Puxing PX-888

[mipsyop]

Anyone know if these are legal in the states? I have come across conflicting info from other sites. Some say the 777 is the only one licensed for use here while others say both are. Any info would be great! Thanks

 

[C138NC]

I dont trust those, someone tried selling those from demostrations on youtube, they are more for asia i guess but i would be careful because sometimes it will jam up over here interfering with police, fire, ems communications for what i heard.

 

[APSN556]

Not Legal

The puxing line radios (PX-888 and PX-777) as well as the similar Fidexin brand (FD-150A, 160A, 450A, and 460A) are NOT LEGAL to own or operate in the USA. They are not FCC certified, but whats even more concerning about them is the fact that they are wide open on their entire frequency range and able to transmit on any frequency- not good when in the hands of the worng person.

 

[LouisvilleScanMan]

No more dangerous then all the legal radios that have been "opened up" by licensed operators. JUST KEEP IT OUT OF THE WRONG HANDS

 

[trixwagen]

You give free banders a bad name. Kind of like how those Somalis are giving pirates a bad name.

 

[APSN556]

No more dangerous then all the legal radios that have been "opened up" by licensed operators. JUST KEEP IT OUT OF THE WRONG HANDS

The question was are they legal, and the answer is no. Niether is any radio that has been "opened up" and once was legal. The second you mod it to transmit outside its indended range than it voids the FCC cert.

 

[AK9R]

The Puxing PX-777 was granted FCC equipment authorization as a Part 90 radio on 08/09/2006. The FCC ID is UBYQZPUXING02.

I don't believe that amateur radio transmitters require FCC equipment authorization however they do have to conform to emission limits set forth in Part 97.

 

[prcguy]

Oh so absolutely not true, you can legally modify any amateur transceiver to cover outside the amateur bands and its perfectly legal. This goes for HF, VHF or any band for that matter, modify away and parade the radio through the FCC offices and all they can say is nice modded radio you got there. This same question was asked of Riley Hollingsworth of the FCC and he backed it up.

Now transmitting outside the band you are licensed for or using a non type accepted radio on commercial frequencies is another problem and obviously not legal. Amateur operators can build or use practically anything to transmit as long as it meets current harmonic suppression specs. It may be illegal to import a Puxing style radio that is not FCC type accepted but once its in the US it can be legally operated by a licensed radio amateur within the amateur bands. If someone imports a number of these non type accepted radios with intent to sell that is a separate legal problem where the FCC and US customs can intervene.

There is an entire community within the amateur radio hobby that collects and operates surplus military radios from every corner of the globe. Many of these radios were never type accepted for anything other than military use which does not answer to FCC rules yet they are perfectly legal to use on amateur radio if they meet current harmonic specs.
prcguy

The question was are they legal, and the answer is no. Niether is any radio that has been "opened up" and once was legal. The second you mod it to transmit outside its indended range than it voids the FCC cert.

 

[SkipSanders]

The PX-777 is certed, yes. That's the high band ONLY model. It is not the same as the PX-777+, which is not certified, nor is any other Puxing radio last I checked about a month ago.

 

[AK9R]

deleted

 

[APSN556]

thanks for the clarification. I am sorry for giving wrong information. I can that I have owned (no longer in my collection) both the Feidaxing FD-150A and the Puxing PX-888 VHF version (both widely sold on ebay) and neither were type accepted and both transmitted wide open with no problem on the entire frequency range- not just the ham bands. I thought that certainly made the radio illegal to purchase or own.

 

[tekshogun]

Oh so absolutely not true, you can legally modify any amateur transceiver to cover outside the amateur bands and its perfectly legal. This goes for HF, VHF or any band for that matter, modify away and parade the radio through the FCC offices and all they can say is nice modded radio you got there. This same question was asked of Riley Hollingsworth of the FCC and he backed it up.

Now transmitting outside the band you are licensed for or using a non type accepted radio on commercial frequencies is another problem and obviously not legal. Amateur operators can build or use practically anything to transmit as long as it meets current harmonic suppression specs. It may be illegal to import a Puxing style radio that is not FCC type accepted but once its in the US it can be legally operated by a licensed radio amateur within the amateur bands. If someone imports a number of these non type accepted radios with intent to sell that is a separate legal problem where the FCC and US customs can intervene.

