Hamvention 2015 - A trip 16 years in the making

Yeah, it's a selfie!

In May of 1999, my wife and I were celebrating the news that we were expecting our first child (soon-to-be Lauren, K4LRN), and we broke the news to several of our friends as we trekked to Dayton, Ohio for our 3rd trip to Hamvention. For those who are not hams, or for the 2 or 3 hams who haven't heard, Hamvention is THE hamfest to end all hamfests. It is a bucket list item every ham radio enthusiast should endeavor to do at least once in their lifetime.

It's been 16 years since my wife and I made our fourth trip, along with our 2 kids. Quite simply, life got in the way. There were times I was ready to make another pilgrimage to Hara Arena for Hamvention, but something would always get in the way. Most recently in 2010, I was ready to go, but my gall bladder had other plans.

Fortunately this year, the stars were properly aligned and I was able to go, along with my family. I wanted my kids to experience what it was like to be in one of the largest gatherings of geeks, technophiles, and gadgets in the world at one time. Usually, school is coming to an end around this time, so they have finals to study for, or some other end-of-year commitments that they need to attend that supersede a sojourn to Hamvention. This year was no different, so the plan was for us to go up on Friday after school. Jes then suggested for me to go up with a friend (Jim, N4UHZ) on Friday and enjoy Hamvention by myself, and they'd come up Friday night and we'd go Saturday and possibly Sunday.

Cincinnati, on the road to Dayton

My journey started, as does all journeys anymore, with tension and drama. My wife and little'n Amber both came down with a stomach flu that sidelined them from Mother's Day until Friday. There was talk that they'd stay home, which I didn't want to hear. There was a lot of uncertainty about where exactly I was going to stay, when I would go up, when I would head back, who I was heading back with, etc. 

I had flashbacks to last Labor Day weekend, when I was preparing to go to Shelby, only to be awakened 4 hours before I was to leave by my wife who informs me of an engine "noise" (but "not to be worried because the Service Engine Soon light hadn't come on") and long story short, the money I had set aside for Shelby went into replacing the alternator on her car.

Fast forward to last Thursday night, and my wife tells me (as I'm asleep, preparing to get up at 3 for my trip up) that she may not go because her stomach is still sour from enduring a week of this stomach bug. Let's just say it created tense "discussion" prior to me leaving.

Eventually, Friday morning came and they felt better, Amber going back to school after being out all week, and I headed up to Dayton with Jim. It had been a long time since Jim or I made the Dayton Hamvention trek. In fact, his last trip was in 1999, same as me. We had been to the Dalton, GA hamfest last February and have always had fun driving together. We catch up on lost time, yak on his TS-480 Kenwood, talk about life, the universe, towels, the usual things...

Inside Hara Arena

He showed me his ICOM D-Star radio, the ID-5100A. It was my first exposure to D-Star (every time I tried to look at a demo at a hamfest, someone always had to hog the space and REFUSE to allow me in to check it out) so I got to see it in use for part of the trip up.

I'm trying to decide if I want to get involved in D-Star, or perhaps Yaesu's System Fusion, both, neither, or something else entirely. Both have their advantages/disadvantages.  It was impressive to see in action (finally!) but I've got more research to do.

We did have a "hiccup" on the way up, as we got sidetracked somehow and ended up on I-64 heading towards Louisville, KY as we were driving into Lexington. I'm still not sure how it happened. I just happened to be checking my smartphone for traffic conditions through Cincinnati when we made the discovery, as if the signs for Louisville weren't enough of a giveaway. It ended up being a 30-minute detour. Maybe we needed more sleep than we thought...

When we did make it up there, it was approaching 10AM. At last we finally arrived to our mecca. He went to the flea market, I went to the indoor areas to check out some of the displays, new toys, gadgets, and gizmos. Some of the indoor vendors had stuff I was looking for, so I quickly filled up my backpack with goodies.

I also checked out a forum on contacting satellites with HTs and purchased a replacement battery and charger for my aging FT-530 2m/440 HT. This will be important later on. Around 1PM, I finally made the rounds through the indoor areas and headed out to the 'boneyard" and went about 100 feet in, quickly passed through a tent that had nothing to do with ham radio (but had everything to do with junk) and was checking out another vendor when suddenly I hear "drip...drip...drip..." and look and see dozens of people running for cover. 

