Vero Telecom UV-5E: Update - 520MHz

I got an e-mail from Vero Telecom regarding the UV-E5 Mark II. At first, I thought it was just a repeat of a previous e-mail, but showing the UV-5E in the usual color varieties. However, I quickly realized they were pointing out the range up to 520MHz. The note on the side also says "You Can Control The TX and RX Frequency Range By Yourself Via Software. The Vero Telecom website does not seem to have been updated yet with the new information.

Chinese Radios - The Center?

The Baofeng UV-3R is a re-branded Vero Telecom UV-3R.

The Vero Telecom VR-2200 is a re-branded TYT TH-9000.

The Baofeng UV-5R (which I cannot find on the Baofeng site) is similar to the TYT TH-F8.

When the UV-3R came out, I thought VeroTelecom was going to be the actual manufacturer - if not the design house, too. The UV-3R was availible as a Baofeng UV-3R, Magiksun UV-3R, Comtex UV-3R, and a Zastone ZT-UV3R. Vero Telecom was going to be the source.

Now it appears that the VR-2200 is actually a TYT TH-9000. And the UV-5R looks like it has it origins in the TYT TH-F8.

Is TYT going to be the center of the ham radio world for China manufacturers?

Does ICOM buy Yaesu radios and re-brand them? Is Elecraft reselling Ten-Tec rigs? The game is different in China. Maybe they just like to keep us on our toes. I am going to need a map.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Via Vero Telecom:

2015 is coming, Vero Telecom wish all of you have a wonderful 2015. 

In 2015, Vero will continue to provide you the best quality products and good service. I believe that we will have more cooperation chances in the future. 

Jan.1st,2015 is not actually our New Year, in China, we have Chinese lunar calendar，and our new year which we also called “Spring Festival” is on Feb.19th. 

During the Spring Festival, we say “Gong Xi Fa Cai” when we meet people, it means wish you good luck and make money. 恭喜发财！ 

Listen the song “Gong Xi Fa Cai”.

Vero Telecom VR-6600P

Hans has an update on some new Vero Telecom (VGC) products including the VR-6600P that looks a lot like a Yaesu FTM-350.
Whatever happened to their UV-X5 tri-bander? Maybe it ended up as this?

Vero Telecom VR-6600PRO

Hope to be back posting more tomorrow - been a busy couple of days with work, life, etc. Heck, I think we are the only family that didn't leave town on spring break. We're cat sitting and picking up the mail for three of our neighbors.

A bit of good news, a package showed up today - thanks to BuyTwoWayRadios.com for sending me a Vero Telecom (VGC) VR-6600PRO to test!

Vero Telecom VR-6600PRO: Adding a Repeater to Memory

Thanks again to BuyTwoWayRadios for the loan of the Vero Telecom (VGC) VR-6600PRO.



A few notes...

At about 55 seconds, I'll point out the you his the "V/M" button to actually store the frequency in memory. I kept wanting to just push the knob or use the "SEL" button.

Right after storing it, the radio reverts to main screen. I wish it would give a confirmation that the frequency was stored.

That lack of confirmation is why I go back and double-check.

Vero Telecom VR-6600PRO: Unboxing

Danny of BuyTwoWayRadios.com walks through an unboxing of the Vero Telecom (VGC) VR-6600PRO. It looks like he did the video and then put the radio in the mail to me.

Baofeng UV-3R: Second Harmonic Issue

December's QST has a Technical Correspondence (Boafeng UV-3R 2M/70cm Handheld Transceiver) article about the second harmonic issue in the Baofeng UV-3R. Bob Allison, WB1GCM (ARRL Lab Test Engineer), used an HP-8563E spectrum analyzer to determine if the radio meets the standards of FCC Part 97 for spurious transmissions. Bob finds that the radio (two units tested) failed to meet the standards and that "to legally transmit with these radios in the 2 m band, you would have to add a second harmonic low-pass filter at the antenna jack."

First, if you don't understand the basics of a spurious transmission on the harmonic, Steve (K9DCI) provides a good analogy on the of UV-3R Yahoo Group discussion on this topic:

"Spurious signals are more like driving with a 10 foot long beam sticking out the side of the car. As long as you drive on desert roads, you can relax because you "probably" won't whack any hitchhikers in the back of the head."

Some time ago, I had noted the spurious emission problem and posted a link to the mod to fix it on my UV-3R page. And I had thought the issue might have been fixed in newly manufactured radios, since the UV-3R had gotten FCC Type 90 Acceptance. For a major information dump on the topic, I would start with this UV-3R Yahoo Group post - also from Steve (K9DCI). Grant, ZL2BK, documents the magnitude of the problem at various frequencies. Basically, the filtering is better as frequency increases.

It is the issue that will not die on the UV-3R Yahoo Group:

• The original discussion
• The new discussion prompted by the QST article
• And the Mark II?
• And the Mark II again
• How big of an issue is this really?

