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Reviews For: Jetstream JT270M 2m/70cm Dual Band Amateur Transceiver

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : Jetstream JT270M 2m/70cm Dual Band Amateur Transceiver
Reviews: 26MSRP: 139.95
Description:
Jetstream JT270M - 2m/70cm Dual Band Amateur Transceiver. Ultra Small! 2m/70cm Dual Band Mobile 10 Watts out Only 4 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 3 3/8" super small! CTCSS/DCS Encode/Decode Built In 199 Memory Channels Transmit 400-470 MHz and 136-174 MHz Receive 400-520 MHz and 136-174 MHz Includes DTMF Microphone Made in China Comes with programming cable and software. Programming software is on a CD inside the box
Product is not in production
More Info: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1204900/Jetstream-Jt270m.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00262.9
K8JHR Rating: 2015-03-11
So far, so good ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My Jetstream JT270M dual band transceiver works just fine, as it should. I purchased from R&L Electronics and it quickly replaced a faulty USB programming cable, which now works as it should.

This is a very small, lightweight radio, that should be easy to mount in a vehicle or in the shack. The metal mounting bracket is light gauge steel, but it should suffice. One could possibly mount the rig with double-sided foam tape or with a large, wade swath of hook-n-loop fastener tape or the like.

Rig works as it should, and appears to produce specified power out. Contrary to another report, the LEDs in the hand mic do turn off when you hang it up on the provided hanger.

It comes with a programming software and USB programming cable, but the consensus is the latest daily build of the free CHIRP application works better. I used that, and easily transferred my complete list of memories from a Quansheng or Wouxon HT to this new Jetstream mobile rig.

It sounds good in both transmit and receive, although it is LOUD on receive, and I listen on the lowest setting possible. Maybe this is a good thing, as it would cut through the noise of a noisy vehicle, but my cars are all very quiet, and the lowest setting is plenty loud. The rig consumes very little DC juice, so it can be run from a cigarette lighter socket - not that I recommend it, but it can be done. I would never even try that with my Yaesu mobile radios as it is too easy to engage full power and draw more juice than the lighter socket can handle. I doubt if that is possible with the JT270M.

So far, I am quite pleased with my purchase. It is obviously NOT as durable or as well made as my Yaesu mobile radios, but it costs less than half, and appears to be a good value. I think this would make a swell backup or second rig, or one to put in the XYL's car, perhaps with a mag mount, for temporary use when using her car, and not one's regular vehicle. I am ordering another one for just that reason.

Just my take... your mileage may vary. // JHR //
KG6YRC Rating: 2015-02-10
DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE YAESU Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
SIZE IS WONDERFUL, POWER OUTPUT IS AS DESCRIBED, HAS MANY QUIRKS, MOST OF THE TIME HAS A OPEN SQUELCH POP ON REGULAR INTERVALS WHEN IN DUAL WATCH OR SCANNING. VERY IRRITATING!!! SENT THE RADIO BACK TO R&L ELECTRONICS THEY WERE GREAT, REPLACED IT WITH NO PROBLEM SAID THEY COULDN'T GET THE RADIO TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE NEW ONE DOES THE SAME THING. I DECIDED TO KEEP IT, WORKS OK IF YOU DON'T DW OR SCAN. AND IT'S ONLY $139 WHAT DO YOU EXPECT. MOUNTED IT IN AN AMMO CAN AS A GO BOX RADIO. JUST DISSAPOINTING THAT ALL FEATURES AREN'T USABLE.THAT'S WHY IT RECEIVED THE 2 RATING. WOULDN'T BUY ANOTHER ONE. UNLESS THEY FIX THE PROBLEM. JETSTREAM ALSO OFFERED TO REPLACE IT. BUT WHAT'S THE USE 2 IN A ROW WITH THE SAME PROBLEM NOT MUCH CHANCE OF GETTING A GOOD ONE.
KB2WVO Rating: 2015-01-15
bad Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
i wouldnt buy this radio again. the place i bought it wont return it. the company themselfs left me out to dry.
the radio worked with computer once. now it doesnt. no mater what i try. i know computers fairly good.. the radio doesnt always show your transmiting.
to me the headaches with this radio arint worth the money. buyer beware.... maybe if the company backed itup and worked with the public to improve it . but as of this writing. no
AE5YJ Rating: 2015-01-03
fine for price point Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one several weeks ago and I am really enjoying it. Programmed it without incident using the latest daily build of CHIRP. Front end isn't as tight as I would like, as there is some intermod occasionally, mostly in urban environments. Not too bad though, and expected at this price point. Only other nitpick is the backlight is pretty dim, may find yourself squinting to read display in daylight. Fine for night though. I love the fact that it is a very simple radio to program and operate, and that it only sips 1.8a in full power transmit. Not too shabby, I am having lots of fun with mine.

You are getting a chinese 10 watt dualbander. No surprises in performance or feature set. Hard to go wrong at this price.
K6XR Rating: 2014-12-05
revision of prior review Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Since writing my former review, I have had some help with the little rig and I am on the path to success with it. I wrote the review in haste and disgust after two days of frustration. I now can see the forest through the tree's and will update later
KB6NN Rating: 2014-11-29
Useful, but not perfect. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
For what it is, what it does, it's useful. I get a kick out of reviews that compare inexpensive radios made in China with top name brand radios made in Japan but costing ten times as much. Not apparent in the brag sheet is the fact that there is a high and low power setting: 10w-high, 4w-low.

Comes with:
DTMF Microphone
Software and USB Programming Cable
Type Power Cord
Microphone Hanger Clip
Manual

Pros:
Relatively small and lightweight.
Receives the FM broadcast band.
Nice that it comes with programming software and cable.

Cons:
Mic audio is weak, you need to speak up.
Noticeable pop in speaker when squelch opens.
It is possible to transmit out of band.
10w is insufficient in some areas.
The lighted keys on the DTMF mic are always on.

I bought it to cover the 70cm band from home, but I have more fun with it mobile, because it doesn't need a separate control head to mount mobile - the whole thing is a control head.

As to programming: I have had experience with the menu-driven microprocessor controlled radios, so the only problem I had was remembering what the abbreviations do. It's Menu, press the up or down key until you get where you want, press Menu again, use up or down to change value, press Menu twice and you're done.

However, and this is big for me, I do find the programming software quite a bit easier. I'm sure others feel the same way. My advice is learn to program your radio without the software. You never know when that will come in handy.

If there ever is a QST product review, I would expect the spectral purity on transmit and the receive properties will be lacking. It is what it is. It's not a Yaesu, Kenwood, or Icom.

The most important thing I can say is, if you program it to receive your local public safety frequencies, be absolutely sure you won't accidentally transmit there. I used the programming software to set the transmit frequency for those receive channels to a ham frequency just to be safe.

KB6NN