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Posted: 6/20/2008 9:35:19 PM EDT
Anyone else here looking forward to the availability of this new HT?
Looks like a winner. It'll be nice to have an APRS radio without needing cumbersome GPS cords and power connections, plus 1.5w on 220 will be nice! So far nothing been said on pricing. I hear 300-400$ish before options. Universal radio and gigaparts are still not putting out a price. Seems like it'll be next month before anyone can order. I have a VX-3 and really enjoy it. The VX-8 will be my 3rd Yaesu product. (8900 for the house). 
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Posted: 6/20/2008 9:46:21 PM EDT
[#1]
I was getting ready to order the 7R, then I found out about this and am now waiting to see the reviews once its out. I have no experience with Ham radios and am certainly not up to being their guinea pig to "beta" test this radio.
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Posted: 6/20/2008 9:55:14 PM EDT
[#2]
A VX8 is certainly a complicated first radio thats for sure. Most people will say dont buy an HT for your first, however not everyone has the same learning curve or use for the radio. I'd like to say I'll order one next month when/if they are available, but its not likely. I will most likely wait until august or september as you said, to let others be the 'first' to have trouble if it happens. I nearly purchased the VX7 also until my brother told me about the VX8 coming out. Glad I didnt buy it because I want the APRS function. I already have a VX3, and a kenwood D7A, so I dont have to have it right-now anyways. |
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Posted: 6/21/2008 6:10:45 AM EDT
[#3]
This is one place the Arfcom "get both" comes in nicely. A mobile will give the performance you need, but I was glad I also had a handheld so I could keep it with me as I listened to traffic (learning how to talk on the radio) as well as exploring other frequency bands (PS, Air, marine, etc). In my case, using the HT was easier than the mobile just because you could directly access things like squelch mode, ctcss tone settings, power, reverse. In that sense, I got used to making the required settings with my HT. In a prep sense, if you can only get one, you need the mobile. But the HT's are called handy for good reason. 
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Posted: 6/21/2008 8:16:11 AM EDT
[#4]
I agree. Ya should have both. For us that enjoy APRS, this new HT will be convenient because theres no need for extra cables for the GPS since it'll be in the MIC. |
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Posted: 6/21/2008 9:21:33 AM EDT
[#5]
Couple screen shots from youtube videos if anyone has not seen. The Hand Mic is kinda ugly I should say, but if it has good GPS reception while sitting in my cup holder, that's fine!
A negative I see immediately is the screen is not very big. I think my D7A screen may be slightly larger however its still hard to tell in the video. If I dont have to squint to see the screen it will work though.  
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Posted: 6/21/2008 9:53:12 AM EDT
[#6]
wonder why they didn't do it like the Icom GPS mic? wierd looking choice
 -Roth |
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Posted: 6/21/2008 12:27:55 PM EDT
[#7]
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Posted: 6/21/2008 7:22:38 PM EDT
[#8]
Glad you found it. I searched for VX8 VX-8 etc and didnt get any results. Whoda thunk I needed the R. |
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Posted: 6/21/2008 7:36:34 PM EDT
[#9]
Am I crazy, or does it look like the new battery case makes it possible for someone to design a 6xAA holder for it?
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Posted: 6/21/2008 8:23:11 PM EDT
[#10]
The other VX's have AA battery cases optional, dont see why not this one too. |
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Posted: 6/21/2008 8:25:22 PM EDT
[#11]
The 6 and 7 have 2xAA cases as options, and this one is said to have a 3xAA case, but that's still not high power land.
If the radio design can handle a 6xAA case, though, there's a good chance someone will build one. |
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Posted: 6/22/2008 6:12:58 PM EDT
[#12]
fixed that for you.  ar-jedi |
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Posted: 6/23/2008 7:20:33 AM EDT
[#13]
I know those guys in Japan have small hands, but make the radio about an inch longer. Then put a larger battery pack on it with a 6 AA case and we might have the perfect ARF.COM field tactical WT.
