But as a in a bombproof package? Nothing quite like it exists today. Modern Icoms like the ID-52 or IC-705 are spectacular, but they cost $500+. The V90, picked up for $100–150 used, offers a unique blend of receive range and transmit simplicity that no current VHF-only HT matches.
If you see one at a hamfest with the AA battery case included, grab it. It’s a little grey brick that whispers (and shouts) from an era when radios were built to last, listen, and work—no firmware updates required. Icom ic v90