[amsat-bb] Chinese Radios

[Mike Diehl]

Gerald,

I can confirm WD9EWK's findings on the Woxun radios. I used to own a UV8D and now a UV9D. These are pretty decent little rigs for working AO-85 in full duplex. I haven't done much on Fox with an Arrow but it works great with my Elk.

I can also confirm that these rigs won't do full duplex on SO-50 because of desense. I've tried several configurations including stock Arrow and Elk antennas. I also tried again after I cut down my Arrow into a 2x4 element. I seen this done by W5PFG and decided to give it shot. It did not help anything on my UV9D but it's worth noting that it eliminated the desense I was getting on my FT-8900. 

One thing I do with SO-50 on these rigs is to leave the VFO I'm using for downlink as main so you can easily adjust for Doppler. I then use the secondary PTT function to key up the other VFO set for uplink. This will keep you from having to switch back and forth between VFOs to adjust RX and jump back for TX. On AO-85 I've only ever had to adjust for Doppler on the uplink so I just leave it as main. 

73!
Mike Diehl - AI6GS 

> On Nov 29, 2016, at 3:02 PM, Ted <k7trkradio at charter.net> wrote:
> 
> Gerald, I'll paste WD9EWK's latest post on this which contains a link to his
> previous post on other Chinese radios. Patrick has done extensive
> evaluations of this subject. Good Luck
> 
> 73, Ted
> K7TRK
> 
> From Patrick:
> 
> "I don't have a KG file to share, but those should not be shared
> between radios anyway. Those files are not like the config files
> used in the "normal" ham radios like you get from Icom, Kenwood,
> and Yaesu. But I can offer some suggestions and advice...
> 
> The KG-UV8D is not capable of working SO-50 full-duplex. When you
> transmit on 2m, the 70cm receiver is desensed. You won't hear
> the satellite again until you stop transmitting. The radio is
> capable of working AO-85 full-duplex. I wrote about this on the
> AMSAT-BB list a year ago, and you can see that message at:
> 
> http://amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/2015-November/056254.html
> 
> I do not use memory channels for working AO-85. I use the two
> VFOs, open the squelch all the way for the receive VFO, and
> transmit from the other VFO. That link has some key settings
> I used with that radio.
> 
> You can program a group of memory channels to work SO-50 half-
> duplex. A guide for that is available from AMSAT's Station and
> Operating Hints page at:
> 
> http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=2144
> 
> (look for the document "Operating FM Satellites")
> 
> Or use another HT with your KG-UV8D, so you can transmit from one
> radio while listening to the other radio for full-duplex operation.
> 
> If you want to use an HT to work both AO-85 and SO-50 full-duplex,
> there is only one option currently in production: Kenwood TH-D72A.
> The new TH-D74A is not capable of full-duplex operation for any FM
> satellite. Wouxun's KG-UV9D, like the KG-UV8D, is capable of working
> AO-85 full-duplex, but not SO-50. Along with the KG-UV8D, I wrote
> about a few other Chinese-made HTs and tried using them to work
> FM satellites full-duplex. They could do that with AO-85, but not
> SO-50. You can get to the messages covering the other radios I
> wrote about at:
> 
> http://amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/2015-December/056269.html
> 
> 73!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
> http://www.wd9ewk.net/
> Twitter: @WD9EWK"
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Gerald
> Payton
> Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2016 1:51 PM
> To: Amsat BB
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Chinese Radios
> 
> (Forgive me for asking; I know that I have read a write-up somewhere, but
> can't find it now.)
> 
> 
> It is my perception that some portable operators are using these Chinese
> HT's (specifically BaoFeng) along with their Arrow Antennas.  Maybe that I
> am wrong.
> 
> 
> Which model is being used, if that is so.  Thanks.
> 
> 
> Jerry AB5R
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> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb