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Reviews For: TYT TH-UV88

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

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Review Summary For : TYT TH-UV88
Reviews: 3MSRP: 40
Description:
Dual-band (2 meters and 70 cm), dual-watch 5W handheld amateur radio transceiver, with FM broadcast receive, and a flashlight. Substantial feel in your hand.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.randl.com/shop/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=75036
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0035
K7TCE Rating: 2020-12-16
Great beginner/backup HT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
As of late 2020, this radio sells for $30 to $45 shipped. Some sellers include a programming cable - shop around!

For reference; I‘m currently using a Yaesu FT-60R with a uv-5r as backup. For price/benefit ratio, it would be hard to top this radio. After one week of use, and with the caveat that I most likely have not totally mastered it, here's my review:

Plus

Very well-built & quality feel
199 channels (marketing info says 200)
10-character alpha labels (nice!)
7 levels of LCD brightness
LCD can be set to always on
Good audio, power out, and signal reports
CHIRP supported
Frequency display A/B
Battery voltage check (startup and/or menu)
24 presets for Broadcast FM radio
Flashlight
SMA female antenna connector (same as Yaesu)

Minus

Lacks reverse frequency repeater operation
Skip channels and alpha labels only accessible by software
Start scan takes 3 key presses (F,1,F – not really a problem)

IMHO, this radio deserves serious consideration.
K2WLF Rating: 2020-12-06
I use it 24/7. Great little radio. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have a TYT UV8000E which has been a great radio with more power and features, but I run the taller antenna and it's just a bit more to carry around. I saw a video on the UV88 and the price was great. I haven't looked back since. For the price of a Baofeng UV-5R (I've had 3 and given them all away) you get a MUCH better radio. Cleaner signals, better signals in TX & RX.

I picked up an extra battery (& later an extra radio). I change the battery out every night at bedtime. I have been running this radio a24/7 since I got it. I've dropped it on concrete several times hard enough to pop the battery loose. Dust it off, reseat the battery, & back in business. The body feels & looks good. My go to radio for portable use. I use it more in the house on the repeater than my 2M base (Yaesu FT2900) because I always have it on me wherever I am in the house when someone calls on the repeater. Even short runs to the store or post office I don't bother to turn on the mobile. I just have this in my shirt pocket and use it. Before I got my Yaesu FT2900 I use as a base now I would use this radio with a speaker mike plugged into it to run net control on our weekly net when it was my turn with not issues.

When you first get it there a few quirks to get it into channel mode which expands the coverage as well. Then run with it.

To say I have been really impressed with this inexpensive, but excellent HT is a massive understatement. One thing I've discovered. I used to think the little flashlight on these Chinese radios was a novelty. However, since I have the radio on me at all times I've found that little light can be real handy. It is actually a nice and usable feature.
KN0JI Rating: 2020-07-14
Priced like a Baofeng but performs like a Yaesu Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
For $40, I figured I couldn't lose much, if this new HT turned out to be a dud, but it's turned out to be my new go-to HT, because it's powerful, can do everything a Baofeng can, feels (solid) and sounds like a Yaesu, and gets great reports. This has become my choice of HT for hiking in the back country, emergency communications, and in (ARES, TERT, ERC) service.