Icom IC-2300H
$$$··
| Frequency | 136-174 MHz |
| TX power | 5 / 10 / 25 / 65 W |
| Modes | FM |
| Weight | 700 g (24.7 oz) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 2011 |
| antenna | SO-239 |
| dc in | 13.8VDC fused power cable |
| mic | Icom 8-pin RJ-45 modular |
| power req | 13.8VDC (vehicle power) |
65W on 2m (65/25/10/5W), among the cheapest real-power 2m mobiles. Compact, 207 memories, CTCSS/DTCS, and MIL-STD-810G rugged construction. Simple Icom quality, still in production.
2m only. No 70cm. No digital. Bare minimum.
Maximum 2m power for minimum price. The IC-2300H delivers 65W on 2m at an entry-level price, a current, simple, rugged single-band mobile. No 70cm and no digital, but for plain high-power 2m FM it is hard to beat on price.
The IC-2300H is Icom's current entry-level 2-meter mobile, and it has earned a quietly excellent reputation for being simple, tough, and hard to kill. It runs 65 watts on high with steps down to 25, 10, and 5 watts, transmits across the 2-meter band, and receives well outside it. Like its stablemates it is a single-band FM radio — no 70-centimeter coverage, no SSB, and importantly no D-STAR option at all, which keeps the menus refreshingly short.
What sets it apart from the older IC-2200H it replaced is a MIL-STD-810G rating for shock and vibration, a slightly larger display, and a more compact chassis that tucks into a crowded console more easily. There are 207 memory channels, full CTCSS and DTCS tone control, and a weather-alert receiver on the US version. None of that is exotic, but it is all reliable.
For a new Technician who wants one no-nonsense radio for the car, the IC-2300H is one of the easiest recommendations going. It is roughly comparable to the older IC-2100H in mission but more rugged and far more current. If you ever want digital or dual-band later you step up to something else, but for plain FM this is plenty.