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Reviews For: Radio Shack HTX-242

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

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Review Summary For : Radio Shack HTX-242
Reviews: 63MSRP: 249.99
Description:
10/45 Watt 2-Meter Mobile FM Amateur Transceiver
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.radioshack.ca/en/templates/ProdTemp.asp?dept%5Fid=92
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00634
KD7CJO Rating: 2007-04-20
cheap rig-not worth the time Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Hey All,I bought this thing new(it was a demo unit) and found these things wrong:
panel lights: went out after a year in 24/7 service
temp.: dosen`t like tobe used in below freezing temps.(I live in wyoming, dn51)
heat sink: runs hot(no matter the power level)
mic: cheap, no back light
Trans.: hangs up sometimes and have to pull mic to disarm. Also stops transmitting mid sent. and yet the display still shows trans. icon as active
rx audio: Too weak for driving. Can`t hear it over car and wind noise

Overall, I`d have to say a poorly des. radio.(don`t like spin-offs anyway) Could have been done MUCH better in a lot of ways. Made the mars/cap mod.(have never had to use it though so far) The panel lights are very small and in hard to get to places to replace with LEDS.(I replaced just the dispaly units) Easy rig to run though. I only use it now as a backup to my icom v-8000. I would not recomend this rig. Save your $$ and get the real thing! It was my first(and definatly NOT last) 2 meter rig. 73 and good dx to all, de kd7cjo
KD6SAL Rating: 2006-12-27
Good Unit for Price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My HTX-242 has always worked great, but, I lost interest in 2M ops because it seemed the only people on local 2M nets/repeaters were appliance operators who could not ham-speak. In general, once one gets past the novelty of 2M, there really isn't much to do except go back to the real action on HF. So, my 242 is up for grabs on eHam's classified page.
W8WZ Rating: 2006-12-07
Not so much Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought mine to go in a car. A week after I bought it, the transmit audio died. Radio Shack replaced it with a new one. I kept that one for about 3 years with no problems.
However, it didn't have some features I wanted in a mobile - specifically a back-lit hand mic. So, I gave it to a new ham a few years ago.
N8KQP Rating: 2005-01-24
Not as good as people say Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This radio is an OK radio, it's durable except for the microphone, and has decent sensitivity. but compared to even an older Icom 2 meter rig it pales.

same rig on the same antenna. 1 repeater 22 miles away is very scratchy but readable. switch to the icom and the repeater jumps to only slightly scratchy and very readable.

Xmit is clean not a full 45 watts that is claimed, I own 3 of them, 30-35 watts is more accurate.

but compared to icom radios, even something from the late 80's their reciever has some issues.

So if you are tooling around town and not interested in long range comms or good link clarity in emergency situatiosn this is a good radio, but spend another $50.00 and get an icom if you want more range, better clarity, and a microphone that will not break easily. (Yes the microphones on these flake out and are damaged easily compared to everything else but a kenwood (these are kenwood radios))

dont get me wrong, pick one up used for $50.00. I am using them for PACKET radio digipeaters and love that you can easily find them for $50.00 or less at hamfests without the mic.

they are great for digis, and if you want a radio in your car that you do not care if it get's stolen.
VO1MDS Rating: 2004-07-11
THE HTX-242 AND 202 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I LOVE THESE LITTLE RADIOS,MAN THERE THE BEST.
I BEEN A AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR NOW FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS,AND HAD A HTX-242 BY MY SIDE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY,IF YOU GET THE PORTABLE VERSION OF HER,THE HTX-202 YOU BETTER GET EM FAST,THERE GETTING MORE SCARCE BY THE DAY,I HAVE BOTH THE HTX-242 AND THE HTX-202 AND WOULD NEVER PART WITH EITHER ONE FOR ANYTHING,I WOULD RECOMMEND THESE HTX SERIES RADIOS TO ANYONE.
SIMPLY THE BEST FM RIG OUT THERE.
K3CXG Rating: 2004-05-13
Good Performer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I’ve owned two HTX-242's over the last seven years. I bought the first from the “Shack” when they first came out, along with the 5 year service contract. I kept it in my car 24/7/365, and used it daily in my 70-mile (round trip) commute. It went in the shop a couple times for some odd & ends, but the rig was repaired at no charge under the contract and was returned in excellent working condition. During the final year of the service contract, the rig apparently sustained lightning damage which caused the PLL to unlock or lose its mind or whatever. I returned the rig to the Shack for repair. They returned it to me as unserviceable. I asked them what they would do about it (the rig was no longer in their catalog). They searched their inventory and were finally able to locate one in an associate store out west somewhere. When I got the radio, it was indeed still new in box, and has performed as expected ever since (two years). I’ve had no problems with extreme temperatures, high or low, and have always received good reports on my audio. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a reliable 2-meter rig.

73,
Mike K3CXG
KC2FTN Rating: 2004-05-12
Pretty good rig! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had one in my Blazer for about 4 years now, and haven't had ANY problems whatsoever. Great 'work horse' of a radio!
VE7KDT Rating: 2004-03-28
have had a couple of these Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned a couple of these. since I got my ham licence in 1997. I guess it came out in 97. I never knew that. anyways. I have always had no problems with low audio. The radio has been thru my abuse. I have had problems with the coldness though. the radio does not like to scan fast. but maybe the LCD screen is just delayed. The person that says the cable going into the mic is not very well made. I agree it is flimsy. but I have had the mic pulled pretty far and the cable never has came out of the mic yet. I think once my bracket came loose and the radio was hanging by the mic. So the mic cable does look flimsy. But seems to be sturdy and has not fell apart yet. I do like how well the radio works. not compared to their waste of time 202 handheld with the factory defect of the antenna connection. if I could find another one of these radios. I would not think twice and buy it.
KD7KIA Rating: 2004-02-29
Good low cost radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought the htx-242 brand new from a Radio Shack. The radio was being discontinued and they did not even have it on display.
I have never had to use the 45 watt setting as I seem to get out a good signal with just 10 watts. I have always got good reports on my signal.
I have always used it as a base station hooked up to a RS 10 amp power supply. So I don't really know how it would do if it got beat up a bit.
I do have to keep a manual around to use some of the features, but other than that I would say I have nothing but good experiences with this radio.
If you are just getting started in ham radio and you want to get on the air for cheap this is definitely worth your consideration.
VE3TIZ Rating: 2004-02-02
Worth its Price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this rig when R/S in Canada was closing them out a few years ago. The $199 CDN price tag was impossible to beat. The good - reliable, clean appearance, straightforward operation, good audio, respectable transmit. The bad - RJ45 mic connector, clumsy VFO control, receive flakes out on weak signals. The bottom line - worth every penny I paid for it. It's not the best 2-metre transceiver in the world... but it was designed to compete at a certain price point and it does that very well. I've been using it heavily for SSTV operation, sometimes sending pics back and forth for hours on 'high' power. The power module appears not to mind the abuse. I'd recommend this rig to anyone looking for an economical 2-m mobile transceiver.