Dark skies loom overhead of the flea market

And just as quick as I saw/heard the popping of raindrops, the most torrential downpour of rain that was practically biblical came down upon the masses. There was no buildup, it just happened.

I was already under a tent when the cloudburst happened, so I waited it out for 10-15 minutes. I slowly pulled out my rainsuit and put it on as the rain began to subside, and braved the last of the rain, and surveyed the aftermath. So much merchandise was abandoned to the elements. Printers, computers, RC copters, and radios all damp or outright soaked with rainwater. It was amusing and disheartening all at the same time.

Gordon West, WB6NOA

I considered Friday a good day for indoor activity but a complete bust for being outdoors. Had I gone out to the boneyard first thing when I arrived, things probably would be different.

That night, Jes and the kids (and my mother, but I'm not allowed to talk about her on the internet, shhhh!) arrived and we got settled in after a long day for everyone. We get up and going and by 10AM we're back at Hara, and my kids get their first taste of what it's all about.

Aaaaand they're ready to go by noon.

It was hot and muggy, both indoors and out. Amber's stomach was still sour from her stomach bug, and so she was not in the best of shape. But if there's one thing that two girls have that I'll never have, is that the vendors and salespeople LOVE kids, and they got a lot of free stuff, inside the Arena and out in the flea market! From pins, to buttons, to phone chargers, to selfie sticks (yes, Kenwood gave them each a selfie stick!) it seems that the appearance of kids really brings out the charity. That alone was enough to encourage them to stick around for much of the afternoon.

And I was going to make them stick around until at least 3:45PM. The reason was because of a raffle that I wanted to attend. Remember that battery and charger I bought for my Yaesu FT-530? Well, that purchase got me a raffle ticket entry for a brand new Yaesu FT-60R dual-band handheld radio that W&W Manufacturing was giving away. The catch was that you had to be present to win. So I had a good feeling that if I showed up, I was in good shape to at least have a better shot than most others to win. 

Prize winner!

So I head over there (and casually try to encourage my family to stick around for the drawing, but send them off to sit in the lounge to wait) and there's about 2 dozen or so others sticking around for the drawing. I see the number of tickets they have and there's quite a few, so I figure that the number of tickets-to-number of people showing up ratio was in my favor.

The first ticket was read off, and everyone anxiously looked around to see if someone was going to holler they were the winner. Silence...at least the kind of silence you'd expect from a semi-crowded assembly hall. Going once...twice...onto the next ticket.  Again, anxious glances from those all around looking to see if their ticket matched the new winning number. Fortunately I memorized mine just before the drawing began (I've since forgotten, I've slept since then! The last 3 were 328...I think...). Ticket #3 is drawn.

As the ticket is read off I go through the ticket number in my head and they match up. I look down and confirm it and yell out "YO!" and show my matching number, to the collective groan of the rest of the folks who dared to challenge the odds.

Most of the items I picked up at Hamvention

I parade my new radio goodie to the family, much to their surprise and after a couple of pics with W&W we head out to the parking lot, and back to our hotel. We are all exhausted, but accomplished.

We decided to head home early on Sunday, and not go back to Hara. I'd purchased/won/was given all the goodies I needed to get (an 80-6 meter Carolina Windom dipole, Signalink USB for PSK31, and a 3-position antenna switch among other things) and the kids had school work to finish up when they got home.

Overall it was a wonderful experience despite the weather. The kids had fun, despite their issues with the humidity and their stomachs. I'm glad they got to take it in while they are young, so that they might be able to appreciate it before they grow up too fast on me.

Wouxun.us no longer selling (some) Wouxun radios

It seems that US/China relations are a bit rocky for Import Communications, the distributor for Wouxun radios...until now.

PD0AC reports that Ed Griffin (W4KMA) at Import Communications has been unhappy with the support that the Wouxun - pronounced "Oh-sheng" - folks have provided (or rather haven't provided) concerning an issue with the HT's apparently losing their memories at random, among other issues. As a result, he's no longer selling new inventory of Wouxun radios and will be replacing them with AnyTone products, but still under the competitor's site's name.

The (less-than-flattering) message on Wouxun.us's web site

Griffin reports that the Wouxun dual-band models lose memory without warning and that he has replaced approximately 500 radios out of pocket because Wouxun refuses to honor warranties or fix the issue, or replace the defective radios.

