New Radio

I recently went fishing in northern Maine. We were just a few miles away from the Canadian border on I-95 when we saw an SUV slide off the road and into a swampy area. As I went to check on the occupants, my wife attempted to use her car phone to contact 911. No signal.

Fortunately, we had backup communications available. We used a 2 meter band HAM radio to contact help. Once we got home, I reviewed our communications equipment. I noticed that several of the repeaters in my area have transitioned to digital only, so I made the decision to upgrade my mobile radio.

After some thought, I got a new Yaesu FTM-400 XDR. The manufacturer has a promotion available until the end of the month, where you get $100 off the radio, if purchased from an approved retailer. I bought mine from Ham City for $410, plus shipping.

Installation was easy. One of the things I like about this radio is that the control head can be separated from the radio, which allows the radio to be mounted behind the back seat of my F150. The control head is pretty small and easy to place.

With this new radio, I now have digital radio capabilities. I received no compensation of any kind as a result of this review. I just like Yaesu radios and HamCity had the best price on this radio.