RS |
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Posted: 6/23/2008 12:43:40 PM EDT
[#14]
Even a 6AAA pack would be better than what they have now. |
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Posted: 6/23/2008 2:08:47 PM EDT
[#15]
With the design of this radio, it looks like you can do with depth what you might not be able to do with length alone. I.e., visualize a double stacked AA battery case running the full length of the back of the radio.
Yaesu's too stupid, evidently, to come up with that on their own, but there are several very competent third party battery case manufacturers. |
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Posted: 6/23/2008 8:23:32 PM EDT
[#16]
I don't know how anybody who has passed an FCC exam finds it such a problem to build a battery case for a handie-talkie.
 E-Battery As far as the radio...I'll be your huckleberry. 
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Posted: 6/23/2008 11:02:53 PM EDT
[#17]
Ha! Well, maybe thats why I've never purchased one of them. I seem to do ok with the AC adapter and the stock batteries on my HTs |
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Posted: 6/27/2008 3:19:05 PM EDT
[#18]
Build a battery case? Of course you can, why if you can buy it. I have built everything from repeater controllers to cavity filters. However, I usually scope out a new radio pretty well before flashing the cash. Having an AA battery case holding six cells is sort of a pre-requisite for a SHTF HT radio. That is why I have traded all my Motorola HT's away to people that don't require extended operations on alkaline cells.
Incidentally, I have wondered how the Midland bubble pack GMRS radios get 5 watts UHF out of three AA batteries. They must make on the NiMh rechargeables because it takes some current to do it at 5 volts. Or is this another advertisement gimmick like the 26 mile range rating? RS |
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Posted: 6/30/2008 10:04:19 AM EDT
[#19]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VX_8R/
There are some clear, recent photo's of the VX8 posted on the yahoo group here. The photo's answered a bunch of questions I had. From the chatter, it looks like a week or two more before the radio's status is updated. There may be a price finally announced in that time. I put myself on a 'reserve' list at gigaparts.com. The guy via email took my info and put me in line to buy one. Of course he didnt say how long the line was. |
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Posted: 7/1/2008 6:51:32 PM EDT
[#20]
http://www.universal-radio.com/
Has all the pics and the specs for the VX 8R |
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Posted: 7/1/2008 8:12:27 PM EDT
[#21]
I love the Yaesu radios. This 2AA battery is the reason I refused to buy one. I bought a simple 2M instead to me it was a more logical choice to get the radio I chose, Battery life means alot to me. The low power is just a slap in the face, in an emergency your batts dead and all you have is low power setting and need high power? sounds like a bad combo to me. If they do come out with a 6AA I will be very interested. |
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Posted: 7/2/2008 12:17:50 AM EDT
[#22]
Yeah but only one photo. |
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Posted: 7/2/2008 12:21:06 AM EDT
[#23]
I've never had a need for AA battery's. They are too expensive to buy. The stock battery packs have always worked fine for my uses with my VX3 and Kenwood D7a. I never talk for long periods on an HT. If I was to do so, thats what the DC power cord is for. |
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Posted: 7/2/2008 12:44:18 AM EDT
[#24]
AA battery cases are fairly standard equipment for ARES members and emergency radios. Why? Because, when it absolutely has to work, you want it to run on something that's very common, easily stored, easily swapped out, and has a very long shelf life. If you don't plan on using your radio during prolonged power outages or vacations or whatever, great. For those of us who like the idea of a radio around during an emergency, and one which doesn't require a power grid, AC/DC converter with the appropriate voltage, proper jack, and six hours to recharge, assuming that the battery isn't dead altogether, an AA battery case makes an enormous amount of sense. If that still doesn't satisfy your skepticism, ask your local ARES team leaders. An AA battery case is to an HT what a removable box magazine is to a rifle. It does suck, in some ways, but it makes up for it with other advantages. You'd think that this wouldn't even be a debate so soon after Field Day. |
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Posted: 7/2/2008 3:35:42 AM EDT
[#25]
FWIW... i would never, ever buy an HT without purchasing an accompanying AA battery holder or two. eventually, the OEM rechargeable pack is going to give way. eventually, the manufacturer of the radio is going to design new radios, and discontinue current ones. eventually, finding a replacement battery pack is going to get very tough. i purchased my first HT in 1991 -- the venerable Icom 24AT (one of the first dual band radios). along with it, i purchased a BP90 6xAA battery pack. the OEM NiCd packs have long since died, but i still to this day use the radio with the external 6xAA holder. one side benefit of this is that AA battery capacity has markedly increased; 2700mAH AA batteries were frankly unheard of in 1991 but now you can buy them all day long at Costco or Walmart. ar-jedi   |
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Posted: 7/2/2008 8:44:46 AM EDT
[#26]
Always something to consider for sure. I suppose it's going to depend on what the VX8 has for options.
