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write your own review of the Standard C508A.
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KE5JRM
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 10, 2008 16:11
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best of the pocket dual band rigs
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I got this rig at a Hamfest just because it was small and I didn't have handheld with me. It is now my Dual Bander of choice. I never use my VX-3R anymore and I only use my IC-T8A when I need more than 300mw. I get better audio reports on this small rig than any other rig I own. I don't use the original antenna, I have a MH209SMA that seems to work well on both VHF & UHF. If you can find one of these small rigs at a Hamfest or on eBay you can't go wrong.
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KC7BGV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 23, 2007 10:28
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typical high class standard quality
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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this little radio meets and exceeds standards claims and is just too cool! it does every thing that i would expect for what it was inteded for.i have really enjoyed this little marvel,doesnt have lots of bells and whistles but it scans well has wideband receive and hits all my local repeaters with 260mw i use the little comet as25 for shirt pocket scanning.as i said not a lot of whistles but who cares i remember when amatuer was so much fun just turn on the radio and talk.
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KE3WD
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 4, 2007 21:27
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Constant Companion
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Unbelievable little radio.
Got it on a lark the first year they came out, thought it was a toy, maybe good for crossbanding.
Good for a lot more.
I don't moan about stock rubber ducks, most all of 'em are in the box so the radio can act like it has an antenna. Put on a dual band Comet (which dwarfs the little thing but isn't too bad) and this thing works repeaters and with a loooong battery time for a radio that runs off of two AA cells. Rechargeable NiMH is what I usually use, although a fresh set of Alkalines packs a bit more in the way of RF punch.
Still going strong after all these years, the printing on the back foil is completely worn off, radio works like brand new.
I rarely rate any radio 5 out of 5, this one gets the exception to that rule due to sheer longevity and performance. What it is supposed to do, it does.
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NC4MP
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 9, 2006 13:27
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Great Little HT!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is a great little ht! I use it to crossband with and it works perfect for this application. I have an Icom T7H and it is also dual band but it will not split band like this little Standard will. A friend of mine had it and we both live out in a very rural area now so he wasn't able to use it anymore so I got it from him for crossbanding. I am also impressed with how long the batteries will last on this thing I am using rechargables and I have done a lot of talking I mean a lot and the batteries are holding up great. I think it is very easy to program and operate and it has a nice sound quality to as well. Never thought that I would be this satisfied with an HT that only does 250mw! Anyway if you get a chance to get one dont hesitate about it it will work flawlessly and you will be very satisfied. I do agree with some other reviews that the antenna isnt the best in the world but I will replace that soon enough.
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N8EKT
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 10, 2004 00:20
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STILL THE BEST
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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BY FAR THE BEST SHIRT POCKET DUAL BANDER EVER MADE!
WISH SOMEONE WOULD MAKE SOMETHING JUST LIKE IT.
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N6QPK
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 30, 2003 13:56
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The best small raido PERIOD!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had my first 508A for over 3 years now. I now own 3 of them, a really great radio. The only problem is the antenna, flimsy and low performance. Other complaints are no DTMF, other than that its a keeper.
This radio was purchased to use as an input radio for a remote base station. I now find myself using this rig as a general purpose radio for repeaters and simplex operation. Yes it is only 280mW, however due to the superior receiver and replacement antenna, this radio usually will work in most applications here in southern California. Many Yaseu and Kenwoods will hear intermod in the high RF environments here in CA. My Standard rarely hears anything but the signal that I am interested in.
That’s why its now my primary HT and I have purchased more since my original.
Too bad Standard no longer produces amateur gear. They have superior products that usually outperformed the big 3 Japan manufactures.
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K1ACK
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Rating: 4/5
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Nov 13, 2002 08:01
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Antenna Sucks! Radio is Cool
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I liked mine, and still have it. Has a pretty good receiver, earlier models would get cell (not a big deal now with everything digital), but the antenna SUCKed. Radio was Much better with a
comet sma-503 aftermarket. Set mode a little different than other radios, also setting up
which memories to scan or not is a little wierd. Also memory scan is a bit slow, good for 10 or so memories, would take a while for all 60. Surprising how far 300mw will go (with a decent antenna). Also surprising how bad the antenna sucked compared with the C108A antenna, which is a great antenna, but vhf only. C108A has an amazing receiver also. Both are altogether
fun radios, no to be a main radio, but good for the glove compartment, or for when you want something REAL small. Also remember the tx audio was LOUD on both radios. The 508A wouldnt make it to the tx portions of the 460 business bands, fell apart about 462, so wont work for family radio. Not as feature packed as the VX1R, but also not as frustrating either, usually goes for $75-125 on the used market.
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KU4QD
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 11, 2002 10:42
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A real trendsetter! Still as small and light as it gets.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The Standard C508A was one of the first ultra tiny quarter watt dual band HTs and was a real trendsetter. When Standard pulled out of the ham market this rig disappeared. Yaesu since merged with Standard, and the VX-1R is basically it's replacement. Having said that, the newer Yaesu isn't any better than the older Standard model, nor is it smaller or lighter. The only thing smaller is an Alinco credit card radio, and I don't think it's as practical or comfortable to operate as this rig is.
The audio is typical of a small handheld, and I don't find it bad at all. Transmitted audio is also decent. The antenna uses an SMA connector, so it can be replaced with something bigger. I live in a semi-rural out on the extreme edge of the suburbs and I can still hit a number of repeaters on both 2m and 70cm with the 250mW the rig provides. It also has wideband receive capability up to 900MHz +.
The one nit I can pick is that the controls are not at all intuitive. I had to read the manual, and still have to glance at it to change the programming.
These handhelds seem to be really inexpensive on the used market. Find one in decent shape and you can't go wrong with it.
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N2XE
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 1, 2002 13:57
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I Like It
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Too bad this thing is out of production, I really like it. I've had mine for 6 or 7 years now. The C508A is what really started the micro dual-bander genre. Given its pioneer status, it was a subwatt wonder. Audio is a little anemic so cruising down a dirt road with the windows down, you won't hear it. Only recently have HT manufacurers been putting some steak in the audio output. Nice rig if you can find one.
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