My first dual-band HT was an Alinco DJ-580T, which I bought in 1992. The DJ-580 is a full-duplex, true dual-bander VHF/UHF handheld and I sure had a lot of fun with mine. Today's HT's are a little bit smaller but at the time, the '580 was a heck of a lot of radio for its size.
In a sad moment in radio history, my '580 vanished one day, never to be seen again. I wish I knew where it went - I think it's possible that it got set atop a car and we drove off, but that's just a guess. Anway for years I have sadly wished it was still in my rig collection.
I finally decided to watch ebay for sales and sure enough, there are plenty. After a few weeks I found what appeared to be a good one, and with a little bit of bidding I won it for less than $100. This was a $500+ radio in the heyday, but the newer HT's and lower HT prices in general have made it worth less. Actually, a hundred bucks is a lot for most HT's of that age, but this one is worth it.
Anyway I received it today and it's almost like new. I got the full kit, complete with box, manual, etc.; there were also a bunch of accessories like a drop-in charger, DC cable, case, etc. So I feel like I'm finally catching back up to an old friend. Do I really need this Alinco HT? Well no, I suppose not, since I have a fancy Kenwood TH-F6A with more features; but I definitely can put the full duplex features to use if we work some easy-sats like we did a couple of nights ago. One thing I especially like is the independent VHF and UHF volume and squelch controls.
Alinco has never been the "Big" name in ham radio, but in my mind this one is a classic and I'm sure happy to give it some new life.
