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| Reviews Summary for Alinco DR-140T |
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write your own review of the Alinco DR-140T.
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K4DV
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Rating: 3/5
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Jan 12, 2006 05:48
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Good dependable radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have owned the DR 140 for several years and have had no problems with the operation. It is simple to use but has a couple of issues you might want to consider before picking up one.
First, it has the electronic squelch setting of high or low. You can't fine tune it to background noise level or anything which is the main draw back to me.
Second, within a couple of months the back lights burned out on the display, making it useless at night. If I had it in a vehicle I used in the dark, I would have to do something, but I have put it in a pickup at work, so that isn't a big deal there.
It gets HOT when transmitting for extended QSO's. Leave plenty of space for air to circulate around it.
It hasn't given any problems as far as transmit or receive, so it is a tough little radio.
Personally, I would pick up a Yaesu or Icom for the money before I would buy another, but I can't complain too much on this one.
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WD9DUI
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 7, 2005 18:29
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Nice radio, no problems
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I got mine at a swap meet, used, new right out of the box. Never user! I have had it in the car and works great. Never a problem from day one.
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VE7CX
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 14, 2004 01:08
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Tough little radio!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I like Alinco radios and also own a DR-150T as well as a Kenwood TM-G707 dual-bander. I used to own a Yaesu FT-8000R dual-bander. All are/were installed in my vehicles, so I know what to expect from a mobile radio.
I bought this radio used from a friend for a great deal (about $60) for doing him a favour. It's worth twice that. The DR-140T has a nice pebble-like finish to the front face which makes it quite durable, especially in a mobile installation. There is a nice heat sink (no fan) and operates quite well in the confined space in my dashboard.
The DR-140T is fairly basic by today's standards, but has all the functions you really need in a mobile radio. Once you program any mobile radio, you really don't want to be messing around with it while you're driving anyway.
Just a few noteworthy things about programming. There is no auto offset for repeater frequencies so you need to make sure you've got those right when you're programming the radio. I always try to program my radios first without a manual. I believe that's the sign of good engineering for the radio. The DR-140T is easy to program and figure out (the same goes for the DR-150T). Now, the Kenwood is another story...
I'm not fond of the display lamps in the radio and would prefer a backlit one instead. Also, there is no adjustable squelch, but that's a design more common in commercial radios so I'm OK with that.
All in all, it's a basic radio, but it's tough enough to do the job for years to come.
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N5TAM
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 18, 2002 12:31
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Great APRS DIgi
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have four of these radios in use with KPC-3 TNCs as APRS digis. They are on 24/7 and are installed in un-heated and un-airconditioned rooms in Texas (110+ in the summer). They have operated at 50w for up to four years! None of the Dr-140's have required my attention since they were installed at their repmote sites. Tough little radios!
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WB8YYY
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Rating: 1/5
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Sep 17, 2001 13:00
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Update - Dead Radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This is to update my earlier review. With no warning the LCD to started to blink on and off continuously and the radio is no longer functional - it will not transmit or receive but all control functions seem to be operational. A reset of the controller did nothing. There is no Alinco product support available that I am aware of - so I would caution amateurs against spending money on Alinco products.
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KC2SSB
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 30, 2001 19:04
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Good radio
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I recently replaced my HT/amplifier combo for an actual mobile radio. This is a nice radio with all the usual bells and whistles - 50 memory channels, 5/50 watts out, "PL Tones", DTMF microphone for autopatch access.
A nice feature is the alpha-numeric display. You can easily switch between ferquency display or up to 7 alpha number characters, including foreign characters. The channel and volume knobs are large and easy to handle when driving down the road. The up/down buttons on the microphone are large and easy to use. It also has extended rx so you can listen to the local police, fire, etc.. that can commonly be found in the 150 mhz area.
Bad points? Lack of ability to directly enter a frequency, change memory channel numbers or switch between VFO/Call/Memory with the DTMF microphone, as is usually standard in mobile rigs. Another downside is that the radio display doesn't use a backlight for the display. It uses a regular amber bulb. My radio also has a tendancy to get very hot when operating at full power, but I do not currently have it mounted where it get optimum air flow to cool it either. The heat sink appears to be sufficient if mounted in an optimum location.
Overall, not a bad rig. "PL Decode" is an option, so if you have a tendancy to scan around looking for new repeaters and you need to find the PL, you'll have to install an optional board. Has most of the bells and whistles that one can expect or want from a 2m rig. A good choice.
I don't think the negatives are that bad. I paid $155 for mine, used. Retails for over $200 new.
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WA4PQD
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 19, 2001 14:32
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WAY
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Finally got around to installing it mobile. Very nice 'basic' rig for the road. Nothing too fancy. After figuring out how to not overwrite memory locations that I just programmed -- all went well. The alpha naming is very handy. I thought I might miss some of the features that were available from the mic (direct freq entry, etc) on other mobiles. But, the less I mess w/ the radio while driving probably the better. I grab a repeater manual and program the rig before I head out. Again, the alpha labelling works for me. Alinco is a good way to go. Check out R-A-M mounts for a way cool mobile/portable mounting solution.
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WB8YYY
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 31, 2000 13:07
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Decent Choice
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Overall this is a useful rig. Previously I had only owned a pair of TM-261's - one of which had a failure in the circuitry around the PA. The shortcomings I have noticed - (1) the rig does not automatically set the offset so you have to read the manual before you make the first QSO, (2) the mic buttons are smaller hence autopatch on the move is more difficult, (3) yes the mic cord is a little too short unless you can mount the rig very close to the driver's lap (4) there are no buttons on the mic to change from memory to vfo, etc. On the good side - you only have to change one button to change the power level (2 settings 5 and 50 watts) which is a nice plus. and the menu's make a little more sense than the TM-261 once you get used to it. In trying to repair the TM-261 I noticed that quality was lacking in the solder joints and in using too much/too sloppy conduction goop. So I decided to give the Alinco a try - so far so good although I miss some of the creature comforts of the TM-261microphone.
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WA6KPD
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 14, 2000 22:14
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DR-140 - A good value for the money....
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Time owned: unknown months
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I like the DR-140, but there are a few areas where it could be improved.
It would be nice if the mike buttons were illuminated, it's really hard to make an
auto-patch call in a dark car. Also, the segments on the LCD Display could be
made wider and easier to read. I also worry about dial lamp life; LED's would make a big difference here, as they last forever.
Transmit audio is excellent, and I like the speaker being on the top of the case, making it easier to hear when I use it on the seat next to me. The mike cord seems a little short. The mike fits my hand well and is easy to use.
All in all, I think it's a good rig for the money.
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KB9TMP
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Rating: 4/5
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Mar 27, 2000 22:03
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Great First Time Radio
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Time owned: unknown months
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I would recommend the DR-140 for any one as a first radio for some one just starting out, or as an extra radio. I use mine as a base radio with a 12amp power supply. I always receive good signal reports with it and am always told how good the audio sounds. My only complaint with the radio is it has no direct frequency imput using the mike. But you get where you want to go using the tuning knob just a little slower. It's really hard to believe that such a tiny radio can pack such a punch on tx (50w). I would buy another one in a heartbeat if I needed another inexpensive small mobile.
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