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write your own review of the Alinco DJ-160T.
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N8ABE
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Rating: 3/5
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May 25, 2009 12:16
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DJ-160 OK - Needs Memory Battery Modification Described Here
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The DJ-160 is a solid performer until after about 5-7 years when one day you will turn the radio on and there will be no display. The first time I sent it to Alinco and they replaced an internal battery for the memory. The second time I tried to solder a Lithium battery in and...DON'T DO THIS as you will have a small fire and lethal fumes. I went to Radio Shack and bought one of those Lithium battery holders that can be soldered onto a board. Well, there is no room in the DJ-160 to do this. The solution is to remove the metal clips from the RS battery holder and solder directly to the circuit board. With a little finagling I got the radio back together and works fine! Next time all I will have to do is buy a battery and snap it in!
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N8PEP
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 16, 2003 14:19
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The Alinco DJ-160T is a surprisingly good little radio.
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I just "inherited" an Alinco DJ160T from my daughter who is no longer active in amateur radio. Although all the battery packs that she had are now dead, I am using an alkaline pack to enjoy this little VHF monoband radio. On transmit, it performs as well as any radio I have ever used (boy, have I used alot!). I haven't scoped the radio, but I assume the transmitted signal is clean. The audio sounds great, and it has stayed precisely on frequency all these years. The receiver is quite sensitive; on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most sensitive, I would rate sensitivity at a 4. Intermod rejection is fair-to-good (I would rate it a 3.5). Receiver audio is fair-to-good also (again 3.5). I enjoy the extended receive range which goes up to 170 mHz, although the image rejection above the 2m band is subpar (rate this a 2). Reliability and durability seem quite good (rate a 4), and it is easy to open up and work on (rate this a 4.5). Changing the internal lithium battery is not difficult. Also, the radio is reasonably compact, and will fit into some shirt and pants pockets with no trouble. The display has a bright backlight (pushbutton, toggle on/automatic off) and is easy to read, but the buttons are not backlit. Perhaps one of the best features is its ease of programming; it's almost 100% intuitive (rate this a 5). The case seems durable; much of it appears to be cast aluminum, with a plastic face/front panel. Perhaps the biggest negative about the DJ160T is the "stupid" design for the speaker/mic jacks. The mic input is on the side while the speaker output is on top. Who would have designed something like this? (Rate this a 1.) Overall, it's a solid, easy-to-use, little radio, particularly if you don't need a speaker mic. I carry mine in my briefcase when I travel. The only problem thus far is that the internal lithium battery died. But it was easy to replace.
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KG4IXE
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 15, 2000 03:11
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A Sharp & Solid Unit
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Having just received this radio yesterday from an ebay auction I won I felt the need to put it to the test immediately. My purchase came with Alinco matching cig lighter plug, wall charger, two batteries, two antennas...cost: $87.00...seller covered the shipping. I figured, what a steal if everything was as stated. Initially I was attracted to the aesthetics of the radio, yes I could afford a new on, but this one looked sharp, solid, and it didn't have the digital readout down in the middle of the radio like most of the newer $129 category 2mtr handhelds. This radio is immaculate/mint. At 7.2V with the EBP-10N battery it puts out 2W, w/the alkaline battery pack at 9V it puts out 3W (I got both the EBP-10N & Alkaline Pack), w/ EBP-12N 12V it puts out 5W...which I'm still having a difficult time locating one. As a new ham I tried a IC-2GXAT which seemed to be a strong radio, but it didn't have a good feel to me, kinda slippery & skinny. The DJ-160T is a small enough radio (350 g)that you can hold on to easily due to its geometry. The display light is a very bright normal white color which illuminates very well at night and is easy to see...much better than the 2GXAT, programming the DJ-160T was a snap, I admire it's handsome rubber grippy, small, buttons that are also at the top of the radio. Everything is located at the top so you don't have flip the radio up to read the display, and also to punch in freqs. It has high and low power switch on the back"...low power = 0.5W, I operated simplex while mobile up to a mile away with good reports on low power. Keep in mind the area in which I live is heavily wooded and I was traveling at about 50mph with window open and hanging the antenna out. At 2W with the EBP-10N I was full quieting at 8 miles away from fellow ham and about 7 miles from repeater in same area. The DJ-160T has the analog squelch knob at the base of the volume knob, I still prefer the squelch knob over the new digital settings. Yes, it does PL tones & DTMF. I also like the big/little speaker in the front, the sound is loud & clear even at lower settings, and all the little rubber plug-in covers are great for those day hikes. The two antennas I have are the stock antenna & a Larsen HQ extended range antenna--which I've already come to prefer. ***Final Comments***: A great little radio for the new HAM, and seasoned veteran alike. Get One!
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