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Posted: 7/2/2008 2:14:45 PM EDT
[#27]
Yeah. Judging from the few glimpses I've seen of it, the VX-8R has a battery that runs the entire length of the rear of the radio, like the FT-60R.
The 7R's battery only runs maybe 2/5th of the length, which places an upper limit on how many batteries you can cram into an integrated case, even if you project it out half an inch or an inch. The 60R, however, has a case that comfortably fits 6 AA cells without projecting any further than the rechargeable. If the 8R was as big a radio, and thus as long, as the 60R, there'd be no question that someone could manufacture a 6xAA case for it. As it is, I think it's an inch or more shorter, which creates a bit of a problem for a case manufacturer. And Yaesu themself only seems inclined to offer a 3xAA case, which either won't support medium and high power, or will convert the voltage so radically that battery life will be minimal. Still, I'm optimistic due to the battery compartment redesign over the 7R and 6R. If it does support 6xAA, I'm hands down getting one, because I do love the much broader RX range of that series. |
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Posted: 7/2/2008 3:28:33 PM EDT
[#28]
I looked at the VX-8 Explained video, and it seems to me that someone can easily make a 6xAA battery case for it. It would be a little thick, but that's not a big problem for me. |
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Posted: 7/4/2008 2:06:17 PM EDT
[#29]
I have a couple of AA packs made for my VX-7r. I made them with anderson pp conectors and a pinjack jumper. Plugs right into the power jack on the side of the radio. |
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Posted: 7/4/2008 4:33:29 PM EDT
[#30]
We're talking about integrated cases, that attach the radio the same way the rechargeable battery does.
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Posted: 7/5/2008 11:50:18 PM EDT
[#31]
As they say in GD, pics or it didn't happen. I would like to make one as well.
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Posted: 7/6/2008 2:34:53 AM EDT
[#32]
Oh, it happened, alright. Instructions here: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=22&t=613397 Pic there and here:  Clearly, though, the internal 6xAA battery case is preferred, when possible. |
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Posted: 7/6/2008 5:32:27 AM EDT
[#33]
Just curious but how long with a 6AA battery pack run a similar sized radio?
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Posted: 7/6/2008 12:05:54 PM EDT
[#34]
Statistically, you can determine it by measuring the AA's capacity.
Normal AA's, zinc whatever or alkaline or whatever, may run between .5 amp hours and 3 amp hours. If you wonder how good a deal you got on that pile of cheap AA's, here's where you learn it wasn't great. Rechargeables usually indicate how long they can run. I think the nimh's are up to 2.5 or so. I start to get fuzzy at this point, but, since they're hooked up in series, I believe you're getting 9 volts with the capacity of the average cell. Call it 2 amp hours at a guess. The factory rechargeable provides, I think, 1400 mah, so 1.4 amp hours. I suppose the voltage isn't really important, although I think it's 7.something. So, theoretically, either battery type will give you more capacity than the internal battery. In practice, discharge rates and a lot of other things affect that, so experience is probably the only way to tell. To see consumption, just poke through the radio's specs. It usually says something like "X amps on high transmit, Y on low transmit, Z on receive, ZA on efficient receive, etc.". |
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Posted: 7/6/2008 8:38:59 PM EDT
[#35]
But...but...but....great minds think alike!! That's my battery pack!!
