Anytone AT-3318UV-A: Updated Manual

Ed provided some help and now has an updated manual for the AT-3318UV-A.

Frustrated

I've mentioned before that I have a gmail account that often people confuse as their own. Today I got a couple of verification messages for a service I am not using.

First:

We are pleased that you have chosen to secure your Canyousendmethepass account by providing an email address.

Then:

We are pleased that you have chosen to secure your Sendmethefkingpm account by providing an email address.

Somebody is getting frustrated.

Wouxun KG-UV899:

You can pre-order the Wouxun KG-UV899 for $79.99 from BuyTwoWayRadios.

I like that it isn't as thick as the KG-UV1DP:

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Miklor Review

Spoiler alert - he likes the KG-UV8D.

Wouxun Memory Loss Fix

Interesting...

Replacing the surface mounted 24C64 eeprom to fix the memory loss problem:

"I have the KG-UV2D radio at work; connected to a battery eliminator (in place of the battery) - which is connected to a 12vdc source and an external antenna. The reason I went into detail about this is because every evening when I power-down my work bench for the night - the12vdc source that runs the radio is also powered down. So, I am completely removing the power source from the radio every night - with the radio sitting dead for 12 hours before being powered back up again (and it's even for longer over the weekend). It's been 2 weeks since the repair, and my Wouxun has kept it's memory programming; without the slightest burp."

Via AmateurRadio.com

At School

It used to be Macs in the computer labs in elementary schools - trying to buy mind share while we were young.

Plus ça change...

Microsoft is offering a free Bing search to schools with no ads and content filtering.

Computer Update

So, I never did get my desktop working, but the good news is that my wife is getting a new PC at work. They are letting the employees take the old computers home (after wiping the software/data, of course).

Funny how things work out.

On a somewhat related note, I stumbled across a post about Chromebooks for use in portable ham operations. Which lead me to the video below. I don't take computer advice from Rick, but I thought it was pretty funny.

Party Foul

I don't know which is worse... the abuse of the beer or the radio.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Crossband Repeat

So, it works. It was no trouble to get going... this was just a super quick and dirty test.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Facebook

Hams are branching out... a Facebook page/group to go with the Yahoo Group.

Ten-Tec Moving and No 2014 Hamfest

Ten-Tec announces a move and the cancellation of the 2014 hamfest:

Dear Ten-Tec customers and friends, 

Hamfest at Ten-Tec has been cancelled this year due to our plans to relocate in early fall.  

After enjoying 46 years in our headquarters on Dolly Parton Parkway, we are actively seeking a new location in Sevierville that will offer more modern and energy-efficient facilities, a new showroom, and a much-needed upgrade in working environment for staff. 

Our current facility and property are already under contract, and, as a result, they will not be available for our annual Hamfest open house and flea market. And, chances are, in September we’ll be neck-high in boxes and crates preparing for our move.  

So, in lieu of our weekend Hamfest, we’re planning to celebrate the entire month of September with a moving sale, offering not-to-be-beat discounts and incomparable specials on Tentec.com. 

Stay tuned for more details about the moving sale. And, in the meantime,  come see what’s new at Ten-Tec at Booths 548-550 at Dayton Hamvention, May 16-18. 

Jim Wharton, NO4APresident

Wouxun KG-UV899

An upgrade to the KG-UV1DP? An answer to the Baofeng UV-5R?

BuyTwoWayRadios is about to get the Wouxun KG-UV899. They point out a few features:

"Dual frequency, Dual Display and Dual Standby
105 Groups DCS / 50 Groups CTCSS
Inspection, Monitor, Stun, Kill and Emergency Alarm
Call Ring
Channel Knob
IP55 water resistant"

Cheap Printer

Wow... $60 for a good home printer (refurb). Almost to that point where you buy the printer instead of a new toner.

Via Wirecutter

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Thanks

I have been neglectful in mentioning in each of my posts about the KG-UV8D that it is on loan from BuyTwoWayRadios.com. Thanks again to the team there for letting me play with the latest from Wouxun!

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Scanning

The scanning speed is quick. I programmed in a bunch of repeaters and such this morning to test. Sorry it keeps stopping, the local repeaters were busy today.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Programmable Keys

There are four buttons on the left side of the radio. Starting at the top and going down, you have PF1, PTT, PF2, PF3. You cannot change PTT or PF2.

PF1 (Menu 19)
- Call (selective call)
- VFTX key (transmission on sub frequency)

PTT

PF2
Short - Flashlight
Long - Monitor

PF3 (Menu 20)
- Radio - FM Radio
- Disable - inactive
- Scan - scan
- Lamp - flashlight
- TeleAlarm - remote alarm
- SOS - SOS function

PF1 and PF3 can be configured via the software as well.

Baofeng UV-B5: The Best Kept Secret's Secret

Amazing... I had noticed a bunch of traffic on the Yahoo Group, but I had not made time to read through it. John sums up that the dual-band (2M/440) UV-B5 can do about 2 Watts out on 220. You can access the additional band frequencies by using Chirp to program the radio.