What you see when clicking on the KG-UV6D page on Wouxun.us

When you go to Wouxun.us you get a couple of less-than-flattering messages with a message stating that Wouxun radios will no long be sold, but accessories will. The prices that are supposedly "closeout" are about the same prices I paid when I bought my 2 KG-UV2D radios at 2 different hamfests.

While there is no clear distinction as to whether the memory issue is exclusively with the handheld radios or also with their mobile radios, I did notice that the dual-band mobile is no longer offered on the Wouxun.us site. The high price might have had a bit to do with that. Considering the relatively low price of the HT's, I thought that the dual-band mobile radio would have been under $200, but the $360+ price tag kept me away. I could buy plenty of other mobile radios for a lot less. Their quad-band mobile is also not appearing on the site, although the KG-UVA1 dual-band amateur/public service radio is still being offered, as is the KG-703E single-band VHF radio.

While I can sympathize with Griffin if indeed the radios are defective, the graphics used on the site are a bit over the top when trying to make a statement. But then again, I probably would be doing the same thing if the Chinese counterparts I relied on for service and support were treating me the same way.

PD0AC updated that a European distributor of Wouxun radios sold about 500 radios and only had 1 radio with the issue that Import Communications is reporting.

Wouxun came onto the scene a few years ago offering new radios at remarkably low prices, about $110 give or take $10. However, the last few hamfests I've attended, nary a Wouxun was in sight, replaced instead by an even lower-priced Baofeng radio series that has been offering many of the same features for about $50. The only reason I didn't buy one was because they had 2m/440, and not 2m/220.

I own 2 of the KG-UV2D radios with 2m/220 capability and the only problem I've encountered has been that one of the battery packs is now not holding a charge. Other than that I've had no issues with the radios. I don't know if this is isolated to a certain batch of radios that came of the assembly line or with an entire product line, but as this plays out I'm sure we'll find out more about this issue.

To go or not to go...

This Saturday is the Knoxville Hamfest, sponsored by the local radio club.

If I go, I'm only after one thing, the Wouxun 2m/220 radio like the one I bought this past January.

I'm going to talk to Lauren and see if she wants to give up the Yaesu FT-90 I got for her and give her the Wouxun so that we both have the same radio. She just returned from a trip to Washington DC this past weekend and the only times I've seen her was after she got home from the trip on Monday and spent the evening telling us all about the trip before passing out as soon as she got home, and today she returned home late from swimming in this god-forsaken heat and once again passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

So hopefully I'll talk to her today. I'm certain she'd be open to getting another HT (she's not really spent any time with the Yaesu), but if she isn't, I really don't have a reason for attending this year. I'm pretty sure that Wouxun radios will be sold, and I would be looking for a copy of the SERA journal (I need to resubscribe) but that's really my only purpose.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Looks like I might take the whole family to this one...and get a Wouxun if I can snap one up!!!

UPDATE #2: Just realized I had the radio model wrong, it's an FT-50 (dual-band 2m/440, not the FT-90)

Wouxun KG-UV2D 2m/220 HT review

As I mentioned last week I got the Wouxun (pronounced "Oh-shing", close to the word "ocean") KG-UV2D handheld at the Morristown Hamfest last weekend. The radio is seeing a little bit of action, and needs some getting used to in order to properly operate it. After a week's worth of tinkering with it, here's my evaluation.

The KG-UV2D comes in 3 different versions, all using the same model number. On the 2 meter side, they all go from 136 MHz to 170 MHz. For the other band, there are three different frequency ranges. The one I have goes from 216-280 MHz covering the 1.25 (often referred to as "220") meter band. The others operate on the 70cm (often referred to as "440") band in 2 different ranges, one from 350-470 MHz, the other from 420-520 MHz. This review should cover most of what the 2m/440 radios have to offer as well concerning the functions of the radio.

Back to Basics!

First off, the relative simplicity of the radio is probably what will attract many hams (once they go past the super low price). Remember the Radio Shack HTX-202? That was a simple radio! Easy to use, clean keypad, not a lot of bells & whistles that some of today's HT's are overloaded with. It was a great first radio for may hams like myself, cutting their teeth in the post-apocalyptic no-code fallout back in the early 90's.

Don't get me wrong, it doesn't hurt to have too many gadgets on a radio to tinker with, but mess with the wrong setting, and you might have to do a hard reset of everything and start all over...

