Apr 1 2014

Baofeng DA-77: Dual-band DMR radio

Baofeng DA-77Jason KC5HWB, Joop PA2JM, Carel PA3EHA and I had some pre-production pictures of this radio for quite a while, but some preliminary specs are now public.

The good
The most interesting fact is that the Baofeng DA-77 is a dual-band radio, something which didn’t exist so far. The second most interesting fact is the expected price point: $129,00.

The bad
Things bothering me a bit: only 160 memory positions and a meager 50 zones. Enough for professional use, but compared to the Connect Systems CS-700 (250 zones of 16 channels each) it’s far from impressive.

The ugly
The shell is identical to that of the UV-82, something I don’t like either. I do understand the decision though; re-using existing shells is much more cost effective than designing a new one. Another advantage is that accessories such as batteries are interchangeable.

Both Jason KC5HWB (Grapevine Ham Radio) and me are on Baofeng’s list for getting a review sample. To be honest I hope Jason gets one first, as he’s much more knowledgeable in this area than I am. Keep an eye on his blog.

Specifications

Dual-band, dual standby, mixed mode (DMR/FM) possible
– VOX
– CTCSS / DCS
– PC Programming
– FM
– Flashlight
– Single, group and general call
– Kill, Stun and revive
– Monitor, remote control
– Scanning
– Power saving
– Noise suppression function
– Manual dialing and storage dialing
– SMS
– AMBE+2TM vocoder

Frequency Range: VHF:136-174MHz AND 400-470MHz
– Memory channels: 160
– Zones: 50
– Operating Voltage: 7.4V
– Battery Capacity: 1800mAh
– Battery Average Working Time(5/5/90): 16 hours
– Frequency Stability: ±1.5ppm
– Antenna Impedance: 50Ω

– Power Output: 5/1 Watt (VHF), 4/1 Watt (UHF)
– Spurious Emission: – 36dBm1GHz/ – 30dBm≥1GHz
– Vocoder: AMBE+2TM

– Receiver Sensitivity: Digital 5%BER ≤0.3µV Analog ≤0.35µV
– Audio Distortion: <3%
– Conducted Radiation: –57dBm

STANDARD PACKAGE:

1. Baofeng DA-77 DMR Two-Way Transceiver
2. Dual-band Antenna
3. 110-240V Desktop Charger
4. Belt clip
5. User Manual
6. 1800mAh batterypack

17 comments on “Baofeng DA-77: Dual-band DMR radio”

  1. For $129,- this could be a nice second HT (next to my Kenwood TH-F7E), since it is dualband *and* DMR and also has CTCSS. More and more DMR repeaters are popping up in the Netherlands, but I also use analog repeaters a lot and most require CTCSS.

    And I agree with Hans on the memory dislike… 160 memories and only 25 zones. Even my (almost vinatage) TH-F7E has 400 memories, my Polmar DB50M has 758 (and my Uniden scanner has 2500).

  4. This falls in the same category as the news that was spread by the German DMR group. They created new firmware for DMR repeaters to enable 4 timeslots instead of 2. Yep, April 1st…

  5. When using the auxiliary transporter, the DA-77 keeps shifting from kill to stun during beamout. The main transporter doesn’t have this problem. Is there a software update or patch for this?

    • You realize that this is an option that you have to turn on to use. It’s not defaulted to be operational.

      • I posted this to show it’s a real thing though…the Kill/stun/revive function of a mobile radio is not actually a joke like others are making it on other posts. lol But, that doesn’t seem to matter as they keep rolling on with the jokes about it. Oh well.

  13. You’d think you people would know better than to fall for this farce. It was published on April 1, 2014. Hopefully it’s just a joke. DMR doesn’t need a piece of crap like this to pollute the band.

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