Yey or Ney? Icom IC-24AT dual band (144 / 440) FM HT

[CipherNameRaVeN]

I am new to HAM. Looking for my first radio. I don't know anything about different brands or models.
I have been offered this radio below. Tell me what you think of it. Or, what would you recommend.

Icom IC-24AT dual band (144 / 440) FM HT
***Includes EM-46 speaker / mic and battery pack with replaceable Ni-Cads
Condition: Good Used
Price: $100

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/24at.html

[zommoz10]

Price is a bit high for its age.
Especially if it's just "good" condition.

Just my opinion.

[TacAir]

I had the IC-2AT, liked it so much bought a second rig. The only down side is the tiny speaker, blew them out twice while operating mobile. With a hand/mike that should not be a problem.

If it helps, when they first came out, the Nellis Disaster Recovery Team (for aircraft crashes off base) bought several for use on the MARS repeater net. Worked great.

Batteries and case, mikes etc are still for sale from multiple sources. It is a nice sized rig. Fits the hand well.

I do see where
"My experience with reliability has been excellent. The unit was purchased for $200 and was modified by the previous owner for extended receive, a feature I have little use for but it is tunable from MF up to 1.3 Ghz. I do not know if the mod was hardware or key programmed, but appears permanent. The unit supports the various modes of tone squelch and DTMF. Maximum power output is 5W."

Don't know about that mod - so you should check - wide band RX would be a great addition. Also check the tone board is installed, very few repeaters are tone-free access.

$100 might be a bit much, esp if it is using the AA battery pack. New nicad OEM style battery packs can be purchased, maybe using that as a negotiation point may help lower the price a bit.

A recent eHam ad showed this
"Icom IC-24AT Dual Band HT with MANY accessories. Includes – BC-72 drop–in charger, UT-50 tone board (installed), BP-83 (non-Icom) Ni-Cd battery pack, BP-90 (6 – AA) battery pack, speaker mic, HS-10 boom mic and PTT, BC-74A charger, EM-200 ear mic, nylon case, extra keypad, “home-brew” cigarette lighter power cord, original manual and packing box. $115 obo shipping included to USA and Canada"
Note the OBO



An IC-T7A is another good choice within the same price point..

Hope this helps.

[gary in ohio]

The icom Icom IC-24AT isnt a bad radio but getting a bit dated. It was an early/mid 1990 model radio. $100 is not bad for what your getting..

[CipherNameRaVeN]

This is just one option.
I am looking for a descent mobile rig. I am nor really on a budget. What would you recommend?

[KJ4VOV]

Defining your actual requirements would help us to offer you better suggestions. Single band, dual band, multiband? HF? D-Star? Water resistant?

Think carefully about what you need in both the HT and the mobile and then come up with a list of absolute requirements and a list of "would be nice" requirements and it will narrow down you choices pretty quickly.

[CipherNameRaVeN]

Defining your actual requirements would help us to offer you better suggestions. Single band, dual band, multiband? HF? D-Star? Water resistant?

Think carefully about what you need in both the HT and the mobile and then come up with a list of absolute requirements and a list of "would be nice" requirements and it will narrow down you choices pretty quickly.

Well, I am new to the game. So, I don't know much. I think dual band would be good for now. From what I've read do-it-all rigs do not do-it-all-well kind of equipment. UHF/VHF would be good enough for now. D-Star? hmmm. don't know much about it, but anything digital sounds expensive already. Looking for a rig to start my new hobby in the right direction. I know that this hobby is a never ending money pit, so I want my first radio at least last me for some time in respect to its abilities and performance. That's all.

And, please take it easy on me. I am still a HAM virgin. Taking my Tech exam on 29th. So, yes.. I know nothing!

[KJ4VOV]

Defining your actual requirements would help us to offer you better suggestions. Single band, dual band, multiband? HF? D-Star? Water resistant?

Think carefully about what you need in both the HT and the mobile and then come up with a list of absolute requirements and a list of "would be nice" requirements and it will narrow down you choices pretty quickly.

Well, I am new to the game. So, I don't know much. I think dual band would be good for now. From what I've read do-it-all rigs do not do-it-all-well kind of equipment. UHF/VHF would be good enough for now. D-Star? hmmm. don't know much about it, but anything digital sounds expensive already. Looking for a rig to start my new hobby in the right direction. I know that this hobby is a never ending money pit, so I want my first radio at least last me for some time in respect to its abilities and performance. That's all.

And, please take it easy on me. I am still a HAM virgin. Taking my Tech exam on 29th. So, yes.. I know nothing!

Okay, that's a start at least. When you said you weren't on a budget I took that to mean that price wasn't a big concern. I see now that I understood it wrong and that price is a concern, just that you don't have any specific dollar amount earmarked for gear. I can work with that.

For now, unless you get a really good deal on something used, or unless there's a really good repeater in your area that has it, I'd forgo D-Star and put it in the "would be nice" category and maybe look into it for the future. For an HT I don't think you'd go wrong with something like the Yaesu FT-60R. It's a pretty basic dual band HT, fairly rugged and not too pricey. I have one that's my EDC and I still haven't managed to fuck it up, so that says a lot for it right there. You can usually find them for under $175 so with a spare battery pack, better antenna and drop in charger you're looking at an outlay of around $250, but it's a solid unit that you can depend on, and it even gives you wideband receive.

On the mobile side, you need to think about where you're going as a ham. If you think you'll be going on and getting your general ticket then looking at rigs with HF capabilities would be a smart move. If you think you'll be staying a tech for a while, then a solid, good quality dual band mobile is your best bet. Some good choices for the latter would be units like the Kenwood TM-V71A, the Icom IC-2820H or the Yaesu FT-8800R or FTM-350AR. If those are too much for your wallet, look at lower priced dual banders that have single VFOs instead of dual VFOs. Expect to pay $500 and up for rigs in like I listed, plus whatever you'll need to pay for the antenna you choose. If you think you'll be going on and getting your general, there's a plethora of choices, so it's going to come down to how fat your wallet is, how fancy you want to go, and what will actually fit in your mobile.

[salyzyn]

I own an '88 vintage IC-24AT, this is one solid radio which will last forever (but needs the internal battery replaced every 5 years).

The best bang for the buck at less than $50 including a drop-in charger is the BaoFeng UV-3RPlus http://www.409shop.com/409shop_product.php?id=106855. This Radio is a near-copy of the popular Yeasu VX-3R. At this price-range, you can consider them disposable, and certainly a good starter rig.

73 de AG4YD/Mark

[zommoz10]

Consider the TM-v71a . It's not small enough to fit in an ashtray but it's easy to use, works and sounds good.

[Puddinhead]

Hi all,

Is the BC-72 Icom charger still for sale,
Thanks,
Patrick

[gary in ohio]

Its going to need a number of accessories and a good recent dated battery to make it worth $100.. With the new chineese radios under $150, $100 is a bit steep.

[wolfieohio73]

i just got the ic-24at along with an old kenwood th215,a bearcat uhf/vhf 11 band scanner and a yaesu ft212rh for 300. is that overpriced for everything or did i get a good deal