Wouxun was smart to not throw too much into these little radios. Put the essentials in (CTCSS/DCS tones, DTMF, Time-out timer, VOX) and throw in a few extras just to keep it interesting (FM radio, LED light, stopwatch, and alphanumeric memories).

RTFM (if you can)

One thing will be noticeable when you peruse the box and that is the owner's manual is not exactly, shall we say, proper use of the Queen's English...in fact, the "Engrish" is quite choppy at times. For example, the TOT function, what we call the "Time Out Timer", they dub it as the "Transmit Over Timer". There's quite a few others, but one thing I want to encourage is that, despite the rough translations, do not throw the manual away! It helped me figure out a few things I was doing wrong with the radio before getting on here shouting "this thing sucks" or something else...

I've talked with a few who went to the hamfest and got the radios (the 2/440 variety mainly) and a few were less than enthused with the radio. My first question to them was "did you read the manual?" and when they got done laughing, I reiterated "Seriously, read it!"

If you can overlook the grade-school-level translations of the Owner's Manual, reading the manual is not a large hurdle and you can get a better feel for this radio by reading it front-to-back. Right out of the box, you can figure out much of the functions with little confusion, but to get the full range of features, the manual is a must.

What happens in memory stays in memory

In one instance, I couldn't choose between high and low power via the keypad menu (more on that below). So if I wanted to shift from high to low, or vice versa, if I went through the menu options, and chose one or the other, the radio would beep three times, then reset back to the power setting it was on. As it turns out, I had to go to Menu 21 (the so-called "working mode") and set it to "FREQ" (a.k.a. VFO) before it would accept a change in power settings. If you are in the mode for the memories (CHFREQ, CH, or NAME) the power setting will not change. Whatever's plugged into the memory stays there.

Get your FREQ on

In "FREQ" mode you can direct-dial the frequency you want to listen to. You can scan to locate active frequencies if you are traveling. One of the things that is almost a must will be the need for the programming cable to quickly plug in frequencies that you plan to use. The cost will be around $20 give or take. I picked one up with the radio at the hamfest. You can program the radio manually, but the cable makes it easier by far.

Programming

While at the hamfest, I got a ham to go ahead and program my radio with whatever frequencies he had defaulted on his saved file. The software was easy to install (it runs off the executable, so no "install" necessary, just make sure you use the correct software for your operating system) and programming was not that complicated. It did not automatically shift the repeater inputs on the "TX Frequency[MHz]" column, so a knowledge of the repeater inputs (if applicable) is required.

Also note, if you program a frequency outside the transmitting range (such as NOAA weather radio on 162 MHz) leave the "TX Frequency[MHz]" column blank, otherwise you will get an error when trying to write to the radio. The error "Channel Message ## Out of range" appears, the "##" is the line number indicating which memory channel contains the invalid frequency.

The software also lets you program the TOT, frequency shift and offsets, the message you want to see when the radio is powered on, and several other features.

Selecting the COM port should be easy. On my computer, "COM3" was the only COM port available to choose. If your computer asks for more than one port, select the first one, and if the radio does not write, simply choose the "Communications Port" option and choose another COM port, then repeat until the radio upload commences. A progress bar across the bottom will move from left to right indication information is being written to the radio, and an LED light will blink on the radio.

The Good

I must say the light weight of the radio out of the box is nice. At just over 8 ounces you can almost forget you have it in your hand while walking.

I did have low audio on one repeater on 220MHz, but I determined it to be my location in the house, because when I moved to a different area (outside the house) my audio significantly increased.

I recorded myself using a local a couple of local repeaters here in Knoxville, one of which has 2 meters and 220 Mhz linked together, the other was a separate 2m repeater. The recording (which can be downloaded here, 39 seconds, 116kB MP3 file) is me first testing on the 2 meter repeater, then the 220 machine. I recorded off another radio plugged into the computer, so you will hear a buzzing noise which is NOT from my transmission, but from the radio with the carrier causing the noise. My 2m audio seems somewhat muffled on 2 meters as opposed to 220, which is why I tried it out on two different 2 meter machines.

I was told by a local ham about a mod on YouTube to increase the overall audio. I may give it a whirl soon with an update.

Voice prompts are a bonus as well. I like the feature of the voice telling me the battery voltage is low. It can also be fun to put it in Chinese to see what the different functions and channel numbers sound like.

The use of DCS and CTCSS is a good feature to have. Although I personally have not used DCS, some repeaters are employing this encode/decode method.

