While I'm saving up for/learning to build my own HF base station I'd like to get a hand transceiver. The only problem is, there are so many options I have no idea where to begin.
What I'm looking for is:
- Dual-band 2m and 440. There are repeaters locally that support both.
- Digital support. My local club has d-star support built into their repeaters, and a few members use it. I was looking at an Icom ID-51a but if their are other or better options (not necessarily D-star mind you) I'd like to hear them.
- Priced between $250-500. I'm not really interested in Baofeng or the other Chinese brands. I've seen a few and messed with them. They're kinda tacky and definitely show their pricing in their build quality.
I've also looked at a few Yaesu models but I don't remember the specifics of them.
