Thank you to Radioddity, who has donated a QT60 Pro 10 Meter Radio as a giveaway prize for Black Friday 2024!

• You must be a Premium Member to enter in the contest. Premium Members are those who donate to this site to help fund it; this is a small "thank you" to all of those who have done so for years. The details for premium membership is here: https://www.worldwidedx.com/account/upgrades
• To enter the monthly contest, reply to this thread and simply reply that you want to be in the contest and understand the rules.
• The winner will be drawn by random selection, not by moderators or site owner.
• By participating in this contest, you are also agreeing to post a written review of the product with photos on this website. This does not have to be a lengthy post, but we want your opinion on the product!
• Please post on your socials (facebook, instagram, tiktok, truthsocial, X), including this link to the product. Please also reference worldwidedx.com in some way to let people know where you got the radio. An example is, "If you'd like to win a free radio, click here for details" (linking to this site section)
• The winner has 30 days to post their review article or risk being invoiced for the current sales price of the radio on Amazon.

That's it and good luck!

Thanks to the folks that "liked" my post, Retevis, WWDX and Moleculo, I have a new toy to play with.
The Ailunce HA1G-IP67

The radio arrived nicely packed with a charging stand, USB-a/USB-c charging cord, belt clip and carry strap. The battery charged in about an hour using a cell phone charger.

The radio feels like a quality build, heavy enough to feel sturdy but still lightweight. The on/off-volume and tuning knobs are tight and feel high quality. All buttons have a very solid feel. The radio has a hand-mic port on the side and the antenna connector is very solid and could easily be used to connect a handheld Yagi or Moxon built for the GMRS freqs.

Menus are simple to access for all setting changes, display is bright, adjustable and easy to read.

The radio can be charged using either the sturdy charging stand or the USB cable can plug directly into the battery itself.

Up to now I have been strictly a HF DX operator so I have a bit of learning to do regarding repeaters and such and can't offer much in the way of an operational review on that stuff at this time. I did make one simplex contact (yes, I got the GMRS license) with someone about 5-6 miles away and received a good signal and audio report. No doubt that this radio works quite well in all modes and will come in useful. It may push me to explore the 2m and 70cm Amateur bands which I've never played on.

Seems like a very well built HT to me, well worth the modest retail price they can be had for.

7 3

Thank you to Retevis, who has donated Ailunce HA1G GMRS handheld radios as prizes for our first monthly contest!




Here are the details on how you can win either a pair of HA1G radios or a single HA1G:

• You must be a Premium Member to enter in the contest but everyone can participate in deciding the winner. Premium Members are those who donate to this site to help fund it; this is a small "thank you" to all of those who have done so for years. The details for premium membership is here: https://www.worldwidedx.com/account/upgrades
• To enter the monthly contest, reply to this thread and attach one photo of a radio activity that you participated in. It can be Ham, CB, Commercial, homebrew, a site you visited; it doesn't matter. You don't have to show your face in the photo, but it must be your own picture. It can be from any time period.
• Site Admins will use Microsoft CoPilot AI to ensure that image has not been lifted from another website. If you have posted the photo on another site or social media, you need to say so in your post to avoid being disqualified. This rule is to ensure that people don't steal photos in an effort to win.
• The community votes on their favorite picture by "Liking" the post. At the end of the month the person with the most "likes" wins first prize.
• By participating in this contest, you are also agreeing to post a written review of the product with photos on this website. This does not have to be a lengthy post, but we want your opinion on the product!
• Please post on your socials (facebook, instagram, tiktok, truthsocial, X), including this link to the product. Please also reference worldwidedx.com in some way to let people know where you got the radio. An example is, "If you'd like to win a free radio, click here for details" (linking to this site section)
• The winner has 30 days to post their review article or risk being invoiced for the current sales price of the radio on Amazon.

First Place on "likes" is a pair of HA1G GMRS radios. Second place is a single HA1G GMRS radio. Good luck and let's see some photos!

