Couple of neat Chinese radios I've learned about recently. The first is the Baofeng UV-3R. It is a shirt pocket sized 2m/440 DUAL BAND radio. It does both bands in the same radio. Apparently it does 2w out, no indication if that's true for both bands. G4ILO has reviewed this handheld. One thing that he notes is that his came with separate vhf and uhf antennas, but some sellers on ebay are offering them with dualband antennas as well. It is currently $54.50 on 409shop.
The second one is the Puxing PA968. Here's something interesting.. You can buy it in either 2m or 440 varieties. The usual frequency ranges too, 136-176 or 400-470mhz. BUT, not only is it a radio, it is also a quadband GSM cellphone, with provision for 2 sim cards. This one is upwards of $194.74 on aliexpress.
The UV-3R received FCC Part 90 Certification last month. As a result, there are currently at least two USA dealers selling this unit. Operating out of FCC certification and dealing with an overseas merchant are no longer barriers to purchase.
ReplyDeleteThis transceiver is smaller and thinner than a professional-grade shoulder mount speaker mic. I think software defined radios (SDR) such as this one represent the wave of the future with successive models improving in performance and workmanship while maintaining the same price range.
I own one and I am still amazed at what $60 can buy.