‰ NOW 35 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2016 QST PAGE 46‰ PRODUCT REVIEW BRIDGECOM SYSTEMS BCH 220 222 MHZ HANDHELD FM TRANSCEIVER A FINE, BASIC HANDHELD FOR AN UNDERAPPRECIATED BAND. REVIEWED BY RICK PALM, K1CE K1CE ARRL. NET THE BCH 220 HANDHELD 222 MHZ 1R25 CENTIMETERS FM TRANSCEIVER IS A PRODUCT OF BRIDGECOM SYSTEMS, A COMPANY MANY READERS MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF. BASED IN SMITHVILLE, MISSOURI, THE COMPANY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2004, AND ACCORDING TO ITS WEBSITE, DEVELOPS AND SELLS COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT FOR THE LAND MOBILE RADIO, AMATEUR RADIO, COMMERCIAL RADIO, AND REMOTE MONITORING MARKETS. ITS FIRST PRODUCT WAS A VHF/UHF FM REPEATER. THE BCH 220 HANDHELD RADIO IS SMALL BUT NOT TOO SMALL, DURABLE, AND LIGHTWEIGHT. RF POWER OUTPUT IS SWITCHABLE BETWEEN 5 W AND 2 W. RECEIVE FREQUENCY COVERAGE IS 219 260 MHZ, WITH TRANSMIT CAPABILITY IN THE AMATEUR 222 225 MHZ BAND. ITS 199 MEMORY CHANNELS ARE PROGRAMMABLE. THE RADIO COMES WITH A 1600 MAH LI ION BATTERY, ANTENNA, BELT CLIP, AND CHARGER BASE WITH WALL PLUG. WE ALSO ORDERED THE OPTIONAL PROGRAMMING CABLE TO CONNECT TO A PC VIA A USB PORT. THE ANTENNA ATTACHES TO THE RADIO THROUGH AN SMC CONNECTOR. FIRST IMPRESSION OUT OF THE BOX, MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS OF A QUALITY ENGINEERED, WELL BUILT HAND HELD RADIO WITH AN AESTHETICALLY PLEASING APPEARANCE. THE KEYPAD BUTTONS ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR EASY MANIPULATION, WITH LABELS THAT ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR ME TO ‰ END OF 35 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