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Reviews For: ICOM IC-2GXAT

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

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Review Summary For : ICOM IC-2GXAT
Reviews: 17MSRP: 301.00
Description:
IC-2GXAT 2 Meter Transceiver
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00174.7
KC4YLV Rating: 2016-10-13
Nice Brick! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Picked this up at a hamfest in 2016 virtually NIB with a dead battery. It had obviously never been used. Pack was smoked but the rig still had the plastic plugs in the screw holes for the belt clip (seriously, this thing had never been touched).

What a solid little radio! Rather than go deep on the rather expensive battery packs, I just picked up a 6xAA case and filled it with 2300 mAh NiMH cells. INSANE runtime! I turned off power saver and left it on scan (in Denver there's a good 6-12 hours of busy repeater time a day). Thing went 46 hours till it died. Granted, just an RX only test, but still quite impressive.

I bought it meaning to flip it fast on eBay as I really was hunting for the 2GAT predecessor, but I dunno. I may hang onto this one for the museum.

VA6GP Rating: 2010-09-29
Battery Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this small transceiver since 1/10/96 and still using the original battery BP-157A but, must say it is dying out so, looking at getting a new battery like the BP-132B 12v. 1200 ah.Sure can`t complain.VA6GP
KI4BDS Rating: 2010-09-08
Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I gave it a 4 because it eats batteries, puts out good coverage and recieves like its supposed to with a diamond antenna. The numbers and letters are worn off my key pad and paint is missing from corners. It's been on the floor with a thud more times than I can count. I cant keep the antenna screws tight but will try locktite next time I take it apart. Good radio for a beginner.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KI4BDS on 2010-01-19

Great radio, eats batteries if you dont know how to charge them. Gets out and has all then stuff a V8000 has except 75 W. It is heavy to lug around but the paint is wearing off mine and it still talks.
N5RTG Rating: 2009-02-18
Heavy Duty, reliable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My first HT, this Icom 2GXAT was questionable when gifted to me. Antenna mount was very wobbly. Checked and found broken connection to pcb. Cause was a missing locknut to immobilize the bnc connector to the body. Re-soldered the connection to board. Instead of finding a replacement nut to hold the bnc connector to the body, used jb-weld in the well around the bnc base to immobilize the bnc. Perfect two years now.

Great radio, nice size, easy to use. NiCads seem to take long time to charge but keep charged long time too. Size and shape of radio very nice. Fits hand well.

Speaker produces good sound on receive, and transmit audio reports are all excellent.

Display is small and not well-lighted. Not big problem, radio's performance is excellent. Other HT is Yaesu FT-60r, toss-up which one I like to use better. Both excellent and rugged.
N8NKC Rating: 2007-07-10
Great handheld Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I was very pleased with this handheld. Great sensitivity and 7 watts out.I had used it extensively for 7 years and never had a problem with it.

Had all 40 channels loaded with local and far away repeaters, so that when I traveled I would have the right frequencies for that location.

Could hit 60 mile away repeaters with a 5/8 wave antenna.Also used it in my Jeep with very good results barefoot.

Highly recommend this handheld.It is no longer available, but may be obtained used. My only regret is that I sold it.
KMB01 Rating: 2006-06-08
Solid Tx.. Great Little Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Got this radio used... things i like about this HT are 7-watts, (built-in subaudible tone encoder, tone squelch, pocket beep) these are not optional, small in size... btw use bp-174 to achieve 7-watts and feel your rubber duck heat-up... heatsink heats up real fast at high power on long QSO, but not a problem..

also use this as base station and has great Tx, especially Rx..

10-44s to Kabalikat Malaya Zambales
3402
N9YNG Rating: 2006-05-12
Faithful Companion Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this little guy back when I was first licensed in 1994. Never had a complaint with it.

It was a very study radio, which I used largely as a moble unit during graduate school. Die-cast metal case. Traveled with me on thousands and thousands of miles of road trips, from New Mexico to Indiana.

In my opinion, its size is JUST right... even by today's standards. Its not too big, not too small.
NE0P Rating: 2005-08-15
High powered 2 meter HT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been using one of these HTs recently, and figured I should write a review on it. If it is an HT, I have probably owned it. The 2GXAT is as good of 2 meter monoband HT as I have had, and is probably becoming my favorite monoband HT, except for maybe the Icom P2AT.

It is simple to use, has good audio, nice size and excellent finish, and will do 7 watts with the 12 volt battery. And it has a useful low power position-1 watt. Battery life also seems to be pretty good. It doesn't have priority scan, but will do about everything else. Only 40 memories, but how many do you really need? Batteries are still easy to find for this model, as it uses the same ones as the W21A series.

Icom sold this HT for 10 years or so, and I can understand why. You can't go wrong with this one. It is one classy looking HT-almost as good as the Standard C156A, but the C156A is in a class of its own when it comes to appearance.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by NE0P on 2005-08-10

I have been using one of these HTs recently, and figured I should write a review on it. If it is an HT, I have probably owned it. The 2GXAT is as good of 2 meter monoband HT as I have had. Simple to use, good audio, nice size, and will do 7 watts with the 12 volt battery. And it has a useful low power position-1 watt. Battery life also seems to be pretty good. It doesn't have priority scan, but will do about everything else. Only 40 memories, but how many do you really need?

Icom sold this HT for 10 years or so, and I can understand why. You can't go wrong with this one.
KB2KZT Rating: 2004-10-06
This is one great HT ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This radio has all of the features I like in an HT including power/volume , squelch, and dial rotary knobs. It has a button on the top for switching power levels to 7 or 1 watt on 12v and 2.5 or 1 watt for 7.2volts. I built a stand for it from 1/4 inch steel and a brass plate so the lcd is easily readible when placed on the stand. When used as my base radio, I use an external mic and a 4 element beam. With the beam pointing south, I can get into over 10 repeaters with 1 watt. My home is 850ft above sea level, so that helps. I am using the AA battery case with 2000ma nimh batterys and it lasts a very long time between recharges. I ditched the original antenna and use an icom fa-140bb for portable use. The shorter rubber duck seems to work better for me (less positition sensitive). This HT feels solid and is by no means small, especially with the supplied 12v nicad. I'm not sure why icom quit making these radios, it seems if they would just replace the nicad with nimh for the stock battery, it would still be a good seller. I highly recommend this radio for someone who is looking for a no frills HT with high power and ctcss encode/decode. -Doug (KB2KZT) Pine Bush, NY.
SKY Rating: 2003-04-22
cool Time Owned: more than 12 months.
have my icom 2gxat in 10 year and still working good.