As you can see in the above links, it does not appear that the issue was resolved in the Mark II. Some speculate that it is a quality control issue, but I am more inclined to think it is a limitation built into the design/components of the UV-3R. G4TUP suggests that Vero Telecom (and the various resellers) do not care as they designed the radio for the commercial market and, at the higher frequencies, it works within the standards. To keep the waters muddied, Bob (GM4CID) reports that Vero Telecom claims to have fixed the issue. And Andy (G0FTD) found that hisYaesu VX7R is worse than an unmodded UV-3R.

Here is the link to the low-pass filter mod that shows you how to add a 0805 size 33pF capacitor to reduce the emissions on the second harmonic.

Oh, and because I am apparently a sadist, here is a follow-up link where the same mod was performed and the results were less successful.

Vero Telecom: VR-6600PRO and FTM-350 Differences

First, Vero Telecom has a blog. Second, they lay out the differences between the FTM-350 and their VR-6600PRO:

- The size of the microphone and the buttons on the mircophone is different.VGC VR-6600Pro has a bigger size than Yaesu FTM 350.
- The bracket of VR-6600Pro can firmly suck on different rough plane,not just the smooth plane.
- You can easily split up the bracket and the control head of VR-6600Pro without using screwdriver.
- The bracket of VR-6600Pro can turn 360°.
- You can adjust the brightness of the button light of VR-6600Pro.
- The VR-6600Pro has the automatic backlight setting function.
- There is a fan on the main body radio of VR-6600Pro.It can automatic make the mail body be cool when it’s too hot while you use.

When I saw the title, I was expecting a list of technical differences.

A video:

Via Hans

Vero Telecom: 2014 (?) Catalog

Vero Telecom published a link to their 2014 (?) catalog (PDF). Several of the radios will look familiar I think. A sampling follows...

Vero Telecom VR-6600P

Hans is about to get his hands on the VGC (Vero Telecom) VR-6600P. Lots of pictures - go look.

Vero Telecom: New Products

I got the marketing e-mail from Vero Telecom about their booth at the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair in October. It promises new products. I wonder what we will see. The image shows the VR-6600PRO (mobile), VRP-6000 (portable repeater), and VRP-6800 (base and repeater station). I'm wondering if the VR-6600PRO is the VR-6600P that we've been waiting on for a long time.

VeroTelecom Interview

Over at reddit an interview with Mindy of VeroTelecom:

"Q: From my research on VeroTelecom it seems the majority of your business is the professional two way radio market (rugged, heavy duty radios). What made VeroTelecom decide to focus on the Amateur radio market with such a specific radio? 

A: Vero Telecom has focused on the radio market for over 10 years, no matter for professional radio market or amateur radio market. However, for this long time, we did not have a representative product for the Amateur radio market. So we spent 3 years developing the VR-6600Pro. And we hope it will be a successful beginning in to the Amateur market. 

Q: With such an Amateur specific radio (APRS, GPS, multi color, etc) is VeroTelecom planning on a significant percentage of their business to be Amateur related? 

A: In the future, Vero Telecom will more focus on Amateur radio market, say 80% or more."

More at the link.

Vero Telecom (VGC) VR-6600PRO: Scan Speed

Thanks to BuyTwoWayRadios for loaning me the Vero Telecom (VGC) VR-6600PRO. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to play with it - work, life, etc. But here is a video demonstrating the scan speed. There are just a few channels programmed in, but you can get a sense of the scan speed.

Vero Telecom VR-6600P Coming Soon

Hans has an update on the Vero Telecom (VGC) VR-6600P. Previous coverage here of this Yaesu FTM-350 lookalike.

Vero Telecom UV-E5

I got an e-mail from Vero Telecom this morning. PDF brochure here. Product page here.

Looks familiar.

DUAL BAND TWO WAY RADIO UV-E5
High output power,1800mAh Li-ion Battery Capacity,128 memory channels,rugged construcion, rich in analog features-the UV-E5 offers practical 2m/70cm dual band operation anthed ruggedness ,updated for today's ham radio enthusiasts.

Our UV-E5 with some attractive features.For European customers,1750Hz Burst tone is a impressive function.And the dual-band,dual frequency,dual-standby are also the big selling ponit for this radio.

There are other common features of this radio,such as high/low power switchable, 25kHz/12.5kHz switchable, emergency alert,CTCSS/CDCSS,low battery alert,battery saver,time-out timer,keypad lock etc.

Our UV-E5 has got the CE,FCC and ROHS approvals.

Our UV-E5 with a bottom-line price.We are willing to receive your specific enquiry at an early date!

	Dual-Band ,Dual Frequency,Dual Standby
	136-174 & 400-470 MHz (TX/RX) 65-108MHz (FM Radio )

	Wideband Coverage
	Two bandwidth versions (400–470MHz& 136-174MHz) all have switchable 12.5/25kHz width by channel, and 5/6.25kHz frequency pitch making all the new UHF&VHF channels available for trunking.

	Channel steps (2.5/5K/6.25K/10K/12.5K/25K)
	Different channel steps 2.5/ 5K/6.25K/10K/12.5K/25K is optional to confirm with the different need.

	Scan Function
	The UV-E5 allows CTCSS/DCS Tone scan,FM Radio frequency scan,VFO scan.

