If you had it to do over again, which model of Vertex would you pick, and why?
Well, the VXA-710 is the only Vertex with Li battery, and it matches Karen's VX-7R Ham rig, so accessories probably cross-over...
I truly hate the user interface, but I'd survive it.
I like their other rig better, the 220 but just noticed there's no Li battery available for it. Hrumph. Voted off the island...
Looking now, the Icom A-14 wasn't out when I bought the A-6. It looks pretty good too, and hmm...
No AA battery case for the Vertex. I hadn't noticed that only their NiMH radios have one available.
So... I think I'd get the Icom A-14 if I were buying today. Bigger buttons, the battery types I want, and larger overall but not huge. Li battery for regular use, AA-pack in the bag for emergency use.
Another plus, I like BNC antenna connectors better than SMA. Not by a huge margin, but I have crimp tools for BNC stuff, and can make my own cables, antennas, etc. a nit-pick most wouldn't care about.
SMA to BNC adapters put too much stress on the SMA on the radio and break things when tugged. Plus adapters are notorious for intermittent problems and if they can be avoided, I do.
If I had an extra external antenna on an aircraft it probably would have a BNC on the end on the cable, or would after I got done with it.