If you do not already have one, it is recommended you get a programming cable for $5.
If you want a single band DMR / Analog radio you have a choice between the CS750 or CS580. Comparing the two is like comparing the Rolls Royce against a Tesla. They are both great cars but the Rolls Royce won't accelerate to 60 mph is 3.9 seconds. In a like manner, the CS750 is one of the best made DMR radios made at any price but does not have a few features of the CS580. Even some of the Motorola Engineers prefer the CS750 over the Motorola XPR6550.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Some of the Motorola Engineers reported in the Yahoo Forums that the Hardware of the CS750 is 3dB more sensitive than their radio with the other parameters being about the same. One of our commercial customers was testing the radio in Las Vegas when it first came out against the Motorola radio and a Hytera radio and found that they were able to maintain communication at the fringes of reception with their repeater while the other two radios were silent.
How Rugged is the CS750?
The CS750 is among one of the most rugged radios available. We have had a customer accidentally drop the radio from 30 feet and the radio suffered no damage. We had one customer accidentally drop the radio from 50 feet and the only damage was the display which was replaced for $10. Most of the others radios will break and cannot be easily fixed if you look at them funny.
Will it Work in Sunlight?
The CS750 can be used in bright sunlight. The other radios displays fade in bright sunlight. This is a choice you have to make. While the CS580 and a few other radios have a multiline multicolor display, their display cannot be seen in bright sunlight. The CS750 has a two line single color display that can be used even in bright sunlight. The larger color display of the other radios make it easy to break when it falls.
Superheterodyne Receivers Verses Direct Conversion Receivers
The CS750 receiver is based on a tuned front end double conversion superheterodyne design. This gives the ultimate in sensitivity and selectivity. The cheaper radios are based on a single chip design that often fails in a high RF environment such as you might find if you go to a HAM convention. Because of the design of the PLL in the CS750, any birdies can be eliminated. Not so for the less expensive designs.
CS750 Verses Hacked Radios
Some of you might be comparing the CS750 with the less expensive hacked radio from one of our competitors. What the engineers who hacked the radio tried to do was add features that was already in the CS750. While they did a decent job, they still have not incorporated many of the features that has been in the CS750 for many years.
Support
Have you ever tried to get support from some of our competitors. If you know Mandarin Chinese and you have free international calling you will have no problems. If you want to speak to someone who native and only language is English, you call Connect Systems during normal business hours. We also answer e-mails after hours and holidays. Here is what some of our customers say.
"Once emailed Connect Systems in the early morning hours east coast time. Knowing they were west coast and would not be open for hours I was surprised to get an email response from Jerry personally before they were even open." (From Facebook)
"I've always has good support from Connect Systems. Chris is amazing." (From Facebook)
Code Plugs
If you are hesitating to get this radio because your friend has one of our competitors, be aware that through the generous effort of Tom Wheeler, he made a conversion program called "Contact Manager" that converts virtually any manufactures code plug to the CS750. You can get that free program by following this link.
19 Reviews Hide Reviews Show Reviews
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Outstanding Radio
I purchased this radio in late October 2017. I live about 8 miles from the Boston UHF DMR repeater. I can hit the repeater from inside my house (my home elevation is about 8 feet above sea level. I can hit the this repeater from inside my vehicle on my daily commute into Boston - without using an external antenna. The range is excellent. I get good signal reports using this radio. The radio feels very solid in your hand. It is very easy to program. The programming software is very straightforward. I am a huge fan. I also comment Connect Systems for their customer service. I had a question about programming software. They responded to my email that I sent on a Sunday within hours. My experience has been so positive that I will purchase a CS-800D sometime in the next few months. I highly recommend this hand held unit and Connect Systems.
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CS750
A terrific radio, great audio, good signal reports both analog and digital. Well made. The display is easy to read. At first the programming instructions were unclear but once you become familiar with DMR terminology, it makes sense.
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Good Starter for DMR
I purchased the CS-750 on a friends recommendation for Amateur Radio DMR and I am pleased with this radio. I had my local Code Plug programmed into the radio and it works very well except on one item. The PTT Button has to be pushed in a certain way to ensure that I am actually transmitting. The housing is solid and it fits great into my hand. The display is big enough and the backlight works well, even when a receiving station is transmitting (where I can see the station callsign). This is a good starter radio for someone looking to get into DMR and not pay a high price. It also is not a "cheap" radio in its construction. The battery life is excellent to especially on low-power.
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excellent
This radio does a lot. I will have to study the manual to learn. Has great sound and this radio is the best compared to D-Star and Icom. A great radio for the money.
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Simply, A Nice Radio
Solidly built radio and the price is reasonable. Easy to use and the programming software is easy to figure out as well. Wish I had bought this radio a long time ago.
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Very nice, well made radio.
Although I am new to DMR, I have purchased several HT radios in the past. This rig is very well made for the money, it was shipped very sturdily and included a programing cable.
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Big Bang in a small package
A great entry level radio for the DMR absolute beginner like me. Sounds great and has a good "feel" and the right size and shape for a handheld. Fits in shirt pocket so no need to use a pesky belt clip (included with radio). Use your pc to peek at the code plug contents and a few minutes of poking on the front panel controls will have you operating this radio like a pro. There are NO instructions on HOW TO program the radio with the initial code plug so you will need to obtain one from someone else that already has a working radio. Must buy the extra cost USB programming cable separately since one is not included with the radio. It is very difficult if not impossible to do any programming without that cable. Overall I am pleased with the radio and its performance.
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nice radio
Nice radio, easy to use. I was able to get on the air without even looking at the manual. DMR is easy to program.
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CS 750
Love this radio Young. KD1U