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-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.)

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.

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.

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

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Manual

BuyTwoWayRadios posted the manual for the Wouxun KG-UV8D on their site. Look under "Resources" for the download link.

Apologies, but I've not looked at it yet. If you spot anything interesting in the manual, please drop me an e-mail or post a comment below.

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Flyer

BuyTwoWayRadios.com has a new post about the KG-UV8D confirming the $139.99 price, displaying a flyer/mini-spec sheet, along with this update about the versions:

"While a 220 MHz version of this radio will eventually be available, it will not be available at launch. The 2m/70cm version is the only one that will be available at launch."

Wouxun KG-UV8D: Pricing

The Wouxun KG-UV8D will be available soon and BuyTwoWayRadios.com will be taking pre-orders on Tuesday. They will be selling them for $139.99. Woot!

Wouxun KG-UV8D

BuyTwoWayRadios has a post about the Wouxun KG-UV8D:

"Billed as an upgrade version of the popular KG-UV6D, the new KG-UV8D will have some significant feature additions and improvements. One of the most exciting new features of this transceiver is duplex cross-band repeat operation, a standard feature on Wouxon's popular base/mobile radios (the KG-UV920P-A and KG-UV950P), but is a first on their handheld models. According to Wouxon, the KG-UV8D will also work in duplex, providing the ability to transmit on one band and receive on another simultaneously. 

One feature that really stands out is the display. The KG-UV8D will sport a large, color LCD display that is more than double the size of its predecessor. The screen alone looks impressive, encompassing nearly half the front face of this handheld."

They say it should arrive in mid April.

Wouxun KG-UV6D: FCC Update

There are some new entries on the FCC site for Quanzhou Wouxun Electronics Co., Ltd. (Go the the FFC site here and type WVT for Wouxun in the "Grantee Code" field to see all the files.) I was hoping to see a new entry for the KG-UV920R, but, alas, no. Looks like they want all models of their radios to share the same FCC ID. From the cover letter:

"We declared, added models KG-UVD1P, KG-UVD1P V2, KG-UV2D, KG-UV2D V2, KGUV3D, KG-UV3D V2, KG-UV5D, KG-UV5D V2, KG-UV6D V2, KG-UV6D-E, KG-UV6D-A, KG-UV6D-R, KG-UV6X, KG-UV7D, KG-UV7D V2, KG-UV8D, KG-UV8D V2, KG-UV9D, KG-UV9D V2, KG-UVA1, KG-UVA1 V2, KG-UVA2, KG-UVA2 V2 basis of the original models KG-UV6D. These models are identical circuit, PCB LAYOUT to the original model, only the appearance and name are different. All models sharing the same FCC ID without permissive change would be electrically identical."