PRESIDENT HR-2510

Update

This radio has been replaced with an Alinco DX-70TH. This article has been retained for informational and historical purposes only.

How I ended up with this radio

I was lucky when I got this radio, it was one of those "in the right place at the right time" kinda things. I mentioned to Col VK4CC one afternoon that it would be great to have a 10m rig in the car for those rare occasions when 10m was open and I wasn't at home to enjoy it. Quick as a flash Col said that he had one surplus to his requirements and that I could have it for $40. Bargain!

Within a few days I had the radio in my possession.

Impressions

When I got the radio home, I connected it up and put it through it's paces. The radio really is a glorified CB radio with a frequency readout instead of a channel display. Having said that though, it is ruggedly constructed and heavy by today's standards. OK it didn't hear as well as the 706, and it only had 25 watts output, but it worked remarkably well through a 5/8 vertical. Landing me several contacts up and down the east coast with little effort.

I used this radio in the car for some 12 months before I eventually sold my sedan and bought a 4wd (OK is only a Vitara/ Sidekick but it does have 4wd). The radio never missed a beat, and because I used it at dusk on the way home form work, grey line often came into play.

It was simple to change frequencies using the microphone up down control, so I never had to take my eyes off the road to adjust the VFO. The one thing I might suggest is that the frequency display does not like full sun. If you have the opportunity to mount it in the shade, do it, as mounting in direct sun will cause the screen to go black until the LCD cools down.

Modifications

Someone, a previous owner, opened the radio up so it covered 26 through to 30mHz and modified it for clarify on transmit. This is a common mod done by pirate CB'ers and unfortunately sometimes these mods are really rough. I'm happy to report, however, that the mods were neat and tidy and it didn't appear to suffer from screw driver syndrome. The only thing that had to be repaired was the light for the meter which had failed, this was fixed with a small grain of wheat globe, the type commonly used in model railroad engineering.

The one thing that I really hate about the radio is the stupid 9 way plug on the back. The one where you plug in the extension speaker, key and PA speaker. Well I hated it so much I ditched it, replacing it with a couple of 3.5mm mono plugs and a 6mm mono for the Key. The power was taken straight off the main board through a pigtail with both lines fused.

Conclusion

The President HR-2510 is not in the same league as the Icom, Yaesu or Kenwoods of the world, and although the radio has 29mHz and FM, it does not have repeater offset. This is a pity because working FM from a mobile can be quite rewarding.

Having said all that though, it is ruggedly built and can take a few knocks, the receiver although not "Amateur Radio" class is sufficient and the 25 watts will get you there if the conditions are right.

So, if you want to get on 10m, and are not fussed with 10m FM repeater operation, there is no better way to get started.

BCNU