First, I love my ICOM IC7300 for HF Ham Radio coms(160meters through 6 meters). I also like my Tri-Band QYT 25 watt Mobile that I use in the cars and one as a base station. The Tri-Band is connected to an antenna switch and goes up the tower to a 2 meter 5/8 over 5/8 antenna about 50 feet up the tower. Then the switch is connected to a 220 Mhz 1/4 wave home brew of my own design that is about 40 feet up the tower. Then the switch is connected to a 440 Mhz 1/4 wave home brew of my own design that is about 40 feet up the tower. Next I'm going to mention a radio that I don't really care for but I have. I have a dual Band DMR Digital radio that I do not like and did not want but figured that I might need in an emergency situation. Its a 5 watt DMR Handi-talkie connected to a 440 Mhz home brew Cubical Quad antenna up about 40 feet and pointed directly at the nearest DMR repeater located about 18 miles away. Then, I have an ICOM IC R7000 receiver that covers 25 Mhz to 1 GHz that will receive AM, FM wide, FM narrow, Upper and lower SSB, and CW. It is connected to a 2 meter 1/4 wave home brew antenna mounted to a 25 foot pole. I like the ICOM receiver but its a little bit more deaf than my other radios. The only thing that I don't like about it is that its older technology and requires me to open the radio up occasionally and solder in a new disc battery so that it can keep the memorized frequencies active. Its great for monitoring Air Traffic and frequencies above 440 Mhz. My 220 Mhz antenna is a bit hit and miss on hitting the Richmond repeaters that are about 50 miles North. I bought a 5 element 220 Yagi but I'm just too old and feeble to climb 40 feet up the tower to install it. That bugger would nail those 220 Richmond repeaters with no problem. I was gifted an old 23 channel COBRA AM/SSB CB that works but I'm not real crazy about. I'll hook it up if I ever need it but I've got an ICOM IC 718 that's wide open and it probably would do a better job than the COBRA. I keep the IC 718 in my Radio Bug Out Knapsack. As a final note, I have a whole bunch of preprogrammed Handi-talkies for every Backpack and Fanny Pack that I own and I like them all. Oh, I guess I shouldn't leave out the extra pre programmed EMP protected backup Handi-talkies and Triband radios that I like. Batteries, batteries batteries. Yes, I have lots and lots of extra Handi-talkie batteries.
