[OZAPRS] Any experiences with a Standard Vertex VX8R ?

[RK]

Hi Tony.

I bought a VX-8 at a local Hamfest a few months back now, finally got the 
bracket and GPS unit to fit straight in to the socket on top of the radio 
and just last week I got the programming software and cable, I am not going 
to purchase the handmic to fit the GPS in to as I find that as a package I 
much prefer the GPS straight on the radio especially when I am walking the 
dog etc.

Have to tell you, I was greatly excited when I saw the programming cable was 
a USB device and NOT the standard Serial device where I had to use a Serial 
to USB adapter. Yeasu have done a great job on this one.

Having said that, I am a train driver on the Melbourne Metro Network and 
since I have had this current setup it appears ( to me ) that it doesn't 
work quite as well as the previous setup I had ( Kenwood TH-D7 and a 
Magellan Colour GPS ) The TH-D7 didn't appear to suffer quite as badly from 
interferance as the VX-8 does and I very rarely get any packets out when I 
am in the city centre ( Flinders Street Station ) and only just the odd one 
or two when I am out in the suburbs. I have tried a different combination of 
antennas but none seem to be any better than the other. I am unable to use 
an external antenna as the trains are stainless steel and clearances are not 
great between the train and adjacent infrastructure.

Now too, having said that bit, I don't live all that far from Hamish ( VK3SB 
and his Gateway ) and there are quite a few times when I don't get any 
packets in to the system when I am out walking the dog, seems it just can't 
hear me and I am "somewhat" disappointed with my own particular radio, but 
this might just be the radio itself. I had some pretty bad issues with the 
TH-D7 too when I first bought it, had to return it for repairs less than a 
week after I bought it ( it was terribly deaf ) and Kenwood ended up giving 
me a brand new radio, repairs were too difficult.

I love the concept of the Yaesu and it's GPS, the display is difficult to 
see at times as it is just a bit smaller than the TH-D7 but all the 
functions are there and if I can just get it to "hear" a bit better without 
being bombarded with pagers etc then that would be just ideal.

Not going to get rid of the Yaesu in a hurry, suites my needs very well 
indeed.

Regards.

Ron.
VK3ANT
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tony Hunt" <wavetel at internode.on.net>
To: "OZ-APRS Mial-list" <ozaprs at aprs.net.au>
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 7:06 PM
Subject: [OZAPRS] Any experiences with a Standard Vertex VX8R ?


> Is there anyone out there with a VX8R handheld yet ? I would be interested 
> in some experiences and comments on the APRS side of this or anything else 
> you have found.
>
> Tony Hunt VK5AH
> _______________________________________________
> Ozaprs mailing list
> Ozaprs at aprs.net.au
> http://aprs.net.au/mailman/listinfo/ozaprs
> 

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