Cheap Chinese HT

7wt

Expedition Leader
Well, this will allow you to "do HAM" at an entry level. If you're interested in amateur radio as a "mod" to your truck and strictly for offroad use, you might save up some add'l bucks and look at mobile rigs instead. In any case, good luck on your test and be sure to post up your callsign when you get it.

Although I like my VX6 sometimes I wished I went with a mobil instal the first time around. Many is the time I run out the door with the radio sitting on the desk. For those people wanting to test the ham waters without going hog wild a HT makes good sense, if you don't get on with it you can always dump it for close to what you paid. I went with an HT because I had no idea if I would stick with amateur radio and if I did, I knew I would learn more of what I actually needed or wanted with the experience I gained with the HT. So far that has proven to be correct, I can pick up a mobile and sell the HT or I can just keep it and have two. I am in a win win situation all the way around except for one and that is ultimately I would be spending more money on yet another hobby. Now I am trying to decide between a mobil mount or a portable HF rig along with a general ticket but I am too busy chasing other rabbits to come to a decision.
 

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
It was a very simple solution, unfortunately it was so long ago that I forgot what it was. I will get one of the radios out and mess around with it to see if it jogs my memory.




I see that there was initially a bit of difficulty using them with repeaters. Was the solution simple?
 

AxeAngel

Expedition Leader
Well, this will allow you to "do HAM" at an entry level. If you're interested in amateur radio as a "mod" to your truck and strictly for offroad use, you might save up some add'l bucks and look at mobile rigs instead. In any case, good luck on your test and be sure to post up your callsign when you get it.

Local Guy has a Kenwood TM-201A w/ MC-48 mic for $50 and a Kenwood TR-7625 with RM-76 Microprocessor control and power supply for $80. If anyone is interested.

I spoke to a guy who wants to upgrade from his Yaesu 2800, he's gonna let it go for $75

-Sam
 

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
Been using my cheap Puxing for well over about two years now, mostly for backpacking and mountain biking because of it's light weight. It is still preferred over my Yaesu and is the first radio I grab if heading out. I still give it high marks after much abuse in all conditions. Great little radio for a little price.
 

BlairB

Observer
Just ordered one to throw in my backpack and to have to loan out to people. I ended up going with the 888.
________
New six
 
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Mashurst

Adventurer
I got a Puxing about 3mo ago and I have been more or less enjoying it. It's a PX-328.

The good:
Price $66 to my door. I don't have to worry about losing or breaking it so I use it a lot.
It does everything a modern radio should.
I can hit all the local repeaters.
I get good signal reports.
Transmit Audio quality is clean and clear. ( I have been on the other end)
Sturdy body construction*
Battery life is very good.
Hand programing is actually very easy once you figure out the manual is wrong.

The reasons I will not be getting another one just like it or recommending this model:
It was very hard to figure out how to set it up. Not only was the manual in very poor English (expected) but it contained grievous omissions and outright errors, including diagram that did not match the button layout of the radio. At first I was very disappointed in it because I couldn't get it set up, but after a few hours of fiddling with it and realizing that the manual was only useful as a general guide and could not be trusted I eventually got it to do everything I expected it to.
When a signal breaks squelch it is accompanied by a loud popping sound that is very hard on the ears and drive the wife nuts. There is no dedicated squelch nob and it takes two button pushes, a turn of the nob and then two more button pushes to adjust it. These are meant as commercials so that is understandable but with the popping it constitutes a problem if you are getting a weak signal.
The memories can be saved with a 6 dig name but then the frequency is not displayed with it. The display only has one line.
When setting up Memories you have to figure out the offset frequency as it requires you to enter both frequencies rather than the direction of the offset.
*While the overall construction is good, the display is covered with a very soft plastic and scratches very easily. The buttons are also made of a translucent rubber with a black paint cover that is not holding up well.
Switching between Memory and VFO mode requires turning it off and back on while holding a button.
It is very easy to blank out all memory… about the same number of steps as adjusting the squelch.:Wow1:
The screen will do three colors blue, orange, and purple but it falls back to blue at start up, I like orange.

