| AK2O |
Rating:  |
2024-05-14 | |
| Good unit |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Nice little transceiver. I bought it in 2000 at the Dayton swapmeet for my spouse. 24 years later it's still fine. Only small issue is the (shorty) antenna's outer plastic cracked so I'm searching for a replacement ducky. For now I found one off of Amazon which works fine on the 2-meter band only (details on the web site).The (2-cell) battery is great for convenience around the home since the Author uses the AA cells for many toys. |
|
| KA1VF |
Rating: |
2014-12-29 | |
| great until it broke |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I bought one of these at Radio Shack during their
product closeout sale, and used it casually for a
few years. Unfortunately, mine developed a sticky
keypad problem a few years ago and it is almost
useless because it acts like I've locked keypad.
|
|
| KC4KTY |
Rating: |
2013-08-18 | |
| Nice Radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Ok everyone it now August of 2013, Wow this radio
been around a while now since 1998. I had one of these when radio Shack First sold them. I pulled it out the other day with the 9 volt car adapter which did provide 1 amp at 9 volts. I hooked it to a quarter wave magmount antenna on top of my
car. It was hitting the reapeater that was 40
miles from my home. I was getting the 2 watts,
but 2 watts going 40 miles on VHF is really great. Anyways they now sell a quarter wave
rubber ducky antenna that about 16 1/2 long
or more. It does have the SMA coneector on it.
This antenna will really help the 200mw output
and your receive if you just want to carry it
around. Also Energizer make a lithium battery
that will suppy 3 amps. These are AA batteries
with really a kick and they will last.
I am only putting this on here to help the ones who doubt how great this radio can be,
Ok get this antenna for really a improvement for
a ribber ducky. Need no adapters at all.
Jetstream JT776SMA Great antenna for this radio.
Also here is the batteries that will last the
longest in this radio. these batteries can
provides 3 amps for one hour,this radio does
not use that much on 2 AA batteries,so really
great battery life.
Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries.
Get this and your portable uses will really
increase.
That antenna with 200mw on your radio will really
get out. Radio Shack now does provide a 9 volt
power adapter that will plug into your car.
Anyways the SMA products are alot easier to get
now than in the past.
I have had great luck with this radio in the car,
at home,and using it portable with only 200 mw with the larger rubber ducky anteanna, but even
the antenna that came with the radio does well
in this city,
Thanks
73;s
KC4KTY
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|
| KB3MLC |
Rating: |
2012-11-30 | |
| Still a great, little radio! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I bought mine years ago, before I was even licensed, as I knew I wanted to enter the hobby. It served well as a "learner" radio for a first-timer regarding Offsets, Shifts, tones, etc. Two AA cells ensure that there's no down-time for charging - and I do hit repeaters miles away. The set does not get hot to the touch on extended Tx, and, while small, the display is crystal clear.I have since purchsed another HTX-200, and several sister HTX-400's. I'd recommend to anyone, especially considering the non-prohibitive asking prices on eBay. -KB3MLC |
|
| W9RDL |
Rating: |
2011-11-08 | |
| Update to prior review |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| While at work at the Walgreens DC in Woodland CA, I hit the Yuba Sutter Amateur Radio Club repeater located on the Sutter Buttes easily 40+ miles away. My signal was difficult to hear but contact was my none the less. Not bad for 200mw. |
|
| KC9SNB |
Rating: |
2010-08-21 | |
| Fun little radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This radio does not deserve the low cumulative rating it has garnered here. I agree with the previous reviewer that you have to take into consideration the niche this little radio was designed to fill. Many of the reviewers have knocked this unit because it does not put out 5 watts, or have a long range antenna, or a fancy display. This is a very small, shirt pocket radio. It puts out a measly 200 mw, so that it is intended to be used with nearby repeaters. Used in the intended manner, this radio is great.
