Jeff Franks wrote:

Just wondering if anyone here had experience (good or bad) with Vertex
handheld transceivers. I'm about to buy SOMETHING, but I'm not sure
whether or not I'm gonna stick with the standard ICOM.

thanks for any opinions.

jf

I own both Yaseu (Vertex) and Icom HTs. The Icom is an aviation transceiver
(AC-23) and the Yaseu is a 3 band amateur radio transceiver (VX5R) that
also recieves aviation frequencies. The Yaseu is loaded with features, but
the programming interface is not intuitive (translation: carry the manual
with you). I like the programming interface of the Icom much better. Also,
I like the audio of the Icom better, reception is "cleaner" than the Yaseu
on the same aviation frequency. The Yaseu has a magnesium case whereas the
Icom case is plastic, so I think the Yaseu is more durable. The buttons on
the Icom are larger. The Yaseu runs longer on a charge than the Icom (I
don't recall the power output on the Icom, but the Yaseu is up to 5W). I
haven't looked at any Vertex aviation radios, but I think the engineering
approach is going to be very similar to the unit I have. At any rate, those
are some features and characteristics of the radios that stand out.