At 10:55 AM 6/16/2009, you wrote: >Hi Everybody, > >I've been dreaming of the "ultimate" handheld D-Star radio. I have >an IC-91AD and while it works well, the battery life is abysmal if >you are doing anything more than casual transmitting. >I would love to see Icom release a dual band D-Star radio in the >form factor of the IC-V82/U82/F3 radio with a nice big display, >bigger buttons and most importantly a bigger capacity battery. >The smaller size of the IC-91AD/92AD and the ID-80 is nice, but >sometimes you want to be able to use it for an extended period >without having to worry about battery life. >A ham can dream...
Let's see, my wish list would include: Longer battery life. Along with that, a wide selection of power levels from 100 (or less) mW, to 5W or more (the 92AD has this). I spend a lot of time on trains and in other places where it's not convenient to give the battery a top up. If that means a slightly bigger and/or heavier radio, that's not a huge tradeoff for me, I wouldn't notice the extra weight! :) Ability to monitor two D-STAR frequencies simultaneously (i.e. two AMBE chips installed) Full computer control capabilities, and the ability to access any part of the data stream being transmitted or received. Bluetooth host capability, so Bluetooth GPSs can be used for D-PRS, and Bluetooth headsets as well (ideal for bicycle mobile operations). Boxes tethered by cables are _very_ inconvenient for me, as I'm usually walking or cycling. That's a short list off the top of my head. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com
