BTech GMRS 20V2 Output Reading

[WRDJ205]

New radio, new questions.  I’ve set up a new BTech radio in my truck to use as mobile comm.  Today I wanted to see what kind of output I would get on a larger base antenna.  I connected it to the Surcomm with the appropriate adapter.  

At first, I tried it on channel 16 and it was registering close to 19 W.  Then I went to channel 23 to see how frequency would affect output.  It briefly showed the output still approximately 19W.  But then it went blank. There was no reading.  When I went back to 16, no measurements.  

I then hooked the meter to an HT that I had and it seemed to work fine.  Went back to the mobile and I could not get the meter to read the output or SWR from the mobile unit.

I do want to say that the BTech was extremely hot (Close to 200°F) but I did check it with the truck running, with the truck off and with radio connected to a power bank with no readings.  I changed the adapter cord as well.  

I took the mobile unit out, put a fan on it to try and cool it to see if that made a difference and it did not.  I am able to communicate with an HT on channel 16, so I know it is outputting something, but it does not read on the meter.  

Any thoughts on if it’s the meter, the radio, or something else?  
 

 

 

[nokones]

I would say that the radio took a dump. The radio should not be 200 degrees unless you kept it keyed for an extremely long time.

[OffRoaderX]

2 minutes ago, nokones said:

The radio should not be 200 degrees unless you kept it keyed for an extremely long time.

This ^ 

[amaff]

With the experience I had with one of those (worked for a few days then just wouldn't receive *anything*...worst radio I've ever owned.) I'm going to go out on a limb and say "it's probably the radio."

Those things suck, unfortunately, because it's a cool concept, with everything in the handset including a useful screen.

[WRDJ205]

31 minutes ago, nokones said:

I would say that the radio took a dump. The radio should not be 200 degrees unless you kept it keyed for an extremely long time.

<Sigh>  it wasn’t even turned on.  It was plugged into the cig lighter though.  Noticed this last week when the truck was outside in the sun too.  Thought it might be ambient heat that it couldn’t dissipate (but it wa off then too).  
 

Would you expect it to still transmit?  

[OffRoaderX]

2 minutes ago, WRDJ205 said:

Would you expect it to still transmit?  

The radio does have a thermal-shutdown.. so if gets too hot for any reason, it will throttle-back and then stop transmitting all-together..

Wait for it to get cold tonight and then try it again.. if still no joy, send it back to the guy you got it from and tell him to send you one that works.

[WRDJ205]

1 minute ago, OffRoaderX said:

if still no joy, send it back to the guy you got it from and tell him to send you one that works.

Hopefully, Jeff Bezos is back from Venice.  

[amaff]

37 minutes ago, WRDJ205 said:

it wasn’t even turned on.  It was plugged into the cig lighter though.  

That seems really un-good. Even sitting in a hot car, in the sun, it shouldn't be hitting close to the boiling point of water.