Overall it is like many have said, “not bad for the money” but that's only true because of the money not because this is such a great radio. I may trade it out for a Wouxun and try those out but, the inexpensive Alincos may be a better deal even at twice the price.
KJ6EUO
73
 
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KE5QVT

Observer
Cheap Chinese

I have two different brands of HT's

I have two puxing px-777's which are in the 2m range and then I have 5 WOUXUN KG-UVD1P Dual Band FM which I actually like more than my YAESU VX6R.

I am a scoutmaster for a local BSA troop and use the Wouxn along with my Yaesu FT8900 for mobile repeater operation while on campouts.

I set up the FT8900 as a crossband repeater and base station and give the scout or mobiles out as patol radios. They hit the base in 2m and the yaesu repeats out in 70cm which the mobile pick up. this has worked great and broadened our reach by about 2 miles in line of sight.

I have never had ANY problems with the WOUXUN and would have bought them prior to my HIGH dollar Yaesu VX if I had known about them.


My humble vote.....YES!!!! on the dual band WOUXUN and a patial YES for the 2m/70cm Puxing 777.....
 

ratkin

Adventurer
Wouxun KG-UV920R Dual Band Mobile Transceiver

Looks like they're getting ready to ship mobile dual-band rigs: KG-UV920R

wouxun_kg_uv920r.jpg
 

Saratoga

Adventurer
Considering these 'cheap' asian radio's I would like to see something that is compatible or ready to go setup with APRS ;)

I've got a Yaesu 8800 as well as a Puxing 888 but would like to get APRS setup in the vehicle at some point... ;)
 

HenryJ

Expedition Leader
[hijack]
Considering these 'cheap' asian radio's I would like to see something that is compatible or ready to go setup with APRS ;)

I've got a Yaesu 8800 as well as a Puxing 888 but would like to get APRS setup in the vehicle at some point... ;)
Mine has been working great: Micro-Trak RTG (Ready To Go) An affordable ($120) stand alone plug-n-play APRS solution.
aprs1.JPG
aprs4.JPG

Track KE7CSK
I wired in a power port that is ignition hot and forget about it.[/hijack]

Now back to the regularly scheduled thread...:victory:
 

Saratoga

Adventurer
Thanks HenryJ, but having looked at those I don't think it is possible to change the frequency from 144.390 MHz to 144.800 Mhz that we use here in Europe. I shall probably end up doing something using the box from Cross Country Wireless to use with a PC. But it depends on when I have funds and everything ;) as is the case for most things!

Also, I don't think the code boxes for [hijack] [/hijack] are working properly :D :D :D
 

cjs

Banned
Argent Data has put together a "Getting Started" guide for the Puxing PX-777, as a substitute for the Puxing's "Engrish" edition manual:

https://www.argentdata.com/files/px-777.pdf

On a side note, if you're looking for APRS, I highly recommend Argent's T2-301 tracker. It has a built-in Friendcom 5W radio. It's about the size of an iPhone, just a bit thicker. All you have to do is hook up +12V, an antenna (BNC connector) and your GPS and you'll have a tracker that beacons your location and displays others' locations as waypoints on your NMEA-capable GPS.

http://argentdata.com/products/tracker2.html

If you're really nerdy, the T2-301 also supports digipeating and several models of weather stations as well.
 

preacherman

Explorer
I just got a wouxun kg-uvd1p dual dand handheld. So far I am very impressed. It got a few better reviews than some others.

Check out the reviews here.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/8172

I got it from universal radio and it came with a programing cable and software.

Specs
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/ht/5547.html

A bonus is that you can use the supplied software to Both program and to open up to 136-174 and 420-520.

I will report back after I use it more.
 

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