Adam Wampler
Great Basic Starter Kit
This kit provides you with a basic entry level radio, the President Ted, with a basic fixed antenna, which is the Virginia F. While this certainly isn't a commercial grade radio and antenna, it definitely is a decent little radio and functional antenna combination for $79 at the time I'm typing this. This isn't a feature laden radio, but in my opinion it's pretty unbeatable at this price point.
If you need a very basic, yet dependable radio, this is one to take a close look at. It's basically got auto-squelch (ACS) in addition to manual squelch, it has AM/FM, quick access to channel 9, and channel scan. You can receive, transmit, and add an external speaker and that's pretty much it.
It seems to receive fine and transmit pretty well with the basic included antenna (pairing this with a better antenna would certainly be even better). The radio casing is good quality and honestly the built-in internal speaker doesn't sound too bad. The display is easy to read and the controls are easy to use.
The antenna is fixed, has a rubber protected magnet base for mounting, and is small enough to be mounted on pretty much any type of vehicle. It's very easy to handle and actually performs pretty well for a basic antenna. The fact that you're getting the antenna included with the radio at the $79 price is simply phenomenal.
The radio includes a mounting bracket, basic mic, and a mounting kit for the mic itself. The wiring harness has a bare negative wire and a bare positive wire. You'll need to get your own 12V accessory plug or take the necessary steps to hardwire it yourself (hardwiring and ensuring a good ground would give optimal performance).
This isn't for everyone....This might not be for the professional trucker, construction site mobile equipment operator, or for other commercial use, but it should be adequate for your passenger vehicle, farm equipment, or for trail riding in utility vehicles. It's designed to be entry level and if you need something higher end, then take a look at the President Thomas, JFK III, or other models. It's a great basic kit if your expectations are realistic and it works great for me.
