| K8RI |
Rating:     |
2006-03-22 | |
| Best HT I've owned out of many |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
The VX-7R is the easiest to operate and easiest to program of any modern HT I've owned, particularly so considering the small size, number of buttons/functions, and providing you read the manual. OTOH reading the manual is a must for just about any of today�s compact rigs, be they HTs, HF, or do everything rigs as the buttons and knobs quite often have multiple functions.
Battery life has also been good, and I use mine for locked cross band through the TM-D700 in the car quite often. Which brings a warning that with extended use on the 440 band at high power, it *will* get *hot*. I always have the extended antenna on the thing and find the ability to listen on 6 to be interesting. They could have left the 220 band off for what little it can do. OTOH I listen on the aviation band far more than I do six.
Having said that, it does have some quirks. Setting the clock has been confusing to some and I found the lack of "optional features" being labeled as such during the set up to be a bit of a nuisance at times. It is far easier to set up through the computer interface than by hand, but again that is true for most HTs that have that capability.
I've had many HT's over the years. I was using a pair of TH-G71s but when one failed the structural integrity test after being dropped from the top of my 100' tower I replaced it with the VX-7R. (I never did find all the parts for that TH-G71)
Mine does not get gentle treatment and gets worn out in the elements often. Still I'm about to pick up a second one.
(K8RI) |
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| W8KAR |
Rating:     |
2006-02-18 | |
| Be sure it meets your needs |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is a very good radio, but my expectations were very high.
There are a couple issues that may or may not be particular to my radio:
1) Sub band squelch (even with PL decode) opening when Main band stops and opens on frequencies in same band (even when Main has different PL)
-this is mitigatable by raising squelch on Sub band
-also, I increased the "tight" threshold slightly via the Service menu--be careful not to do that too high, or you will experience "talk-off," where deviation peaks cause the squelch to pinch closed--this is a limit with any radio of this class, though.
2) PL Decode is FAST when not scanning, but quite slow when scanning--only really an issue for public safety monitoring, and it is livable.
3) DPL decode when using main and sub bands doesn't always work--have to use complement--but 99+% of users won't use DPL
4) at about the one year mark, I would intermittantly lose RX audio through internal speaker--however, this problem was corrected by the repair detailed at:
http://www.msu.edu/~volzmich/vx7
Overall, it's a decent radio, but you may want to consider Kenwood's (plastic cased) TH-F6. I didn't find 6m OR shortwave/MW receive useful, because you have to use the extended antenna for it to work. (6m doesn't work at all, effectively, without the antenna extension). |
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| VE3ECMW2 |
Rating:      |
2006-02-13 | |
| Great rig, *if* you read the manual! |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I've never written a review on eHam before, but the last review below me compelled me to do so.
The menus are a bit tricky, if not downright impossible to navigate UNTIL YOU READ THE MANUAL.
Then it's just a matter of changing features in the radio with the manual next to you.
Programming the HT is also a pain in the you-know-what, UNTIL YOU READ THE MANUAL. If you can't figure it out, spend the few bucks and buy the programming cables for it (or hell, make your own! Schematics are all over the net!).
VX-7R Commander is an incredible piece of free software (much better than the pay ADMS-1G from Yaesu - and I know, I own both); it lets you customize so many features of the radio you'll wonder how you got by.
As for setting the clock, I'll admit, that got me the first couple of times... then I READ THE MANUAL again, and had it walk me through. Worked *exactly* as printed in the manual...
Do you get where I'm going here? This radio will give you nothing but headaches until you READ THE MANUAL. If you can't be bothered, you'll never use this as it was intended. Since I did that, and picked up the programming equipment, I've been happier than a pig in you-know-what ever since.
I've owned many many HT's... VX-5R, VX150, VX170, IC-W32A, Alinco Credit Card HT, numerous commercial rigs, etc... and the 7R *spanks* them all. I added an aftermarket antenna and took a VX-5R aftermarket heavy duty belt clip (look on ebay - about 9 bucks), modified it to fit the back of the 7R, and I've had nothing but good things to say ever since.
So don't give up; unless you aren't willing to spend a bit of time reading up... if you aren't, this definitely isn't the radio for you.
Before I go, though, one last tip: download the PDF of the manual online, and use it instead of the paper manual. You can do quick searches for text strings a lot faster than using the table of contents with the paper manual.
