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Reviews For: BridgeCom BCH-220

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Hand-held

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Review Summary For : BridgeCom BCH-220
Reviews: 12MSRP: 85.
Description:
Handheld Transceiver for 1.25m 220 MHz
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.bridgecomsystems.com/collections/handheld-radios/products/bch-220
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00124.5
N2HAM Rating: 2020-01-28
Well built radio! Easy to use. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great little radio! Not many 220 handhelds out there but this one works well, just wish it had a s-meter. Super easy to program also.
W8KDG Rating: 2018-06-30
Nice little 1.25m HT... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have an AllStar/EchoLink node on 220, so I often take this BCH-220 out to my pool to listen to broadcast FM while having an occasional QSO on my node. The first thing that struct me with this HT is the size - it’s small. For 220, I like just being able to take this HT instead of taking my TH-D74A, which I pamper. I listen to broadcast FM a lot (I have a legal power level, quality FM transmitter here to listen to my own music). Broadcast FM didn’t work, but worked after Bridgecom sent me a config/codeplug. Apparently, it was a setting not enabled by default. Bridgecom seems to be a decent seller and stand behind their brand.

Plus:
- Small, feels good in your hand, PTT is really easy
- Sensitivity and selectivity seem good. Better than a 5X3
- Good audio. RX and reports.
- Switches from/to QSO and broadcast FM quickly.
- I like the different “modes”. I consider one a “programming mode” and other a “operation mode”. At first, it was a little strange, but now prefer it.
- Lots of DTMF features.

Con:
- Software isn’t fully polished, no Chirp support. Manual programming is easy though.
- Antenna that comes with it is a little chinsy. SWR is good though.
- * UNFORTUNATELY* There isn’t a battery eliminator yet! I hope Bridgecom releases one.
- Spare batteries are relatively expensive at nearly half the cost of the radio itself.

Summary:

I think it’s a very nice little 220 HT. I can live with the software and lack of Chirp support. I usually manually program my radios, except the initial programming with lots of repeaters, anyway. Hopefully, there will be a battery eliminator available eventually and the cost of batteries will come down. All in all, im happy with it.

AA6CK Rating: 2017-02-07
Excellent HT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Good sensitivity and easy to program from the keypad. A great and affordable way to get on the 220 Mhz. band. I carry this HT with me all the time.
WB6TNB Rating: 2017-01-11
Nice small radio Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
My first BCH-220 had an LCD display problem but was quickly and cheerfully replaced. Overall I'm very pleased with it. The supplied antenna is well above average and the battery life is incredible. Unfortunately a second battery costs more than half the price of the radio.
N6DXX Rating: 2016-12-24
A Dandy little 220 HT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This radio is a fine little single bander. It is easy to manually program, easily cracks repeaters 30+ miles distant and receives good audio reports. Just be sure to turn off the receive tone function (button 7). Mine was on and caused me some grief before I solved the problem. The manual is pretty well written too. See the Sept. 2016 QST for their review. After reading it I decided to buy one and am glad I did!

Tony, N6DXX
K6VE Rating: 2016-12-09
Power packed Radio! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Worth every penny. It's easy to program, with or without the programming cable! More hams need to realize the value and advantages of our 220 MHz band over 2 meters and 70 cm. This radio is the perfect size, weight and power for any handheld. It's biggest advantage is that it's a 220 MHz radio!!!
KB0DBJ Rating: 2016-08-25
Deaf as a doornail Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
We tried one of these in the Mansfield, Texas area & found the receiver to be quite lacking. Granted we are in a high RF environment (who isn't these days ?) but we could barely receive the repeater even 4 miles away. The Baofeng UV-82 is a better option & you get two bands for less money.
FORMER_NN6B Rating: 2016-04-13
Great little radio! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this radio on the advice of a friend as it was $85.00 on the BridgeCom website. I was able to program the HT quickly without software and was on the air! People have said that I have great audio (already set to wide on the menu). Easily can work some repeaters inside and outside and it has great battery life. I was transmitting for a few QSO's and receiving (several hours a day scanning) for 3-4 days before battery needed a charge. Radio and antenna is very small and can easily fit in your pocket.

Eric (AE2K)
KG6ANT Rating: 2016-02-02
cost effective and performs well! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I saw the ad for the BCH-220 in the latest ARRL online news letter, and for $120.00 I got the handheld, and programming cable including shipping. I received the radio in 2 business days to CA using USPS.

I programmed it using the cable (downloaded) the software from their website. THANK GOD NOT A CHINESE nonsensical GUI!

Drivers loaded so smoothly under WIN 10 I had to do a double-take (AGAIN UNLIKE THE BAOFENG CLONES).

Went outside of my building and hit, and held a 16 minute QSO to a repeater ~ 45 miles away that was NOT line of site, on 5 watts with the rubber dummy-load. The repeater owner and I was very impressed! He wants one now!

Here's the map if you don't believe.

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/from/near-33.777114,-118.372993/to/us/ca/irvine/92618-1604/34-parker-33.657388,-117.703519

Tech support: (Tim King) was on the phone with me in minutes from my first email question regarding the programming software. He said the default of NARROW should be set to "WIDE" for USA, and that fixed the squelch issues.

MAN AM I A HAPPY CAMPER! Can't wait to retire the old Kenwood TM-123-A when the BCM-220 starts shipping!

Thanks Tim!

73! DE KG6ANT Dave (ANT MAN)
W8CWM Rating: 2016-01-18
Excellent HT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Mr King,

On Saturday 1/16/2016 I had the privilege of winning a BCH-220 hand held radio in a raffle held by the Huber Heights Amateur Radio Club. I had been looking at both your HT and your new mobile unit on your web site and wondering how they would perform. I am glad too report that it is extremely comfortable to carry and operate. I live about 9 miles (line of sight) from our club repeater so I first tried it out on high power and got excellent reports with people telling me that I was a clear as my base radio but slightly lower in volume. I then downloaded your software to see what type of a nightmare it would be to learn to use. I have to say that I was thrilled to discover that it was totally understandable and ready to use with no effort on my part. I went in to the menus and increased the volume and set the top button to switch from high to low power by just one touch (very nice). My next thought was how good is this rubber duck so I switched to low power and transmitted into the same repeater as before, getting reports back that they could not tell the difference between the HT and my base radio. I also like the drop in charger base it is easy to insert into the charging position, but the thing I was most impressed with was it also was a very stable holder in the non charging position. I have complained forever about HTs that fall over on the desk any time you moved so it was cool to discover you had designed a charger base that also securely supported the HT in the non charging position, yet required no effort to insert or remove.

Thank You for a great design of the complete HT system.
W8CWM