Wouxun KG-UV8D, new HT on the market

Wouxun and their importers have been talking about a new radio for the past few months. Some places had been taking pre orders but it looks like they are now available. I really like the specs of it and am considering it for purchase. I need another radio like I need a hole in the head but this unit has some nice features.

http://ve3hg.files.wordpress.com/201...un-kg-uv8d.jpg

Like my Yaesu 8800r mobile rig it has dual receive on UHF and VHF. My other handhelds have features like dual watch but there is a lag between it's switching between the two frequencies. Two of my HT's do dual watch for only one band at a time whereas my Boafeng does it for either band. This dual receive feature is really nice especially for part of how I use my radios.

The 8D also has a full 5w on 2m and 4w on 70cm. The high power is nice. The more popular Boafengs only do 4w on 2m which doesn't always cut it locally. My UV-3r is a nice small radio but only does 3w on high which is a major draw back.

Also like my 8800r this new radio has cross band repeat. I'm sure on the the specifics of it's operation but for the most part XBR on an HT is not all that necessary. Also if it's activated it might turn it into more of a RX rig than a TX rig because of how XBR works. That aside it would make for a perfect mini repeater at camp for example. Assuming you have enough battery to set it up on a hill or in between camp and the trail. Heavy use on XBR does use up battery as well as create heat which could be in issue that HT's suffer from. Too much packed into a small case with no fan.

I haven't read any reviews of the radio yet but it's on my radar. I'd like it to replace my UV-3r mostly because of the output power. My FT-60 is my main dual band HT and my Motorola my main work radio but it's only 2m.


Link to one of the few people that have the radios. Price is really nice too. Only thing that has me on the fence is that it's the same price as an FT-60, for which I already own multiple batteries and accessories. Damn that 8D with it's color screen and XBR.
http://www.buytwowayradios.com/produ...n/kg-uv8d.aspx

I've been following a Yahoo and Facebook group for the radio and have learned a lot. At the time of the first post the radio had just come out and was in very limited numbers. Since then they are on at least a second version, changes being in button color and a slight software tweak.

It seems everyone uses software to program radios and that right there has been the biggest gripe right now. So far the radio is not Chrip supported but should be before too long. There are also some TX and RX issues. Some might be user error, some might be from items lost in translation during programming.

There is an extended battery and it makes the radio look like a football. The extended capacity battery is good because the radio can gobble through it. The screen is a backlit LCD and with the back light off the screen is black which requires more power for more back lighting. The screen also scratches super easy apparently.

Crossband seems to work but users report the radio heating up and high battery consumption. Duh and certain settings might be able to reduce these effects.

In the end I'm not sure I'm going to get one. The crossband in an HT is nice especially if you're in a camp or area where it can be useful. Extended or external power is a plus and would increase battery life of the other radios using this HT as the repeater. There are several other Chinese radios currently on the market that offer CBR and those might be a less power hungry option.