Review of the Icom IC-V8-SPORT
This 2-meter, handheld transceiver could be the ideal radio for the newly minted ham coming from CERT and interested primarily in emergency communications. Currently available at AES for only $99 (http://www.aesham.com/index.html), this rugged radio is very affordable. Running on low power it is ideal for local area CERT operation using assigned simplex frequencies.
As to performance, we used it at the 2009 Oxnard High School Band Competition and it exceeded our expectations. On low power (0.5W) it easily hit the Olivas Park repeater, and it ran all day on six AA batteries. Out of the box it was first tested on high power (5.5W) and from the Pacific Palisades coast easily hit the CARA repeater (http://www.cara.nu) on Catalina Island over 20 miles away.
Quality, simplicity, anywhere Tough construction. The green polycarbonate front panel and aluminum die-cast chassis will provide years of durability. The 54×132×35 mm compact ergonomic body is easy for carrying anywhere. 16 button keypad for easy-to-access functions The function guidance is labeled on the 16 buttons. So you can easily manage all of the functions equipped on the IC-V8 by pushing Function key and shortcut keys. In addition, a channel number or an operating frequency can be entered from the keypad directly. Channel selection, volume, squelch and subaudible tones can be assigned to the up/down switches or rotary selector at your convenience. Set mode and initial set mode By adapting set mode and initial set mode menu, set mode allows you to arrange often-used menus easily and quickly. 5-character alphanumeric display Letters and numeral character names provide easy recognition of each channel. S-meter, keylock, tone and duplex setting icons show various operating status at glance. Up to 100 often used channels can be stored into the memory with channel name, tone and duplex setting. Furthermore, one call channel provides one touch channel access for a frequently used channel. CTCSS and DTCS operation standard 50 CTCSS and 38 DTCS tone squelch operation codes (encoder and decoder) provide quiet standby and allows you repeater access.
