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Author Topic: Chinese Radios  (Read 1673 times)

KC8OYE

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Chinese Radios
« on: April 03, 2022, 03:16:40 PM »

Everybody's favorite subject!! lmao

Anyway.. Does anyone know the maximum allowable voltage on the Mic Jack of a Chinese radio? (specifically in my case, a Wouxon KG-UVD1)  but I imagine a Baofeng or any other similar Chinese radio would be similar.
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K1KIM

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2022, 07:45:13 AM »

Should be in the specs...no?
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N8AUC

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2022, 07:07:41 PM »

Should be in the specs...no?

Specs? What specs?
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K1FBI

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2022, 05:40:02 AM »

Should be in the specs...no?




Specs? What specs?
Have you ever owned a Chinese radio? My BaoFeng Owner's Manual has two charts of Technical Specifications.

Chinese were doing things like building the Great Wall, inventing gun powder and practicing medicine long before a bunch of misfits got so arrogant in a Country founded a few hundred years ago.
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W8HDU

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2022, 08:26:59 AM »

The one thing I despise about Chinese radios, is the lack of schematic, service manual, or necessary technical documentation.  There are several radiosw which are good candidates for usable modifications, but with no docs it's impossible to do.
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K1FBI

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2022, 09:29:26 AM »

The one thing I despise about Chinese radios, is the lack of schematic, service manual, or necessary technical documentation.  There are several radiosw which are good candidates for usable modifications, but with no docs it's impossible to do.
What would those “usable modifications” be?
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W8HDU

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2022, 01:35:02 PM »

Let's take a simple, low cost radio, the QYT CB-27.  Sold on most platforms as a Citizens Band radio, the radio has within its processor the ability to do 10 meter FM, as well as a full VFO operation in AM or FM from about 25 MHz to 30 MHz.  It would be nice to narrow band the FM portion this radio as well. 

A Chinese ham commented on a board that he did a few mods access the 15/12 meter band, but he had docs which were "non-English".  He did not respond to English or German posts on the method undertaken to achieve this, so it's assumed the docs were in Chinese only.

Another mod which would be nice to do is the ability to send CW with the radio receiving via an outboard DSP.  The PTT of the radio would be clumsy, and not suitable for anything over 12wpm. But there are usually taps you can take with a delay circuit for the RX to convert a radio properly.

And if you want to get real geeky there are voice inversion mods which are done with ease in the ICOM, Motorola, Vertex/Yaesu, and Kenwood world.  But to do them right, one needs to know points within the radio to tap.

On a simpler front, the radio would be super for packet transmissions in remote locations, since it is low power and low current draw.  However, the audio circuit of the transmitter has too many issues to provide a clean audio bandpass without phase shifting.  A better injection point is required to transmit without causing distortion to the data stream.

So, what the radio brings to the table is a lot of cool experimentation for a real cheap price. But it's thwarted by not having a good set of English docs.  And the way the radio is made, I doubt someone could get far by circuit tracing.

There are other radios which show promise.  BUT, you need good documentation to even plan a modification.  I've done a fair amount of mode to both manufactured radios as well as broadcast equipment turned ham.  The key is knowing what is there and how to manipulate it.

73
Fred

The one thing I despise about Chinese radios, is the lack of schematic, service manual, or necessary technical documentation.  There are several radiosw which are good candidates for usable modifications, but with no docs it's impossible to do.
What would those “usable modifications” be?
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K1FBI

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2022, 08:04:31 AM »

Let's take a simple, low cost radio, the QYT CB-27.  Sold on most platforms as a Citizens Band radio, the radio has within its processor the ability to do 10 meter FM, as well as a full VFO operation in AM or FM from about 25 MHz to 30 MHz.  It would be nice to narrow band the FM portion this radio as well. 

A Chinese ham commented on a board that he did a few mods access the 15/12 meter band, but he had docs which were "non-English".  He did not respond to English or German posts on the method undertaken to achieve this, so it's assumed the docs were in Chinese only.

Another mod which would be nice to do is the ability to send CW with the radio receiving via an outboard DSP.  The PTT of the radio would be clumsy, and not suitable for anything over 12wpm. But there are usually taps you can take with a delay circuit for the RX to convert a radio properly.

