I wanted to revisit this as it seems the support for it has fallen off all of a sudden. I picked one of these up at the start of this summer and I like it. It’s simple and easy to operate.
It appears there’s two different versions of this rig with the latter having 80-10 CW and SSB capability, which is the one I have. A simple well documented mod expands the RX, unsure if any TX mods exist yet.
Now the downfalls, I’m looking for a battery and a better mic for mine among other accessories. Can they be had? Possibly but not in any of the circles I’ve been in so far, and I have yet to receive a reply from my inquiry to Youkits directly. The radio works and makes contacts, my first was a 55 from PA to SC on 20m at 5w with the dipole less than 10’ in the air. I was testing and it was a winner right there. Use headphones to work it, the speaker is quiet but gets really loud when plugged into. Using headphones increases battery life as well.
Pros: Solid, easy to use, nice little rig, very light, nice display, on board tuning function that pairs well with an external tuner.
Cons: Reports say the mic sounds tinny but it’s readable and gets strong reports. So far no support to be had in 2020, but the company is still around and producing rigs. Limited documentation available from real world experience.
If you’re wanting low power in an affordable package it can’t be beat. I bought mine used for $150 and it was well worth it. I wouldn’t pay $400+ for a new one unless it came with all accessories and a battery but for a starter portable HF rig it gets the job done.