There is an entire community within the amateur radio hobby that collects and operates surplus military radios from every corner of the globe. Many of these radios were never type accepted for anything other than military use which does not answer to FCC rules yet they are perfectly legal to use on amateur radio if they meet current harmonic specs.
prcguy

I believe this also applies for those cheaper non-U.S. model radios from Motorola. In the wrong hands any radio can be dangerous especially since non-licensed persons can purchase ham radio equipment, what they do with it is another matter. If you get a radio that has open transmit outside of the band you are allowed to operate on, if you can, disable the ability to transmit on those frequencies you have programmed. I know users of the Motorola radios purchased from Hong Kong off of ebay (yes, they are legit), use the programming software to set personalities for "listen only" on the frequencies they are not allowed to transmit on. Of course, you can get some moron who will actually interrupt official communications. Those we can not govern until the commit a crime and even U.S. certified radios can be easily modified for illegal activities such as this.

 

[mrthick]

Hi guys...a new member here from Iran.

Just bought a pair of puxing px 888 and cant get it to work on long range...any tips to help me out on this as im quite an amateur!

Would appreciate it, thanks.

 

[tekshogun]

Hi guys...a new member here from Iran.

Just bought a pair of puxing px 888 and cant get it to work on long range...any tips to help me out on this as im quite an amateur!

Would appreciate it, thanks.

Is this the UHF or VHF models?

Also, what is your definition of "long range" in your situation? At four to five watts output on VHF/UHF and combined with probably a very cheap factory antenna, your range is likely very limited.

 

[Uncle_Meat]

To mrthick:
If you only have the factory supplied antenna, just remember that height is a great advantage for range and operate at High power output. The factory supplied antenna for these aren't THAT bad, but you'd be much better off building (or purchasing) an antenna, here are some examples: 2m Antenna
An HT amplifier with an external antenna would also dramatically increase the range (just do a google search).

For US readers and everyone else:
Having said that, I own a Puxing radio and while it performs well, I wish I had just bought a VX-150 for ~$20 more. It will scan channels faster and have more features like tone detection, etc. Also, I have read about amateur repeater owners not allowing these radios to be used on them since they don't comply with FCC regulations. If your new to the hobby, AVOID these radios! It's not a good way to get started!

 

[mrthick]

tekshogun

Hi, thanks for your reply, mine is the UHF version. I found it very weak and returned it to the store and am replacing it with a motorola GP 380 VHF.

Any experience with this version on the range of this in a city and is this any good?

 

[tekshogun]

To mrthick:
For US readers and everyone else:
Having said that, I own a Puxing radio and while it performs well, I wish I had just bought a VX-150 for ~$20 more. It will scan channels faster and have more features like tone detection, etc. Also, I have read about amateur repeater owners not allowing these radios to be used on them since they don't comply with FCC regulations. If your new to the hobby, AVOID these radios! It's not a good way to get started!

I here what you are saying but the Puxing does not need to be prohibited from use on any repeater or any ham use. Any repeater operator that does this is doing so out of ignorance. There is no type-acceptance, part 15 requirement, or part 90 requirement for ham radio use as neither explicitly apply to ham radio. You can even build your own ham radio equipment for use on ANY part of the spectrum allocated for any ham radio use (which means no playing music or operating like a broadcast station). Part 15 requires some electronic devices to accept interference and to limit their interference to other devices. This applies to things such FM radios, scanners, telephones (especially cordless), cell phones, wireless access points/routers, etc, etc. They must accept interference from authorized stations such as ham radio, private land mobile stations, and their interference to other authorized services must be limited.

