The key to any amateur radio operation is the gear! Here’s what I use to get the job done.
Radios
Yaesu FT-8900R
This is the radio I have installed in my car. I’ve had this radio since early September 2011. This is a quad band 10m/6m/2m/70cm rig with two independent transceivers and duplexer.
FT-8900R on Yaesu web site
Product review in QST
My Icom IC-T90A tuned to the W3VPR repeater (147.105+, PL 107.2) in Davidsonville, MD
I’ve had the IC-T90A for about 3 years. It’s my first radio. It works well, though I wish the antenna mount was a little sturdier and BNC instead of SMA. Also, the battery life is a little disappointing. The functionality of the radio as a tri-band is excellent however, and sounds great. The menu system is easy, and the radio is fairly intuitive.
I use it as a scanner for public works and emergency responder frequencies with some success. I can’t receive digitally encoded channels, but analog frequencies come in great since this radio has a very wide receive range.
IC-T90A on Icom web site
Product review in QST
Antennas
Diamond HV-7A
This is the antenna I use with the Yaesu FT-8900R. It’s a purpose-built quad band antenna, and works well with the Ft-8900R.