| N4DXX |
Rating:  |
2016-01-11 | |
| Can't Complain |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| Ok Folks i don't have a Yaesu 9800 to compare it with but i can say it works fantastic for me..I have used all bands and currently crossband it to 10 meter FM and get awsome reports..Mine is the Plus model..I have hammered the transmit pa unit crossbanding for hours at a time on full power..Mine puts out 60 watts or more on every band..Does get hot but has yet to fail after hours of long winded qso's..The rx is as good on every band,,It hears very well everywhere i was very impressed in this area as well..Front end seems to handle the strongest signals well..Nothing more to say just give you my thoughts..If you buy one i hope it performs as well as mine has..I give it a very strong 5..Due to the price point and build quality ..I have had many other uhf/vhf radio's and this is as good or better than most.. |
|
| IU0CXU |
Rating: |
2015-12-18 | |
| Good but not super |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Good radio but not excellent. Purchased from a well-known retailer on ebay the first of the month of december, used for approximately 15 days then returned to the seller.
Poor sensitivity on the right section of the radio, deviation in reception and transmission.
Noise from the speaker when you press the PTT with tones subaudio in and volume adjusted upwards.
Excellent power (slightly higher than the declared values), good modulation.
Commands and software are very simple and intuitive.
Probably this radio was defective (I do not believe the electronics is the same of Yaesu), but next time I'll choose ICOM or KENWOOD. |
|
| K7AVV |
Rating: |
2015-10-04 | |
| So far so good! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Have had mine for 6 months and used and probably abused it, and its like a timex... Keeps on ticking. Good reports on the audio. It seems to have good rejection of intermod in heavy RF environments.
I did misplace the manual. Getting a replacement has been a royal pain. Does anyone have a copy that could or has been scanned? I still stand in need of that doc. Thanks in advance |
|
| WD0FIA |
Rating: |
2015-07-04 | |
| Bargain for the money. |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I bought one, and after running it for two months, I bought three more. Quad band, similar to my FT-8900, it gets good comments on audio quality. I only paid $220 each from US Seller, with a 1 year warranty.
My best friend saw enough difference he paid $169 extra to get a Yaesu FT-8900 instead. My thoughts were that being able to have similar radios in all vehicles, for a 40% savings made the TH-9800 a good deal. |
|
| N6PET |
Rating: |
2015-07-02 | |
| The Good Chinese |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I was first hesitant investing this much on a Chinese mobile radio for my car. This is a clone of the FT-8900, which is about $180 more expensive AND has a lot less capabilities. To my surprise, I am very happy with this purchase. Chinese radios has been criticized by many ham operators but little do they know that all "Japanese made" radios are actually made also in China, or parts of it at least. This is no exception. I see a well built and good quality ham radio. It does exactly what the FT-8900 does but with unlocked transmit in all 4 bands, outside the ham band. Plus, it already comes with the remote separation kit, that you have to purchase for $70 with the Yaesu. All these the FT-8900 can not do or does not have. This is a good addition to your shack if you are really objective in evaluating quality, performance, and capabilities. I own a Yaesu FT-8800 and a FT-450D but I have to admit that this is better that the FT-8900 in so many ways.
See details of my review here:
http://n6pet.com/tyt9800-good-chinese/ |
|
| VK5CQ |
Rating: |
2015-06-19 | |
| A "Good Chinese" (as N6PET writes...) |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
TYT's TH-9800 Quad Band radio is said, by some, to be a [near-]clone of Yaesu's FT-8900R, but it seems to go beyond Yaesu, in some areas.
Eg, when life is in danger (ie, in a genuine emergency) & no one replies from all the Ham Repeaters you know about in the area, you can- without a mod - try CB, BOTH 11m (AM only) &, in AU, UHF (near 477 MHz).
Why AU's regulator (ACMA.gov.au) forbids Hams' use of a radio, like this one - designed with such flexibility (out-of-the-box) - in this wide, brown land (especially, in remote part of the Outback), I'll never fathom; it reportedly needs to be programmed to transmit ONLY on Amateur frequencies, to make it legal for Ham use.
(Good luck if your 4WD vehicle fails somewhere far from the nearest Ham repeater, eg, in the Outback, & need to call for assistance, in such an emergency. If you haven't brought along a costly (eg, Codan) Outback radio or a SatPhone, you could wait a lot longer; may you last so long...)
