Which radio would you prefer?

[ems4ty]

If you were going to purchase a radio, which one of these two would you prefer, and if possible a brief description of why? Also, would you add a VIC-1 Intercom system as well?

I'm in the market to get a radio to fit in my rack below my passenger seat and am not sure which way to go. If there are others that you recommend, please post.

Thank you for your constructive (or destructive) advice...

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

The 524 is the basic FM radio we used for platoon leader vehicles the 246 is of the 524 series and has two net cabability so that would allow you to talk to the company net as well as the Battalion. You would need a matching antennae to ensure the output is maximized and the range far exceeds the smaller radios in your survey. The 524 series radios were all maintained at Tobyhanna Army Depot in PA. They did complete rebulds with state of the art equipment so look for one coming out of there.

 

[m38inmaine]

Unless you have a license such as ham radio allowing you to operate on the 6meter band 50-54Mhz its just a boat anchor, looks cool, or acts as a receiver. In that case any radio would work. If you are licensed to transmit on it you might want the power output the 524/246 offers. The advantage of the 25/77 is its lighter weight and you can pull it and man pack the radio for field use. The biggest advantage of the 246 is that you can remotely change frequencies. The 246 also requires an external speaker. As far as the VIC-1, I find the headsets uncomfortable and the system uses alot of wiring. I use two David Clark aviation headsets and a vox operated sigtronics "black box", runs on a 9v battery and is much smaller, also allows input from external audio sources such as cell phone or radio. The aviation setup is also portable and you can use it in other vehicles as it's not hard wired.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I like the simplicity and power of the RT524. Getting a license is much easier now that you no longer have to do code. Some existing operators probably don't like that but it will bring in more people. If you plan on using the radio while goig down the road you may need the VIC-1. Like Mark says, I found the VIC-1 headsets (161s) uncomfortable and removed my VIC-1. I use Peltor Powercoms now. One day I'll buy another radio though.

 

[nf6x]

The 524/246 have higher output power than the 25/77. Between the two, the 524's internal speaker is more useful than the 246's preset channels IMHO. Assuming you get a ham license, you'll probably only ever use the radio on 51.0 MHz. Without the ham license, just get whichever setup you find a good deal on, and don't worry about whether it works or not.

 

[ONTOS66]

I have the 246 in my M1009 with the remote control boxes mounted on the dash bracket along with a speaker. I used both radios, along with many many others over the years in the Army and Marines. As was noted earlier, you need a ham license to operate them and then only a limited band.
I'm in the process of adding a GRC-213 which will provide me with hf capability and a broader selection of ham frequencies (oh yeah - and it is harder to find and more expensive radio as well) - which requires a general class license.
I've never seen the need for an intercom setup in a wheeled vehicle - IMO - but it might be different if I had a gamma goat or some other really noisy rig.

So - for use (limited) or for show? That is the key decision point - if for show you can pickup some inoperative radios of either type for less - although the 524 is more commonly available than the 246. If it is just for show you might want the flexibility of the PRC-77 / PRC-25 (depending on age of the vehicle and the use) Many of the M113s used by the infantry or scouts had them so they could be used dismounted from the vehicle.

Decisions, decisions, decisions ...

 

[ems4ty]

Thanks for all the opinions. For right now, It'll be for show. But if I'm going to spend any money on anything, I want it to work as it was originally intended. A good buddy of mine has a ham license, and I'm sure he'd like to play with it a bit too. Think I'm leaning towards the RT-524 for simplicity reasons. The VIC-1 is a novel idea, but for practical purposes, I may just go with the Peltor for now. Oh yeah, BTW, is the Peltor wired or wireless? I have two Deuces (my brother owns the other one) and if/when we are traveling down the road in a convoy, would we be able to communicate with each other? Any particular Model #'s that someone can recommend?

Thanks again guys for your advice!

 

[Recovry4x4]

The Peltor Powercom is a wireless headset that works on FRS channels. Has about a mile range.