The dual receive on the same band is very helpful. You can monitor two 2m frequencies, two 220MHz frequencies, or one of each, or turn off the dual-receive and just monitor/use one channel. The FM radio feature also allows you to monitor your favorite repeater while listening to the local radio station of choice. Once the repeater keys up, it mutes the FM radio until the traffic has concluded.

The ability to store the FM broadcast radio frequencies into separate memory banks is also a bonus. I spent a majority of time listening to local radio stations while writing this article.

I've also programmed NOAA Weather radio into the memory so that I can take the HT with me to work and listen in if the weather gets bad.

The Bad

Just a personal preference for me, but I like a knob for adjusting the squelch. Having the radio determine the squelch via a menu setting can often lead to the radio becoming "deaf" when in the fringe areas of a repeater, or when trying to work a station on simplex. Perhaps an outside knob shielding the volume/power knob would be nice in a later version. You can temporarily kill the squelch by pressing and holding side key 2 (the lower button) but for me, I like to be able to use a physical knob to control the sensitivity of the receiver.

Next, the options for choosing high/low power, reverse (input), and repeater shift are options I would have preferred to be on the keypad or the side buttons. The menu process can be complicated just to change power level or choose a repeater shift. The lower side button (side key 2) only has two options, one for the monitoring (dropping squelch) of a frequency, or the built-in flashlight.

Side key 1 has four options to select from when programming the radio (FM radio, SOS help, scan, or lamp), so perhaps the side key 2 menu in a later model should be programmed to have the option of high/low power, reverse (input), and repeater shift. Better yet, I've always been keen on having the power button be it's own button, or a push-button switch like on the HTX-202's case. The important features (power, reverse, and repeater shift) should be a one-button function, or two steps using the "MENU" button first.

The VFO knob across the top got sticky on part of the turn when spinning it. It starts smooth (notching as you turn) and then it becomes increasingly harder to turn, as if it were tightening against something. Then as you continue to turn, the friction will ease up. I got some info (thanks, Rusty!) regarding the sticking tuning knob and was told that the plastic in the knob's base may have residue that makes turning the knob inconsistent with regards to the friction. I'm hesitant to crack the radio open right after I get it (and void that warranty!) so for now I'll live with it.

The stickers that ID the antennas (one for 216-239 MHz for the ham bands, the other antenna for 240-280MHz which is allocated for mobile, mobile satellite and fixed) are not held on very well. I simply took some scotch tape, cut it to the necessary width and length, and wrapped it around the labels to help keep them in place. See image to the left to see the scotch tape on the antenna's label.

Also, the "Wouxun" label on the front of the radio kept trying to peel off. A tiny swipe of super glue has resolved that problem.

The Ugly

The one thing I'm stumped on is why the need for a "Roger beep", and more importantly, why put it on the keypad and not something more useful such as repeater shift, MEM/VFO, or high/low power? Unless roger beeps are big in China, it's not useful here.

The owner's manual also needs to be "translated". After all we get these radios from a US distributor, so perhaps one should take the time to go through and clean it up?

The Rest

The KG-UV2D also features an "SOS" transmit for use in an emergency where it will sound an alarm for about 10 seconds and repeat this alarm approximately every 5 minutes. The SOS feature might be useful for foxhunting.

Here is a demo of the SOS feature I recorded:



It's best to use a programming cable when entering the memories you want for the radio. Using the keypad can take hours as opposed to just a few moments of programming the software, and just a few seconds of upload time to the radio.

The audio on the 2m side seems to need a tad more improvement, but, as shown by the audio recording, I was perfectly readable. Still, better audio quality makes for a better overall experience with any radio.

The Bottom Line

I do like this radio. On a scale of 1 to 10, I will give this radio somewhere between a 7 or 8. You will get your money's worth and then some with this radio. You can't beat the price of this radio, that's for sure! It's lightweight design will make it nice to carry around at a hamfest. When compared to other HT's, it's got enough features to compete, yet at the same time has a level of simplicity that makes it attractive to hams who might be intimidated by those HTs that have everything but the kitchen sink tossed in to the radio. It's not perfect, but then again, is there such as thing as a perfect radio? Some of the features a ham like myself would use more often should be easier to access, but once you get used to the radio, it should not be an obstacle. If you are looking for a good quality radio that will get you on the 1.25 meter band, this will suit your needs perfectly. If 220 is not active in your area, go with the 2m/440 version.

