Wouxun KG-UV980P impressions

[SteveShannon]

7 minutes ago, WSFU381 said:

DOSW, thanks for your reply.  I missed the 2w limitation in the original post for MURS.   I’m hesitant to purchase the KG-1000 plus as I’m in the process of getting licensed for HAM and I’d like a radio that can do GMRS as well… like the KG 980p.  I was just curious about expanding the frequency range or “unlocking” it.   Looks like I’ll just copy and paste my CHIRP settings and hope for the best

Best wishes as you go through ham licensing.  HamStudy.org makes it easy and enjoyable and free if you like online learning.

One of the things you might learn within a couple years of becoming a ham is that one radio isn’t enough.  You might even find that the radios you have unlocked, thinking they could do it all, really aren’t enjoyable to use on those unlocked frequencies when compared to a radio certified for those frequencies.

[73blazer]

11 hours ago, WSFU381 said:

I’m thinking of buying this radio.  The specs on the Wouxon site for vhf is up to 174MHZ and 479 on UHF.  You say it’s easily unlocked.  Is that just a matter of inserting the frequencies into Chirp?  Or, is it required to make frequency adjustments in its proprietary software?  

I use some MURS frequencies (151+) and GMRS.  

Either works, but CHIRP is much simpler. In Extra Settings->Frequency Limits match the TX to the RX and .... you have a full SHTF radio, including MURS & GMRS among others, but as others mention, it's now up to you to be compliant with the rules/power limits etc.

[WSFU381]

Thank you all for the information.  Makes life easier... until the next blunder

Any recommendations on other radios with the same or better capabilities... not just GMRS?  Thanks

[WSFU381]

3 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Best wishes as you go through ham licensing.  HamStudy.org makes it easy and enjoyable and free if you like online learning.

One of the things you might learn within a couple years of becoming a ham is that one radio isn’t enough.  You might even find that the radios you have unlocked, thinking they could do it all, really aren’t enjoyable to use on those unlocked frequencies when compared to a radio certified for those frequencies.

I'll check out Ham Study.org.  Much appreciated.  

[WRYZ926]

13 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Best wishes as you go through ham licensing.  HamStudy.org makes it easy and enjoyable and free if you like online learning.

One of the things you might learn within a couple years of becoming a ham is that one radio isn’t enough.  You might even find that the radios you have unlocked, thinking they could do it all, really aren’t enjoyable to use on those unlocked frequencies when compared to a radio certified for those frequencies.

I can verify what Steve said. Some amateur band radios that have been modded/unlocked work fine on GMRS while others don't work as well. My MARS Modded Icom IC-2730 does not do as good of a job on GMRS as my unlocked TYT radios.

Remember, radios are like potato chips, you just can't have one or two. 

[WSFU381]

9 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

I can verify what Steve said. Some amateur band radios that have been modded/unlocked work fine on GMRS while others don't work as well. My MARS Modded Icom IC-2730 does not do as good of a job on GMRS as my unlocked TYT radios.

Remember, radios are like potato chips, you just can't have one or two. 

You’re right about potato chips, especially here in Idaho. I have 4 mobiles and 6 HT’s.  They tend to accumulate., 

[WSFU381]

I'll be purchasing the KG UV980P at "Buy Two Way Radios".  I tried calling them, but they are closed.  They offer a Free software download, but they also Sell the   "RT Systems Programming Software and Cable For Wouxun KG-UV980P."  I'm wondering if the software that's for sale (with the programing cable) is the same as the Free download.  Does anyone know???  It doesn't make sense to purchase the software if it's the same... and the cable is only $16 bucks.

Thanks

[WRYZ926]

The RT Systems softwares is not the same as the free software that you can download. I find the RT Systems software works better.

[WSFU381]

51 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

The RT Systems softwares is not the same as the free software that you can download. I find the RT Systems software works better.

Thanks for the reply.  I use chirp and planning on changing the frequencies to use GMRS.  Does the RT package offer the programming to do the same?  

[WRYZ926]

Yes you should not have any issues with RT Systems.

[WRUE951]

3 hours ago, WSFU381 said:

Thanks for the reply.  I use chirp and planning on changing the frequencies to use GMRS.  Does the RT package offer the programming to do the same?  

yes, but with a price tag.. Some like RT, i have used both, I don't mind CHIRP, it's free and will get you the same results.  

[dosw]

10 hours ago, WRUE951 said:

yes, but with a price tag.. Some like RT, i have used both, I don't mind CHIRP, it's free and will get you the same results.  