And to K9BPR:
1. Press MON/F.
2. Press Set/0.
3. Rotate Dial to Misc Set #16- Clock Set.
4. Press "Band".
5. Use Main or Sub to select the year (Main goes up, Sub goes down.)
6. Rotate the dial one click, set month by using main or sub.
7. Once more for day, again for "Day of Week."
8. Continue the same for hour and minute. Once again to set the Timer Signal (SIG).
9.Rotate once more... then press the WRITE-V/M key (I think this is likely what you're forgetting to do).
10.Hit PTT, and voila, clock is set.
Yes, I would be unable to set the clock either without the manual. Pain? Until you get the hang of it, yes, definitely... but the end result is complete control and customization over an HT. |
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| K9PBR |
Rating:  |
2006-02-13 | |
| Poor Review |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| After owning two other Yaesu HT's I think the VX-7R is a poor excuse of a HT. to program this thing you have to be a mind reader to figure out what they mean in the menu's. they need to put things in lamen's terms. Also, I still to this day can't get the clock to work. I can set it, then push the V/M button and it does not set. I think this is a very poor design for a HT. I am considering sending mine back and getting a VX-5R. |
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| W8DMC |
Rating:     |
2006-01-21 | |
| All Is Well |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| After having written two reviews, it's only right to set the record as to the eventual outcome of my VX-7R HT. I had received a European model, which was found to have many different settings, unique to the Europe bands and such. After making a master re-set and the Yaesu recommended settings, all is well and the radio has performed super, and adding a small 20' wire, with the top and center element of the stock antenna, having a simply dipole, gives me plenty of SW to hear both day and night...If only she has USB & LSB receive! However, all is wel that ends well. |
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| KE5GQL |
Rating:      |
2005-12-31 | |
| For the first review of the new year...a five for a great radio |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This little puppy can get the job done with a little extra ontop. I considered buying additional antennas and such, but you really need no more than precisely what comes out of the box, plus the rapid charger if you're impatient.
Minor flaws:
--Menu is all clumped together, not as well organized as possible (you get used to this relatively quickly).
--Icon Editor is hard to use (but I see this feature as a gimmick anyways, so no real loss).
--Headsets and microphones are hard to plug in (not incredibly hard, just take a little more effort than I expected).
Major flaws:
--I have found nothing so far that constitutes as a major flaw.
In short, I am very happy with this radio. I have made contacts on all of the bands, even the 222 mHz with reduced power. The flaws are almost nil...I really had to try to come up with a few little issues that dont really affect anything.
I dont have any other radios to compare the VX-7R to, but for a first time radio, it preforms like a champ. The stock antenna let me make contacts 15 minutes after I opened it, and I've had no problems with the battery (seems to have great battery life with conservation features on).
I just programmed in the local repeaters and it scans right through them and finds contacts for me. I am really enjoying this HT wherever I go. Thanks for a great first radio, Yeasu! |
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| TG9AKH |
Rating:      |
2005-12-20 | |
| Great |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've had this radio for over two years now. No problems reported so far (audio is great, TX power as advertised in all bands, excellent battery life with energy saving options). It has so many features and stores so many memories that I can hardly use them all! The stock antenna is too stiff for my taste, so I purchased more flexible ones after market. My only complaint is the antenna connector that makes it necessary to purchase an adapter. Otherwise, this radio would be as close to perfection as you can possibly get given the state of technology!
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by TG9AKH on 2004-07-07
The VX-7R is a very forgiving piece of equipment. It's travelled with me around the world several times (Dubai, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, etc.) with plenty of rubbing, bumping and banging as it happens every time one travels. The VX-7R survived nasty landings too, including one time when my bag fell from the overhead compartment (I thought that would be the end of the HT, but it wasn't).
Also, I've been stupid enough to drop it on hard floors, more than once, including earlier this week in one of those big theme parks in Orlando, FL. The VX-7R survived, with nothing more than a little scratch.
Talking about theme parks in Orlando, well, have you seen those nasty roller-coasters where they subject you to 3G forces every 10 seconds? And on top of that they leave you soaking wet? Well, I took the VX-7R with me on one of those rides from hell. My head is still spinning, but the HT got over it quickly: it works just fine, exactly as it did before the "ride".
Weak? Fragile? I don't think so. The radio is fairly idiot-proof.