TIDRADIO contacted me a few weeks go, asking if I would like to review their new micro-sized TD-H3 VHF/UHF handheld, which features USB-C and bluetooth interfaces. Of course, I can't resist playing with new radio toys, so the radio arrived a few days later.

First, this is a TINY radio! In this pic, you can see I'm holding it comfortably between my thumb and index finger. It is similar in size to the old Yaesu VX-3 but more narrow.



For comparison, Here's a pic of it next to the TIDRADIO TD-H8, which is full-sized radio by today's standards.



There are quite a few of reviews of this new TD-H3 published already, including on youtube. Later in this review, I'll discuss some of the best features, as well as some areas for improvement, but before I go any farther, I'm starting with this: I can't find much not to like about this radio, including the fact that according to my tests, it seems to comply with FCC specs for spurious emissions, which surprised me in a very positive way. So now that we have the size comparisons out of the way, let's look at the spectrum analyzer tests.

To test these radios, I use an AURSINC TinySA Ultra, fed through a a 40db attenuator, both available on Amazon:


As a refresher, the FCC rules for VHF transmitters with average power less than 25 watts must be at least 40db below the fundamental frequency and not more than 25 microwatts. For the first test, I set the radio operating frequency on 146.52, which is the signal shown in the far left of the graphic.



The test shows that the worst spurious emission is almost -51db. Since the TD-H3 is a 5 watt transmitter, the worst harmonic is only 31 microwatts. The db specs are well within the FCC specs but the power output of the worst spur is slightly over the spec. But still, this is about the best I've ever seen with an inexpensive radio.

The next image shows the same test on 440Mhz.


These results are well within the FCC specs. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this. Most of these sub $100 radios have a reputation for having filthy harmonics, but that is certainly not the case with the TD-H3. One last test: The radio has a menu option to enable transmission on 220Mhz. Users should be aware that the supplied antenna is labeled as a 144/435 Mhz unit on the underside; I tested that antenna on 220 Mhz and it should not be used on that band. If you intend to use the radio on 220, get an antenna designed for that band. Because the radio has the option to operate on 220, of course I ran a spec analyzer test there, as well.



On this band, the radio is not within FCC specs (although it's not horrible), but since TIDRADIO advertises this only as a 2M/440 radio, I'll cut them some slack. To put all of these tests in perspective, this is the first $30 VHF/UHF radio I've ever seen that complies with FCC spurious emissions specs, so this is a big deal.

Now let's cover a few other interesting features. Unlike some other radios of this size, the TD-H3 features a bluetooth interface for programming. Like their other radio, the TD-H8, bluetooth only works with their own Odmaster app, which is available for both Android and Apple smartphones. In my tests, it worked flawlessly and the Odmaster app continues to receive improvements in usability. I especially like that you can save your frequency lists with your account and use them with various radios. Note that a few of the TD-H3 menus, such as enabling TX on 220Mhz and 500Mhz are not available in the Odmaster app.

The TD-H3 also features a USB-C interface for both charging an programming. On this radio, the feature is both cool and a little odd at the same time because there are two USB-C ports used for different purposes. The USB-C on the bottom on the battery is for charging:



The USB-C port on the side of the radio is for programming, using either the Odmaster web app or Chirp.


Unlike the Kenwood TH-D75, the USB-C port on the radio will not charge the battery. Also of note is that the USB-C on the battery will not charge if plugged into a PD port, which is unfortunate because that means it won't work on some car chargers unless they are also equipped with an extra USB-A port.

Another interesting design choice of this radio is the inclusion of two PTT buttons, shown here:


The top button activates VFO A and the bottom PTT button actives VFO B. I have to admit, this took me a while to get used to. As of the time of this writing there is also an annoying bug, which I've notified TIDRADIO about. When you have dual watch enabled, if VFO B is the active one due to activity, if you press the top PTT, the radio displays the TX details of VFO B instead of VFO A. The company indicates that they may fix this in a future firmware update. Regarding firmware updates, the USB-C cable is not used for performing this operation. Instead, you need a USB-A cable that interfaces with the standard Kenwood speaker/mic interface, which I find a bit odd.

