another.   No knowledge.   I can say the HTX-10 is a great little radio, though.

[KD6KWZ]

I like my HTX-10, good bang for the bucks. Yes, the microphone is not too good, there's no pot on the HTX-10 in it. But, I picked mine up for $60, used.

FYI, here's the schematic for the HTX-10:

http://www.repeater-builder.com/radio-shack/htx-10/ae_485s_schematic.pdf

The service manual:

http://www.repeater-builder.com/radio-shack/htx-10/htx-10-service-manual.pdf

Now, the intent of that frequency conversion board makes me leery of the Magnum 257.