Pofung

Via Hans, if you see a Pofung, you are probably seeing a Baofeng.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Charger

Here is a look at the charger. There is no power brick - the AC cord goes straight to the outlet. It also has a DC 12V port.

House Mom

I've found my dream job.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Yahoo Group

The "required" Yahoo Group is here.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Questions

So here are the questions that have been asked of me so far... anything to add?

What is the scan speed like?
Is there a way to leave the display on all the time w/o backlight?
What's different between this and the older Wouxun's?
How's the DTMF paging work?
Can you assign anything to the PF keys on the side, or just a few options?
Does the charger come in 110V only or is it on autovolt system (110-240V)?
Does it have the same X-DIRPT, X-TWRPT Cross band options like the Wouxun KG-UV920P mobile?

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Size Comparison

The first surprise I had was the size of the UV8D. From the pictures I had seen, I thought it was going to be a hefty radio. The reality is different. In the pictures you can see (from left to right) the Baofeng UV-3R, the Baofeng UV-5R, the Wouxun KG-UV8D, and the Wouxun KG-UV1DP.

(And, yes, I found my UV-5R.)

Another problem

I have too many radios. I can't find my Baofeng UV-5R.

Desktop

So, it's not the battery. I've pulled everything out of the PC - got down to mobo and proc. It beeps appropriately at the lack of memory. I then tried with different memory to see if that changed anything. (It's actually pretty hard to tell given the lack of a consistent response from the machine. See below.) Got a diskette error, so I plugged the card reader back in - no joy. I disabled it in the BIOS - no joy. Hard drive plugged in/unplugged - no joy. Using the onboard VGA after pulling the video card, wireless card, and tv tuner card - no joy.

I'm pretty comfortable saying it is the mobo given the variety of responses and the elimination of so many variables. The first pic is of the screen at POST that asks if you want to enter setup or the boot menu. The second is actually the same, but it is trying to display the Dell logo. I mostly get a black screen - power on, fans turning, but no video out to the monitor, but I thought these were just great fun, so I had to share. I don't think I want to spend $50 on a refurb motherboard to put into this seven year old computer. At least I could listen on the KG-UV8D while I was working. (I even see a red UV-3R reflected in the first picture. It's like ham radio Easter Eggs.)

Decision time... I still think I need a Windows PC and my laptop won't last forever given its problems. So, a cheap laptop or a cheap desktop. My XYL needs something, too. She primarily uses the iPad, but uses the desktop for working from home and occasional tasks related to eBay or consignment sales.

And the hits just keep on coming...

Now the desktop has died. Won't boot past the BIOS screen. I hope it is just the CMOS battery. I'll pick up one today and find out easily enough.

The latch on the laptop is worse, so I accidentally shut it off three times yesterday. Time for some duct tape. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Ha!

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Time to Play

Thanks to the team at BuyTwoWayRadios for loaning me a Wouxun KG-UV8D. More soon...

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Unboxing

BuyTwoWayRadios.com has the KG-UV8D and does an unboxing video for our consumption.

Runbo X5: Notes

Anger comments on the Runbo X5 Android phone with UHF:

"Have good and BAD news...Phone works, but there is a software problem with the Walkie Talkie mode.
1: If you go and set it as per page 7 of the manual;
• Select Australia say channel 25 Frequency 477.0250
• You can PPT (transmit (TX) no problems)
• However you cannot receive?????????????
2: If you select one of the 6 programmable options and manually set the Frequency for e.g.
• TX 477.0250 and RX 477.0250 ( Channel 25 frequency)
• It all works as one would expect….
• You can transmit and receive from others using hand and fixed Walkie Talkie‘s and it works well.
You also have to pre-program the 2 emergency channels – otherwise it is useless if you need for urgent / medical reasons.
So if you only ever use a limited set up to 4 channels and you pre-program the phone; then you’re OK… But if someone wants you to go to another channel, then you have to manually delete and re program…
If there is a FIX for this I would love to know what it is...."

Judgmental Maps - Knoxville

Wow. An amazingly judgmental map of my home town, Knoxville. I'm tagging this with "Ham Radio" since they reference the hobby on the map.

You have to know the town, but some of the labels are hysterical.

Burgers and ducks.
Used books.
Gold ball on a stick.

FireChat

One of the commonly discussed benefits of ham radio is that it works without the support of someone else's infrastructure. FireChat promises "off-the-grid" communications using your Android or iOS mobile phone. In a tweet, they say:

"It works using Bluetooth and P2P Wifi (iOS) / WiFi Direct (Android). On Android, it uses Open Garden's mesh tech software."

The range is listed as about 30 feet, so don't throw out all your ham equipment for a SHTF situation. I'm surprised it isn't better with WiFi - even marginally. The most common complaint about the current version is the lack of filters/the ability to setup private chat areas. And you can't chat between iOS and Android devices.

