Newbie Looking for First Radio: FT-60R or VX-6R

[Centropolis]

I am looking for advice on choosing between these two units. This is going to be my first unit after getting my license.

Here is my perception of them.

FT-60R, older model but more solidly built than the VX-6R, it's a little bigger and has all the essentials to start out.

VX-6R, newer model and seem to have a lot of features than the VX-6R, smaller (harder to hold on to?), may last longer because of the extra features that I can use so I may not feel the urge to upgrade in 2 years or something.

One thing I really want to know is the battery life. Are they comparable or is one significantly better than the other? (Everything else being equal of course.)

Thanks for the help!

[kd0bik]

Hi,

I don't own (nor have I used an FT-60R), but I do own the VX-6R and it works great. The size (or lack thereof) really is not an issue. The Radio fits nicely in my hand and I've owned it for almost three years. Now I do own other HT's including the VX-8 and an ICOM IC-92AD. But I do still use the VX-6 from time to time.

The battery life is fine. I do own an extra battery plus the AA battery holder for that rig. I also have a few small 12v packs that I can use if needed. If you're going to use a hand-held for emcomm or community service you really need a spare battery or some other power source. I'm also fortunate in the sense I have tons of repeaters mounted on the foothills (9-10K) with great coverage throughout greater Denver. This allows me to run the HT on a lower power setting. The lower power settings conserves battery power and keeps the radio cooler in the hand.

Hope this helps.

Jerry