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Reviews For: TYT TH-UV9R

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Hand-held

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Review Summary For : TYT TH-UV9R
Reviews: 2MSRP: $75.00 FROM 409 SHOP.
Description:
Dual band HT. Latest product from TYT.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.409shop.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0023
W9MT Rating: 2012-12-16
Wanted to like it, but... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Please note this review is ONLY for the TYT TH-UV9R version that was configured for 220/440, one of the odder and rarer configurations sold.

I will say, up front, that DNJ Radio in Fremont, CA is an IMPECCABLE vendor. They were both courteous and lightning fast in accepting a return from me, even refunding my purchase price and one-way shipping even before they received my returned goods. I would deal with them again ANYTIME.

Here are the specifics:

The radio worked WONDERFULLY on the 220 band.

440, however, was another story...

The radio could receive strong stations, but compared to a Baofeng UV-5R+, it was deaf.

Squelch action was overly tight on 440 only. Why it was not on 220 is still a mystery to me.

Setting the squelch to "0" in the menu allowed me to compare the receive capability to another handheld anywhere in the house. Even with the squelch set to "0", the radio was still very "hard of hearing" compared to the other radios I held nearby.

Thinking that the dual-band flex antenna may be optimized only for 220, I substituted the stock antenna with a Diamond dual-band antenna I bought for use on my Standard 508 micropower HT. I knew the Diamond antenna worked well on both 2m and 440.

(Be aware, that on the TYT '9R's, a female SMA receptacle is used on the radio, unlike the males that the Baofeng's use, so most aftermarket antennae made for Japanese HT's need no adaptor to directly screw down on the TYT. I like that.)

Nope...no joy. The TYT was just as deaf on 440 as with its standard, stock antenna.

I also changed the menu's Bandwidth setting from wide to narrow. No difference.

So, I threw in the towel and wrote DNJ an email describing what I did and asked to do a return for refund. As I mentioned before, they were gracious and lightning quick.

I don't see the 220/440 TH-UV9R's being sold any more after the "initial batch" sold out on both eBay and Amazon. I would avoid getting this configuration if you still find one available.

Both TYT and Wouxun sell a 2m/220 version. I'd consider one of those, as I still want a newer radio to replace my aging IC-03AT, but I'm going to wait a few months for the pipeline to clear and see new stock or new models appear. (I also do not want to pop for a new Kenwood TH-F6A.)

I've even seen the Wouxun configured for 6m/2m. I just wonder what kind of antenna, receive, and transmit performance efficiency such a configuration has. I think a used Cherokee AH-50 would likely work better, for what little activity the Magic Band has in most locales.

These Chinese Software Defined VHF/UHF radios are typically a great value for their pricepoints, but the old adage of Caveat Emptor should be one's guiding light before a purchase.

Fortunately, though, $87 to $120 isn't a lot of money to commit if one chooses "poorly".
VA7VRV Rating: 2012-06-07
Very Nice! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got this HT today, all is good so far, But, the cool display is only visible indoors or low light conditions. In the daylight, it is not visible. So, you have to rely on the voice to tell what channel you are on. All other functions are good. Good Luck Ron.