Showing the Luiton LT-425UV Quad band 25 watt radio from China, for $89 on Amazon (Link is in the description) 2 meters, 1.25 meters, 70cm and (350mhz??) Color screen, includes cable and software. Check it out.
I'm intrigued, but the thing that has me worried is the spectral purity. I'm not too worried about it on the rare occasions when I use my Baofeng. Even if it technically fails the requirements, the low power and poor antenna attenuate any spurious emissions to the point where I don't worry about it too much. But if you're running 25 watts with a halfway decent antenna, then there might be some splainin' to do if it's also transmitting on some unauthorized frequency. So it would be interesting to see how it looks on a spectrum analyzer.
In the USA 225-400 MHz is military aircraft (and some military communications satellites) and 380-400 MHz is shared military aircraft/military land mobile radio. Needless to say amateur radio is not allowed there.
For a few bucks more, the For a few bucks more, the BTech 2500+220 actually is 2-1.25 & 3/4 meters.... plus some. Spectral purity not withstanding(how pure is anything these days) and it does appear to work.
I bought two LT-588 radios from Amaon a few months back. Within 2 months BOTH of them were no good, that is right BOTH! The shack radio would just stop all together nothing, no transmit or receive just go dead. After 5 minutes or so it would come back on. It would on some frequencies not transmit and only receive. The radio I had mobile would stop transmitting while I was talking. SWR's were low in both cases less than 1.3. A fellow here in Gastonia, NC sent his back with same problems. You get what you pay for and sometimes a lot less! If a deal seems too good to be true, well you finish the rest. KK4ITN.
You get what you pay for. And some people are damn stubborn. I maintain a railroad system, and we have operators that insist on buying Baofeng portables (against my recommendation), they program themselves, and end up wideband on our narrowband system. This Chinese stuff is just bad business all around. The FCC needs to sit up and take notice towards the importers. Not to mention the off-road, etc. groups that buy these things and just operate willy-nilly on any frequency they feel like. I suppose this isn't just a cheap Chinese radio problem, some of them use legitimate amateur radio equipment that has (or hasn't) been modified for out of band operation. Nothing like wideband operation on narrowband frequencies, be it licensed or not. My two cents is this - would you trust your life to a $50 Chinese radio if it came down to it?
Yes I also agree with that. I see recently that India outlawed on line sales to non licensed...A real good idea....While some may want this cheap Chinese garbage...be aware that it opens the door to lots of problems.
I bought two of the QYT KT-7900d . Same radio for $84 . One for the motorcycle and one for a friend (ham) With the Diamond CR320A it works great sofar . If you like DX go for the FT 736r and do not cry anymore HIHI
Talk about crying. I helped take down an old friends 90' of Rohn 45 last year. His health went bad on him, and I didn't know it till he sold his house. While taking down the tower, I asked the new owner if the old equipment had been sold yet. The man said it all went into the dumpster! An old Ten Tec Corsair, various vhf/uhf amps, and of course a 736, complete with every module made for it! We got to the tower just days before they intended to cut the guys, and let her fall.
Yep--Have the QYT version---the instructions are pretty bad but so far no issues with the radio in my truck--- Jim W6NYA
