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| Reviews Summary for FDC FD-150A/450A |
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Reviews: 26
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Average rating: 4.4/5
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MSRP: $85.99
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Description: VHF/UHF FM TRANSCEIVERS
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Product is in production.
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More info: http://
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TELEDREW
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Rating: 4/5
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Dec 30, 2010 10:49
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Great except for speaker/mic
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have purchased several FD-160A radios and they work as expected. Very nice hand unit.
Problem is the speaker/mic that was included when I purchased is putting out too much volume. It is a FDC/Motorola compatible speaker/mic. It is a generic brand but don't know by who or what model it is.
Unacceptable loud feedback from other radios in the area when I transmit with plugged in speaker/mic. Other radios are receiving with extra loud volume.
This happens with all (qty 6) FD-160A radios with speaker/mic plugged in.
This only happens when I TRANSMIT using the included speaker/mic.
This does not happen when I transmit with speaker mic disconnected. Radio receives and transmits wonderfully on it's own.
Great radio, be careful what speaker/mic you use, test with another radio first. Resistor may need to be added to speaker/mic...
http://www.mods.dk/view.php?ArticleId=4542
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KE6BB
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Rating: 4/5
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Dec 6, 2010 21:44
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Good value, no frills radio.
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've owned an FD-160A (almost the same as FD-150A) for almost a year and just bought an FD-460A. These radios got me back into VHF/UHF after being away for 32 years. They aren't fancy, no long list of bells and whistles, but they work and they don't cost a lot. If you drop one in the water, just buy a new one. It is just that simple. The only bad thing is the manual which is difficult to understand. I found a really good one "translated" from broken English to English by George Williams & Larry Mills, VE5LCM, at:
http://alltidteknik.se/PDF/FD-150A%20Operation%20Manual.pdf
ANYONE WHO OWNS ONE, OR IS THINKING OF BUYING ONE OF THESE RADIOS, NEEDS TO GET A COPY OF THIS MANUAL!!! With it, the radio is quite simple to program, and turns it into an excellent first VHF or UHF radio. Without that manual, you will spend all your time trying to figure out statements like, "Press key to select the setting value when you enter the function setting..." Huh?
If you are just getting into VHF/UHF, need a cheap HT to tuck into a portable APRS rig, or are simply on a tight budget, this is a great radio to consider. After you get a copy of the manual from the link above, you can bury the factory supplied manual...bury it with a shovel, then bury the shovel!
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W5AAX
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 23, 2010 09:07
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Good Radio
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Just got a FD-160A and so far I'm well pleased with it. Problem is though, I have the programming cable (USB) and the program loaded on my computer, but I'm unable to read or write to the radio. The instructions furnished are not good. Could anyone give me some step-by-step instructions on programming via computer and the furnished program? Maybe I'm overlooking something! I can program the radio manually without any problem.
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MAJMOJO
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Rating: 4/5
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Mar 13, 2010 12:21
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Not bad for the $$
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The only problem I had with this radio is the antenna mount being SMA-M. I converted mine to SMA-F with an SMA-F to SMA-F adapter, I got the one with the 2 flat spots in the middle for a wrench. I tightened it down on the HT, and placed a stainless steel washer (15mm OD x 8mm ID x 1.5mm thick) and a matching flat rubber washer 3mm thick from a faucet washer kit, with the hole enlarged with a drill bit to fit snugly over the SMA-F adapter. I can now use my VX-7 antennas and adapters, and the rubber washer takes up the shocks and vibrations a cheap radio may not survive.
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CMUCHIPPEWA
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Rating: 2/5
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Dec 14, 2009 09:13
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It was great...
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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It was honestly a great starter radio! I soon found after a couple months of below-average use that the battery stopped holding a good charge. After a 15 minute conversation with it on low power, the radio beeped and the battery died. I rated this 2 stars because it was a great radio when it was working and holding a charge.
Also, the charger that mine came with fell apart internally. I could have repaired it myself, but I just ended up buying a Yaesu FT-60r which is a really great radio!
I'm others have had their radios perform well for them, but this is just what happened with mine.