I have one other very minor gripe about this radio. Like all radios at the sub $100 price point, the scanner function is horribly slow. But on the more important upside, this radio covers the AM air band! The radio also features FM broadcast and it has WX frequencies pre-programmed. The easiest way to access the pre-programmed WX frequencies is to reprogram the bottom soft-button to activate. I did this with the Odmaster app when using a long-press, overriding the default monitor function.

Like the TD-H8, the H3 also has the ability to clone itself via bluetooth. You do this by holding down the bottom side button while turning the radio on, resulting in the following menu:


Since I only have the one unit, I did not test this feature, but there are youtubers that show it functioning as advertised.

I have been using this radio daily for weeks. I really can't find much to complain about at this price point and a whole bunch to like. The volume is quite loud and the audio quality is very good. The radio fits in your average pants pocket and is easy to program with either Odmaster via bluetooth or Chirp using USB-C. It's so small, that it's a radio that I literally carry everywhere. TIDRADIO sells several antenna options that make it even more "pocket friendly". The radio is sold as GMRS or HAM, but you can also completely unlock it by holding down the top PTT and * key while turning it on. I feel no guilt in using this radio since it meets the FCC spurious emissions standards. Considering it also covers the air band, 220Mhz, weather, and FM broadcast, I don't see how you can go wrong at this price point. The radio is available on Amazon in various packs of batteries and antennas: https://amzn.to/4djGvfp

Note: edited to clarify the 2 meter spurious emissions test measurements.

One of my good friends owns an auto detail and paintless dent repair shop. I stop by regularly after work to have a beer with him and am always amazed at all the neat tools he has to do this work. I spotted one on the bench the other day and immediately thought of an application for ham radio: The Get a Grip Suction Umbrella. This device has a really strong suction and a very strong adjustable grip that allows you to put a large umbrella on a vehicle to provide shade while working on it outdoors. I figured that if it was strong enough to hold a large umbrella in a stiff breeze, it could certainly hold a light weight HF antenna. This weekend, I got to try it out.



My wife's cousin showed up for the holiday weekend in his overland van. This thing is outfitted to go anywhere, but has no antenna mounts. It made a perfect excuse to drive down by the marina to get some fresh ocean air and try out this suction as an antenna mount. The version my friend has is the large 6" inch suction version. The arm articulates every which way and has two large cams to tighten it once you get it in place. The grip opens up to 1.5" at the narrowest point, which is large enough to fit the Chameleon mini Unun base, or any antenna mast. The claw is some type of tough non-metal ABS, which means you can attach it directly to any part of an antenna.

I attached the mount to my Chameleon vertical antenna as seen here:



This antenna is about 18 feet tall (or so). The clamp isn't quite strong enough to hold an antenna of this size at an angle - and I'm not sure why you would want to do this - but it holds just fine vertically.




Here's a pic of the antenna on the overlander:




I ran the coax up through the middle of the van to the cab where I placed the Elecraft KX3:



This setup worked pretty well. It took me longer to take pics of the whole thing than actually set it up. I had the antenna in the air and radio online in less than 10 minutes.



Here's a link to this suction mount: https://getagripnow.com/collections/grips-umbrellas/products/6-inch-grip-only-w-o-umbrella. Incidentally, they also have a lot of articulating arms that could be put to use in a ham radio application.

If interested, here's a link to the RG316 coax used in the pictures: https://amzn.to/4eS4sLT

I will be activating the ARCA Menard's Series West Napa 150 NASCAR race this July 4th, 2024 at Irwindale Speedway in Southern California. I will likely operate 20 and 40 meters and will update this post with frequencies as the event draws nearer. This event is broadcast live on floracing.com.

