Yaesu VX-6R or Wouxun KG-UV6Dv2?

[callahanfirebuff]

I am new to HAM radio but I am ready to jump in!

I am looking to get a transceiver-
I am trying to decide between the Yaesu VX-6R and the Wouxun KG-UV6Dv2.
What are the differences?
Eventhough it is more pricey I think I want the 6R because of the large amount of frequencies it can receive. Plus it seems more "durable".


I want to be able to receive as many "non-HAM" frenquencies as possible. My main use for the transciever at this point is to monitor my local fire-rescue dispatch. I am a volunteer firefighter but I am under 18 so the department can't issue me a radio.

After I get experience as a HAM I want to move on to a moblie unit. I just want to start with a simple and easy to operate tranceiver that fits my needs.

I am still new to the HAM world so I am looking for advice from experinced HAMs.

One last question-where do you recommend purchasing a transciever? I have looked at GigaParts and Universal-radio. Are these trustworthy dealers? Are there others that you recommend for a new HAM?

 

[redshift]

I don't have any experience with the Yeasu, but I do own the Wouxun so I can speak a little about that. In it's favor are obviously the price and the fact that it is capable of 2.5 kHz frequency steps so it can tune into splinter channels that radios that only support 5 kHz steps might not be able to hit right on. I don't know what frequency spacing the Yaesu supports, so it could be moot.

It is a nice little radio, IMO. I get good audio on both Tx and Rx and the battery life is excellent -- I get about 2 weeks of "normal" usage for me on a charge.

In the negative column for the Wouxun are it's relatively slow scan speed (about 4-5 ch/sec -- not sure if that matters to you or not) and the fact that is is pretty bare-bones (which it should be in it's actual market segment as a commercial 2-way radio). I'm sure the Yaesu is a lot more feature-rich.

For a bare-bones non-digital non-trunking radio though, the Wouxun is hard to beat at $150.

 

[redshift]

I forgot to mention -- the Yaesu has much wider receive coverage, but both radios are only capable of analog conventional operation. If any of the frequencies you want to monitor are on digital or trunked radio systems, then you'll need a dedicated scanner -- neither the Wouxun or the Yaesu are capable of monitoring digital or trunked radio systems.

 

[ShawnInPaso]

I have a VX-6R and have been veyr happy with it. As you noted, it is very durable and waterproof to a certain degree. The battery last longer per charge than I had expected, the speaker audio is always loud enough, and the receive capability (spectrum, sensitivity) and so forth is great. I also use it to scan public agencies and have used a piece of software to program the thing. It is very flexible and has many accessories. What drove me to buy the 6R s the 220mhz capability.

Now for the downside. The manual programming really sucks. It is not intuitive at all. Unless you are really good at remembering key sequences for programming or choose the programming software, then this is a major fault IMO.

Otherwise, great little rig. I bought mine via AES in Las Vegas because they have alway shown excellent customer service and fast shipping.

 

[gewecke]

I have a VX-6R and have been veyr happy with it. As you noted, it is very durable and waterproof to a certain degree. The battery last longer per charge than I had expected, the speaker audio is always loud enough, and the receive capability (spectrum, sensitivity) and so forth is great. I also use it to scan public agencies and have used a piece of software to program the thing. It is very flexible and has many accessories. What drove me to buy the 6R s the 220mhz capability.

Now for the downside. The manual programming really sucks. It is not intuitive at all. Unless you are really good at remembering key sequences for programming or choose the programming software, then this is a major fault IMO.

Otherwise, great little rig. I bought mine via AES in Las Vegas because they have alway shown excellent customer service and fast shipping.

I second the vx-6r also over the import toys! Milspec is always better.

73,
n9zas

 

[callahanfirebuff]

I contacted a member of my local ARES club-he informed me that I can receive the Simulcast of the public safety dispatch-so that is not a problem.

I can't get both so should I go with the more expensive 6R or the cheaper Dv2?

Thanks for the replies-they are very helpful!