More subtle indicators of Excellent Design quality by TYT include:
+ a separate (if mini-USB) port for programming its memories (ie, no need to pull out the mic. before plugging-in the cable, AND you might still have a mini-USB to USB cable around, from earlier generations of gear... No need to buy a programming cable)
+ a manual with very high quality English (OK, some improvements are possible, but all the bits we've read in it, so far, are clear & easily understandable)
+ sensible, easy-to-learn configuration (via control panel) PLUS (cost-free) programming software (for Windows)
Other conveniences:
+ power connector is like those used on radios by ICOM (& other makers)
+ multi-function mic has 2 slide switches for: Lock & Backlight
+ "Preppers" might find its built-in Scrambler useful [after Armageddon]; of course, it's feature (generally) unavailable to Hams
Something you can "stumble over" (read this BEFORE you bother your supplier to get the same info):
+ only the Left-side is Quad Band; the Right-side is Dual Band (2m & 70cm)
Some issues yet to be solved (after less than a week of having a loaner TH-9800 in the shack - on a dummy-load, mostly), either by me or TYT (in a future version?):
- out-of-the-box, each key-press causes a loud "Beep!" (there's Off setting (but no volume control for it); in menu & in Prog'g S/W)
- control head doesn't seem to be "invertable" (ie, heatsink's external fins are BELOW the radio, with potential to heat it, eg, during long "overs" ...as a yellow warning label - on the top of the radio - puts it: "High-temp. surface, do not touch after long-term use!" Given such a warning, I'd aim to keep its Tx Power on Low or Med.1, except in a case of Emergency; then making only short transmission, in Summer or when in the hot Outback.)
(On second thought, maybe this ISN'T the radio to depend on in the Aussie Outback, except after dark, when it's cooler...?)
If it continues to work as it is today (ie, well, AFAIK), I'll give it Full Marks. We'll review it again, if it changes for the worse, but I don't expect it to. Of course, YMMV. BTW, I've yet to learn how to tell it the one I borrowed (for pre-purchase eval.) is the "Plus" version...?
If you like to direct-import your Ham gear, I'm eliably told to pass this tip on, to you: Check places like AliExpress.com (use their app for larger discounts, when applicable) for low prices.
An excellent [ongoing] TH-9800 review (w/ tips) is here:
+ http://N6PET.com/tyt9800-good-chinese/ |
|
| N9SSU |
Rating: |
2015-04-05 | |
| This radio has potential. - Great points, Bad points. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Fair & Balanced review, which I also provided the same review, on the site I bought one of the units from:
PROS:
*4 bands, full power
*EASY to use
*Price lower than the Yaesu it is cloned from
*Free separation kit, mounting head, programming software (even if it is klunky to use)
*GREAT sensitivity, almost NO intermod in the big city full of RF. GREAT transmit audio. (based on 2/440).
*GREAT receive audio. Loud and clear, but on the bass side.
*Decent scanning speed.
*AM receive for 11 meters and AIR band.
*You like 6 meters FM and/or repeaters? You will love it. I did.
CONS:
**Hit or miss Quality Control (mostly miss).
**Multiple birdies in the 10 Meter band, giving intermittent S9/30 reading for a few seconds at a time. (At first you think someone is actually passing a signal on the radio)! I am not the only one, read about it on the internet where others experienced it.
****** Had 2 units go bad. 1st one in 6 months (2 meters would only transmit exciter power). 2nd one died in 5 MINUTES. (440 died this time, transmit & receive) - Check the internet, the 2 meters issue is possibly a resistor with insufficient solder causing it to "creep" or lift off the board. Honestly, looks like they use solder PASTE! Which means long term reliability is a questionable thing.
**Gets HOT! Make sure you put at least 1 (or more) external fans on it.
**The Microphone is substandard. Up/Down buttons failing after a few months on 1st unit.
**I say this about every radio these days, but it REALLY applies to this one as it has over 800 memories and each memory has several settings you can set. --- It is 2015 people, radios have changed and almost all need to be programmed via PC to get full value out of them! ESPECIALLY THIS ONE!
**TYT will NOT warranty these units. Check sellers return policy.
**TYT will NOT release schematics. - They say it is secret and proprietary. Really? We are HAMs. A lot of us can't work on SM boards, but we CAN read schematics and troubleshoot.
It is a shame because their TH-9000 line of radio are SOLID and fill a void for the 220 band. This one has just been rebranded as MKII - but NOTHING has been specified as being changed! (UPDATE: The MKII or PLUS version has: crossband feature added a "TOT, Time Out Timer", the "busy" feature not allowing you to key up when a repeater is transmitting has been removed, reportedly the 2 meter drivers are different values and have improved solder on them).
Also please note, take the "voltage range" serious. If you "spike" this with voltage that goes up and down or constantly run it over the recommend voltage, you will fry it.
The display unit, the display itself is the SAME from a Yaesu! Even the beep tones are the same. The chassis looks exact too. One has to wonder if they are not sharing parts suppliers!
This radio does have potential. It is an analog radio with no digital or other frills, that the main 3 are shoving down people's throats these days. At the price point, no warranty and limited return time is a gamble.
Don't dismiss the Chinese radios. Yes they are clones. Yes they are inferior. Yes it is questionable if they are all coming from the same factory. But questionable were the Japanese when they entered the market. Now, see where they are at.
