I have owned this radio for some time now and after being able to use it on the D-Star repeater GB7WP which is situated on the Wirral Peninsular I think it is time to write a review, although I don't know where to start as it is my first review of such a radio.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box outside one of the big radio emporiums was how large the radio actually was. I once owned a Yaesu VX-7R and compared with this the E92 is like a brick.
I don't however think this is a bad thing because there is a limit on how small a radio can get before it is too fiddly to use and I think some on the market are passed this so called limit. The 15 button keypad is designed very well and the buttons are not too small and are spaced out just right (for my fat fingers!). Not once have I pressed the wrong button or two buttons at the same time. The keypad has two functions to each button. This is quite easy to get used to and all you do is press once or if you want the secondary option press and hold it for a second.
The handheld is very robust and has a solid feel to it. I first started using it on a mountain top above Colwyn Bay and straight away I worked someone in Blackpool on its rubber duck as I sat in the car amazed.
After using the radio for 20 minutes or so the handheld did start to become warm like any other radio (on full power). The radio does get hot and there are several warnings of this in the user manual.
The radio has a dual receive facility V-V, U-U, U-V, V-U. The only thing to mention is D Star or DV mode is only on the B VFO and not on both. I bought the handheld with the HM-17S GPS mic, spare battery, and the BC-177 rapid desk charger. More on this later.
The menu layout is very simple and when I was looking into thos radio I saw review after review saying it took four hours to program one repeater. I have to say they are wrong. The menu could not be more simple to use. I was extremely worried by this and was debating to buy the software kit as well but am glad I didn't. I don't like to use any software kits to program the radios as I find it gives myself a better feel around the radios doing it all by hand.
The menu layout is very simple and straight forward. Press menu and you will come to a list of options, like 'Display' or 'Dup/Tone' and so on. If you want anything to do wit 'Offsets' or 'CCTCS Tones' it is all in the 'Dup/Tone' menu. To navigate around the menu you use the keypad - 2 is up, 4 is left, 5 is ebter, 6 is right, and 8 is down. You can also use the channel knob to go up which is quite easy.
Programming the D-Star repeater settings are a little tricky at first as we are all new to this and have to know what goes where. Once you have set the right D-Star frequency and offset for the repeater you will need to insert the setting below into the Call Sign menu
Your: CQCQCQ
RPT1: GB7WP B 2 Spaces before B
RPT2: GB7WP G 2 Spaces before the G
MY: MW3VSG/DAVE 2 Spaces before the /
(Please change the settings above to suit yourself)
The HM-175 GPS speaker mic (added option) is possibly the best mic I have found for handhelds since being licenced. It seems to be very well built and has a nice feel to it. I am told it is the same mic they use in the corporate field. On the rear of the mic you have a swivel clip which looks quite solid and when you turn it every 45 degrees it slots into place (it's very handy for clipping onto your seatbelt!).
The mic has a button on the top to turn the GPS on or off and and the button lights up to indicate this. The GPS is quite slow at finding a signal and you can find yourself dangling it out of the car window to get a fix!
With the BC-177 rapid desk charger (which is an added option) you are able charge either a spare battery or the radio itself. It is handy if you buy the spare BP-256.
Bad points
1. No ear phone socket on speaker mic.
2. Only one VFO for DV/D Star mode.
3. The screen has lines across it (sometimes).
Good Points
1. Four power settings.
2. Well built.
3. Easy menu.
4. Waterproof.
Written by - Dave 2W0PWR