I haven't paid the RT price, so I don't know what I'm missing there.

 

CHIRP has been adequate for my needs, and I find that it does control all the settings I can think of for the KG-UV980P, as well as for my other radios (UV-5G, AR-5RM, RA87). There are things I don't like about it's UI: Copying, moving, pasting, cursor movement.... some things are just not quite as easy to use as a typical spreadsheet. But it works and is reliable. And it's community driven so new radios show up pretty quickly.

I did try the Wouxun software and didn't care for it. 

[WRUE951]

5 minutes ago, dosw said:

I haven't paid the RT price, so I don't know what I'm missing there.

 

CHIRP has been adequate for my needs, and I find that it does control all the settings I can think of for the KG-UV980P, as well as for my other radios (UV-5G, AR-5RM, RA87). There are things I don't like about it's UI: Copying, moving, pasting, cursor movement.... some things are just not quite as easy to use as a typical spreadsheet. But it works and is reliable. And it's community driven so new radios show up pretty quickly.

I did try the Wouxun software and didn't care for it. 

RT is defiantly easer to use but considering the amount of time, at least for me, you spend on programing, i can get things done almost as fast in CHIRP.     I'm not a fan of the Wouxun software either but it does do everything needed.    I don't use much of either anymore since i use mostly Hytera stuff now.  Their CPM is extremely easy to use and learn and very powerful. I have a couiple Motorloa radios, which i like but never could get my hands around their CPM..  

[SteveShannon]

5 minutes ago, dosw said:

I haven't paid the RT price, so I don't know what I'm missing there.

 

CHIRP has been adequate for my needs, and I find that it does control all the settings I can think of for the KG-UV980P, as well as for my other radios (UV-5G, AR-5RM, RA87). There are things I don't like about it's UI: Copying, moving, pasting, cursor movement.... some things are just not quite as easy to use as a typical spreadsheet. But it works and is reliable. And it's community driven so new radios show up pretty quickly.

I did try the Wouxun software and didn't care for it. 

Chirp does remarkably well for being non-commercial software.  If it was available for all of my radios I might never have switched to RT Systems.  And I will not say that RT Systems has worked perfectly.  I’ve run across a few problems with RT Systems when programming DMR code plugs, which admittedly is an order of magnitude more complicated than typical analog radios. But their DMR calculator makes it much easier and when I have had a problem I have been very impressed by RT Systems willingness to thoroughly discuss and understand every issue that I have reported. Having RT Systems available for my db20g radios really made the difference for me though.  I really like this radio and Chirp isn’t available for this radio.

[WRUE951]

4 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Chirp does remarkably well for being non-commercial software.  If it was available for all of my radios I might never have switched to RT Systems.  And I will not say that RT Systems has worked perfectly.  I’ve run across a few problems with RT Systems when programming DMR code plugs, which admittedly is an order of magnitude more complicated than typical analog radios. But their DMR calculator makes it much easier and when I have had a problem I have been very impressed by RT Systems willingness to thoroughly discuss and understand every issue that I have reported. Having RT Systems available for my db20g radios really made the difference for me though.  I really like this radio and Chirp isn’t available for this radio.

DMR is defiantly a different game, which I have never used RT or Chirp to do since my Hytera CPM does it well.  Right now the only DMR radios i have is Hytera and mostly because i like their overall package and ease of using their CPM. Not to mention some very good deals i've gotten on Ebay....  

[Lscott]

17 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Chirp does remarkably well for being non-commercial software.  If it was available for all of my radios I might never have switched to RT Systems.  And I will not say that RT Systems has worked perfectly.  I’ve run across a few problems with RT Systems when programming DMR code plugs, which admittedly is an order of magnitude more complicated than typical analog radios. But their DMR calculator makes it much easier and when I have had a problem I have been very impressed by RT Systems willingness to thoroughly discuss and understand every issue that I have reported. Having RT Systems available for my db20g radios really made the difference for me though.  I really like this radio and Chirp isn’t available for this radio.

My personal preference is to use the official factory software where possible. That's really important for commercial radios. CHIRP is nice, but for every radio it supports the developers have to reverse engineer the code plug layout and communications protocol with the radio. When it works, great. The one issue with Chirp is it may not always give you access to all of the radio's features. For that the only choice is the factory software.