Wish I could offer a YES as an entry level, first radio, 2nd radio for the house or car. But I can't. You will enjoy the radio, but you are gambling. (UPDATE: IF you buy one, make sure it is from a US SELLER and make sure they have a "return" period. (There is no factory warranty on this. If you think I am wrong and before you flame, look at the box and search the manual for it.) |
|
| W8EDV |
Rating: |
2015-04-03 | |
| Better than expected |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I purchased one of these TH 9800 radios almost a year ago, it was the original version before they came up with the " Plus" model that has the Firmware updated which eliminated the complaints in the previous models. Mine worked flawlessly, full output on all bands, good build quality, tight knobs, they are not as sloppy and loose feeling as my Kenwood V71A. I purchased two more of the Plus models recently and they are also working perfectly. The plus models have a Time Out Timer that I use on crossbanding that actually work. The timer drops the crossband mode at the set time the you set it for, in case some people are long winded and do not allow the repeater to reset, then after the TH 9800 resets in a short time it will resume crossbanding on it's own.
The receiver is great, the transmit audio reports are also great, if I don't tell them it's not my Kenwood they don't even know, (I was asked if it was my Kenwood several times). I really don't understand all the complaints about no support, if your radio has a problem send and email to TYT and they will correct it. In my case I ran a firmware update on my original TH 9800 and I messed up somehow and clicked the wrong menu item, and the radio would not power up anymore.
I tried to find a service tech but nobody would work on it if I did not buy it from them, so I emailed TYT , and I described the isssue, in about a week I got a reply telling me to ship the radio to a place in California and they in turn would send me a NEW radio, which they did, and it was a new Plus model and works perfectly. The email from TYT was very polite and they apologized for the inconvenience and hoped that I enjoy the radio.
They also sent me a copy of the email they sent to the company that sent me a new one. It directed the dealer to simply ship me a new radio, and send the old one back to them and they would credit him the cost etc. The only cost I encountered was the UPS shipping charge.
I thought that was pretty good considering many reviews I had read about failures in the earlier models and inability to find service. All 3 of my TH 9800's are doing fine and it was a lot less expensive than buying 3 new Yaesu Quad Band rigs. Granted the Yaesu has a slightly better quality radio, however I bought 2 of the TH 9800's for what I would pay for one Yaesu 8900.
I'm very happy with my TH 9800's they look great, and I think the build quailty is excellent and best of all they all work perfectly. I have one set up for a base on a TekPower Switching Power supply, and that is feeding a Cushcraft 5/8 wave 6 meter mono band vertical up at 35 feet, also using a Comet Duplexer to a Cushcraft dual band vertical also about 35 feet the signal reports are excellent and all SWR's are under 1:5:1 on all the bands I'm using. I'm not using the 10 FM band on it as I have that on my Yaesu FT 2000D and no 10 FM repeaters anywhere in my area. As far as the TYT TH 9800 goes I believe it's a great radio, I programmed them both manually as well as with software and that worked well too.
If your 9800 has any issues and it's an older non Plus model try an email to TYT and explain your problem, chances are they will repair it or have it replaced as they did mine. I have 3 of them and I'm very happy with each one. I have been in this hobby since 1976, I was first licensed in June, 1976 and have owned almost every major name brand that we've seen since I became a ham in 1976, Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Heathkits, Alinco and more. The TYT 9800's I have work as well as any of those that I have owned if not better.
73's de W8EDV and if you're on the fence on buying one, give it a try , in my opinion these are fine radios.
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|
| KA8GKT |
Rating:  |
2015-03-17 | |
| NO FACTORY SUPPORT, RF DRIVER BURNS HOLE IN BOARD |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
DO NOT BUY. FAILED LESS THAN SIX MONTHS IN MOBILE SERVICE. THE RF MOSFET DRIVER TRANSISTOR FAILED AND BURNT A HOLE THROUGH PCB. WE CALLED AROUND LOOKING FOR A SERVICE DEPOT OR FACTORY SUPPORT.
NICELY PUT, NO ONE WOULD TOUCH IT. NO HEAT SINK COMPOUND UNDER THE DRIVER AT ALL: CLEAN AND PERFECT METAL. I'D INCLUDE A PICTURE HERE IF THIS SITE WOULD ALLOW. I'M GOING TO DO UGLY BUG WIRING REPAIR ABOVE THE BOARD. 03-17-15: GREGG AT RADIO COMMUNICATIONS OF OHIO. BTW ALMOST IDENTICAL TO A YAESU FT-8800 PCB. |
|
| AK4FU |
Rating: |
2015-03-09 | |
| POS |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| This looks to be a knock off of the Yaesu 8900 that is where the comparison stops, this is one of the worst radios that I have had the misfortune to buy the Wouxun mobile is a way better radio for about the same price, DO NOT BUY THIS POS. |
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