Radio Accessories - cost

[WRWH978]

So are name brand (ex Yaesu/motorola/kenwood) accessories worth the price? Finding that I spend more on on extra batteries, antenna upgrade, headset, hand mic, rapid charger than the price of the actual radio new. I'd compare it to buying extras for a new rifle (optic/mags/ect) so you better have allocated funds budgeted.

[SteveShannon]

3 minutes ago, WRWH978 said:

So are name brand (ex Yaesu/motorola/kenwood) accessories worth the price? Finding that I spend more on on extra batteries, antenna upgrade, headset, hand mic, rapid charger than the price of the actual radio new. I'd compare it to buying extras for a new rifle (optic/mags/ect) so you better have allocated funds budgeted.

Define “worth the price”.  It’s truly a subjective question.  

Good antennas can really make a difference, but most of the better manufacturers already include a pretty decent antenna.

I like having extra batteries but I don’t have headsets and hand mics for all of them.  Having extra batteries makes a “rapid charger” less necessary.

Your comparison to firearms is a reasonable analogy.

[WRXP381]

Other than an older pair on xts3000s I don’t own any name brand stuff.  as far as accessories for the radios I do have I buy the cheapest I can get away with.  I’ll always spring for water proof but other than that I’ve never needed “better” and my stuff is abused pretty well.  Dropped out of trucks and quads, dropped off horses in mud and dirt and water ect.  An no one on the other end can tell the difference.  Now if I was a first responder or deploying I’d get the “best” I could. 

[nokones]

I have bought new Motorola radios and accessories for several decades. I still have those radios and accessories, except for the batteries and the molded earpieces for my earwire kits, that are well over 30 years old and still in good working condition. My latest radios and the associated accessories are the XTL and XTS series. I haven't dived into the APX series yet and the main reason for not diving into the APX portables has to do with the APX series portable accessories are not compatible with my JEDI and Astro Digital Series radios. I am heavily invested in the JEDI and Astro Digital Series audio accessories which are compatible with each other. Also, I do have an investment in both my VISAR and Astro Saber series accessories unfortunately, they are not compatible with anything.

I'm not sure if I will go the APX portable series route in the future. I maybe consider the APX mobiles since, I am somewhat there now with the later XTL 2500 and 5000 version mobiles.

Since, I have 9 XTL and 1 MCS2000 series mobiles and at least 35 various Motorola model portables, I just don't have a need at the moment to jump into the APX series. And that doesn't include some Midland and one other brand stuff.

 

[kidphc]

I have bought new Motorola radios and accessories for several decades. I still have those radios and accessories, except for the batteries and the molded earpieces for my earwire kits, that are well over 30 years old and still in good working condition. My latest radios and the associated accessories are the XTL and XTS series. I haven't dived into the APX series yet and the main reason for not diving into the APX portables has to do with the APX series portable accessories are not compatible with my JEDI and Astro Digital Series radios. I am heavily invested in the JEDI and Astro Digital Series audio accessories which are compatible with each other. Also, I do have an investment in both my VISAR and Astro Saber series accessories unfortunately, they are not compatible with anything.
I'm not sure if I will go the APX portable series route in the future. I maybe consider the APX mobiles since, I am somewhat there now with the later XTL 2500 and 5000 version mobiles.
Since, I have 9 XTL and 1 MCS2000 series mobiles and at least 35 various Motorola model portables, I just don't have a need at the moment to jump into the APX series. And that doesn't include some Midland and one other brand stuff.
 

APXs are very well worth the money if you can afford them. Especially, if you are looking at the 8k series. Since you can get them in Tri-Band.

My interim till I start gathering funds again, currently jobless. Is the Harris xg series, yes older but cheaper, then buying an xts/xtl 5k in uhf/vhf and 800. The 100p (portable) was like 600 and my 100m all together was 450 (more now).

When it comes to accessories (wires,connectors) I generally will buy generic, but some accesories like mics I usually go with oem.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[gortex2]

Personally I buy the manufactueres accessories as they are made for the product I'm using. All of my stuff lasts for years. Definately worth the money for quality equipment.

 

[nokones]

Since, I don't have a need or can I use a radio on 700/800 MHz, and I am not a HAM dude and never will be, and I don't intend to use MURS for anything, I don't think I would ever have a need for a multi-band APX radio.  I thought about getting a single band APX radio for UHF just so I can learn about that series a little more but, I just haven't done that yet, maybe on a rainy day when I am bored and want to spend some money for the hell of it.

Since, I've had my GMRS license(s) since the early 90s, I guess I am one of those GMRS old dogs and UHF suits me fine.

[nokones]

1 hour ago, gortex2 said:

Personally I buy the manufactueres accessories as they are made for the product I'm using. All of my stuff lasts for years. Definately worth the money for quality equipment.

 

This Motorola mic is a little over 30 years old and still in new like condition and I can still use it on my HT1000, MT2000/MTS2000, and my XTS series radios.  It has had a lot of use over the years.

[kidphc]

Since, I don't have a need or can I use a radio on 700/800 MHz, and I am not a HAM dude and never will be, and I don't intend to use MURS for anything, I don't think I would ever have a need for a multi-band APX radio.  I thought about getting a single band APX radio for UHF just so I can learn about that series a little more but, I just haven't done that yet, maybe on a rainy day when I am bored and want to spend some money for the hell of it.
Since, I've had my GMRS license(s) since the early 90s, I guess I am one of those GMRS old dogs and UHF suits me fine.

I do not "need" 7/800. But it was real easy and nice to non-affiliate link to several of the different counties systems. Some in my area have not gone full encryption.

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[WRWH978]

While technically not an accessory, RT-Systems programming software is always an extra "cha-ching" that makes life easier with a new radio.

Also, cig lighter car charger is another one I usually add to the kit.

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, WRWH978 said:

While technically not an accessory, RT-Systems programming software is always an extra "cha-ching" that makes life easier with a new radio.

Also, cig lighter car charger is another one I usually add to the kit.

Two weeks ago I discovered that my RTS software corrupts memory when using the features that RTS built into the software.  I was editing a DMR codeplug and I used the built-in editing functions to edit the order of channels. To its credit, when the corruption cause the editor to throw an error it offered to send in the stack dump. The next day I received an email that basically said they could see what I did that caused the error:  I used the functionality in the editor. 

I truly appreciate the responsiveness of their customer support.  I like their editors (I have six of them) when they work, but I lost a lot of confidence in using their editors for DMR.