Buddy, is the rig you bought a 2 meter/440 radio, or is it 2 meters
only?
His web page doesn't really tell you much about the rig, at least as
far as I could tell from the initial look at the link in your message.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Buddy Brannan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 8:04 AM
Subject: Wouxun KG-UVD1P
Hi y'all,
Just got one of these Wouxun KG-UVd1P radios on Saturday. There's at =
least one distributor in the US that sells them; he doesn't have
prices =
posted or an online shopping cart yet, but he takes Paypal and was
very =
prompt in Emailing. Also very nice to deal with, and interested in how
=
the radio works for blind hams. Yes, the radio is legal for the US =
market, and is Part 90 (commercial land mobile) type accepted, so it's
=
just fine to use on the ham bands; no trouble with it, or getting it.
=
While it's a few dollars more to buy from Ed at http://www.wouxun.us
he =
handles warranty service (which means he deals with the factory in =
China, so you don't have to), which is worth something to me. Fewer =
delays, one would suppose, should warranty service be required, than =
would be the case if ordering from one of the many online places or
eBay =
sellers in Hong Kong, such as 409shop.com. Also, if ordering from Ed,
=
you won't have to worry that your radio might get nabbed by customs
and =
help for extra brokerage fees, since the HK places declare them at low
=
value and marked as "gift", to avoid paying higher import taxes. Also
=
probably worth something.=20
Even at that ($107 for the radio, plus $13.50 shipping for radio plus
=
any accessories you buy, and Ed doesn't trow in the PTT earphone), and
=
$24 for the spare battery, other accessories are a little more from Ed
=
than from 409shop, it's a real bargain. And I got it in two days, as =
opposed to two weeks. Even with buying a second battery, USB cable, AA
=
battery holder, and DC cigarette lighter adapter, and even after
paying =
the Paypal fees and shipping, I still spent less than $200. The
battery =
was the most expensive accessory at $24.=20
This feels like a solid radio, and it has a nice loud speaker. It =
definitely packs a bit more of a whallop than the Kenwood TH-F6A, =
certainly more bass and less tinny. As Christian said, all menus can
be =
programmed with numbers, which is good, because there is no beep at
the =
beginnings or at the default positions. Not all the menus have voice =
tags either, so a cheat sheet is probably a good idea. (I need to get
=
the menu listing.) It isn't too bad to program from the keyboard. And
=
the software is fairly usable with a screen reader, though not so nice
=
as the Icom programming software I used from RT Systems; it does
require =
some navigation with the mouse keys to get to the channel programming,
=
and sometimes the screen reader guesses at the control labels wrong,
but =
once you get the hang of it, it's OK, but you'd better be familiar
with =
your screen reader's mouse navigation. I used it with both Window-Eyes
=
and with System Access, and Window-Eyes is a little bit easier to work
=
with.=20
I would recommend, if you get the software, to set a reset password,
so =
you don't accidentally reset the radio. I did accidentally reset mine,
=
and it came back up talking in Chinese. Fortunately, I'd saved the =
programming out, so restoring it was easy enough. Still, better not to
=
accidentally do it in the first place.
One other thing. You will want to find an SMA gender changer if you
want =
to use something besides the standard antenna the radio comes with.
Its =
SMA connector is backwards from Icom/Kenwood/Yaesu, in that the
threaded =
bit is on the antenna, while the bit with the center pin that you
thread =
the connector into is on the radio. IMO this is probably a better =
arrangement than the other way, but it's still backwards from all the
=
available aftermarket antennas.=20
I plan on working up a use document for blind hams for this thing. As
=
radios go, it really is pretty accessible, even if as much stuff as
we'd =
like doesn't talk. Most of what does is only marginally useful, but
even =
so, it's more than the big three have done thus far.=20
Also, thanks to Christian, SM0UWV, for initially turning us onto this
=
radio. If anyone still has his Word doc with the manual in it, I'd be
=
ever so grateful if you'd send it; I've unfortunately lost my copy. =
Between it, what I've found out on my own and from others, and a nice
=
little getting started PDF that Ed sent me, I should be able to put =
together a nice document for us.=20
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
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