Starting up at 10AM Pacific, I'll start around 7.275+/-. I'll be here for a while and if propagation picks up later in the afternoon, I'll move to 14.285 +/-

update: moved to 14.244 due to very weak traffic all over the higher part of the band.


I hope to work you!

Retevis recently contacted me to see if I would evaluate their new MB2 CB mobile radio. Of course, I can't resist an offer like that. This is a new AM/FM, small form-factor mobile CB which Retevis is positioning to comply with regional CB regulations (FCC, EU, etc.). I've spent the last month working with this radio and am ready to share my thoughts.



As you can see, this radio is very small, much like a Uniden Pro 520XL. It easily fits on just about any dash or overhead mount with the included mounting bracket. I tested this in my wife's car sitting on her dash with the optional, included mag mount antenna, which is rated at 200 watts:



Antenna

The optional mag mount is well designed with a standard SO-239 connector for the antenna and no-brand RG-58/U coax. The antenna is a center loaded, 45 inch antenna that reminds me a lot of the old Radio Shack CB antennas.



I used my Rigexpert AA-600 to sweep the antenna SWR bandwidth; it easily covers the entire CB band and then some with no adjustments. I just attached the whip, tightened the set screw and measured it.




Power hook-up

The MB2 CB comes wired with a cigarette / 12v accessory plug as standard. My vehicles still have this plug, but some users with newer vehicles without this plug may want to cut off the plug for other connections. If you're going to move this radio between vehicles or use on the base with a power supply, I suggest inserting a set of Anderson Power Poles to give you ultimate flexibility when hooking up for power. (Hint, if you're going to use Anderson Powerpole connectors, use authentic ones such as these sold on Amazon. The copy cat ones will cause nothing but grief.)



For a basic radio, it has a fairly full feature set: AM and FM, VOX, 6 different digital roger beeps, a Lock to prevent accidental changes, and even an automatic squelch (ASQ button) that works really well.

Audio Tests and Mic

For initial audio tests, I had my wife drive the car away from the house and key up on both AM and FM so I could hear how the radio sounds (video of this audio demonstration coming soon). Retevis told me that the supplied mic is an electret condenser type. The resulting audio on both AM And FM is clear, but underwhelming as it doesn't have nearly enough gain. You have to put your mouth right up on the mic so you lips are touching to get enough audio out of the radio. I've provided feedback to Retevis that the mic and mic gain is something that needs to be improved, but consider that this is an entry-level radio at an entry-level price point. The mic is a 5 pin DIN connector, which is a bit unusual in the CB world, but it's fine. Retevis supplied me a pinout of the mic; I verified that it is indeed an electret condenser as I measured 5v present on pin 1, which is not currently documented in the manual.



Power Output and Mods
As I said earlier, Retevis has produced a radio that complies with FCC regulations, from a power-output perspective. Hooked up to a power meter, I see that on AM it keys at about 3.5 watts average carrier and never exceeds 4 watts average under modulation. When measuring PEP using a Bird 43P and 50 watts slug, I get mixed results, and I'm not sure why...I suspect it has something to do with ambient or transistor temperature. One day, I measured 4 watts carrier, and16 watts PEP (into a dummy load, of course). and another day it only measures about 12 watts PEP. Either of these measurements are considered acceptable, for a stock, FCC compliant radio. On FM, you strictly get 4 watts of output.

But it getts better. Retevis has supplied a power modification inside the radio from the factory. There is a white wire jumper on the main board toward the front of the radio, next to a 3 pin jumper block. If you clip this wire, new functionality and power output capabilities are unlocked. In this image, you can see that the "L" LED Is lit up., which means "Low". Under un-modified circumstances, neither the "Low" or "High" LEDs function. After modification, you can change power output by long-pressing on the AM/FM button.



