Wouxun KG-UV8D: Software Problems

So according to these posts, there is a problem with the software:

"So i just got off the Phone with buytwowayradios.com because my radio has issue I found out that if you download the Software on Miklor.com it can screw up the radio but making the sound muffle and shutting it down and they said there is no way to fix the problem at the moment.Do not download the software.They said they have had multiple people complain.But they are still going to exchange the radio for me.Great Customer Service."

Company Names

There is something to be said for having a company name that is not tied to a specific brand. With the change of Baofeng to Pofung, it would be better (at least in my mind) to be something like BuyTwoWayRadios.com instead of BaofengTech. You've got all your eggs in one brand basket.

I think we saw another example of this with Wouxun.us and Import Communications when the relationship developed problems.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: How to check version

Via Miklor on the KG-UV8D Facebook page:

UV8D Keypad/Display...
By pressing and holding the 3 Key while doing a PowerON,the UV8D will display the Model, Version and Date.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Win One

Win one here.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: 2.5K Steps

BuyTwoWayRadios has the updated KG-UV8D with the 2.5K Steps. They are also including a free 2600 mAh battery upgrade for $159.99 (free shipping.)

Wouxun KG-UV8D

First and foremost, thanks again to the guys at BuyTwoWayRadios for loaning the KG-UV8D to me.

For the TLDR crowd, I'll sum up by saying that I think this radio is the next step in the evolution of the Chinese handheld transceivers. I say this for a few reasons. First, I think we will start to see a lot more color displays. The true dual receive is a step forward as well. While I don't believe that cross-band repeat will now be available on every new radio, it does demonstrate the potential capabilities coming out of China. And little things like the blinking phone icon for activity (that I discuss next) also add up to make this an great evolutionary step.

As I mentioned, I'll start with a small thing that makes a huge difference and makes me wish all my radios had this feature - the blinking phone icon to indicate which frequency had the most recent activity. Such a simple thing, but when you aren't staring at the screen and are monitoring two repeaters owned by the same ham, it eliminates any confusion about where the activity was.

And for what it's worth, I do like green for the "A/B" and "EXIT" buttons. It just makes navigating a little easier. I don't know why the new radios have all black buttons - saving a penny in the manufacturing cost?

From a subjective perspective, I really like how the radio feels in my hand. It isn't that much thinner than the KG-UV1DP, but it feels better. I also like the feel better than the Baofeng UV-5R.

The dual receive works perfectly. While my brain/CPU can't always follow two conversations at once, it allows me to hear both and then easily pick one to monitor using the RPT button to switch to the single frequency mode.

As for the cross-band repeat, I did not encounter any problems using it. I think it is a great feature/option to have, but not something I will use all the time. For temporary usage I think it is perfect, but I cringe anytime I read about someone trying to make this a "permanent" repeater.

Speaking of options, the KG-UV8D lets you customize the functions of some of the keys, so you can tailor it a bit to meet your preferences.

People always ask about the S meter on these radios. Between my good QTH and mostly listening to some great repeaters, I don't see much besides a full meter. Here is a short video here showing something besides zero and full strength.

Scanning is fine for my use, but by others' standards it is still too slow. A sample is here, so you can decide for yourself.

John has a mini-review on the Yahoo Group:

"Receive sensitivity is very good- about 0.25 microvolt.
Transmit power- 5W VHF, 4W UHF
True Dual Band Rx- you hear both upper and lower simultaneously
Easy to setup XBand repeat
Nice large multi-color display 

Annoyances:
Back light stays on during scan- same as other Wouxuns. Seems it should be OFF during scan and ON when it stops on an active channel.
Scan is still not professional- scan stops when any button is pressed. As a result, if you think you are scanning but bump any button, scan stops and you don't know it. The scan button should start and stop scan period, unless it is in SE mode where it automatically stops on any active channel.
The 8D is a very nice radio and it will replace my aging (but still working) 4 year old KG-UVD1P."

My test unit would do 135 to 174.995 and 400 to 479.995 out of the box. Miklor has the software to expand the frequencies (134 to 174 and 400 to 519), but you do so at your own risk.

Hans has the KG-UV8D on his test bench (along with the Puxing PX-UV973) and reports that harmonic suppression and sensitivity measurements are where they should be expected. He goes on to say:

"preventing both oscillators of interfering with each other
Here both radios fail miserably. For some reason both manufacturers weren’t able to to get this right, resulting in an awful lot of spurious emissions up and down the carrier. 

The problem is most evident when you’re receiving around the third harmonics of your transmit frequency."

His post indicates more information will follow.

Wouxun KG-UV899: Available and Unboxing

BuyTwoWayRadios is shipping the KG-UV899 now.

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

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.

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"

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.

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.

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.)