Review – BTech UV-50X3 (Tri-Band)

by John ‘Miklor’ Four years after its initial design, the VGC 6600PRO has evolved into the BTech UV-50X3, a full featured Tri-Band mobile that delivers a full 50W on VHF and UHF, with addition of a 220 MHz module that delivers 5W output.  The 220 MHz module was specifically designed and filtered for 222-225MHz US ham band operation.  I mention this as there are currently radios being advertised as Tri-Band operating in the range of 240-260MHz that are not adaptable to frequencies below 240MHz due to their internal filtering.   What’s in the Box Included with the radio are: –  Remote control head –  Control Head Suction Cup Mount –  18′ Separation Cable –  Microphone with a 20 button keypad –  Chrome metal microphone hanger –  Metal mounting bracket with screws –  Cooling Fan with Thermostat –  Heavy Duty DC Power Cable (HD Auto Fuses) –  Full 33 page English User Manual 50X3  Weight:  Main Chassis  2.1kg (4.6 lbs) Chassis Size: 5.5″ x 1.8″ x 6.0″  (140 x 46 x 150mm) Control Head: 6.3″ x 2.6″ x 6.0″  (157 x 66 x 33.5mm) Specifications The 50X3 is FCC Part 90 certified for commercial use in the US. Full specifications can be found HERE   Enclosure and Mount The main chassis is a solid 4 lb heat sink with an added cooling fan. The chassis and cooling fan can be mounted either under the dash, or trunk mounted using the included 18′ control cable.  The radio is terminated with a standard SO-239 connector.     Control Head The suction mount is about the best I’ve ever used. It requires a smooth metal or glass surface, but the silicon rubber cup will not let loose. My control head has been mounted atop my computer for over a month, and it is going nowhere.   The control head has two tuning knobs as well as two volume controls allowing the transceiver to essentially function as two separate radios in one package. The left can be scanning in the Channel mode while the right can be monitoring in the VFO. The button functions are displayed on the LCD screen for easy function identification. The PTT button on the upper right is for Momentary or Toggle PTT. One press turns the TX on, next press turns it off. Setting to Toggle is convenient if running a net or using a mobile headset. Cooling The radio chassis is one large block of heat sink that when testing takes forever to heat up. When it does, the 70 x 70 x 15mm cooling fan turns on. It’s very quiet and because of it’s size it’s very effective.    Transmitter   One of my main interests was the included 220MHz US ham band, as I have several Ham repeaters within 35 miles from my house. The power on 220MHz is rated at 5W, which I found was more than enough to reliably get into my local repeaters.  The signal and audio reports have been excellent. I used my 13.8VDC power supply to emulate a standard auto battery. Running the radio at high power (50W) into a Bird Watt meter for 3 minutes showed no decrease in power or excess heat. The 220 ham band transmit range is limited to 222-225MHz. The receiver is capable of being programmed above and below those frequencies, but may be outside of the performance range due to the ham band specific filtering. Freq Low Mid High 146 8 20 50 222 5 5 5 446 10 24  55 HP 6580 analyser images Microphone The radio comes with a full function keypad style microphone. On the right side are two slide switches that control the Lock and Lamp feature, and on top of the microphone are two frequency Up and Down buttons.  Along with a 16 button DTMF style keypad are 4 programmable function keys. Choices are Squelch Off, TX Power, Rptr Shift, Reverse, and Tone Call. There are two microphone input jacks. One on the control head, the other on the main unit. There is also a built in microphone element inside the control head. Although the audio quality is excellent, the sensitivity is that of a standard microphone. The OTA reports were excellent with plenty of audio, so there’s no reason to shout. A nice feature in the audio section is an adjustable microphone gain control. There are 5 settings available. Min, Low, Normal, High, and Max. Normal is great for speaking in a normal volume an inch from the microphone. Running a net with VOX and a headset, you can bring it up a bit. Driving in an off road vehicle, you just might need to set it back. Receiver The UV-50X3 has two Double Conversion Super Heterodyne receivers, each with 500 channels, for a total of 1000 memories. Along with the standard VHF / 220 / UHF frequencies, the receiver covers: 0.5-1.7 MHz   (AM Radio) 76-108 MHz   (FM Radio) 108-136 MHz  (AM Air Band) 137-250 MHz  (Ham & TV Band) 300-520 MHz  (Ham & General) with a scan rate of 4 channels per second. The control head has built in speakers, as well as one in the main module. An external speaker jack in the rear also allows for a larger speaker if desired. The jack provides for either mono or stereo output. (each receiver can have it’s own speaker). I found a menu setting to adjust the tone of the speaker as well. Although there is more than ample audio output, when the volume control is all the way down, the radio is silent, as it should be. Cross Band Repeat The radio takes full advantage of the independent receiver by including a Cross Band Repeat function.  I entered the VHF and UHF frequencies, power level and tones, selected the Cross Band mode, and was ready to go. The audio levels are preset and the audio quality reports were excellent. Cross band repeating using a 220MHz frequency was not possible. This is more than likely a precaution due to the minimal frequency separation. Display The control head has a large 5″ LCD with your choice of background colors. Options include White-Blue, Sky-Blue, Marine-Blue, Green, Yellow-Green, Orange, Amber, and White. The brightness and contrast are also menu selectable. Programming   When you first attempt to program the radio manually, it may take a few tries to understand the flow of the menus.  After that, everything falls right into place. I’ve put together a programming flow to help assist with understanding the process.  All functions including the entry of 6 character Alpha labels can all be entered manually. Unless you are only entering a few channels, I would recommend the optional PC05  programming cable. The UV-50X3 uses the CHIRP programming software.   Up to six Alpha Numeric characters (upper and lower case) can be displayed to identify each channel. Scanning in the VFO mode allowed me to scan either the VHF, 220MHz, or UHF band.  In the Channel mode, the scan would select any channel in the list regardless of band. Power Cable The power cable supplied with the 50X3 is properly fused and will easily handle the current draw of the radio. This cable was meant to be connected directly to the battery or fuse panel. There are radios that draw less power whose power cables use thinner wire, lower value fuses, and  can be plugged into accessory plugs. Do NOT use these cables, even though they may be plug compatible. The 50X3 draws twice the current, and will blow the fuses and possibly overheat the wire. The cable on the 50X3 appears to match that of the hi-power Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood series.  ONLY use the proper cable for the radio. Base Station Operation The 50X3 draws upwards of 11-12A on high power transmit. A power supply capable of 15-20A continuous (not just surge) is recommended. Here are a few power supply Examples. For mobile drive testing, I teamed this radio with a Nagoya Tri-Band  TB320A  and SB-35 NMO mag mount and the results were excellent. Conclusion The 50X3 has the power, functions and quality you would expect in an upper end tri-band transceiver.  It is based on a proven design, and I have found no issues with the radio over the past month. A bit more power on 220 would have been a plus, but it still gets me into the local repeaters fine. Some of the added advantages to the US market are the FCC Part 90 certification, local US support, and exclusive program support using CHIRP software. The radio can also be shipped worldwide by contacting BTech directly. This is definitely one of the nicest mobile transceivers I’ve used; and yes, I’ve owned the “big 3”.   More Information:   Miklor.com

