ALINCO DJ-V17 Handheld Transceiver Review

This is now the second Alinco handheld that we’ve purchased. We decided on the DJ-V17 since we have already been using the DJ-V57 dual bander. The two radios are nearly identical and most of the same commands and functionality are the same between them.

The DJ-V17T is a 2 Meter single band transceiver with the capability to receive and scan from 136-174 MHz.  It has three power settings ranging from .5 to a full 5 watt output and 200 memories.

The main features that caught my attention about these Alinco radios were their waterproof construction and the material that it’s case is built with. If you’ve ever held a Yaesu and noticed it’s Glock-like plastic housing, the same material is used in this Alinco. It’s very durable and it doesn’t feel like a kid’s toy.

This Alinco was purchased for $89.00. . A speaker/mic adaptor #EDS-10 was purchased along with it. We’ll be adding another AA Battery Case for this radio in the near future If you’ve read any of our comms articles, you know that we always use a speaker/mic and keep a AA battery option available in case of a sudden rechargable power pack failure. We opted for the Alinco EDS-10 Waterproof Speaker/Mic adaptor which is around $15.00. This saves us money by letting us use a standard speaker/mic with the DJ-V17T and still retain it’s waterproof case. It’s also quite a bit easier to install than a full sized speaker mic since the connection is threaded. On a side note, this adapter lets us use the same speaker/mics that our Midland GMRS radios use!

This radio has many little features that I like. The button labels are printed on the case instead of on the buttons. There’s nothing more frustrating than having the labels get worn off the buttons leaving you with no idea of what that button’s function is.

This radio even has a “one touch” command to program a frequency into a memory channel. That is an outstanding improvement over other brands. The “scan” command is also one push of a button…very easy to remember. There is also a nice little “cheat sheet” in the operator’s manual that can be cut out and laminated.

Here’s a view of both sides of the case. I really like how the “function” button is not on the keypad. Alinco has placed it on the side of the case and protected it with rubber armor. It took me a while to get used to that but I can definitely appreciate it now.

Here’s a view of the top-side. The antenna connection at the radio is an SMA Female which allows the use of aftermarket or base station antennas. The mic jack has a waterproof cap.

The back half of the case is the battery pack. Alinco offers several optional rechargeable packs ranging from 700 mAh to 2000 mAh. The radio is supplied with a belt clip that attaches to the battery pack.

These really are great radios. They are built tough, they’re easy to use and there is plenty of dealer support and accessories in the US.

Ben

Check out our Alinco DJ-V57 Dual Band Transceiver Review HERE

This review was originally published at Citizensradioguide.com

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