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Reviews For: SharkRF openspot 3

Category: Interfaces, Radio to computer, amp, rotor, coax switch, internet

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Review Summary For : SharkRF openspot 3
Reviews: 14MSRP: $293
Description:
D-Star decoder.
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.sharkrf.com/products/openspot3/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15143.6
KH6DC Rating: 2020-02-26
So Far So Good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Owned this for 4 days and got it up and running. Worked D-Star cross mode to DMR and vice versa, worked D-Star to System Fusion and vice versa. In all cases, stations report excellent audio with no hiccups and didn't believe I was cross mode. A bunch of them immediately put in an order for the OP3. Battery lasts about 8 hours of continuous running (power save mode turned off). Will post another review in a couple of months. Running excellent after 1 month. Like the ability to take it on the road without carrying a usb battery so much so I sold my openSpot2 and Anytone D878DV since I can use my Kennwood THD74 not only for D-Star, but DMR and Fusion modes as well.
G1XXV Rating: 2020-02-24
319.2 Euros is expensive due to poor euro conversion rate. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Arrived within 24 hour of the original release date of 20th January 2020. Easy to set up and was up and running with the radio within 1 hour of receipt. The manual is on line at SharkRF, it is also available when using the openspot 3 dashboard in Status with a computer. Has it's own internal battery, of which how long it lasts is not yet available (Now known to be 9 hours +/_). Will run while charging. Has a mains charger and cable. Seems to work very well and shows more information than my SharkRF openspot 1. Pity that unlike the openspot 1 I can't as yet get more than one facility in status to open at once. It doesn't need a computer to work when mobile. I used a MiFi on a pay as you go plan as an internet source while mobile. That also is battery powered, like wise the battery time (Now known to be 6 hours +/_) is an unknown at this moment. This as I don't have or need a mobile phone. I've worked it so far with an ICOM ID 51E plus 2 Hand held, and an ICOM ID 4100E Mobile rig, and had good reports back on the performance of both. Some of the cross band facilities will be available on a later software release. Not yet tried it cross band with DMR, but it should work with either of my D-star radios, saving on the cost of yet another radio. The Openspot 3 definitely needs larger and more robust buttons, as it's difficult for us elder citizen to press the buttons. I wonder how long those buttons will last using something to press in the buttons. Remember when setting up the radio not to use the same frequency on more than 1 radio.
Words of warning on my SharkRF Openspot 3 it's nigh on impossible to reconnect to a computer once the computer is removed from the set up and has been used. Managed it once, but not on a second attempt, so something isn't working as per. Without the computer I can't change the facilities. It's not nearly as good as I first thought.
Further testing for 1 month, it shows that this unit does quite often disconnect then immediately reconnect to it's hot spot. Most annoying if in a conversation with another ham radio operator.
WD1V Rating: 2020-01-29
No Assembly - Battery Included! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Dreamt about such a product a year ago. My dream version didn't have the battery built in like this. Works great - amazing technology to bring together all the digital modes so with 1 radio - you can surf any of the networks.

Salutes to SharkRF!
VK5CP Rating: 2020-01-24
Great little device east to setup Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got the new RF Shark Openspot3 today (it having been released on Monday 20 Jan 2020).
I have limited experience with DStar - I used to think that to operate DStar you needed the radio manual by your side.

It took me about 60 minutes to setup the OpenSpot (connect to Wifi, configure, connect to local DStar repeater and then configure Icom radio (the hardest part)).

I have made 3 contacts - audio reports are good, and other than a few config issues which weren't obvious from the online setup instructions its relatively simple.
Looking forward to using the other modes it supports.

If I have mobile (cell) phone coverage I have digital radio coverage in a simple portable self contained package.

Its not cheap but its worth it too me in time savings!