Radio/Scanners

[FLFD138]

Ive been a volunteer fire fighter for about 3 years now and I just moved from NJ to NC & I plan on buying a new 2 way portable radio/scanner and Mic I know Motorola is the best out there but I would like some other opinions on particular Radios/scanners. I would like to go as cheap as possible but good quality!

Thanks
Fire Fighter Shuler

[AFPD34]

Vertex makes a descent radio from my experience. Priced a lot less than motorola as well.

[BoxAlarm187]

Do you want a radio or a scanner? Two completely different things. And Motorola doesn't make scanners.

Lots of good radios out there, Motorola (can't pay more for less!), Vertex, Icom, etc, etc, etc. Depends on what you want the radio to do...

[GTRider245]

...unless you have a radio that scans.

And who said Motorola is the best? While I agree they make good products, plenty of other companies are right on par with them. The area where I am at is mostly Kenwood...and we dont have alot of issues. I have a TK272 portable that I bought used over 3 years ago and it has held up great. Been in plenty of fires and been wet alot as well. It holds plenty of channels and scans with priority.

Alot of this will have to do with what frequency you need to operate on.

My vote goes to Motorola.

[CaptOldTimer]

Ive been a volunteer fire fighter for about 3 years now and I just moved from NJ to NC & I plan on buying a new 2 way portable radio/scanner and Mic I know Motorola is the best out there but I would like some other opinions on particular Radios/scanners. I would like to go as cheap as possible but good quality!

Thanks
Fire Fighter Shuler

FF Shuler;

The first thing I believe I would do is to get approval from the chief of the department that you belong to, if you belong to one, before I would go out and spend big bucks for a hand held portable radio or scanner that it capable to receiving the frequencies of the department.

You may find that you may not be authorized to have a radio that can transmit on their frequencies.

[JWarrenFFEMT]

i would get another vertex in a heartbeat if something ever happened to mine

[nmfire]

First get permission from your chief or whoever is in charge of you to use a personally owned two-way radio on their frequency.

Motorola definitely not the best out there. Maybe 15 years ago they were the best out there, because they had no competition. Now they have competition and their competitors have them beat in many markets. Kenwood, Vertex, and Icom all make professional, rugged, and in many cases better products. And you don't bay and extra $1,000 each to have the (/\/\) logo on the front. We use Kenwood's 90 series and 180 series radios here exclusively and they kick any comparable Motorola product in the nuts... Literally, I could smash a motorola CDM1250 to pieces with the radio chassis off a Kenwood 90 series mobile. Oh, and when a Kenwood radio breaks, it doesn't have to pass through customs to go to a low budget repair depot in Mexico... which is what Motorola did a few years ago.

As far as scanners go, if you need digital, you're paying $500+. If you don't, save your money.

[LVFD301]

Do you need a radio for VIPER?

Its coming....