Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Standard C508A

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

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Standard C508A
Reviews: 15MSRP:
Description:
Mini Dual Band HT, 250mW output
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.eham.net/reviews/edit/778?item=URL
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00154.9
K6XR Rating: 2015-02-23
great value Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Nothing to add as all has been said about this superb little transceiver. But! I have one question; How do you set it to skip memory channels? that has escaped me somehow!
thanks
N4KVE Rating: 2014-12-28
Still a great radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I still have mine after all these years. Great quality, & performance. Back then it was known as the "Tiny" as it was the smallest radio when it came out. The out of band mod improved it even more. Took 2 of them to Disney, & never ran out of range. The Standard radios really rocked. Too bad they're gone. GARY N4KVE
KA1VF Rating: 2014-12-28
my every day carry Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought mine used and slightly abused for $100.00
at an outdoor Hamfest in Connecticut several years
ago. Since then, it has been my every day carry HT
and it is still functioning after all these years.

W9MT Rating: 2012-07-07
A keeper... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have had mine since June of 1997, purchasing it at AES Orlando on a family trip to Disney World.

Was a bit disappointed when Yaesu came out with the VX-1/R about 6 months later, but when I heard about the software "bricking", lock-up problems with the early Yaesu's, I was glad I bought the C-508A instead. (My brother in law had to send his VX-1R back to Yaesu service for a software upgrade to kill this problem, which would hit the early radios unpredictably.)

This radio was $289 well spent (even in 1997 dollars).

I use an Icom speaker mic with mine to avoid the low receive audio issues in the car that others have mentioned. I totally agree, also, with the comments about the bullet-proof durability of this radio's design.

The comments about the included antenna are spot-on. It's deaf and dumb on 2m and works only passably on 440. I bought the $36 (at the time) Comet dual band antenna and stowed the original back in the box.

I've used nothing but AA alkaline cells in this radio since buying it. There's no need to go with rechargables, as the alkalines last a long time.

This radio works best as a travel radio in visited cities, and as the standard issue radio for hamfest communications.

I'm never giving it up. Grab one if you can find one. They have stout hearts!!!
N4ZX Rating: 2011-11-08
Incredible little unit Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought one when they first came out, still got it. Recently, it fell out of my shirt pocket at a hamfest, and got kicked across the floor like a hockey puck...no damage whatsoever, not even a scratch....

I recently found another on Ebay, new in the box for a good price and bought it for my XYL for a purse radio. She was tickled with it.

Love the volume KNOB...a real radio, no less!

If I find another one in new condition, I'm gonna buy it for a backup so if I drop mine off my motorcycle and lose it, I will have another.

It's not a powerhouse, but it is a cool little HT...much nicer, IMHO than several more "modern" mini HT's I've seen and owned. Got rid of the Icom version, still got this'n.
W4PIG Rating: 2010-04-21
GREAT HT Time Owned: more than 12 months.
i have a pair of the now 10 years and still working like a charm. built tough like a timex takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
KE5JRM Rating: 2008-02-10
best of the pocket dual band rigs Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got this rig at a Hamfest just because it was small and I didn't have handheld with me. It is now my Dual Bander of choice. I never use my VX-3R anymore and I only use my IC-T8A when I need more than 300mw. I get better audio reports on this small rig than any other rig I own. I don't use the original antenna, I have a MH209SMA that seems to work well on both VHF & UHF. If you can find one of these small rigs at a Hamfest or on eBay you can't go wrong.
KC7BGV Rating: 2007-07-23
typical high class standard quality Time Owned: more than 12 months.
this little radio meets and exceeds standards claims and is just too cool! it does every thing that i would expect for what it was inteded for.i have really enjoyed this little marvel,doesnt have lots of bells and whistles but it scans well has wideband receive and hits all my local repeaters with 260mw i use the little comet as25 for shirt pocket scanning.as i said not a lot of whistles but who cares i remember when amatuer was so much fun just turn on the radio and talk.
KE3WD Rating: 2007-07-04
Constant Companion Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Unbelievable little radio.

Got it on a lark the first year they came out, thought it was a toy, maybe good for crossbanding.

Good for a lot more.

I don't moan about stock rubber ducks, most all of 'em are in the box so the radio can act like it has an antenna. Put on a dual band Comet (which dwarfs the little thing but isn't too bad) and this thing works repeaters and with a loooong battery time for a radio that runs off of two AA cells. Rechargeable NiMH is what I usually use, although a fresh set of Alkalines packs a bit more in the way of RF punch.

Still going strong after all these years, the printing on the back foil is completely worn off, radio works like brand new.

I rarely rate any radio 5 out of 5, this one gets the exception to that rule due to sheer longevity and performance. What it is supposed to do, it does.

NC4MP Rating: 2006-10-09
Great Little HT! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a great little ht! I use it to crossband with and it works perfect for this application. I have an Icom T7H and it is also dual band but it will not split band like this little Standard will. A friend of mine had it and we both live out in a very rural area now so he wasn't able to use it anymore so I got it from him for crossbanding. I am also impressed with how long the batteries will last on this thing I am using rechargables and I have done a lot of talking I mean a lot and the batteries are holding up great. I think it is very easy to program and operate and it has a nice sound quality to as well. Never thought that I would be this satisfied with an HT that only does 250mw! Anyway if you get a chance to get one dont hesitate about it it will work flawlessly and you will be very satisfied. I do agree with some other reviews that the antenna isnt the best in the world but I will replace that soon enough.