I got my wife a uv5r for $39 on amazon.com and it works reasonably well, I 
can't say I'd want it as my only hand held but for public service events now 
and then and when we're out for walks now and then, it's not a bad little 
radio. Usually on our walks we are on 900 MHz anyway.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 7:39 PM
Subject: Re: Touch screens


> and some people swear by the comidor 64 too haha.
> For 45 bucks now you can get a dual band, full keypad handheld with some
> speech that is half the size of the ic02at or ft470 or standard 530.
> And trust me, the uv5r is just as well built too because I've dropped mine
> many many times and it still keeps on ticking without a  hitch.
> Just the battery pack for the ic02 is nearly double that price these days.
> I had an ic02 I think it was with the 3 thumb wheels on the top and the 5K
> switch on the back along with the plus-minus and offset slider switches.
> But I was just learning back in those days and when the battery pack 
> failed,
> I tried to connect the radio to 13.8 volts...but naturally, got it 
> backwards
> and blew the diode out.
> I never did figure out how to bypass or replace the protection diode and 
> so
> the radio went into the junk bin for several years, then into permanent ht
> valhalla hi.
> The receiver was a bit deaf on it anyway compared to even my ICt2H which 
> is
> deafer than my other HT's.
> So, as long as your good and close to a repeater, and don't have much
> intermod, it works pretty well.
>
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Buddy Brannan" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 4:43 PM
> Subject: Re: Touch screens
>
>
>> Actually Colleen, the FT-470 (and the later FT-530) were fantastic =
>> radios for blind ops. Excellent, in fact, and I wouldn't mind having one 
>> =
>> of them myself again.=20
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jun 9, 2013, at 6:06 PM, COLLEEN ROTH <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>> I have the Thumb Wheels notched.
>>> I also have a PL Board for the most common PL Tone in my area.
>>> I didn't know about the 02AT when I got my radio.
>>> My husband and I got these radios right when we were licensed.
>>> He has a Yaesu 470 Dual Bander because he can see the display.
>>> I got to have his radio notched too.
>>> Colleen Roth, N8TNV;
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Harvey Heagy <[log in to unmask]>
>>> ,to3 [log in to unmask]
>>> Date: Saturday, June 8, 2013 12:23 pm
>>> Subject: Re: Touch screens
>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> My first ever ham radio was the Icom 0-bAT which I liked very much.  =
>> It was=20
>>>> keypad operated.  I had friends who had the 2AT, but they had to file =
>> the=20
>>>> thumb wheels so that they could keep track of the input and output=20
>>>> frequencies.  How do you handle that?
>>>> Harvey
>>>> ----- Original Message -----=20
>>>> From: "COLLEEN ROTH" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2013 9:39 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: Touch screens
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> Hello,
>>>> I understand that a lot of people love Iphones and other 
>>>> touchscreen=20=
>>
>>>> Devices.
>>>> I would not feel comfortable with a Smartphone or Iphone because I do =
>> not=20
>>>> want to have to listen to all of that stuff and figure out what to =
>> do.
>>>> I like buttons to operate things. Personally, I do not care about all =
>> of=20
>>>> those Apps.
>>>> The only way I would consider a Smartphone is if all or most of the =
>> things I=20
>>>> would do could be done via a Braille Display.
>>>> That would include reading things with a Braille Display.
>>>> I definitely do not want a Touch Screen on my Radio because I would =
>> hit the=20
>>>> Panic Button too much if I thought I hit the wrong button.
>>>> We each have to choose the path we walk.
>>>> I have an Icom 2at with Thumb Wheels notched and a PL Board so I can =
>> use it=20
>>>> independently.
>>>> Colleen Roth, N8TNV=20