Monday, June 22, 2015

QYT KT8900: Miklor Review

Some bad news (at least for now) for those of us that were interested in the QYT KT8900 / Juentai JT-6188...

John's review at Miklor lists the cons including some serious ones:
"The Audio issue is serious.
The inability to use the software on a Windows PC is disappointing.
No external Speaker jack. The port in rear is for programming cable only.
No 2.5 kHz steps (relatively minor compared to above)"
Specifically:
"- No Audio on an Active Channel
This one is a bit nasty.
When changing or returning to an Active Channel, no audio is present. You must press [EXIT], or press the PTT to open the squelch. If you are in the scan mode, it is possible the radio will stop on an active channel, but no audio will be heard.
This is also found in Section 3 at the Miklor FAQ.
- Humming Sound
Not major, but worth pointing out. When a signal is present and the audio is fully turned down, there is a humming / buzzing sound that comes through the speaker. When the volume is turned up, the sound is no longer noticeable. This is not a Power Source issue."
Read the whole review here.

Google Trends - Chinese Radios

Just messing around with Google Trends... any other interesting comparisons or surprises?

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Baofeng Tech - Baofeng UV-82HP

Baofeng Tech sent an e-mail announcing the Baofeng UV-82HP. Quoting from their website:
"WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE?
* It has 3 Power Levels (1, 5, 7 watt)
* VFO/ MR (Frequency Mode) can be locked via software
* The Dual Push-to-Talk Switch can be synchronized via software to simplify operation of the radio
* A new 80 Page In-Depth User's Guide
* It includes the High Gain V-85 Antenna to Optimize Performance
* Full Accessory Compatibility with ALL UV-82 accessories
* Multiple TONE Burst Options on a NEW user Menu. Selectable Tone Burst Options Include: 1000hz, 1450hz, 1750hz, 2100hz"
You can order the Baofeng UV-82HP at Amazon for $65. (At the moment, it is showing as "currently unavailable," but the press release said it is available now.)


Friday, June 12, 2015

ARRL Extra Class License Manual Kindle Version

The ARRL announces that the Extra Class License Manual is now available in a Kindle version:
"The Kindle edition from Amazon completes the suite of ARRL license manuals available in e-book format."

Lively Exchange of Idea

Funny...

Juentai JT-6188: Programming

John's got the step by step instructions for programming frequencies into the JT-6188/KT-8900. I wonder how much of the problem was related to this:
"All programming MUST be initially done in the Frequency Mode only. From there you have the option of assigning the entered data to a specific channel for later access in the Channel Mode if desired."

Juentai JT-6188: Price Increase at Amazon

The price of the Juentai JT-6188 has gone up to $115 at Amazon. You can still get QYT KT8900 for about $100 at the 409Shop. This reminds me of the VV-808 that had an introductory price that quickly went away. I hope the KT8900 stays at around $100.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Seveneves

Neal Stephenson has a new book: Seveneves: A Novel. I obviously like his stuff as he made the cut when I purged books a while back. I've only started reading the sample of this one, but I came across this in the first little bit:
"Rufus, a die-hard ham radio enthusiast who still communicated in Morse code with a dwindling circle of old friends all over the world, had pointed out that radio transmission between the ground and Izzy was actually rather easy, given that it was line-of-sight (at least when Izzy happened to be passing overhead) and that the distance was nothing by ham radio standards. Since Dinah lived and worked in a robot workshop, surrounded by soldering gear and electronics workbenches, it had been a simple matter for her to assemble a small transceiver following specifications provided by her dad."
Izzy = The International Space Station. Guess I'll be forking over the money for the full book soon.

The Danger of the IoT

Got to be careful with that IoT.