 

[N8IAA]

VX6R without a doubt. I own the UVD1P, and it is truly an inexpensive radio. But, it can't hold a candle to the VX6R. You'll get more memory, a better battery, more to monitor. The only real difference between the UVD6 and the UVD1, is the fact that you can program in the FM broadcast band. The UVD1/6 are not even close in durability (of course, when you break a $100 radio, you can get another:roll. Had a VX5R and loved it. Sold it and bought a FT60R. If you really want dual band and save a little bit of money, get the FT60R. No SW and FM broadcast, but a solid transceiver!
JMO,
Larry

 

[N4KVE]

Whenever I need to buy from a ham radio vendor, I always try to do business with Universal. Nice to deal with, & they treat you like a king, even if you need a $3 part. I just ordered a mobile antenna, & they put a wooden rod in the box to make sure the antenna wouldn't get bent in shipping. I'd get the Yaesu radio. It seems the Chinese who are new to the game haven't mastered the art of programming a radio w/o a computer. Maybe they'll get the hang of it in a few years. GARY N4KVE

 

[jhooten]

The only advantage the UV6 has over the VX6 is it carries PART 90 approval so you could legally transmit on the FD conventional frequencies with it.

 

[LtDoc]

This is mostly personal opinion so take it as that.
I wouldn't recommend a hand held radio as your 'first' radio, they are just too limiting. Hand held radios are only for convenience, convenience is always at the expense of ability.
'jhooten' has it correct, the Wouxun radios/HTs are commercial radios that just happen to be usable on the ham bands. If you have a legitimate reason for a Part-90 certified radio then they are certainly cheaper than the 'name brands'. If you don't have a need for the 'extras' a typical ham HT has, you just want a bare-bones HT, then they are a pretty good choice.
Out of band transmitting is not all that usable for most hams (saying nothing about legality). The likelihood of you ever needing that ability is 'slim' to 'none'. If the circumstance is such that it's the only way you have of communicating for honest -emergency situations, the chances are that initially you will be ignored if you try to use those out of band frequencies. (Know a dispatcher? Ask them about 'crank' callers.) It's always better to use existing, accepted, 'normal' means of notifying authorities of emergencies.
That's enough of that 'soap box'.
Which of those two radios would I get? I think it would boil down to cost in my situation. If cost is no object then I think one of the 'ham' HTs would be my choice for an HT. But then, an HT wouldn't be my first choice anyway.
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[VE6CLG]

As I read through this thread I noticed a number of seat of the pants replies that any new user should disregard as they are inaccurate:

- "Milspec is always better". It can depend on which Milspec, For example IPX ratings below 8 are only splash proof.
- "You'll get more memory, a better battery, more to monitor" They both come with Li-Co 1400mah batteries so one is not better than the other. There is not necessarily 'more to monitor', there are simply more available bands to choose from.
- "The only advantage the UV6 has over the VX6 is it carries PART 90 approval". That is very oversimplified and not the 'only' advantage. For example some people may think saving money is also a significant advantage. Ability to change channels from the knob when keypad is locked, or light may be others...
- This is the one that really got me however: "If the circumstance is such that it's the only way you have of communicating for honest -emergency situations, the chances are that initially you will be ignored if you try to use those out of band frequencies. (Know a dispatcher? Ask them about 'crank' callers.)" Crank callers call on the phone, not on a VHF radio. I have worked with emergency call centres for 33 years and have yet to find any dispatcher that would ignore a call for help. This statement is a supreme dis-service to dispatchers everywhere. The more accurate thing that could have been written about this is, "you probably won't know the correct tone code required to open the squelch circuit of the emergency call center you need to call", so they won't be able to hear you if you do call for help".

I find it regretful that some many people are willing to chime in with seat of the pants opinions when the original poster just wanted factual information.

 

[robertmac]

Is it better than FT-60R

I don't think VE6CLG is a certified amateur radio operator so I wouldn't go as far as saying dispatchers would ignore transmitting on their frequency or not, emergency or not. What is an emergency? I digress but calling 911 to say their cat is sick is not a proper emergency. Do we need this with illegal use of radios-NO! I see you already have an Icom V82 and FT-60R. Not really sure what advantage the VX-6R would give, other than some slight water proofing. And as it is unknown what frequency you are going to LISTEN to, it is difficult to provide a factual answer. However, the VX-6R is a REAL radio compared to the Wouxouns. The Wouxouns, as have been mentioned are extremely poor scanners. Although they list them as dual watch, only one frequency at at time can be used. Plus it does not indicate which frequency is in use. If need be the VX-6R and 60R have dual watch as well. PLUS, Yaesu radios are so much easier to program with and without computer software. The major ham dealers in the USA should provide great service as well.