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Review – BTech UV2501+220 (Tri-Band)

by John ‘Miklor’

BTech has introduced a low profile Tri-Band Mobile Transceiver to the ham radio marketplace.  It has all options of the UV2501 with the addition of the 220MHz US Ham Band, both transmit and receive.

The +220 is specifically designed for 210-230MHz operation.  This is note worthy for US hams as some models currently advertised as Tri-Band operate in the range of 240-260MHz. Unfortunately, this is not the the range needed for the US ham band, and they are not adaptable to frequencies below 240MHz due to their internal filtering. 

In the Box
Included with the radio are:
–  Microphone with a 16 button keypad
–  Chrome metal microphone hanger
–  Metal mounting bracket with screws
–  DC power cable with connector
–  USB Programming cable (which was optional)
–  Full 30 page English User Manual (not a pamphlet)

UV2501+220 – Weight:  408 g (14.4 oz)
Size:  98(W) x 35 (H) x 118 (D) mm  (3.8 x 1.4 x 4.6″)

Enclosure
The frame is rugged, with a solid cover and a hefty aluminum heat sink and now includes a cooling fan that draws air from the inside of the radio, not just the heat sink.  I would still be careful mounting the radio in an extremely tight location.  As with any transceiver, it will need room to breath.

The radios are terminated with a standard SO-239 connector.

