• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Tytera TYT TH-258 short review

Status
Not open for further replies.

baltimorecs

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2012
Messages
140
Location
Baltimore, MD
I travel frequently for work and I picked this up a while ago while traveling but didn’t get to play with it until recently. I bought it just on a whim and not for anything in particular.

It is a 2 watt 16 channel 400-470 MHz UHF band radio. It has a 1400 MAh 3.6v battery. The charger is a desktop style with a USB plug. It cannot be charged directly at the radio. You have to put it into the charger.

The radio is similar to FRS style radios with a fixed antenna and a simple LED display. The display shows battery capacity and channel. It also shows volume in place of channel when changing volume. Backlight is temporary and not adjustable in software.

a77fd21ceeb47c97232a1f366a925367.jpg

24f63bd152c26baae011754e1511e304.jpg

ce956c689adb7c082a2ab5d383b7d821.jpg


There is a single PTT button on the left and a single pin Motorola jack on the right. It did not come with a programming cable but I already had one. Software is just the standard TYT style menu. Other than programming channels you can adjust a few other settings like squelch. Note there is a keypad beep but you cannot disable this.

04eb047609145258b835a40794f76a95.jpg


The radio is actually labeled as PMR446 but is likely not compliant as it can be programmed for other frequencies.

When testing I noticed immediately that there are volume settings from U0 to U8. U0 is mute so the radio and keypad beep ate muted. U1 is the lowest non muted volume and I would describe this as really loud. U8!is so loud it distorts the speaker. That is quite loud as the speaker can handle a lot of volume. Since you cannot turn off the beep this becomes annoying quickly. Using an unscientific test, while in my workshop my wife hears the beep tones on the other side of the house in the kitchen. But she cannot hear me if I try to talk to her from the workshop into the kitchen. Although the volume is loud, on lower settings the reception is clear. Transmit seems to be clear but I only tested with one radio over a short distance.

The radio is about the same size as the WLN KD-C1. It has a metal belt clip that screws on.

Overall I could see maybe using something like this at an outdoor sporting event because of the volume but there are better HT radios that don’t have such problems and wouldn’t have compliance issues either.
 

N4GIX

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 27, 2015
Messages
2,124
Location
Hot Springs, AR
Everywhere I've looked the claim is 99 channels. I own 4 of the WLN KD-C1 and they are indeed only 16 channels, but for only ~$15.00 each they make excellent units to loan out during events to families when at least one member of the family has a valid GMRS license but only one radio... ;)
 

baltimorecs

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2012
Messages
140
Location
Baltimore, MD
You know you are correct. I never went past 16 channels in the software because when I bought it they said it was a 16 channel PMR446 radio! But yes the KD-C1 is a better radio in my opinion and at a retail of about $35 USD this just wouldn't be worth it (I only paid $20 USD for it new.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top