Wouxun is getting noticed with these radios, judging by the interest at the hamfest I attended. Perhaps this will open the market up for more 220 radios by the heavyweights like ICOM, Yaesu/Vertex and Kenwood, whose 220 product lines are all rather thin or even non-existent. It might get the competition to lower their prices on their current models (and/or future ones) in order to compete, not just the 220 market, but the 440 MHz dual-band radios as well. There are things that could be better on the radio overall, but this is certainly not a "knockoff" by any stretch, and does the job for those who may want a cost-effective means of getting on 220 or 440.

My new Wouxun KG-UV2D

Happy New Year! I hope that 2011 brings much happiness to everyone out there.

I started 2011 off on the right foot by attending the Morristown Hamfest, which was held on New Year's Day. It's been a long time since I attended this hamfest, probably 10 years since my last visit there, I can't remember.

The building was actually an arena/expo center, where monster truck rallies and an upcoming demolition derby are taking place. It had seating for approximately 3000 people and looked quite endearing to a possible arena football team (of course I looked at ways to put a slab of ice down and house a hockey team!). The concourse area above the seats was where the vendor tables were. There wasn't any tailgating due to thunderstorms running through the area all morning. Had the weather been perfect like the day before (calm winds, warmer temps, sunny skies) there would probably have been a larger crowd in attendance. As it was, there was still a pretty sizable turnout.

I had one primary purpose for going, and that was to pick up one of the new Wouxun (pronounced "O-shing", sorta like "ocean") 2m/220 radios if at all possible.

I met up with Tom (KE4WFJ) and we arrived just as the doors opened at 8AM.

The first vendor to the right of the entrance had a HUGE sign advertising $110 with a picture of the Wouxun radios. Music to my eyes!!!

A friend who had just arrived said that another vendor next to them had the radios as well so I ran to check their prices and they were $105! But, no 2/220 radios. I hurried back to the first vendor, and he had 1 220 radio left. "SOLD!" I yelled, and pulled out the wallet!

I also grabbed a programming cable and then cruised the hamfest for about 3 more hours (also attending a SKYWARN gathering) before calling it a day and coming home.

Well, the radio had to wait as I was exhausted from, shall we say..."over-celebration" of New Year's (don't worry, I was home, and my kids had friends over, so I didn't get sauced) and riding on 3 hours of sleep wasn't going to fly, so I crashed until late in the evening, then went to run an errand before getting home to really put the radio to the test.

The vendor who sold me the radio (DBJ Radio & Electronics) was extremely helpful in ensuring I knew what I was getting with this radio. They checked the antennas (this model KG-UV2D comes with 2 antennas, one tuned for the lower portion of the 23cm band [216-239 MHz] the other the higher portion [240-280]) to ensure the correct ones were labeled and also a card with their web site to download the software I would need for programming the radio. Then when I spoke with another tech who was at the same booth he ran and got me a coupler for the SMA antenna that the first tech forgot to include for use on an external or mobile antenna. Service, baby!!!

So, now that I have "quiet time" I got the radio out and played with it. I downloaded the software from the DBJ web site and installed it and found the programming relatively simple but tedious, still, better than trying to program the radio manually. Once I plugged all the frequencies in and saved the file I uploaded the file and it went through in less than 10 seconds.

The radio took a few seconds to reset to the new memory settings and then when I unplugged the cable the radio spoke to me (in English)!

I tested the radio out on 2 meters first by checking some of the local repeaters and keying up to see if I could hit them on 5 watts. Most of them worked, but being midnight, no one was on (or cared to come back to my call) but on one repeater (147.360) I was full-quiet into the machine, and I was some 30 miles from the repeater! The station said my audio was clean and no noise or distortion whatsoever. A great start!

So now I move over to 220 and there's no activity. I turn on my 220 base rig and key up a couple of repeaters, one of which has a slight delay, so when I keyed it with the Wouxun I had an echo that startled me for a moment, but I used it to judge my audio into the repeater, and it sounded just as good as on 2m.

