Brand new, NTC-approved, inexpensive handheld radios!

Started by JoeTomasone, April 01, 2013, 02:05:25 PM

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JeffDG

Quote from: Woodsy on April 09, 2013, 09:48:38 PM
Quote from: johnnyb47 on April 09, 2013, 05:47:52 PM
We should get the NTC to get a look at the Baofeng UV-5r. $45 and it does 2.5khz steps. (EDIT: Guess they did. No go.)

Just received my Wouxun today. Will get a look when i get home.

I saw that.  I wonder why it was rejected?  Taking a look at the specs, it seems to meet the standards, and just about identical to the wouxum.  The only thing I can think of is that it is 4 watts when most portables are 5. 

Maybe they just can't get over the $45 factor...  Could it be that they don't want everyone and their brother having a radio with CAP freq's?

From the NTC site:
QuoteInsufficient specs, and not measured to EIA-603C standard.

Woodsy

Quote from: JeffDG on April 09, 2013, 09:57:51 PM
Quote from: Woodsy on April 09, 2013, 09:48:38 PM
Quote from: johnnyb47 on April 09, 2013, 05:47:52 PM
We should get the NTC to get a look at the Baofeng UV-5r. $45 and it does 2.5khz steps. (EDIT: Guess they did. No go.)

Just received my Wouxun today. Will get a look when i get home.

I saw that.  I wonder why it was rejected?  Taking a look at the specs, it seems to meet the standards, and just about identical to the wouxum.  The only thing I can think of is that it is 4 watts when most portables are 5. 

Maybe they just can't get over the $45 factor...  Could it be that they don't want everyone and their brother having a radio with CAP freq's?

From the NTC site:
QuoteInsufficient specs, and not measured to EIA-603C standard.

Ah,  that's new.  Last time I looked it just said "insufficient specs. 

Now I gotta go research what that standard is...

N7MOG

Great little units.  A ham friend has had a Wouxon for about a year and a half.  It matches or beats my Kenwood TH-F6A for quality and signal. I figure this new model will shine as well. I only wish that these were around 8+ years ago when I bought my pair of KW's. Heck, I could have had 4 radios for the same money!  Ok, I would have bought 2 with more goodies.... (N7MOG)
Bill Collister
SDWG DC
Cadet in 1968-1973 (Mitchell Award)
Collecter of knowledge since then, finding out my parents got real smart about the time I turned 18....
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome - Semper Fidelis

The original content of this post is Copyright (c) 2014 by William Collister.  The right to reproduce the content of this post within CAP-Talk only for the purposes of providing a quoted reply, by CAP-Talk users only, is specifically granted. All other rights, including "Fair Use," are specifically reserved.

arajca

Doing some frequency checking...
The KG-UV6X will receive ISR frequencies. It will not transmit on them. Presuming the 3X has the same receive range, it should do the same.

SarDragon

Well, I got mine last Thursday, and so far I like it. I bought the RST programming software, and it works well. It allows importing CSV files, so I can build a code plug in Excel, and pop it right in.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

johnnyb47

So far I like mine.
The build is pretty good quality, the controls are decent and the audio is pretty clear.
I haven't gotten the programming software to work on my laptop though.
I'll have to fight with that later this week. Having the same issue with my other radios on this laptop though so I'm sure it's something I have installed already causing the issue.
Capt
Information Technology Officer
Communications Officer


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avguy

Quote from: arajca on April 15, 2013, 03:13:13 AM
Doing some frequency checking...
The KG-UV6X will receive ISR frequencies. It will not transmit on them. Presuming the 3X has the same receive range, it should do the same.

The KG-UV3X Pro does receive the ISR frequencies.  I got mine last week and programmed it today.  So far, so good!
Will Craig, Maj, CAP
CC
NCR-MN-042




starshippe

#47
   my o shing (?) is on the truck, enroute.
   sherpas... lmao.
   congrats kk6dke.

   i was setting up my code plug last nite and was informed that the transmitter would not transmit wide band, period. is this the case? seems odd, seeing as how there is a selection in the software spreadsheet. i only got the message when i saved the file.
   advertising specs show the low end of the 400 mhz band for transmitting is 406, of all freqs. egad.
   gonna look for the rst software, thanks for the info. the csv file import sounds very useful.

73,
bill
k4tve

JoeTomasone

Don't confuse wideband with "normal" FM.   There's wideband FM (FM broadcast radio, for example), FM, and narrowband FM.