Transmitter
The +220 includes 210-230MHz transmit capability. My main interest was the 220MHz US ham band, as I have several 220 Ham repeaters within 35 miles from my house. The signal strength and audio reports have been excellent.

–   Power – The UV2501+220 is rated at 20-25W and holds true to those estimates.

A 13.8VDC power supply was used emulate a standard auto battery.  Running the radio at high power into a Bird Wattmeter for 3 minutes showed no decrease in power. There’s a thermally connected cooling fan in the rear that helps keep the radio at a respectable temperature level. The fan pulls warm air from the radio, not just the heat sink.

–   Frequency Steps –  Steps range from 2.5 to 25 kHz.
–   Audio Scrambler –  The Audio Scrambler utilizes the voice inversion process. This feature must be activated on two similar radios (Tx and Rx) to be effective. Although the function works properly, check with your countries regulations regarding its use.
 
Receiver
The radio has 200 channel capability with a top end range to 520MHz.  The receiver sensitivity is on par with any mobile I’ve used in the past and there’s plenty of smooth, clear and loud audio.

New Features Added 
–   High / Low Power – Now selectable from the microphone keypad.
–   External Speaker – This is a new addition for the UV2501 series
–   Cooling Fan – Increases the airflow from inside the radio
–   Display SYNC – An option has been added to allow the Upper and Lower displays be synced, allowing the upper display to show channel Name while the lower displays the Frequency.  Dual channel display (TDR) is still there, but sometimes you just want to display the channel you’re using. Now you have a choice.
–   Memory Mode Lock – The radio can be Locked into the channel mode (MR).
–   Menu Lock – While in the channel mode, the Menu option can be locked out to prevent accidental field programming.
–   Reset Lockout – The Reset option can be locked out to prevent accidental reset. Another nice safety precaution.
–   Auto Power Off – This allows the radio to shut off if the receiver is inactive for a preset amount of time.
–   Dual Watch Delay – allows the receiver to stay on a channel for a preset amount of time before returning to the primary channel after the secondary channel is clear.  You can now select the delay time (up to 50 seconds) before the radio returns to the Dual Watch mode.
–   Squelch Tail Elimination – Eliminates the squelch tail if the station or repeater being received has the same function active.

Microphone
The radio comes with a full function keypad style microphone. Functions include: Menu, Up, Down, A/B, Exit, Reverse, Scan and Lock, and Hi / Lo power selection.
The OTA reports are excellent with plenty of audio, so there’s no reason to shout.  My best results were talking in a normal voice about an inch or two away.

Display
The radio has a tri-color display, allowing color options of the familiar blue, orange and purple.  The LCD colors can be selected to suit your personal preference with a screen size of 1.4″ (3.4mm) wide. The LCD can be formatted in three different formats: Alpha Characters, Frequency, or Channel number.

Programming
Manual programming is pretty straight forward once you enter a few channels. A programming guide can be found at Manual Programming with a Menu Definition summary available at Menu Definitions.

There is a single bank of 200 channels. You can set a channel to be added or removed from the scan list using software.

Software
The software for the UV2501+220 was designed specifically for this radio, due the added features and frequencies.  Prior software is Not compatible with this radio. Loading this software to another radio will Not add new features to that radio.  Use only the software that is designed specifically for your radio.

This software can be downloaded from Miklor.com UV2501+220_Software.
CHIRP software for this radio is currently under development.

Programming Cable
The programming cable is a 1m (39″) USB to 3 pin 3.5mm.  My recommendation is to purchase a cable that utilizes an FTDI chipset, such as the PC04.  It may cost a few dollars more, but it’s plug-n-play.  If a generic cable is acquired, it will more than likely require a backdated driver.  Those drivers can be found at  Cable_Driver

Front Panel Operation
The buttons may be a bit difficult to read in the dark.  There is enough light to show where the buttons are, but not to clearly read them. Fortunately, the microphone keypad is well lit, so programming can easily be done via the keypad.

The 7 buttons are Function, Monitor, Call, VFO/MR, FM Radio, Exit A/B, and Hi/Lo Power.

Up to six Alpha Numeric characters (upper and lower case) can be displayed to identify each channel.

Scanning in the VFO mode allowed me to scan either the VHF, 220MHz, or UHF band.  In the Channel mode, the scan would select any channel in the list regardless of band.

