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Reviews For: Radio Shack HTX-100

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Radio Shack HTX-100
Reviews: 36MSRP: 269.95
Description:
10 meter CW/SSB mobile transiever
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00364.3
VA7MN Rating: 2021-01-29
Great basic 10 meter radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had one for a number of years. It works on SSB and CW. It was made for Radio Shack by Uniden. It is a solid reliable radio if you treat it properly. I really like the CW function, it works great. These are becoming a bit of a collector's item so if you find one with a good LCD display in good shape, buy it!
N1IG Rating: 2020-09-08
fun 10m radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought one of these used from a local ham, and was really happy with the purchase. It was easy to use, and I always received good reports on the audio. It had a cracked LCD, but was still very usable. Ended up giving it to my nephew, and I hope he is enjoying it as much as I did.
W4KYR Rating: 2017-05-16
If you can buy it for under $100 then get it.. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The HTX-100 sold for $259 and it was Radio Shack's first effort into the Amateur Radio marketplace.

Originally it was produced shortly after the "Novice Enhancement" in 1987 which granted Novices and Technicians voice privileges on 10 meters. The radio was released at the right time. (Just like it's cousin, the HTX-202 when it was released around the time of the advent of the "No Code" license.

The HTX-100 has no LSB, AM or FM. If you want those then get the HTX 10. But the HTX-100 is a good overall performer for it's price range (and limitations). If you find one in good condition and working for $100 and under, buy it.

Several of us back in the early 1990's used these radios to practice Morse Code (after the band closed up at night). We used to have a local net and send code back and forth to each other and then switch to SSB to compare notes. It worked, it helped get our speed up to 13 wpm to pass the General Class code test.









W4KVW Rating: 2017-05-15
Not Bad for a mono bander Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I like the HTX-100 just fine but after also picking up the HTX-10 I clearly like the HTX-10 much better because it is pretty close to a Perfect 10 meter mobile.I don't use CW so having that is of no interest to me.The HTX-100 does not allow Split operation nor does it have AM or FM so I found the HTX-10 as a much better choice for my operating choices.FM repeaters & AM portion of the band along with USB on 10 meters is a BIG PLUS with the HTX-10 so consider that when considering which you would prefer.
KM4LLN Rating: 2015-07-06
Built like a tank Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I got one of these as a teenager. My interests turned elsewhere and it was put up. I held on to it because I'm a little bit of a packrat. Twenty five years later, I'm getting back into ham radio. I pulled it out, and it still powers on, even after multiple moves.

When the band is open, it works like a champ. I've worked Japan from Southern California on this. Great bang for your dollar. Controls are simple enough that you almost don't need the user manual. This is just an all-around great rig for someone new to ham radio or who doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles.
KB7ZNV Rating: 2014-09-04
HTX-100 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It's a simple Rig to operate, and, it's a good one.
Nice clear sound and it' was one of Radio shacks better products.
KK9H Rating: 2013-03-05
Fun little rig Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
When 10 meters is open, this is really a fun little rig to use. Even when the band isn't open, I've had several local QSOs with it.

Several years ago someone donated an unused HTX-100 to our club for the annual auction, at the time I wanted to build a 10 meter beacon so I set it aside for that purpose. While setting it up with a CW controller, I had a chance to play with it on the air. I had so much fun using it that I decided to try to find one for myself. You can hear this rig on 28.297 using the call NS9RC and it has been running continuously for over 10 years now.

Recently someone had another HTX-100 for sale so I bought it. The first thing you need to get used to is the tuning is in 100 Hz steps, but with the RIT, that really isn't a performance issue. The receiver hears just as well as my larger Icom HF rig and the selectivity seems to be quite good on SSB. I assume that it uses the same filter for CW, so don't expect high performance on CW during a contest. None the less, it works pretty well on CW and I've had some nice CW QSOs. It does not have a built-in keyer so you will have to add your own. The tranmitter measures an honest 27 watts out in high power and 5 watts in low power. I discovered that the frequency was about 450 Hz below what was indicated, but a simple tweak of and internal pot put it right on frequency. Transmitted audio is perfectly fine on SSB and I have had good audio reports on the air.

I will be driving to Dayton with some friends this year and I plan to put the HTX-100 in the car for the trip. Since I already have a Larsen mag-mount, I bought one of their NMO34 coils and 64" whips which when used with the shock spring puts the antenna's resonance right in the middle of the 10 meter band. I am hoping 10 meters is open during the trip so we can have some fun with this rig on the way. If you are interested in a fun rig that is really easy to use, the HTX-100 is a pretty good choice.
N8SUT Rating: 2012-08-13
Simple and Gets the Job done well. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
If you want a fancy radio with lots of features and filters, this isn't it. Simplicity is the key here and it just works. I have owned a few of these rigs now and, for the most part, they are tough as nails. I really like them.

The receiver seems to be fairly sensitive and the sound from the internal speaker is good. On transmit, I get decent reports from the stock mics. I currently have two htx-100's that work great and see some regular use. One of them I keep in the shack and the other I use as a portable. I am about to replace the portable with another ts-480 just to expand my band options a bit. That being said, I find 10 meters fun and having a 10 meter only rig sort of forces you to challenge yourself on less than ideal days.
VE3GON Rating: 2012-04-02
Brand new in the box... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Found one brand new literally factory mint in a box in my friends barn. Am in the process of checking it out and I sure hope it works. It came from an estate sale and was never used. The only thing not working is the mic.
WA5RR Rating: 2011-12-08
Old Reliable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I owned one of these simple workhorse rigs back in the early 90's. Now, 20 years later, I was looking for a solution to get on 10-meters using QRP power levels. There are few QRP kits out there for 10m but I found a great deal on an HTX-100. It just so happens that you can operate at 5-watts when on LOW power on this rig. Perfect!

Selling the original radio was a mistake but I'm glad I found another one! It is no-frills but gets the job done.