chinese mobile/base

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dondi1

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anyone have experience with wouxun Chinese made transceivers? I am new to ham, and I saw one for $299 are they worth it? any info will help thanks
 

bharvey2

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I have a number of the Wouxun handheld radios and have never had any problem with them although there are some who have reported issues. I have one TYT 220mhz mobile and though I don't use it a great deal again, no trouble with it. I've only heard of one or two Wouxun mobiles and reports that I've read seem to suggest that it is an okay radio.

Commonly reported issues with Chinese radios in general include: difficult and poorly written programming software, strange operation (probably a firmware issue), poor or non-existent customer service and sometimes just substandard workmanship. I suspect much of this has to do with rushing products to market without thorough R&D.

There are some who will have nothing to do with CCRs (the three letter acronym given to "cheap Chinese radios") and prefer to stick with either long known HAM radio providers or even commercial rigs. By and large I'd say that the latter have a better track record regarding the issues mentioned above but they are without their troubles.

If there is a radio you have in mind, do some research on it, check out some reviews and if you're comfortable with the information you've read, buy the radio.
 

chief21

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My experience with several of these chinese rigs has, for the most part, been less than stellar. On one hand, many of these models represent substantial capability for the money spent. If you can't afford something better, they will get you on the air for a relatively small investment. Should you accidentally run over one of these with your truck, you won't cry for too long. Also on the positive side, the associated accessories tend to be very affordable.

On the other hand, however, many of these rigs are prone to interference (due to poor receiver filtering and/or selectivity). They can also be a bear to program manually, do not have as many useful features as the traditional models, and appear to be not terribly reliable over time.

I've owned perhaps ten of these rigs, both portable and mobile types, and I've since sold nearly all of them. Other than the poor receiver performance, my biggest issue has been that many of the "features" just don't work as you would expect them to. As always, your mileage may vary.

By way of additional research, you can read reviews of particular models on eham.net


John AC4JK
 

cessna_172

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Based on personal experience, I would stay away from Wouxun. They are prone to so much intermod they are virtually useless. My Wouxun handheld has the worst intermod rejection I have ever seen. Even when there is supposedly very little intermod present that thing seems to find it. Unless they have improved things in recent times which I doubt, they are a waste of money. On the other hand I have had very good luck with Anytone radios. Your mileage may vary. This is all based on my own experience.
 

scansalot52

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I've managed to zap two different models/units of Wouxun HTs. I have to charge them while still on. If I turn them off I have to repower twice then go through menu settings before I can use them. Others around here have had no problems. I do like the exchanging of accessories between brands. I've not a had a problem with intermod.
I have a TYT HT that I spilled liquid into. At $100, better to junk I guess than to risk a huge repair bill.
I do have an Anytone dual band mobile that has served me well.
All the above have quirky operational and programming issues as others have said.
 

n5ims

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One thing to have in your mind with those cheap radios is that they're "throw away" radios. Repairs are generally not available or cost more than replacing the radio. When they work, they work fine. When they break, it's time for a new radio. Also, there have been issues with the flash memory used in some models. They were the very low end flash memory that allowed very few changes before breaking (see the last link for some specific details on this). While that would be fine if you programmed once and left it alone, making several changes could break the radio. They may use better quality parts now, but keep this in mind when you're considering purchasing one.

You may want to read through these:

http://forums.radioreference.com/budget-entry-level-transceivers/301820-stay-away-wouxun.html
http://forums.radioreference.com/budget-entry-level-transceivers/295737-wouxun-kguvd1p.html

This is from an original importer that was their major seller in the US that had issues with the Wouxun repairs. Basically he was having to repair the in warranty radios himself and not given any support or repair parts from the manufacturer. Good-Bye-Wouxun
 

teufler

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If you are looking for a mobile, look up an Anytone 5888. Very similar to a Yaesu 8800 except the price and color screen, scramble function, lore channel capacity, 3 speakers for audio, . There are more differences but these come to mind. The Anytone does not have ARTS which Yaesu does. Wopuxun mobiles, about $50 dollars more for less features. The Wouxun ht's, the uv8d has been fine foir me. No troubles at all. But as most have said, if the radio craps out, breaks, you break it, etc, it will cost you at least $75.00 per hour labor plus parts and shipping costs out to the radio doctor and back. You can get a new one for that price, and a new warranty to boot. Like TV's the price for radios has dropped big time, the day of throw away pricing has arrived. The Big three, Kenwood, Yaesu and Icom have started building radios with GPS's built in, cameras built in, APRS built in so you can spend more for a little more.
 

mmckenna

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anyone have experience with wouxun Chinese made transceivers? I am new to ham, and I saw one for $299 are they worth it? any info will help thanks

For $299 you can get pretty nice name brand dual band mobiles. Yaesu FT-7900 is a pretty good little radio for under that budget.
More support, better track record, you can actually get them repaired if they do break, and the manuals are written well, which can be a big deal for a new ham.

As a new amateur radio licensee, I'd recommend getting a known good name brand radio for your first. It can save some headaches. Once you master that and figure out where your interest lies, then check into the CCR's.

If you really need to save money, then check around with local hams. Let them know what you are looking for. You might find a good deal on a decent radio and avoid the headaches.
 

R8000

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HRO has the Icom ID 880H on sale. Dual band, analog and D-Star. After rebate...$240.
 
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