Most handheld radios do not transmit wideband FM because there is no need to.   They transmit FM and (nowadays) narrowband FM.


starshippe

#49
   i'm not confused about fm broadcast wideband, but i do have a need to use "hand held wideband" fm with all of my amateur radio two meter comms.
   in the spreadsheet, the choices are wide, and narrow.
   last night the software informed me that i was not allowed to program a wide band marine frequency. the marine band has not been required to switch to narrow band. i did not attempt to program a frequency below 150 mhz to wide band. this will be first on my to do list this evening when i get home from work.
   in reading about wide and narrow band, i was surprised to find that it effectively reduces the power output, although, now that i think about it, it does make sense. theres less modulation perturbating the ether.

      http://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety-spectrum/narrowbanding-faq.html#question_2_3Will

thanks,
bill

starshippe


   i made an entry for 146.52, with the transmit freq blank, and it told me narrow band only. i entered 146.52 as the transmit freq, and it accepted wide band.
   so i tried the same thing with the marine freqs, but even with separate entries in the transmit freqs, i still got the narrow band only message when i saved the file.
   this is not a problem, even if it turns out that i can't use wide band on the marine band. still looking forward to the brown truck rolling up out front.

73,
bill

avguy

I found that when I started setting up the RT Systems software before connecting it to the radio, there were frequencies and settings that were within the spec of the radio that the software told me I could not enter.  After I followed the software instructions and downloaded the radio's info to a blank tab in the software, that I was then able to enter those frequencies that couldn't be entered before. 

So for those working on the software before your radio arrives, you might find your problems clearing up once you connect the radio and download its initial program into the software.
Will Craig, Maj, CAP
CC
NCR-MN-042




starshippe


   thanks for the info.
   what are ur thoughts on the radio so far?

bill


wuzafuzz

I never got mine to transmit standard FM on GMRS freqs.   Even after messing with the radio via keypad. Ham freqs are OK.  My guess is they built a table of frequency ranges requiring narrow FM, and forgot about certain services.  If there is a trick I haven't found it yet. Maybe I'll open a ticket with PowerWerx or Wouxon.

This is becoming common in land mobile radio; I'm hearing about newer Motorola radios that have to be hacked to do standard FM on amateur radio bands.

Here's a link to my earlier thoughts on the Wouxon.
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=17215.msg310228#msg310228
"You can't stop the signal, Mal."

starshippe


   the radio's specifications list 406 as the lowest freq it will transmit on on that band.

bill

starshippe


   the brown truck completed its rounds yesterday.

avguy,
   i see what u mean about the radio doing one thing, and the software another. the software does not appear to allow wide band selection above 150 mhz, but the radio says it is in wide band on, for instance, the marine band.

   if anyone is considering purchasing one of these, pls note that u must also purchase a programming cable, as the radio comes with the keyboard locked. driver and software loading were uneventful.

   so far the radio has performed as advertised. i'm not sure what the $140 priced amazon radio is all about, but its listed as an "upgrade version," so it might not be the latest and greatest, if that worries u. i sprang for the $175 version. i wish i had also purchased another rubber ducky, as the one that comes with the unit is only about five inches long. theres an interesting dual band mag mount sma connected antenna that i'm looking at too.

   so, so far i am a happy camper.

bill


PHall

Hey starshippe, is the shift key broken on your keyboard? Because I've never seen you use a capitol letter in any of your posts.

JeffDG

Quote from: PHall on April 25, 2013, 12:05:57 AM
Hey starshippe, is the shift key broken on your keyboard? Because I've never seen you use a capitol letter in any of your posts.
Really, they have special letters under the dome in DC?

PHall

Quote from: JeffDG on April 25, 2013, 12:22:20 AM
Quote from: PHall on April 25, 2013, 12:05:57 AM
Hey starshippe, is the shift key broken on your keyboard? Because I've never seen you use a capitol letter in any of your posts.
Really, they have special letters under the dome in DC?

Yeah, Beltway Speak! >:D

a2capt

Quote from: Eclipse on April 01, 2013, 04:25:08 PMNoooo!  This isn't possible!  You can't buy a compliant radio for less then $5000 and then it can only be programmed by Sherpas!
..and if you don't let the sherpas program it, you'll be attacked!
QuoteNepalese authorities say they're investigating reports that a fight broke out on Saturday between the guides and the climbers, nearly 23,000 feet (7,000 meters) up the world's tallest mountain.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/29/world/asia/nepal-mount-everest-fight/index.html Even the radio may not work from there.

I thought of this thread when I saw the story.