Hi Dave!

I own about 30*40 handhelds, along with many mobiles and a base station.  So with all the HTs, I've had a lot of experience in that department.  If I were you, I'd probably stick with Baofeng UV-82 (2M/70CM) and UV-82X (1:25M/2M).  They are about 30 and 50 bucks respectively on Amazon.  The one I own is the 82X, which is here:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GFAJPC8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage.  The 82 is here:  http://www.amazon.com/Baofeng-UV-82-Black-Two-Way-Radio/dp/B00E4KLY34/ref=sr_1_2?s=car&ie=UTF8&qid=1447157035&sr=1-2&keywords=BaoFeng+UV-82&pebp=1447157054041&perid=00JXRE6R4S83X7YEBJPJ.  I have owned and used these little things and they are very durable, never had a single problem with one of them and I own 8:  

When it comes to the biggies, Yaesu is good.  Very durable and good quality.  My favorite, but more expensive.  Kenwood, if you drop it on the ground, you stand a good chance at sending it in and fixing it for at least a hundred bucks.  I own two of the tribanders, which I love because 1.25 M is 5W, something Yaesu doesn't do.  

Alinco I like because I use 1.25 M a lot, but cheaper radios.  Still don't have trouble with them.  

I've got a bunch of others, but these are my thoughts on these particular ones.

Take care,

Shon
K6QT
Layton, UT, USA

Shon R. Edwards, MA, AG (Czech Republic)
Amateur call:  K6QT
1039 N 2575 W
Layton, UT, 84041-7709
USA
Home phone:  (801) 444-3445

or

Shon Edwards
715 Strawberry Creek Private Rd.
Bedford, WY 83112
Cell:  (307) 248-2104

On Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 3:20 AM, Dave Nathanson <k6gzjo.lists.chirpusers@nathanson.org> wrote:
[This is sort of off-topic, but hinges on CHIRP support for the radio] 

Howdy, I'd like to get a recommendation for a dual band mobile radio for a new ham that will (probably) not use it a whole lot. But it needs to work reliably enough, even if not a lot of features. Actually less features is fine, that is just less stuff to not understand & less to forget between uses!   :-) 

Mounting a UV5R in a car doesn't seem like a good idea. Can anyone offer anything good or bad about any "inexpensive" mobile dual band ham radio, including the Leixen VV-898 or Jetstream JT270M (apparently the same radio). It is one of the few cheap Mobile units I see on the list of CHIRP supported radios. 
http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home
Amazon reviews seem fairly ok, especially for $99.  I'm interested in a CHIRP-supported radio. This is intended for an 1997 Jeep Cherokee, and a small radio is probably a better match. It does need to be a dual bander. 

If the cost gets anywhere even near $200, I'd just recommend the Yaesu 7900 or Yaseu 8800. But for this situation, I'm open to hearing about cheaper alternatives that I might be able to recommend until this new ham grows into the "sport". 

Thanks for your helpful council. 

73,
Dave Nathanson
KG6ZJO

PS: if you know of a better forum to ask about CHIRP compatible mobile radios, it's ok to shoot me a pm or direct email about it. 


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