	500mW Loud Audio
	The 36mm large speaker delivers 500mW of loud and intelligible audio even in noisy environments

	Wideband Coverage
	Two bandwidth versions (400–470MHz&136-174MHz) all have switchable 12.5/25kHz width by channel, and 5/6.25kHz frequency pitch making all the new UHF&VHF channels available for trunking.

	Dual-band ,Dual display,Dual Watch
	UV-E5 work in two bands,Display two bands on the screen and with dual watch function

	Powerful 5W of Output Power
	The UV-E5 offers a just-right mix of power and size 5 watts of high power which will work to get your message through. Get up to 19 hours* of operating time with the Li-ion battery pack (BP-1805L) . All that power comes is an easy to hold and use size – not too big, not too small. * Typical operation. 5:5:90 duty cycle with power save on.

	Channel Name Editing
	You can edit the channel name by yourself,it is very useful for the user.

	Internal VOX function
	The UV-E5 has an internal VOX (Voice Operated Transmission) function for convenient hands-free operation when used with a compatible optional headset and adapter cable. Also, the VOX level and VOX delay time are adjustable.

	Built-in CTCSS/DCS
	CTCSS and DTCS tone codes provide quiet stand-by and allow you to use tone-access repeaters. Pocket beep alerts you when a matching tone frequency is received. Tone scan detects the subaudible tone that is used for repeater access.

	128 Memory Channels
	Up to 128 regular memory channels can be stored with a 6-character channel names, tone and duplex settings.

	Wide/Narrow Bandwidth Selectable
	Different channel spacing 25KHz/12.5KHz are optional to confirm with the regulations of different countries.

	Scan Features
	The UV-E5 allows CTCSS/DCS Tone scan,FM Radio frequency scan,VFO scan.

Technical Specification   Model UV-E5   Frequency Range 136-174 & 400-470 MHz (TX/RX)   Channel Number 128   Channel Spacing 2.5/5/6.25/25/12.5KHz   Frequency Stability 2.5ppm   Operating Voltage 7.4V   Battery Type 1800 mAh (Lithium Battery)   Operating Temperature -30?C-+60?C   Standby Current 50mA   Antenna Impedance 50O   Dimension(without antenna&battery 58*110*32 mm   Weight 205 g (with antenna&battery) Transmitter   Power Output 5 Watts/1 Watts   Modulation 16K?F3E /8K?F3E   Spurious and Harmonious -36dBm<1GHz -30dBm>1GHz   FM Noise 45dB(N)/42dB(W)   Adjacent Channel Power 60dB   Audio Distortion =5% Receiver   Sensitivity (12dB SINAD) 0.2uV   Squelch Selectivity 0.15uV   Adjacent Channel Selectivity =65dB   Spurious Response Rejection -60dB   Audio Power Output 500mW   Audio Distortion =10%

Vero Telecom 2012 HK Electronics Fair

Looks like the VR-2200 (aka TYT TH-9000) and something that looks an awful lot like a version of the TYT TH-UV3R. I will, unfortunately, not be attending...

Dear our valued customer,
We treasure every opportunity to meet  you.
From 13 Apr. - 16 Apr. 2012, we will attend the exhibition of "HK Electronics Fair (Spring Edition)" in HKTDC




We cordially invite you and your colleagues  to visit our booth 3D-A25 in Hall 3.

Thanks and best regards!

	VERO SALES TEAMS
	3 floor,No.3 Chongxiang St,Quanzhou,Fujian,P.R.C 362006
	T: 86-595-22496660 | F: 86-595-86761912 | M: 86-159 6055 9990
	W: http://www.verotelecom.com  | E: info@verotelecom.com

Vero Telecom VR-6600P: Pic

The VGC (Vero Telecome) VR-6600P looks good.

Baofeng UV-3R: Is the UV-X4 the Mark II?

I got an e-mail from Vero Telecom announcing the UV-X4. The image shows the dual display and dual band antenna. Also, it shows the new FCC number.

Dear Our valued customer,

Good day！UV-X4 has approved CE,FCC  and ROHS certifications:

 

Want To More Detail About UV-X4,Please Download the Brochure of UV-X4:

OEM MOQ : 100 PCS

Thanks and best regards!

VERO SALES TEAMS

3 floor,No.3 Chongxiang St,Quanzhou,Fujian,P.R.C 362006

T: 86-595-22496660 | F: 86-595-86761912 | M: 86-159 6055 9990

W: http://www.verotelecom.com  | E: info@verotelecom.com

Vero UV-X5: Preliminary Pricing

From a Vero Telecom e-mail posted on the UV-3R Yahoo Group:

"Item:UV-X5 Tri-band dual display two way radios with 2W output power
Frequency range:136-174&400-470&245-246Mhz
MOQ Price:100pcs---USD38.00/PC(Ex work price)
Sample Price:USD43.50/PC(Ex work price)
Shipping cost:USD29.00 for 1pcs ship to USA by DHL"

I would obviously expect street pricing to be higher. It will be interesting to see who will be selling this unit, how much higher the price will be, and if it will be re-branded by the sellers.