And if you want to get real geeky there are voice inversion mods which are done with ease in the ICOM, Motorola, Vertex/Yaesu, and Kenwood world.  But to do them right, one needs to know points within the radio to tap.

On a simpler front, the radio would be super for packet transmissions in remote locations, since it is low power and low current draw.  However, the audio circuit of the transmitter has too many issues to provide a clean audio bandpass without phase shifting.  A better injection point is required to transmit without causing distortion to the data stream.

So, what the radio brings to the table is a lot of cool experimentation for a real cheap price. But it's thwarted by not having a good set of English docs.  And the way the radio is made, I doubt someone could get far by circuit tracing.

There are other radios which show promise.  BUT, you need good documentation to even plan a modification.  I've done a fair amount of mode to both manufactured radios as well as broadcast equipment turned ham.  The key is knowing what is there and how to manipulate it.

73
Fred

The one thing I despise about Chinese radios, is the lack of schematic, service manual, or necessary technical documentation.  There are several radiosw which are good candidates for usable modifications, but with no docs it's impossible to do.
What would those “usable modifications” be?
So basically you want the Manufacturer to provide documentation to help you make their FCC certified radio Illegal.
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K3UIM

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2022, 09:09:56 AM »

Good one, Stan
Charlie
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VE3WGO

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2022, 11:10:58 AM »

Low product prices force manufacturers to cut corners.  Technical writers will cost as much as hardware and software designers do.  So if you want a cheap radio, you will get less than an expensive radio offers you, no matter what country they are from.  First thing to be cut is multilingual documentation.

73, Ed
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WA2ISE

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2022, 11:28:11 AM »

Let's take a simple, low cost radio, the QYT CB-27.  Sold on most platforms as a Citizens Band radio, the radio has within its processor the ability to do 10 meter FM, as well as a full VFO operation in AM or FM from about 25 MHz to 30 MHz.  It would be nice to narrow band the FM portion this radio as well. 

A Chinese ham commented on a board that he did a few mods access the 15/12 meter band, but he had docs which were "non-English".  He did not respond to English or German posts on the method undertaken to achieve this, so it's assumed the docs were in Chinese only.

Another mod which would be nice to do is the ability to send CW with the radio receiving via an outboard DSP.  The PTT of the radio would be clumsy, and not suitable for anything over 12wpm. But there are usually taps you can take with a delay circuit for the RX to convert a radio properly.

Find a Chinese friend to help you and translate.

Or just start poking around the circuit board, injecting audio signals during transmit mode to find a spot to tap into.  (Us a capacitor to avoid DC bias issues).  Old fashioned hacking in the analog days. 
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W8HDU

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2022, 02:46:45 PM »

So basically you want the Manufacturer to provide documentation to help you make their FCC certified radio Illegal.

And if I make it into a packet radio, for amateur bands which I'm licensed to use, it's illegal how?

But back to the point.  One is hard pressed to modify any radio without the proper documentation.  And learning Chinese to write English docs is not a practical solution.
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W9IQ

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2022, 03:42:38 PM »

So basically you want the Manufacturer to provide documentation to help you make their FCC certified radio Illegal.

What FCC certification?

- Glenn W9IQ
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- Glenn W9IQ

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G4AON

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2022, 12:48:36 AM »

The one thing I despise about Chinese radios, is the lack of schematic, service manual, or necessary technical documentation.
The Chinese are not the only ones to not supply such information. Elecraft currently do not supply anything much for their K4 or their amplifiers.

It remains to be seen how far court cases and legislation go with regard to the right to repair by third parties. In the USA, John Deere have been in the news over software for their machines and in the EU there are currently moves in that direction. See:

https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/25/john_deere_right_to_repair_lawsuits/
https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/07/ec_right_to_repair/

73 Dave
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K1FBI

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Re: Chinese Radios
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2022, 04:32:49 AM »

So basically you want the Manufacturer to provide documentation to help you make their FCC certified radio Illegal.

And if I make it into a packet radio, for amateur bands which I'm licensed to use, it's illegal how?

But back to the point.  One is hard pressed to modify any radio without the proper documentation.  And learning Chinese to write English docs is not a practical solution.
It doesn't matter what you are licensed for, it's about what your CB radio is type certified for.
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