 

[w2xq]

Wirelessly posted (Moto Droid Bionic: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 4.0.4; en-us; DROID BIONIC Build/6.7.2-223_DBN_M4-23) AppleWebKit/534.30 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/534.30)

FWIW I would go with the VX6R which I used for years. Durable to be sure; I mistakenly left it on the roof of my SUV. It blew off the roof somewhere around 40 mph. No damage from the bounces on the asphalt.

For the VX6R (and my other radios) I put the PDF manual into my Dropbox account. Gives me instant access via the smartphone or any computer at hand so long as there is Internet access. No paper to carry.

HTH.

 

[KD8TZC]

PLUS, Yaesu radios are so much easier to program with and without computer software.

Robert... I have a VX6... how do you do dual watch as I was not aware I could do that with it but would love to be able to.

Thanks,

John

So as not to Hijack the thread, PM me on how to do this... thanks.

 

[k3td]

I have the VX-6R which I love and have used for 8 years. It is rugged, has an excellent receiver, plenty of audio and is very easy to use. I also like the fact that it is tri-band radio - 2 meters, 222 and 440 MHz. I have the RT Systems v4.5 programming software which makes it very convenient to re-program for trips.

 

[jhooten]

As I read through this thread I noticed a number of seat of the pants replies that any new user should disregard as they are inaccurate:

- "Milspec is always better". It can depend on which Milspec, For example IPX ratings below 8 are only splash proof.
- "You'll get more memory, a better battery, more to monitor" They both come with Li-Co 1400mah batteries so one is not better than the other. There is not necessarily 'more to monitor', there are simply more available bands to choose from.
- "The only advantage the UV6 has over the VX6 is it carries PART 90 approval". That is very oversimplified and not the 'only' advantage. For example some people may think saving money is also a significant advantage. Ability to change channels from the knob when keypad is locked, or light may be others...
- This is the one that really got me however: "If the circumstance is such that it's the only way you have of communicating for honest -emergency situations, the chances are that initially you will be ignored if you try to use those out of band frequencies. (Know a dispatcher? Ask them about 'crank' callers.)" Crank callers call on the phone, not on a VHF radio. I have worked with emergency call centres for 33 years and have yet to find any dispatcher that would ignore a call for help. This statement is a supreme dis-service to dispatchers everywhere. The more accurate thing that could have been written about this is, "you probably won't know the correct tone code required to open the squelch circuit of the emergency call center you need to call", so they won't be able to hear you if you do call for help".

I find it regretful that some many people are willing to chime in with seat of the pants opinions when the original poster just wanted factual information.

Do you own either? Bought the UV6 when the VX6 was destroyed so I could legally use it at the race track. The VX6 was a much better radio. Would rather have it back as little as I need the part 90 cert.

 

[VE6CLG]

I got a 1P as an addition to an FT-270r, then a UV6 to replace the 1P as the 2.5 step was better for animal collar telemetry. (Which BTW I have found you cannot seem to enter in VFO mode, just via the programming software).

I have never been a fan or RT Systems software since they bungled their CD's for the VX-150 so that users could not program them, then abandoned the users. That has made me come to appreciate the free software that Jim Mitchell has produced for the Wouxun units.

I have no doubt that any Yaesu radio model is better quality than any of the Wouxun or similar brands, and that the potential buyer must be aware that on the one hand they are talking using modified Ham radios out of band and on the other hand using a Type approved commercial radio (at the moment the 1P is type approved in Canada, the 6 is not). So I don't wish to dispute that point, and my intent was to encourage factual information for the OP.

With regards to the latter, I'm somewhat perplexed by Robermac's previous observation in relation to the OP's original questions:

What is an emergency? I digress but calling 911 to say their cat is sick is not a proper emergency. Do we need this with illegal use of radios-NO!

