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--- gear:radio [2024/09/28 04:14] – [Popular Handheld Dual-Bands] Humphrey Boa-Gart
+++ gear:radio [2024/09/28 05:26] (current) – [Popular Handheld Dual-Bands] Humphrey Boa-Gart
@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 A handheld dual-band is an incredibly versatile tool. Depending on the radio, they support a range of antennas, headphones/earpieces, and power options. With the right accessories, you can even mount them to your clothes or backpack with [[gear:pals|tactical webbing]]. All of these support the use of [[tools:chirp|CHIRP]] for relatively painless programming.
-  * The **UV-K5** and **UV-K6** by **Quansheng/Anysecu** are very cheap, incredibly impressive handhelds. They are impressive because you can easily swap out firmware, giving them toys like **spectrum analyzers**, reception of everything from **50-600 MHz**, and a slew of other neat functions. Some firmwares unlock them further, allowing them to transmit on additional bands. As **IEEE Spectrum** recently remarked: [[https://spectrum.ieee.org/quansheng-uv-k5-hacking|"The Most Hackable Ham Radio Yet"]].
+  * The **UV-K5** and **UV-K6** by **Quansheng/Anysecu** are very cheap 5-watt handhelds. They are at the top of this list because you can easily swap out firmware, giving them toys like **spectrum analyzers**, reception of everything from **50-600 MHz**, and a slew of other neat functions. Some firmwares unlock them further, allowing them to transmit on additional bands. As **IEEE Spectrum** recently remarked: [[https://spectrum.ieee.org/quansheng-uv-k5-hacking|"The Most Hackable Ham Radio Yet"]].
-    * For those starting out with custom firmware options, we highly recommend the use of the [[github>egzumer/uv-k5-firmware-custom]] package, as it supports painless flashing via Chrome-based web browsers. It is packed with features, makes the interface on the tiny K5/K6 screens far easier to read, and it comes with the aforementioned spectrum analyzer mod that makes these great scouting radios for discovering transmissions.
+    * For those starting out, we highly recommend [[github>egzumer/uv-k5-firmware-custom]], as it supports painless flashing via Chrome-based web browsers. It is packed with features, makes the interface on the tiny K5/K6 screens far easier to read, and it comes with the aforementioned spectrum analyzer mod that makes these great scouting radios for discovering transmissions.
     * If you are really daring, you can give [[github>whosmatt/uvmod]] a shot. This gives you a more fine-tuned selection of various firmware mods. Chances are the aforementioned //ezgumer// firmware will be enough for you, so we only recommend //uvmod// for power users.
-  * If you are a beginner and the idea of flashing your radio's firmware sounds daunting, the **QYT KT-8R** is a great first handheld to play with. It has a large easy-to-read color screen, supports a wide range of frequenceies, and it can **//listen to 4 channels simultaneously//**. This makes it a great first-time radio to start on, as you can upgrade to a dual-band such as the aforementioned K5/K6 series later, and still keep the KT-8R around as a practical secondary radio. Why would you want two handheld radios? Because between the KT-8R and a normal dual-band, that means you can monitor **six frequencies at the same time**, which is obscenely useful in crowded urban areas.
+  * If you are a novice and the idea of flashing your radio's firmware sounds daunting, the 5-watt **QYT KT-8R** is a great first handheld to play with. It has a large easy-to-read color screen, supports a wide range of frequenceies, and it can **//listen to 4 channels simultaneously//**. This makes it a great first-time radio to start on, as you can upgrade to a dual-band such as the aforementioned K5/K6 series later, and still keep the KT-8R around as a practical secondary radio. Why would you want two handheld radios? Because between the KT-8R and a normal dual-band, that means you can monitor **six frequencies at the same time**, which is obscenely useful in crowded urban areas.
-  * The **TD-H3** and **TD-H8** by **Tidradio** is another popular handheld series that can be unlocked with custom firmware. They cost marginally more than the K5/K6, but offer full-color backlit screens. The custom firmware options are not as fully developed as the K5/K6 yet, but hackers are already on it so we expect these to become quite versatile handhelds in the future.
+  * The **TD-H3** and **TD-H8** by **Tidradio** is another popular handheld series that can be unlocked with custom firmware. The 5-watt **H3** costs marginally more than the K5/K6, but offers full-color backlit screens in a slightly more compact form factor. The larger **H8** costs a little more, but has a whopping **10 watts** of broadcasting power. The custom firmware options are not as fully developed or easy-to-install as the K5/K6 yet, but hackers are [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/456942886822492|already on it]] so we expect these to become quite versatile handhelds in the near future.
-  * **Baofeng** has a massive line notoriously cheap handheld VHF/UHF radios. Baofeng was who renewed the world's interest in dual band radios, because you could get a **UV-5R** for $25, and program it on your computer to pick up a whole bunch of different things, when comparable walkie-talkies cost over $100. Nowadays, you can find better handhelds for comparable prices (see above), but these things are **everywhere**. Other popular models include the **UV-82** series, and more recently, the **UV-17R** & **UV-5RM** series. These aren't the most precise radios. They're also dirt cheap. You won't mind if you lose one down the side of a mountain, or into the sea, or if it gets stolen. Two important notes:
+  * **Baofeng** has a massive line notoriously cheap handheld VHF/UHF radios. Baofeng was who renewed the world's interest in dual band radios, because you could get a **UV-5R** for $25, and program it on your computer to pick up a whole bunch of different things, when comparable walkie-talkies cost over $100. Nowadays, you can find better handhelds for comparable prices (see above), but these things are **everywhere**. Other popular models include the **UV-82** series, and more recently, the **UV-17R** & **UV-5RM** series. These aren't the most precise radios. They're also dirt cheap. You won't mind if you lose one down the side of a mountain, or into the sea, or if it gets stolen. Three important notes:
     - Most of these radios have the same frequency ranges. Others are more limited. Check the specifications **before you order**, to see what frequencies that specific model can access, //as this can sometimes vary wildly from model to model, and even different production runs of the same model//. You can program these, but they are harder to unlock, and many of them cannot be unlocked.
+    - Most of these are 5-watts, though some models boast up to 8-watts of power. Again, you'll have to research this yourself. There are simply too many Boafeng models and sub-models to catalogue here, and all of them //(even the "high power" ones)// are entry-level radios at best.
     - Watch out for knockoff Baofeng hardware, as there is a lot of it. Only trust direct sellers of Baofeng (and **BTECH**) products. Be especially wary for **counterfeit USB cables**, as not every programming cable that carries the Baofeng logo will actually be able to program your radio.
+**One final important note:** Just because you can unlock some of these radios to use all the frequency bands, **//doesn't mean you will get good performance on these bands!//** This is especially applicable to those using custom firmware on the //K5/K6 series// trying to transmit on 50 MHz. **//The chips in these radios simply were not designed for that kind of use//**. Reception is one thing //(and child's play for the tuners)// but as far as transmission goes, stick to what the radio was designed for if you want other people to actually hear you!

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