Also, FireChat has been mentioned by Rush Limbaugh, so it must be good.

It's a neat idea, but with such limited range I don't think it offers much for me.

iPhone/iPad Battery Life

A good article about the iOS battery life and how to resolve drain problems.

Via @Pogue

Lisheng UT858: Mobile

Hans has posted about a new mobile... the Lisheng (Yshon) UT858. It is a 50W mono-band available in 4 flavors (136-174, 350-390, 400-470, or 450-520 MHz). It can be yours for $150 USD.

Leixen VV-898: Dual Band Mobile

Leixen will soon be releaseing the VV-898 dual-band mobile. Picture and specs below.

Main Feature :
1. Dual band: 136-174MHz/400-470MHz/245MHz(Receive only)
2. Dual Reception/Dual Display
3. Voice Companding and Scrambler
4. Multi silent mode (QT/QTADT/QTXDT) 107 groups DCS/58 groups CTCSS
5. DTMF encoding and DTMF decoding
6. PTT ID（Voice broadcast PTT ID）
7. All calls, group calls and selective calls
8. Monitor, RX Inhibit, RXTX Inhibit and Emergency Alarm
9. FM Radio（87.5MHz-108MHz）
10. Scan/Scan add
11. Channel name edit available
12. 199 memory channels
13. High/Low power(10W/4W)
14. APO(Auto Power Off)
15. TOT(Time-out timer)
16. Font Set(Big/Small)
17. VOX(Level adjustable)
18. Busy channel lockout
19. Keyboard lock (Auto/Manual)
20. Multi scan mode (TO/CO)
21. Channel steps (2.5K/5K/6.25K/10K/12.5K/25K)
22. Wide/Narrow band selection (25KHz/12.5KHz)
23. TX Stop
24. Talk Around
25. Beat frequency
26. Reverse frequency function
27. 1750Hz burst tone
28. Four key programmable
29. Lease Function(can program lease time of the radio at a exact time)
30. Input frequency by using Keypad
31. Wireless changing frequency
32. Timepiece
33. PC software disable frequency input
34. Passwords for menu functions Set
35. PTT Times per Minutes Set
36. All/Function reset
37. 13.8V DC Power Supply
38. Size: 120*85*40mm

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Demo Units

BuyTwoWayRadio reports that the Wouxun KG-UV8D demo units have landed. A few notes...

- confirmed 999 memory channels
- has a real color LCD
- includes a flashlight
- SMA female antenna connector
- bonus stopwatch function
- two multi-function keys on the side

Busy - Please Try Back Later

Sorry... lots of life going on right now. I'm way behind on posts, reading, and e-mail. Hope to catch up soon.

Honest Trailers - Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones starts back on HBO on Sunday... Don't watch the video if you aren't caught up as there are spoilers.

Mozilla and Gun Control

I see what you did there...

GUN-TOTING MOZILLA EMPLOYEES DEMAND CEO “STEP DOWN”

Novena

Despite my current condition of chronic non-employment, I may be in the market for a new laptop. It is kind of a cobbler's children with no shoes situation. The battery doesn't last very long, but I could replace it. However, the laptop occasionally shuts down completely - just a power off. That is probably a loose latch for the battery which I have fixed I think. A couple of times a month, Windows just freezes. And the newest problem; max volume is just above a whisper. None of these items would push me over the edge, but I see them as symptoms of age on this thing. If I do discover I need to buy a new one, I probably won't go with the Novena despite the hacker cred it would give me.

"A new open-hardware computing platform, flexible and powerful, designed for use as a desktop, laptop, or standalone board. 

Novena is a 1.2GHz, Freescale quad-core ARM architecture computer closely coupled with a Xilinx FPGA. It's designed for users who care about open source, and/or want to modify and extend their hardware: all the documentation for the PCBs is open and free to download, the entire OS is buildable from source, and it comes with a variety of features that facilitate rapid prototyping."

The Wil Wheaton Project

Evil Wil Wheaton is doing his own show starting May 27th. The Will Wheaton Project:

"a weekly roundup of the things I love on television and on the Internet, with commentary and jokes, and the occasional visit from interesting people who make those things happen. It’s sort of like Talk Soup for geeks, with a heavy focus on those hilariously bad paranormal reality shows (in fact, that’s where the whole thing started a year ago, but as we worked on the show more and more, we discovered that there were lots of scripted paranormal shows that provided a ton of comedic material. When we expanded to cover the scripted shows, we discovered that nobody was doing a show like this that was just focused on the genre shows that nerds like us love, and we decided that we’d make that show because of reasons.)"

Via Slashdot

PMP - What Comes Before Game

After watching the videos from Dave Litton, I am back to reading PMP Exam Prep, Eighth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam book. It makes a ton more sense now then when I started it the first time. I'm still using the on-line version of Rita's Process Game, but a recent chapter had be looking for an on-line version of her "What Comes Before" game. These flashcards do the trick pretty well.

Back to the grind...