Prior issues resolved
Early first generation radios had a few audio issues that required ‘work around’. After many hours of drive testing with the new +220 series, I can attest to the UV2501+220 having none of the prior issues.  The developer and manufacturer listened and got it right.

Pros
–  No audio issues (base or mobile)
–  Display Synching option
–  Extra features listed above not found in similar models
–  Plenty of power with clean audio
–  Lightweight and durable enclosure
–  More than ample heat sink with heat sink fan
–  Excellent sensitivity and receiver audio quality
–  Small compact size
–  An external speaker jack
–  Added 220-225 MHz for the US Ham Band

Cons
–  Small front panel buttons

Conclusion
For mobile drive testing, I teamed this radio with a Nagoya Tri-Band TB320A and SB-35 NMO mag mount and the results were excellent.  With the added features mentioned above and no issues, this radio was quite an impressive tri-band package.

More Information:   Miklor.com    

Build your Own Programming Cable

by John ‘Miklor’ K3NXU

Frustrated with that generic programming cable?
This $2 solution might just be your ticket to sanity.

Let’s See…

You purchased a radio and programming cable, loaded the software, and that’s as far as you’ve gotten. You’re fighting with error messages:
– Radio did not respond
– Could not open COM port
– Run Time Error
and Windows (TM) 10 keeps changing your drivers.

Now you do what many owners do. Put the radio in the drawer to be worked on later. This is like buying a roll-away treadmill and putting it in the closet until the next time you want to exercise. (NOT going to happen)

But wait, yours has the company name and logo right on the cable.
– It doesn’t matter. Keep reading.

There are a few options available, such as an FTDI cable. It’s truly Plug ‘n Play, and costs about $20.

But here’s a project that just might solve the issue for around $2. All you need is a small flat blade screwdriver, a soldering pencil, and a CP2102 board.

CP2102

The CP2102 is a USB to TTL UART chip. What?
Long story short… It’s the same thing that’s in your current cable now, except these work.

CP2102 boards can be found on eBay for around $2 and on Amazon.

Here’s How

Let’s start with that original cable.

Take a small screw driver and pry the open the case from the back where the cable enters.

It should only be snapped together.
Unsolder the 3 wires connected to the board.  GND is Black, TX is Red, RX is White.
Solder the 3 wires to the corresponding terminals on the new board.

Note 1: Some boards may have the TxD and RxD reversed. If it doesn’t work the first time, reverse the two wires. No damage has been done.

Note 2: Some boards have pins on the back requiring small connectors. You can either remove the pins, solder to them, or use the connectors. (Whatever floats your boat.)

Driver

When you insert the new board into the USB port, give Windows a chance to find and load the new driver. Should take about 30 seconds. When it says Driver Found, you’re done.

If the driver is labeled CH340 instead of CP210x in Device Manager, that’s not a problem. Both chips are designed to do the same thing.

But I don’t have a Cable

If you don’t have a generic cable, you can use 2.5 and 3.5mm stereo jacks. Here are the pin outs, and what Jim’s (KC9HI) cable looks like.

 

Cosmetics

If you are adventurous, try retrofitting the new board inside the original plastic housing. This will require a Dremel tool, X-Acto knife, Glue, and some patience, but it can be done.

If the board only has 5 terminals instead of 6, it’s not an issue. You only need GND, TX and RX.

Some come protected with a piece of clear heat shrink over the board so you can see the cool blinking lights.

Note 3: If you are trying to retrofit the board inside an existing shell, the red board below is a bit shorter and easier to fit.          Amazon       eBay

For about a dollar or so more, you can find the same boards in a metal case.

What’s the Advantage

– First and Foremost, it works. Take the radio out of the drawer, program it and have some fun.

– Next, it only cost around $2 to save the generic cable from the trash.

– Very Important – Bragging Rights. Now, when you go to a club meeting and someone says they can’t get their cable to work, tell them they can build their own, just as you did.

I hope you had fun with this project. It’s super simple and very rewarding. I’ve made several and never had a failure. Say goodbye to driver issues.

My thanks to Jim KC9HI for his input on this project

More Information: Miklor.com

Review – Pofung (Baofeng) UV-82HP

by John ‘Miklor’ K3NXU

Not just a Power Upgrade
The new UV-82HP is not just a power upgrade, but a combination of all major features of both the UV82 and UV5R series in one package.