Yes, I can think of things that I could do to the little radio that would end its existence. For example, I can try running it over with my car, or burning it with jet fuel. But I won't try these ideas, because someone could sue me for brutality against a piece of electronic equipment. |
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| KD8CIP |
Rating:      |
2005-12-10 | |
| Bravo! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I just got my ticket and wanted to buy a small rugged radio to take hunting in the upper peninsula of Michigan. After searching around, I wanted to buy the absolute best radio so I wouldn't feel pressure to upgrade later. I think I found the product I need. I considered the Kenwood TH-F6A, but I wanted maximum flexibility and the Yeasu has the fourth (222 MHz) band although they dropped the power of this "bonus" band to only 300 mW. I was also impressed by the weatherproofing feature since I spend a lot of time outdoors. However, I hope I never have to test this feature. I bought every available accessory for this radio and I spend almost $700, $330 of this was for the radio. I found the buttons small for my hands, but I can't argue since I like the small, pocket-sized overall size of the HT. I love gadgets and I'm very technical, but I still thought the menus and some of the button labels need to be improved upon. It seems that the user interface was designed by people whose first language is not english. However, with diligent reading and study of the operating manual, I was able to understand every feature, although I haven't used every feature. As someone said, this is not a radio for the non-technical ham. If you want a grab-and-go HT, don't buy the VX-7R unless you want to slow down, change your mindset, and read a manual. On the other hand, if you want the most advanced, most feature-packed and best engineered transceiver money can buy, you won't be happy until you own a 7R. Since there are no ham stores in my area, I had to make a judgement from the spec sheets I was able to find on the web. Without listing too many details, I felt that Yeasu claimed better performance than Kenwood, considering SNR, SINAD, sensitivity, etc. I felt that I was qualified to to this because I'm a degreed EE and I design electronics in the automotive industry. I was able to hit repeaters 45 miles away while sitting at my kitchen table. All of my contacts reported full-quieting and most of them thought I was using a base unit. Lower power settings are recommended unless you are far out because almost all contacts requested lower power even when I was using distant repeaters. Simplex mode also gives excellent performance. Wide reception and scanning capability are excellent. My pros and cons are listed below.
Pros
-->Excellent size.
-->Excellent specs.
-->Excellent Rx and Tx performance.
-->Four bands give lots of flexibility.
-->Few technical cons, mainly minor ones.
-->Excellent FM broadcast reception.
-->Excellent scanning wide reception of other bands. Easily used as a handheld scanner.
-->Battery life is impressive. Standby could last for days. Many hours of intermittent talking.
Cons
-->Package is pricey if you want Yaesu accessories.
-->User manual uses cryptic english at times.
-->Expect to study to get the most out of VX-7R.
-->Some say the finish wears off the silver radio. I bought the black (VX-7Rb).
-->222 MHz section is low power.
-->They didn't put the Emergency Automatic Identification (EAI) on the 7R, but the 6R has it.
-->An optional telescopic antenna is necessary to make the radio truly pocket-sized.
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|
| AC0DB |
Rating:    |
2005-12-08 | |
| Not quite there... |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I purchaed this radio because it seemed to be very rugged and I was looking for a rugged radio that would withstand the elements. I still believe this to be true, however, performance of what's inside of that rugged case dictates the quality of the radio.
I was impressed with the features, but wished that they would have kicked 220 up to 5W. The receiver is quite poor, and I was hearing a tow truck company image on VHF full quieting over one of the local repeaters (this image was not present on my Yaesu FT-8800R at the same time). I also wish that they would have allowed the barometer to be viewed on the screen during normal operations, not only when you change to that menu.
Otherwise, TX and RX were always good. Nice and compact when a Pryme "spaghetti" noodle antenna is added to the rig.
I would recommend the TH-F6A over this radio. |
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| ZS6UZ |
Rating:      |
2005-12-07 | |
| Good and bad! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I've had this radio for about 6 months and at first was very disappointed. I've been using Kenwood for the past 11 years (dealer, recently started Yaesu as well) and it took me 2 days to get this thing on the air, same goes for my FT857D, I won't even go into the useless user interface for the VR5000!!!
Anyway, after playing with it for a while, I found some distorted logic to the menu system. Yaesu should definitely look at re-doing the menus to a more user friendly setup, a great radio is let down by the way it's structured now.
Things might change soon as some Kenwood Engineers have 'defected' to Yaesu.
I have just changed my radio to a 'freeband' version, (not as easy as Mods would suggest)and am very impressed with the results.
My normal comment when somebody buys one? Forget everything you think you know, read the manual and chase everybody out the room so you don't get distracted!!!
PS In my humble opinion, live with the dummyload antennae or buy an aftermarket one, all multibanders have iffy standard antennae. Same goes for my Kenwood TH-F7E. |
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