On Low power setting, the radio power output is the same as out-of-the-box. But when the radio is in High power mode, I measured as much as 18 watts FM! The AM carrier on High is 8 watts, but it still only peaks somewhere between 12 and 16 watts. The high power output for FM is significant and will really help extend the range over the stock 4 watts. But on AM, the carrier to peak ratio isn't right and on-air reports described the audio as "muffled", as you would expect with a situation like this. For use on AM, I recommend leaving the radio on low power, but on FM, high power is your friend.

Frequency Modifications
The MB2 CB is also intended for use in other regions, such as the EU. To change regions, you simply move the jumper on the 3 pin jumper block to suit your needs. The explanation, as well as a footnote about the power mod follows:



Other Considerations
I inquired about other useful design features designed into some CBs such as high SWR protection and RX overload protection. As expected, these design choices were not built into a radio at this price point. However, I have intentionally keyed up the radio at both high and lower power settings into a high-SWR load and the radio seems to function fine...YMMV.


Final Thoughts
The Retevis MB2 CB is an affordable yet feature-rich radio at its price point that features both AM and the newer authorized FM mode. It is available in two versions on Amazon: Radio only, or Radio with 45 inch Mag-mount antenna. The mic and mic gain could be a bit better, while the high power mod is very useful for FM operations. Overall, the radio and supplied antenna are plug and play with no adjustments needed. The Auto Squelch (ASQ) works surprisingly well. Overall, this is a good, entry-level radio for the individual, intended for the operator just wants a basic radio for communication on a road trip, while 4x4'ing, or even around the ranch/farm. I hope Retevis is committed to this market, and it will be interesting to see what they come out next based on the feedback I've provided.

I've had the Kenwood TH-D75 for about a month now. I figured I'd make a video detailing all the major features so people can determine for themselves if it is worth the price tag. What do you think?

The Kenwood TH-D74 was my favorite handheld radio that I had ever owned. While pricey, it was packed with features and quality unlike no other. When the radio was discontinued due to a factory fire in Japan, the remaining TH-D74 stock sold out in weeks at elevated prices. I even purchased a new shell on eBay as an insurance policy, just in case my radio got damaged. Rumors of the new TH-D75 replacement started surfacing late spring of 2023, with the product reveal coming at Dayton Hamvention that same year. A year later, the radio is finally available for the masses, and I received the one I purchased this week!

Overview
The new TH-D75 is almost identical in form factor to its predecessor with only some new rounding of corners, different texturing, and improved rubber covers for the ports. Here's a pic of the two radios next to each other:


The dimensions of the old and new model are identical in almost every way. In this pic, you can see that the battery dimension are the same. While the TH-D75 has a slightly enhanced, spring loaded battery fastener, the two batteries are actually interchangeable. In the pic below, the TH-D75 is on the left:



As far as I can tell, the new TH-D75 has all of the same features as the older TH-D74. The micro-usb has been replaced with a USB-C that acts as both a charging port and a rig interface. While there are many inexpensive radios with USB-C for charging, the TH-D75 will charge while also acting as a PC interface at the same time. This feature alone is important if you want to take advantage of the new APRS digipeater function, interfacing it to an internet connected PC. The many D-Star interface features will utilize this feature, as well.




New D-Star DV Gateway Feature
A major new function is the ability for the radio to work with a "DV Gateway" via USB or Bluetooth. In short, this means you can use a phone, tablet, or PC while interfaced to the TH-D75 to work D-Star over the internet without an additional RF hotspot. I tested this feature using the app "BlueDV Connect" with my Samsung S22 Ultra using Bluetooth as the interface. Setting this up is pretty straight forward: First you pair the phone/PC with the radio (the default bluetooth device name is simply "TH-D75". You need to set the "DV Gateway" setting to "Bluetooth" in the radio's "Interface" menu section:



Then when you're ready to operate, you set the "DV Gateway Mode" menu to "ON", but make sure you've input your callsign in this menu section, as well:



Lastly, in the BlueDV Connect app, toggle the top right on/off button to "On", which will initiate a bluetooth connection to the radio. (Hint: in BlueDV Connect, make sure you select the TH-D75 as the bluetooth device in the settings). Now that you've done this, you use the radio just like it's connected to a hotspot or internet, connecting to whatever reflectors or repeaters desired. Here's a pic of my phone and TH-D75 connected to an AlabamaLink reflector:



APRS Digipeater
Another new feature of the TH-D75 is the ability to act as a digipeater. This is useful when setting up a fill-in digitpeater or even an ad-hoc portable event where you might have the need to track multiple station locations. The radio fully supports UITRACE and UIFLOOD addressing; the configuration of the digipeater will be reserved for a future article.