What’s in the Box
– The UV82HP
– Newer upgraded A-V85 Antenna
– 7.4V 1800mAh Li-Ion Battery
– Upright Charger and wall-wart
– Manual written in English
– Belt Clip
– Hand Strap

The radio sports all traditional features of the UV82 design, with the larger keypad buttons and the zero at the bottom of the number pad where it belongs, etc.  It also is built using the latest generation chipset.

– The frequency range is the full  136-174.99 MHz, 400-520.99 MHz range.
– VHF output on the test unit clocks in at 7.3W with UHF at 6.0W
– The Dual PTT button is now an option that can be turned off. Previously only available with the commercial version (UV82C)
– Live On-the-Air audio reports are excellent.
– Alpha tags can be added with the required software below.
– The receiver sensitivity is still excellent.

So, What makes this version an upgrade?
– The original UV82 took a traditional UV5R, and added design features such as an upgraded case and Dual PTT switch. (comparison)
– Next came the UV82C which included options to synchronize the Dual PTT function to emulate a Single PTT, and the ability to lock out the VFO to prevent accidental field programming.
– Next came the 8W F8HP, the first of the high power Baofengs.
– An expanded feature added is R-Tone, a repeater tone for those requiring a 1000, 1450, 1750 or 2000Hz audible tone for access. This is not to be confused with CTCSS or DCS. Prior models provided Burst for 1750Hz only.

The UV-82HP now includes all of the above features in one package. The PTT synchronizing, VFO lockout, High Power, R-Tone, and newest generation chipset.

It has kept the traditional UV82 case design to ensure compatibility between all existing options, including Dual PTT Spkr/Micr, battery cases, holsters, battery eliminators, etc.

Feature	UV82HP	UV82	UV82C	F8HP	UV5R
High Power  7-8W	Yes	–	–	Yes	–
Dual PTT	Yes	Yes	Yes	–	–
Single PTT Sync Option	Yes	–	Yes	–	–
VFO Mode Disable	Yes	–	Yes	–	–
Repeater Access Tones     1000, 1450, 1750, 2100Hz	Yes	1750Hz	1750Hz	1750Hz	1750Hz

As mentioned above, with software, the UV-82HP can lockout the VFO mode to prevent accidental changes.

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The Factory Software has been added to the Miklor.com  Software section.  The radio has also now included in the Latest Daily Build of CHIRP.

Note: A programming cable is required to run the software. Acquiring a quality cable is highly recommended. You will spend more time using the radio and less time trying to load special backdated drivers to your PC. A generic cable is less expensive, but a cable with an FTDI chip is Plug ‘n Play.

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The UV82HP allows locking the PTT Button to simulate a Single PTT and override the Dual PTT feature.

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Software Note
As you may have expected, running the UV82HP software will not activate or create new features on an older UV-82/82C.

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Compatibility
All of my accessories for the standard UV82 are compatible, including the Dual PTT speaker/micr. With the exception of the battery and charger, all UV5R accessories work as well.

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Conclusion
You can always run this radio in low/mid power to conserve battery, but when you need the extra power, it’s there.It’s nice to see a true upgrade of features to the UV82 series, and not just a fancy case or the addition of extra letters and numbers to the UV82 label.

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A Feature Comparison published between the standard UV82 and its predecessor can be found at UV82_vs_UV5R

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A full in-depth Technical Review of the Original UV-82 was done by Hans last year.

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More Information:  CHIRP,  Miklor.com, Review, BaofengTech

CHIRP Support now available for the new Anytone 8R series

By John ‘Miklor’ K3NXU

CHIRP, software that now supports over 80 different models of transceivers, is now providing basic support for the two newest models of the Anytone series, the TERMN-8R and the OBLTR-8R.  CHIRP’s Latest Daily Build can be found HERE.

The advantage of the basic settings is the “spreadsheet memory editor” which will allow owners to:
– import channels from a *.CSV file
– import channels from an *.img file
– copy-and-paste the stock config file
– load from external sources like RepeaterBook and RadioReference.

That is a BIG step and additional settings will be added in small groups.

SUPPORT:
Development of CHIRP is an all-volunteer effort and is offered as open-source software, free of charge. If you like CHIRP, please consider contributing a small donation to help support the costs of development and hardware.

More Information:  CHIRP, Miklor.com