So now, as I have only had about less than 3 hours of time to dedicate to my new toy, I have found the following out:

The good:

• Lightweight - Compared to the Yaesu FT-50R I recently acquired from a friend of mine, it's much lighter. Almost half the weight. But the FT-50R's battery is bigger, 9.6V/11mAh compared to Wouxun's 7.4V 1300mAh.
• Easy to use (so far) - it took about 10 minutes for me to figure out most of the functions on the radio on my initial go-over of it. Of course we *all* RTFM when we get a new radio, right??? It was definitely a lot simpler than some radios I've used to figure out what buttons do what.
• 2m/2m, 2m/220, 220/220 monitoring -If you want to listen to 2 frequencies on 2 meters, 220, or one of each, you can listen to whatever frequencies no matter the band.
  
• Easy to program (with cable) - getting the software installed took a minute in part because I almost downloaded the wrong version of the software (my bad, I momentarily forgot I was on Windows 7 and the software is different for Vista/7 than for XP) but once I did download the correct version, I simply moved it to my desktop (no installation of software needed, it runs off the executable) and started using the software. I plugged the USB cable in and it found the driver (which I installed just before I downloaded the software as a precaution) and all I needed to do was select the COM port (easy since it was the only one highlighted) and started working the frequencies in that I wanted to program in to the radio.
• Illuminated keypad - the keypad below the LCD display lights up with the display on pressing of a button or tuning the VFO knob. Very nice to have when in low light.
• Voice prompt - it comes out of the box in English, with the option to have Chinese or no voice prompt at all. I had fun with the Chinese part, and it might come in handy to learn when visiting my favorite Chinese restaurant...

The bad:

• Power setting not switching between high/low - It's 5W on 2 meters and 4W on 220 for high power, and 1W on low for both. Even though there is an option for high and low power, if you are on high power and select low, it negates the change and returns the setting to high. I can only assume this is a future enhancement. However, when programming via the software, it does enable the low power.
  
• "Rotary Encoder" knob sticks - this may be just on my radio, but the so-called "Rotary Encoder" knob (VFO knob) has some variable force needed to turn at certain areas. While twisting the knob it was easy to turn, then started to stick more and more, then eased up. I'm not sure how to remedy this (other than returning it, which is not a big issue for me at this time).
• Memory display slow to change - if you spin the rotary encoder/VFO knob and it clicks 3-4 times the memory display will only move up one channel. A faster processor might be in order for a future enhancement.
• A roger beep? - Seriously??? You can set it to beep before a transmission, after, or both. I wonder how popular that would be?
• Computer program can be tricky - When I started to program the frequencies in, the Receive frequency and the Transmit frequency default to the same. You'll have to know the correct input and output frequency of the repeater you want to talk on. Leave them the same for simplex ops.
• Muting of other channel can be tricky - I'm still working with this, but be careful about your encode and decode of CTCSS when programming a toned repeater, or one that's occasionally toned. I had one repeater set in there to send and receive CTCSS tone, and right now the repeater has no tone to use. While in QSO with the 2m station, the other channel keyed on and gave a dead carrier and muted the ham I was in QSO with.

Again, this is straight out-of-the-box tinkering, so I'm sure I'll be able to find out more about what works and what doesn't over the next few days. I'm trying to see if the radio will scan like it's supposed to, or if there is VFO mode to search, something I'm not finding yet.

I did find the FM radio for the broadcast band between 88-108MHz, so I listened to some music while hammering out this post.

Overall, it's a good start. I need more time, but wanted to give a quick evaluation of the radio.

Wouxun to make a dual-band mobile?

It looks like the folks over at Wouxun are trying to get a dual-band mobile type-accepted by the FCC.

The 2m/440 KG-UV920R is not in production (yet) but a photo appears on the Wouxun homepage labeled "Coming Soon" and a note on the side of the image says that the company's head of US distribution (Ed Griffin) is in China until the end of the month (maybe to finalize the deal with this radio?).

A promotional flyer of the new rig with some preliminary specs can be found here.

Along with 2m/440, it looks like they may try to build a 2m/220 mobile radio as well!

I don't (yet) own one of these radios, but I'm saving my pennies to get one. Two radios, in fact. Maybe three. One for me, my wife, and daughter, the 2m/220 HTs.

I've been very interested in these radios since they debuted a few years ago. The low price is obviously very attractive, but my initial skepticism was that it was priced too low (as in, "you-get-what-you-pay-for") but the overall reviews have been for the most part positive regarding these radios, and the price is very hard to pass up, considering that the cost of a dual-band radio is the same (if not lower) than most single-band radios (especially 220MHz radios).

Keep your eyes on this company, folks. They may change the market on ham radios in a very good way.