Multi DV/DR RX
The last major addition to the TH-D75 is the ability to monitor digital modes on both A & B bands. In my opinion, this is a nice-to have feature, but I could see how it might be nice to monitor a simplex or local repeater frequency and a hotspot reflector at the same time. Note that the DV Gateway feature only works on the B band and does not support the dual DV/DR receive feature.

Programming
Since I already had the TH-D74, my first curiosity was if I could simply import the old radio settings and memories into the new TH-D75. The good news is that the free MCP-D75 application can open memory lists from the MCP-D74 application, preserving memory groups, names, repeaters, etc. The bad news is that the radio settings cannot be imported. However, it didn't take too much time to simply open both applications and copy/paste or cross reference the relevant settings between the two radios. I lobbed an email into RT Systems to see if their app could more seamlessly import a TH-D74 config, but the answer to that was "No", as well. I will still likely buy the RT Systems app simply because I find it super convenient to query and download online repeater sites to dump a new city/location into a new file that I can save on to the SD Card. I will also use this radio as a race scanner at racing events (such as NASCAR), and maintaining scanner frequencies with the RT Systems app is just so much easier. (If you're not familiar with Racing on the Air events, check it out!)

Summary
While I've focused on new features, don't forget that the Kenwood TH-D75 is jam packed with stuff simply not found in other VHF/UHF radios - mobile or handheld. You get 144/220/440 bands for TX/RX, air band, AM/FM broadcast radio and all-mode (CW, AM, FM, USB, LSB) HF, MW, and SW reception. It has built-in GPS with the ability to record waypoints. You can record reception to the SD Card or to an external device via USB. Bluetooth supports the Headset Profile, which means it will work with a variety of devices, including motorcycle headsets. And don't forget about the TX/RX equalizer for both FM And DV modes. Yes, the radio is pricey, but this is literally the Porsche of VHF/UHF ham radios.

The Quansheng UV-K5 has rapidly developed a reputation at the most "hackable" radio on the market today. There are many firmware variants available produced by the ham community, and more seem to come every week. Now, a daughterboard is available that opens up the radio for full HF/MW/SW/LW reception, which also includes AM/FM/SSB modes, as well as broadcast HD FM. One of my local hams purchased the kit and did a photoshoot of the install, which he shared with me for publication.

Here's a photo of the entire kit, available on ebay for about $10. The base of the radio in the picture gives you an idea of the size of the components:



Here's a link to the item on ebay:


This is another picture for reference on how small the daughterboard is:



Installing requires disassembly of the radio and removal of the main board, which is pretty simple. This is the main board before modification:



And here is the main board after the daughterboard has been installed. Note the added resistor toward the bottom right of the image. The new board is just above the keypad, labeled UVK5 S14732".



After reassembly, you need to install new firmware that will take advantage of the board. The download is here: http://www.hamskey.com/2024/03/introduction-to-uv-k5-hf-fullband.html. Here is a pic of the radio receiving on 11M, channel 38 LSB:



And finally, a video clip of the radio receiving broadcast FM:


One thing to know is that there is some tiny SMD work involved with installing the kit, but it shouldn't be too difficult with the correct soldering tip. If you don't already own the Quansheng UV-5r, they're about $35 from ebay; less if you want to order direct from China:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1345355609...pid=5336136228&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1

Or if preferred, the radio can be purchased on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/4ap6FvA

Enjoy!