Once the radio is here in the United States, it is legal for use in ham radio and perhaps for others use such as GMRS (no FRS, those rules are strict on type-acceptance) and even private/public use with licensed authorization. There may be some finer points that I am a little off on, but the main idea is that Puxing's radios may be used for ham radio. I have not seen a ham radio (I have not seen them all, especially old ham radios) with a part 15 or part 90 sticker on them because it is not required. Part 97, if you read it, is essentially a rule book on how to use ham radio not necessarily as a technical requirement of the equipment (there are some restrictions such as you must protect FCC monitoring stations if you are operation within a mile of one). If you look up a ham radio's FCCID, you will see that the "meets FCC rules a regulations" (or some variation there of) refers to the radio's inability to readily scan cellular transmissions of any kind (analog or digital) which also includes the inability to convert said signals to analog voice ouput (monitoring) and the device must not be capable of being modified for use of this type. The "meets FCC rules and regs" pretty much stops there of course the radio must not be allowed generate more power than allowed in ham radio (1500 watts peak), etc. These Puxing radios do not break any of these rules. Sorry for the long winded response and don't take this as a negative or heated response to your statement; however, this is a heated topic. Whether or not it is legal to buy/import a radio is another issue and typically manufacturers/importers/distributors must deal with the FCC on that matter.

Hi, thanks for your reply, mine is the UHF version. I found it very weak and returned it to the store and am replacing it with a motorola GP 380 VHF.

Any experience with this version on the range of this in a city and is this any good?

The Motorola GP380 is essentially the export model comparable in electronics to the Motorola HT1250. Motorola builds nice stuff, period. The range of this radio will probably be the same as the Puxing or any other 4 or 5 watt HT with a small antenna. The issue with MOST motorola radios is that they can not be programmed on the in the field (you need a computer, cable and software) and those that are field programmable are extremely expensive with the exception of the GP68 (which is typically found well under $100). The GP380 works well and if there is a good repeater setup somewhere near by (with in 20 to 30 miles plus or minus some number depending on your situation and how high you or the repeater is) then you should be able to hit the repeater. For across town/city simplex, well, all HT's and even mobiles/bases will suffer if you don't have a good antenna setup. Portable antennas work well for repeaters high in the air or for simplex in a nearby area (within the curvature of the Earth, that is line of sight). VHF works well for rolling over or around obstacles, especially in the low band frequencies at or below the 6 meter wavelength (that is the longer the wavelength, the better the propagation), UHF tends to suffer more but each has their own characteristics of dealing with obstacles and penetration of things like buildings. The radio it self has great audio and has lots of neat features that you may or may not need. The problem with portables/HT's/handhelds is that they typically are no more than 7 watts (usually around 4 or 5 watts), they have small antennas. No matter what you get, power isn't everything, the antenna is far more important. Your best option, find the highest power radio that is good (read up on it!) and consider a better aftermarket antenna.

 

[mrthick]

teshkogun, thanks for your comprehensive reply. I just realized its GP 338 not the 380. Sorry for the misunderstanding. It should be VHF as well. An issue here in Iran is that basically most types of walkie talkie's and etc...are illegal here unless you get a license which is related to your line of business, therefore i cant get something which sticks out too much.

 

[Uncle_Meat]

You can even build your own ham radio equipment for use on ANY part of the spectrum allocated for any ham radio use (which means no playing music or operating like a broadcast station).

I am no expert and pretty new to this, but I did do a bit of research and found that while what you say is true about building ham radios, the rules are different for radios such as these that transmit outside of the ham band. The same with mod'ed CB radios not being allowed to be used on 10m. I just want to encourage others to do their homework, especially if you plan on using these for ARES, RACES, etc.

Again, I am no authority on the topic and could be wrong. But even if these radios are legal to use, they are pretty rudimentary and have a lot of quirks (slow scanning, buggy squelch feature, requiring power off/on to function properly sometimes) that hardly make them the steal they appear to be. But that's just my opinion. If your looking into these radios seriously, join some of the Yahoo groups for them and see what others who own them have to say.

don't take this as a negative or heated response to your statement;

I only get heated when discussing the really important stuff, you know, like horse races/politics. ; )

 

[mrthick]

Unclemeat, i didnt see your reply sorry.

FYI i returned the radios for the Motorola GP 338, although mine is somewhat smaller than the model on motorola's site i dont know why.

I need to know something for sure...and that is can i be tracked or my location pinpointed if im just listening on police or related organizations frequencies...not talking?

Would be great if a good manual or site which can help on this model is found.