I am a recently licensed ham, and have one of these little radios. I put up a page at
http://www.notpurfect.com/main/htx200.html
It is by far, my most used radio, even with an FT-530, and TS-711a in the shack. I can sit this little guy near my bed at night, and drift off to sleep listening for calls. The 200 mw is more than enough to hit the repeater a couple miles down the road. I am putting together a nine volt pack to can get the full two watts out of it. I also own its 70 cm twin, the HTX-400.
This is not the radio I would use for DXing, traveling to the countryside, or trying to hit that thirty mile away repeater from my cabin up north. For such things I use my FT-530, or my Azden mobile, rather than the HTX-200. This does not make it a bad radio, this simply makes it a radio suitable for certain uses but unsuitable for others. At $50 or so, it is also a pretty reasonable way to get into 2 meter, particularly for the new ham. |
|
| N4LI |
Rating: |
2009-05-18 | |
| Limited, but acceptable |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I picked up an HTX-200 recently for $50 on eBay. I suppose it was worth what I paid, but I must say I am not overly-impressed.
First, the radio is a bit cumbersome to program. The menuing system is not at all intuitive, especially is you’re used to HTs of a more recent vintage. But, with a little effort, one figures it out.
The HTX-200 makes 200 mW on the internal batteries. I have used less before to work into repeaters (and, yes, I have worked thousands of miles on HF at just 100 mW), but on this radio, 200 mW seems puny. It may be the stubby antenna provided is a bit too lossy, which can’t help with less than ¼ of a watt. But, close in to a repeater, the radio will get the job done.
If you can get an HTX-200 cheaply, and you understand the radio’s rather substantial limitations, it might be useful. But, if your favorite repeater is more than – say – 5 miles away, you will be disappointed.
Peter, N4LI |
|
| N0HJ |
Rating: |
2007-09-20 | |
| nice little radio for backpacking |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
This is a terrific simplex rig for a group of hams out in the field for local chit chat. I own a pair of htx-200s and a pair of htx-400s as well.
I do have one question though - I am curious if anyone has been able to obtain any tech data on these, as I have one unit that reports low battery regardless of true battery condition - other than this one issue, it works great. I suspect there is an issue with the internal D/A converter or the chain that reports the battery voltage. Any help would be appreciated. |
|
| WA7ZBO |
Rating: |
2007-05-17 | |
| Great |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I rate this radio high not for the reason most might but because I use them in transmitter (fox) hunts. I have three and are looking for more. They are easy to set frequincies without all the menu driven stuff of other rigs and will run 200Mw for 8 hours on two lithium AA internals batteries. Hook up two "D" cells and it will transmit for 4 days. Don't like yours? Sell it to me, I need more. |
|
| KD7CJO |
Rating: |
2007-04-23 | |
| not worth the time |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Hey All, I`ve had a 200 now for several years and have a few observations about it.
Bad things:
display: small and hard to read
scan timer: timers need to be set up differently as sead in another post.
power/ant.: Can`t hit repeaters 10 miles away even close to line of sight unless I use the 9 volt batt. option. Needs a better ant.
band plan: can`t really be modded.(I like to tinker with radios and see what I can make them do, or not do)
rx audio: poor with very small speaker and low power audio amp.
pager tones: Do we really need to be able to send these?(this rig WILL send audable page tones!)
good things:
size: small and easy to carry and store
batt. life: will run a LONG time on 9 volt or nimh batts.(I use both)
seperite speaker and mike option:(I have and use) It is a well made and designed set up.
Price: if you paid full price(as I did) don`t bother. But if found VERY cheap, go for it. 73 and good dx from dn 51
----------------------
Earlier 3-star review posted by KD7CJO on 2001-07-23
I like my radio for the most part. The biggest problem that this rig has been that it likes to eat batt. like they are going out of style. Rig has good audio. I was also able to hit rpt. from about 10 miles away indoors.(with the rubber duck) I adapted an external ant. to this thing as i don`t like rubber ducks. But it dose do fine for the price i think. It could be less power hungery. Other then that i like this cute little radio.(just keep in mind that it did come from radio shack)I found that i could send paging tones with this thing.(not very legal and not a very useful function)
73,de kd7cjo |
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