All of this is irrelevant. The bottom line is these low cost one chip wonder radios are trash. Not because they are made in China. It's because they are poor performing trash. The RDA1846 chipset data sheet describes these as consumer grade chips intended for low cost consumer products like bubble pack FRS/GMRS radios. You know, the "40 mile walkie talkies" you buy at Wal-Mart that barely transmit and receive a half mile away and sound like dog poo. No front end filtering on most (but not all) means the receiver sucks in everything from DC to daylight, except what you want to hear of course.
They are a poor choice for a new ham because often times, they can't do basic functions well like, you know, being able to transmit a solid and clean FM carrier to access a repeater. They can't receive a clean signal because often times, they get easily overloaded by out of band RF that even basic analog scanner radios ignore. They are very difficult and challenging to manipulate from their keypads. Quality control is of course going to be bottom barrel at this price point.
New hams are better served with an Elmer provided 20 year old ham purpose built radio or repurposed commercial rig than any of these road apple radios. Bashing each other is just proof people can't accept facts. Facts are these things are turds. Great for cosplay but that is about it.
New hams should have a subscriber radio that will give them a good experience. Doesn't mean they have to spend hundreds. A good quality used 2 meter HT or mobile can be bought off QRZ forums, hamfests, etc for well under a hundred dollars and will be hundred times better than a Bowelturd for a new ham.
