Table of Contents
Packet Radio Transceivers
Here's a member-contributed list of experiences with particular radios.
| Make/model | Band(s) | 9600 baud? | Programming | Interfacing | Typical price | Verified with NinoTNC | Member(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yaesu FT-991A | 160m to 70cm | ? | ? | USB (PC) / 6 pin mini DIN (modem) | £££ | Yes | M0XLZ |
| Yaesu FT-1500m | 2m | yes | manual | 6 pin mini DIN | £100 | yes | M0LTE |
| Yaesu FT-8900 | 10,6,2 & 70cm | yes | 6 pin mini DIN | £200 | yes | M0UKF | |
| Yaesu FTM-300D | 2 & 70cm | yes | 6 pin mini DIN | £300 | yes | G6FJI | |
| Kenwood TM V7 | 70cm + 2m-ish see note 2 | yes | manual | 6 pin mini DIN | £NA | yes | M0UKF |
| Tait TM8200 UHF | 70cm | yes | Inverted serial, RJ45 FTDI cable from Technofix (eBay) works. Tait s/w required. | DB15. Technofix FTDI cable on eBay verified working. | Variable, as low as £20 | yes | M0LTE |
| Yaesu FT-450D | 160m - 6m | no | manual | 6 pin mini DIN | £500 | yes | M0LTE |
| Motorola GM340 | 70cm | yes | Manual Motorola CPS | ~£30 (ebay) | yes | MM0RFN | |
| Key KM3000/4000 | 2m | No | Dedicated page | £20 from TVRG | Yes | G4WQG | |
| Maxon PM100 / PM160V | 2m+70cm, monoband | UHF - Yes | Maxon transceiver info | £15 from TVRG | UHF - Yes | G4KWT | |
| Tait T2xxx series | varies | Unknown, see note 1 | Programming lead from TechnoFix (PrgT2000-F) £19, or make one from male DB15 and RJ11 (including outer RJ11 pins which are not always wired on telephone cables) | Tricky, RJ11 mic + power 'molex' for ext. speaker or fit T2000-A81 interface board. Potentially not plug-and-play due to different options boards in circulation. | £20 | Yes but be aware of bandwidth | Robin M0JQQ |
| Tait TM8100 series | monoband 2m/70cm++ | yes | Inverted serial, RJ45 FTDI cable from Technofix (eBay) works. Tait s/w required. | Same DB15 pinout as TM8200 (programming) | Excessive prices on ebay, occasionally ~£30 | yes | M0LTE |
| Simoco SRM8000 | 70cm/2m/4m | 2400 | DB15 | £100 | Yes | Nick-G5RSD | |
| IC7300 | HF + 6m + 4m | 13 pin DIN | significant | yes | M0JQQ, G6FJI, GM5AUG | ||
| Xiegu G90 | HF | No | Manual | 8 pin mini DIN | ~£400 | yes | MM7SHX, 2M0IIG |
| Anytone 868/878 | 2M/70cm | No | Manufacturer software, Manual | Kenwood K plug (aka K1 connector) | ~£100-200 | yes, occasional turnaround issues | 2M0IIG |
| Alinco DR06 | 6M | Tested at 1200/2400, 9600 Capable | Manual | https://www.alinco.com/Products/ham/mbl/DR-03_06/ DB15 on rear panel See Manual | ~£50-£100 | Yes | G4WQG |
| ICOM F2010 | 70cm | Tested at 1200 (should be9600 Capable) | Front panel or software | internal 12pin connector Manual DOS SoftwareProgramming | ~£20-50 | No | G7TAJ |
| Motorola GP160 | 70CM | Tested at ??? | Manual Motorola CPS | TBC | ~£50-£100 | ??? | M0GZP |
| Motorola GM350 | 4m, 2m and 70cm | Some (check serial numbers) | Manual - Motorola CPS | 16-pin ACC socket (or dupont cables!) | ~£20 | Yes | GM5AUG |
| Baofeng UV-5R | 70cm / 2m | no | Chirp / manual | Kenwood K plug (aka K1 connector) | £15 | yes, suffers from TX/RX turnaround issues intermittently | 2E1OBD, 2M0IIG |
| Quansheng UV-K5 | 70cm / 2m | yes! | Kenwood K plug (aka K1 connector) | £15 | Firmware and hardware mods required for 9k6, turnaround not as good as commercial radios but impressive! | SA0WII | |
| (tr)uSDX | 40m | ? | manual | Digirig with uSDX connector | ~£100 assembled (cheaper as kit) | no | M7TAW |
Note 1. T2000-A75 modem OTA is 1200/2400 baud; APRS module weakly implies 9600 firmware
Note 2. Kenwood TM-V7 can only run wide band making it unsuitable for NoV's on the 2m band
Software & Documentation
If you find programming software for a radio, especially if it is unusual or hard to find. Please share links below. Copies of dated software can be provided to Francis - M0UKF who will make these available at: https://www.oarc.uk/files
Useful references
* TARPN favourite radios for linking but (obviously) focused on radios available in US.
Tait T2000-series radio information:
* T2000 series model recognition guide * Official Tait support site - user manuals * T2000 series 2 service manual * T2000ii programming * Crypto Museum's Tait T-2000/II info * VK4PK's info * TAIT Treasure trove (documentation CD) * Simple programming cable info
ICOM
* F2010 / F1010 - Icom programming DOS software