Great radio. I can reach all the area repeaters and have made a few simplex contacts with it.
I have used it for about 4 months now. Great little rig. I used the Kenwood MCP-2 software to program it. Easy as all get out once you understand the software. My last dual bander mobile was 25 years ago so the learning curve was a little steep for my 64 yr old brain. Outstanding recieve audio and what comes out the other end is about the best I have heard. My better half is also a ham so I know exactly how she sounds. She drives the radio better because of a higher pitch voice than mine. The manual is OK. The reason for the ok is that I think it needs to go into more depth in all areas. I like the bigger hand mike as my hands are big. A little more to grab on to so to speak. 1000 memories Wow. My last dual band had 50!!!!! I like the capability to program things into sections. i.e. frequencies from my home to Dallas or for a large metro area. Weather alert tone is loud. Had it programed to go off and just about jumped out of my skin the other day. Still looking for a way to turn it down a bit. This radio is the Best investment I have made recently. You will not be disappointed if you purchase one of these radios.
John