I'm not sure what point was trying to be made there? The fact of the matter is I have yet to see a dispatch console that receives calls on Ham frequencies, so that means the caller must be either using a modified ham radio, or a commercial VHF radio, and they would have to know the tone codes, and that channel probably would have to be programmed narrow band in advance, meaning some sort of prior knowledge, including the possibility of permission such as that given to ACMG and CAA certified guides exists. And as to legality, while in both cases the caller may be using an unlicensed device, in Canada, where Mr. Robermac resides, he is no doubt aware that the 'Color of Right' clause in the Criminal Code takes precedence over the Radio Communications Act when used in the act of protecting the loss of life (as in getting help in an emergency). I don't recall reading anything in the original post where the OP advocated neither using a radio illegally, or calling a dispatch center on a radio to get help for his cat, and this is what I mean about trying to keep the information on topic and free of silliness.

 

[robertmac]

Dual Watch

for VX-6R is on page 53 of the manual under "Priority Channel" Scanning [Dual Watch]. The OP has an FT-60R listed and the same information can be found on page 41 of that manual. These manuals can be downloaded from the manufacturers web site if not supplied with the radio.

 

[gewecke]

I am new to HAM radio but I am ready to jump in!

I am looking to get a transceiver-
I am trying to decide between the Yaesu VX-6R and the Wouxun KG-UV6Dv2.
What are the differences?
Eventhough it is more pricey I think I want the 6R because of the large amount of frequencies it can receive. Plus it seems more "durable".


I want to be able to receive as many "non-HAM" frenquencies as possible. My main use for the transciever at this point is to monitor my local fire-rescue dispatch. I am a volunteer firefighter but I am under 18 so the department can't issue me a radio.

After I get experience as a HAM I want to move on to a moblie unit. I just want to start with a simple and easy to operate tranceiver that fits my needs.

I am still new to the HAM world so I am looking for advice from experinced HAMs.

One last question-where do you recommend purchasing a transciever? I have looked at GigaParts and Universal-radio. Are these trustworthy dealers? Are there others that you recommend for a new HAM?

Order your Yaesu VX6R from Gigaparts.com and be done with it! Forget about the chinese toy radios. Legalities aside, the vx6r is 4 times the radio for the simple reason you have 4 bands to choose from (after a simple change) 50-54 mhz, 144-148mhz, 220-225mhz, and 440-450mhz. Not to mention the other multitude of features!

73,
n9zas

 

[gewecke]

As I read through this thread I noticed a number of seat of the pants replies that any new user should disregard as they are inaccurate:

- "Milspec is always better". It can depend on which Milspec, For example IPX ratings below 8 are only splash proof.
- "You'll get more memory, a better battery, more to monitor" They both come with Li-Co 1400mah batteries so one is not better than the other. There is not necessarily 'more to monitor', there are simply more available bands to choose from.
- "The only advantage the UV6 has over the VX6 is it carries PART 90 approval". That is very oversimplified and not the 'only' advantage. For example some people may think saving money is also a significant advantage. Ability to change channels from the knob when keypad is locked, or light may be others...
- This is the one that really got me however: "If the circumstance is such that it's the only way you have of communicating for honest -emergency situations, the chances are that initially you will be ignored if you try to use those out of band frequencies. (Know a dispatcher? Ask them about 'crank' callers.)" Crank callers call on the phone, not on a VHF radio. I have worked with emergency call centres for 33 years and have yet to find any dispatcher that would ignore a call for help. This statement is a supreme dis-service to dispatchers everywhere. The more accurate thing that could have been written about this is, "you probably won't know the correct tone code required to open the squelch circuit of the emergency call center you need to call", so they won't be able to hear you if you do call for help".

I find it regretful that some many people are willing to chime in with seat of the pants opinions when the original poster just wanted factual information.

I think you're nitpicking a bit. Any grade of military specification is still going to be a better standard than those of the chinese import radios made with no standards at all!
How do you know the op doesn't know the correct tones? No one made any "seat of the pants" replies that I read. :roll:

73,
n9zas