[WSEN940]

A bit of a thread revival here, but anyway. I picked up the UV908P this week and put it to good use. I have an ICOM 2730 that was in my office that I was using as a base station for the local HAM repeaters, but I wanted to free that up for using when I help out with local events. I have an RT95 that lives in the truck, but I wanted something I could pick up and move about freely, so I have reserved the 2730 for that use and have a lifepo4 battery and solar MPPT to keep it all running during the day.

As for the UV980P, so far, I'm impressed. It's a lot of radio. As mentioned, you 'can' set it for GMRS by adjusting the TX frequencies in CHIRP for the 440 band and it seems happy with doing that. For my use though, I was interested in using it as a temporary GMRS repeater along with my KG100G Plus. And for occasional cross band repeating on the HAM frequencies. The two antennas I have are the full length of the house from each other and seem to have sufficient separation from each other as to not interfere too much as a GMRS repeater. And honestly, I will only need it infrequently.

As a GMRS repeater, I can use the UV980P as the Receiver part of the pair on my HAM dual band antenna and the KG1000 as the transmitter on it's GMRS antenna. 

On the flip side, if I want to use it for HAM radio cross band repeat, or more accurately as a one way cross band repeat for transmission only. The KG1000G radio works as the receiver in the pair and the UV980P is the transmitter. This works amazingly well if I want to wander around the house and access a repeater that's just a little too far from the house for my HT.

So, if you wandered if you can link the KG1000G and the UV980P...yep you can.

I made a custom network cable to link them so I don't have a mass of cat6 running around the radio's. It was easy to buzz out of the factory supplied cable.

[WSEN940]

[73blazer]

On 9/17/2025 at 7:43 PM, WSEN940 said:

I made a custom network cable to link them so I don't have a mass of cat6 running around the radio's. It was easy to buzz out of the factory supplied cable.

Yeah that's an odd cable, no idea where they got that idea from. pins 2&4 are swapped , so it's not a std patch cable, not a crossover cable, not used in any phone systems with RJ45's, I bet it was used somewhere in China for something, can't believe they just decided to swap a few pins around for fun. 

[WSEN940]

On 10/8/2025 at 8:50 AM, 73blazer said:

Yeah that's an odd cable, no idea where they got that idea from. pins 2&4 are swapped , so it's not a std patch cable, not a crossover cable, not used in any phone systems with RJ45's, I bet it was used somewhere in China for something, can't believe they just decided to swap a few pins around for fun. 

I thought the same thing. Why do a random wiring. It just did not make sense to me. Even if the person designing this was not even familiar with network wiring, why the odd crossover? Who knows!? Maybe so they can sell a cable to the masses that are not willing/capable to make one for themselves perhaps?

[Northcutt114]

I just picked one of these up in a bundle trade. Given that it only has one antenna port. What are the solutions for a mobile application. I'm thinking about putting it in my Jeep.

[SteveShannon]

58 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I just picked one of these up in a bundle trade. Given that it only has one antenna port. What are the solutions for a mobile application. I'm thinking about putting it in my Jeep.

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-cf-360b?seid=dxese1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhaHMBhD2ARIsAPAU_D5C3JA_o7d31ztb25XmLYRcVfdWMQHB3S_boYaz6gLcRpIicr-fJwMaAvsiEALw_wcB

[Northcutt114]

23 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-cf-360b?seid=dxese1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhaHMBhD2ARIsAPAU_D5C3JA_o7d31ztb25XmLYRcVfdWMQHB3S_boYaz6gLcRpIicr-fJwMaAvsiEALw_wcB

Sooo...how does the radio know which antenna to use? Or does the RF going into the device tell it which antenna to utilize?

 

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, Northcutt114 said:

Sooo...how does the radio know which antenna to use? Or does the RF going into the device tell it which antenna to utilize?

 

It works like a small duplexer. Frequencies above a certain frequency pass through one port but are blocked by the other. Frequencies below that go out the other port. Another way to think of it is like a crossover network for a two way speaker. 

[WRYZ926]

10 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-cf-360b?seid=dxese1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhaHMBhD2ARIsAPAU_D5C3JA_o7d31ztb25XmLYRcVfdWMQHB3S_boYaz6gLcRpIicr-fJwMaAvsiEALw_wcB

And they are bi-directional. You can use them with one radio and two antennas or with one antenna and two radios.

You will see them called duplexers or diplexers depending on the manufacturer or retailer. They work the same. 

They are commonly used with the Icom IC-9700 VHF/UHF base radio when using a dual band antenna since it has separate antenna jacks for VHF and UHF.

Another common use is with mobile installations when using two radios with a single multi band antenna such as the Comet 2x4SR.