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Posted: 7/7/2008 7:41:16 PM EDT
[#36]
I personally think that handheld radio manufacturers should have standardized on three Li-on cells instead of two as the voltage standard. Seems that pulling enough current for 5 watts out at ~7.2 volts is hard on the battery contacts and also runs the 6AA cells down in a hurry. Going to ~9.3 volts would be better and might have allowed for an 8 cell alkaline pack. Back in the good old days, my Icom IC2GAT had an 8 AA pack that was good for extended operations. Using fresh Duracell alkalines, I was good to go for at least 3 days of backcountry use. So what if it was big as a brick, had 20 channels, and weighted as much as a polymer handgun?
Sniff, Sniff!! How times have changed. I must be getting old. RS |
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Posted: 9/25/2008 2:15:56 PM EDT
[#37]
Pricing is $409 from universal Radio.com just for the radio.
For the radio, GPS, MIC, Case, DC cord is $556 before shipping... WOW! They are still not available. Seems like it'll be sometime in October. I'm going to hold out for the gigaparts.com waiting list I'm on to order one since, none of the other places have them in-stock yet anyways. |
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Posted: 9/25/2008 2:32:22 PM EDT
[#38]
Cool, thanks for the update.
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Posted: 9/25/2008 2:32:49 PM EDT
[#39]
http://www.gigaparts.com/store.php?action=profile&sku=ZYS-VX-8R
$399 from gigaparts. But, not in stock either.. |
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Posted: 9/26/2008 2:43:13 PM EDT
[#40]
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Posted: 9/26/2008 3:15:45 PM EDT
[#41]
Yep. I'm lazy. $184.00 later, I back/ordered the accessories for it from universalradio.com since they were cheapest..
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Posted: 9/26/2008 8:48:10 PM EDT
[#42]
They must be pretty proud of those things.
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Posted: 9/26/2008 11:54:41 PM EDT
[#43]
Yeah I suppose so! |
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Posted: 10/25/2008 6:55:50 AM EDT
[#44]
Manual for the VX-8 posted on yaesu.com. The website is running slow since the manual is 5mb.
MANUAL The latest availability date is now NOVEMBER 15th.... |
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Posted: 10/26/2008 6:14:09 AM EDT
[#45]
$389 from R & L www.randl.com
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Posted: 10/26/2008 7:03:05 AM EDT
[#46]
Yep. Prices are reasonable. I have had mine on backorder via list from Gigaparts since September. $399 Universal radio has my accessories on back order for 180$ GPS,Gps mount, MIC, cover and DC cord for car. Only thing I need is that nice 1800 mah battery and a charge cup for my universal charger. |
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Posted: 10/27/2008 6:08:24 PM EDT
[#47]
I made an external 10-AA battery pack for my VX-7R. It's got enough power to actually charge the Vx-7R's internal battery. With 1.2v NiMH battery's it's 12v.
Or, it can run the radio for a long time. |
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Posted: 10/27/2008 6:19:36 PM EDT
[#48]
Quoted:
I made an external 10-AA battery pack for my VX-7R. It's got enough power to actually charge the Vx-7R's internal battery. With 1.2v NiMH battery's it's 12v. Or, it can run the radio for a long time. Pics and instructions please!!! |
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Posted: 10/27/2008 6:30:07 PM EDT
[#49]
Quoted: Quoted: I made an external 10-AA battery pack for my VX-7R. It's got enough power to actually charge the Vx-7R's internal battery. With 1.2v NiMH battery's it's 12v. Or, it can run the radio for a long time. Pics and instructions please!!! here is the original post for the 6xAA version. you just need a 10xAA holder or some combination to get you there. http://archive.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=22&t=613397 ar-jedi |
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Posted: 10/28/2008 9:08:32 AM EDT
[#50]
Dealers are being told radios (VX-8) should start arriving the first week of November from the factory in Japan.
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