-73
KD8KFK
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MILESTONE
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 13, 2009 22:17
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superb littl;e radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I own 30 of these units,i bought direct from FDC,spare batteries,chargers the lot, we experienced poor volume in our headsets however,were told the radio looks for 4ohms for full volume,we bought headsets with 4 ohm load and its like a different radio.I looked at icom 41 series for $600au and figured $40au is a better buy,the FDC unit is very sturdy,with freq ofset as we tx on one and rx on another to our camer crew and crew,My overall project buying FDC i saved around $20,000au and with the added bonus if we loose or break one i wont loose any sleep as its only $40au. I will however as one ham operator recommends,change the antenna however we dont tx much on the radio,more rx
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WA9S
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 10, 2009 16:55
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Excellent Purchase
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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As a long time ham of 47 years I was looking for a rig to renew my interest in VHF. The FD-160A turned out to be a great purchase. I am mostly an HF CW operator and had forgotten how much fun 2 meters could be.
I have owned Icom HT's and still own an Alinco DJ-S11 (Stupid antenna design) and a Yaesu VX-5. The VX-5 works superbly but is complicated to program and is a bit small for my 61 year old hands.
The FD-160A is a perfect size, is light weight, has buttons that are easy to push without hitting the adjacent buttons, is of surprisingly sturdy construction, has a nice blue screen and is easy to program AFTER figuring out the instructions AND reading the many reviews. Don't mess with the computer programming method.
When I received this $56.50 radio after two weeks (shipping included) I soon discovered a few problems. The antenna supplied is junk. By adding the reverse SMA to BNC convertor I installed a perfectly tuned Icom rubber duck about 6" long and was able to hit even distant repeaters. That problem solved, I discovered that the audio was weak when compared to my other HT's. One of the reviews suggested drilling out the microphone hole a bit. I took the HT apart and drilled out the hole to about 1 mm (1/16"). That solved the transmit audio problem. I don't suggest drilling the hole without taking the HT apart! It would be easy to mess up the mike element.
The scan does not have a lockout function so I programed in reverse frequencies for stations such as WX. Just push and hold the reverse button and you have the "locked out" station. I found this idea on Yahoo.
I checked and discovered that the battery and drop in charger have grooves which permit the battery to be charged by itself without the radio attached. I bought a second battery for the huge amount of $13.50 (shipping included). Now I always have a second battery ready to go and don't have to worry about the bottom row of buttons being damaged inserting the whole HT into the charger.
My recommendations:
Buy this radio. It is fun receiving a package direct from China rather than from Walmart.
Also buy the reverse SMA to BNC convertor, an extra battery and a quality rubber duck from one of the major manufacturers. By the way, many of the ducks you will find at hamfests are junk. I have tested them on my MFJ analizer and found all of mine either out of band or of extremely narrow frequency coverage. A good antenna is critical.
I will probably buy a little mag-mount whip for the car and maybe the FD-460A for 440. Have fun and DO NOT transmit out of band. Just have fun listening to all the other stuff on the extended frequencies!
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N5ACK
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 19, 2009 17:20
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Pretty good
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This rig is fairly well made, has great sound quality. The antenna it comes with is not great, seems like it's resonant at a higher frequency than the ham band. Another little issue is when you put it into the charger, it kinda mashes the buttons down. You just need to put it in at an angle.
Anyhow, for the money this is a good buy.
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NS1R
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 26, 2009 08:32
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Great deal
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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You can't beat the price. It is a ham radio for the price of a family type radio. The programing instructions are not the best but you can do it. I recommend the software method.
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M6FBS
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 26, 2009 05:04
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Great little radio - incomprehensible instruction manual!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have a couple of these for use by licenced Scouts in my Scout Troop. They are great little rigs for the price and do the job and take the use and abuse which we require - 5 stars all the way UNTIL we come to the wretched owner's manual and software help sections both of which are written in a language which is almost, but not entirely, unlike English! It is as if it has been translated from the original Chinese by computer into Swahili, thence into Italian and then into English by way of Hebrew!
"......Scanning is used to monitor the frequency of your desire: you do not need manually to operate.If you know every scanning method well, the monitor function efficiantly, can be used. Note: scanning can be used only when close the SQL. The transceiver will stop scanning when received a signal......." - A typical example of the literary merits of the book!
That apart, this is a great little radio for general use and once you have worked it out for yourself and, in my case, re-written the instructions for my Scouts, it is well worth buying!
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