Running Truism

Once you see a three foot snake cross the greenway in front of you, every stick for the rest of the run looks like a snake.

Wouxun KG-UV9D: In Stock and Shipping

BuyTwoWayRadios has the Wouxun KG-UVD in stock and is shipping out orders:

"If you already pre-ordered the 9D from Buy Two Way Radios, get ready. Your new radio is now on its way! If you haven't ordered yet, we have a limited number currently in stock, so if you want one, get it now."

QYT KT8900: Dual Band Mobile

I get the marketing e-mails from 409Shop and the QYT KT8900 dual-band mobile caught my eye - just because the price was less than $100.

Frequency Range: VHF:136-174MHz  UHF:400-480MHz
Number of Channel: 200
Channel Spacing: 25KHz 20K 12.5
Phase lock step: 5KHz、6.25 KHz、10 KHz、12.5 KHz、15 KHz、25 KHz
Working Voltage: 13.8V DC±15%
Squelch way: CTCSS/DCS/5Tone/2Tone/DTMF
Frequency Stability: ±2.5ppm
Operating Temperature: -20~+60
Dimension(W x H x D): 98(W) x 35(H) x 118(D)mm
Weight: 408g

Receiver
Sensitivity
Broadband: ≤ 0.25μV
Narrow band: ≤ 0.35μV

Transmitter
Output power: 25W/20W(VHF/UHF)

BaoFeng Buys Tokyo High Power Labs

On the Onion of Ham Radio:

"BaoFeng (the marketing name for PoFung Technologies) has purchased the remaining assets from the holding administrator representing Tokyo High Power Labs." 

"Details are still a little sketchy, but the rumored HF Transceivers are reportedly being labeled:

• BaoFeng Hurricane (SDR with knobs, 250 watt all band transceiver)

• BaoFeng Tornado (SDR with knobs, 400 watt all band transceiver)

• BaoFeng Tsunami (SDR no front panel, 100 watt all band transceiver)"

"We could not verify at this moment, but the suggested retail price for the Tsunami is $180.00 US."

Via the Chinese Ham Radio Equipment Google+ group

Tytera (TYT) MD-380: DMR HT

Check out the full review here, but the highlights follow:

The Good
Audio Volume and Quality: The audio from this radio is very full, with a good response to low frequencies, making it pleasing to listen to and it will get heard, even in the noisiest environments;
Rugged Construction: This radio is very well built, so it should keep going long after typical ham radio units call it quits;
Multicolor LCD Display: Having a multicolor LCD display on the radio allows for easy use and programming while on the move;
Front Panel Programming: This radio is capable of being programmed via the keypad, allowing users to make changes without the need for the PC;
Antenna Connector: The antenna connector for this radio uses a SMA connection, allowing it to easily be connected to an external antenna;
Price: At $170 USD, this radio is a very attractive option for anyone looking to get started with DMR. 

The Bad
Software Polish: There are a number of oddities within the firmware of the radio that impacts it’s overall user experience;
Bluetooth Capability: This radio is not Bluetooth capable, so the use of wireless audio accessories is not possible;
Desktop Charger: The desktop charger takes hours to charge the radio, plus the green “finished” LED indicator does not turn off, even when the radio is removed from the charge

A video from 409Shop.

Wouxun KG-UV9D: Upgraded Chip

In January last year, there was a lot of talk about a bug with some of the Wouxun radios that would cause them to lose their memory. A question was asked if the new KG-UV9D used the same chip. I reached out to Danny at BuyTwoWayRadios and he talked with Wouxun:

"Just wanted to let you know that I got a response from Wouxun over the weekend. They acknowledge the memory problems, but say that they are now using an upgraded chip."

 He adds:

"They didn't provide a date for when they switched chips, but I've never seen a radio with the memory problem so I think it’s been a while."

His experience sounds similar to the update at the bottom of Hans' post from last year:

"I just talked to Ruud PE1OPG, owner of Bamiporto.nl. While he sold at least 500 dual-band Wouxun models, he only ran into the problem once. Statistically that’s an irrelevant percentage of failures."

Wouxun KG-UV9D: Software

I always like to look at the software to get a sense of the features and functions. Here are some screenshots from the Wouxun KG-UV9D. (Loaner radio and software courtesy of BuyTwoWayRadios.)

Main Memory Group

Configuration Settings

VFO Settings

FM Broadcast Memories

Remote Settings

Scan Group

Call Settings

Save Settings

How to Fix Your PC

These are just painful... apparently, step 1 is to locate a wrench.

These stock images of people 'fixing' computers are so wrong they’ll give you physical pain - Electronic Products http://t.co/9Lq5f9FizT

— Sverre Holm, LA3ZA (@LA3ZA) April 24, 2015

Tesla Energy

I'm pretty excited about Tesla Energy - not so much for the product itself, but for what I think it represents.  I hope there is a coming wave of battery technology that will have performance improvements and cost reductions.

Baofeng BF-F8HP: Battery Testing

So Hank did an experiment using various batteries and a BF-F8HP:

"AA Battery Monitoring-Only Duration Test 

Conditions: 

Radio: Baofeng BF-F8HP with original factory settings except for 10 second LCD display backlight on-time (Menu 6) to induce heavier battery drain. 

Battery Adapter: Baofeng (Baofeng Tech) BL-5 AA Battery Adapter (and “place holder” battery as needed).

Environment: Indoor environment with stable 72° temperature and typical indoor relative humidity values. 

Tasking: Radio continuously monitored local fire band frequency with an average of 3 to 4 calls per hour at 3/4 full volume. 

Test #1
Energizer brand “Advanced Lithium” batteries (5 batteries + “fake” jumper)
Started on 4/10 at 11:50 AM
Ended on 4/14 at 6:35 AM
Duration: 3 days, 19 hours, 25 minutes (91.4 hours)

Test #2
Kodak brand “Max” alkaline batteries (5 batteries + “fake” jumper)
Started on 4/14 at 7:15 AM
Ended on 4/16 at 6:17 AM
Duration: 1 day, 23 hours, 2 minutes (47 hours) 

Test #3
Baofeng OEM BL-5 Extended Capacity 2100 mAh Li-ion battery
Note: Battery was cycled with four previous charge/discharge cycles to maximize charge capacity.
Started on 4/19 at 10:00 AM
Ended on 4/21 at 7:57 PM
Duration: 2 days, 9 hours, 57 minutes (58.9 hours) 

Test #4
Panasonic brand “eneloop” Ni-MH rechargeable batteries (6 batteries)
Started on 4/26 at 11:47 PM
Ended on 4/29 at 12:40 PM
Duration: 2 days, 12 hours, 53 minutes (60.9 hours)"