TYT TH-UV8000D

[IronArcher]

Initial review of theTYT TH-UV8000D

This is an inexpensive (read CCR) HT, higher in price the the cheapest CCRs, less expensive than Commercial radios. This unit can be had for less than $90 with 2 high capacity batteries, programming cable, software and 2 antennas.

The good:

High power output. With a full battery, on UHF and a decent antenna, you can expect to see an honest 8w out of a quality antenna. 9 to 12 watts with the stock antennas....with poor SWR numbers.

Amazing battery life.

Healthy duty cycle. I’m still running the first of the 2 included batteries. I believe these are 3200mah batteries. Even having more than long conversations (way higher than the implied duty cycle! I would estimate 35/50/15% over an hour, this battery has lasted about 5 days (not running all day... a few hours each day, lots of standby time) and is still at 7.2vdc and while talking a lot can get the unit warm, it never approached uncomfortable levels.

2 batteries plus charger and 2 antennas

Charger allows for stand up charging with or without removing the battery from the radio

Dual watch, listens to 2 channels at once without scanning, or listen to 1 channel, and scan the rest at the same time.

Better than expected receiver. While not top end gear by any means, it is significantly better than my brand B HTs.

Repeater ready.

Dual band repeat capable (though not a GMRS feature)

Lots of channel storage.

VFO or channel mode with names.

Solid feeling, though light PTT button

Wide range rx (can add MOAA radio freqs)

Lots of information on screen with you choice of backlit colors

Battery volt meter in addition to customary status indicator bars

Lots of options like dual band repeat

 

The bad:

Too much power on high, and only 2 power levels to choose from

Still a CCR. While better rx than many CCRs, it isn’t in the same league as some higher end radios

Both of the included antennas are very poor choices for GMRS use

With all that information on such a small screen, there need to be lots of tiny icons, freqs and channel names are OK, everything else is quite small.

Manual isn’t all that informative

Lots of the options are not for GMRS use (dual band repeat, scrambler, remote stun/kill etc).

Not part 95 certified

 

All in all, not a bad radio for the money. I noticed a decent performance increase in the receiver over many other CCRs

The extra power helps get into full quieting in areas that were often too much to cut through with 2-3 watts

This is a great step up from most Baofeng radios, but not quite able to compete with quality commercial radios.

 

For the money, I think it’s one of the better HTs avalible

 

So far, no issues of any kind.

[gman1971]

Well, I own 2 of those (the E model) 1 is for sale, btw, as listed in the Miscellaneous Forum here.

 

In VHF the receiver is still fairly weak (around -13 dBm effective sensitivity loss vs. my Vertex VHF LMR gear) in UHF the receiver seems a bit better, only -8 dBm effective sensitivity loss measured against my Vertex LMR gear, probably due to some sort of internal diplexer to filter the VHF side. The radio is quite prone to intermod due to poor selectivity/filtering/front end, even when not much desense is happening, the signals that come in pretty clear with my Vertex/Motorola radios come completely garbled with the 8000e. The sensitivity takes a huge dive when you use it in crossband repeat... it seems to desense itself when operating at high power, as measured.

 

As for being one of the better HTs available, that really depends on what you want to do with it. 

 

With that said, and being a great salesman (not), if anybody wants one I have one for grabs...

 

G.

[mbrun]

Good morning IronArcher.

 

When you have a poor SWR, the power readings on the SWR meter become exaggerated; read, inaccurate. The meter is merely incapable of accurately determining the radio’s real output power any longer due to timing of the various reflections in the cable. The radio is not actually outputting more.

 

It is in-fact this reflected power that, if too high, can lead to the failure of the output stage of your radio, which in-turn is one reason why we try to keep the SWR low.

 

One must use a non-reactive dummy load on the output end of SWR/Power meter to obtain your most accurate power reading.

 

Thought you might appreciate knowing this.

 

Regards

 

Michael

WRHS965

KE8PLM

 

The good:

High power output. With a full battery, on UHF and a decent antenna, you can expect to see an honest 8w out of a quality antenna. 9 to 12 watts with the stock antennas....with poor SWR numbers....

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[IronArcher]

Mbrun

Thanks.

I did know that, but I don’t have a large enough dummy load to test it to see it’s actual output.

Gman1971

As mentioned, for the money, it’s one of the better HTs available. When they have a sale on new Vertex HTs with 2 3200mah batteries and 2 (admittedly garbage) antennas for under $100, the TYT will not be a good radio for the money

;-)

Thanks for the info on VHF and cross band repeat, as I haven’t used the radio in those modes.

Again, as a step up, I’m quite happy with the purchase for the money, knowing it isn’t high level gear, I think it was well worth the price paid, at least for UHF.

[gman1971]

Like I said, I got mine (the E model, not the D) also with 2 batteries, 2 antennas, got both for under 100, new... two radios for what you paid for one.... sounds like you got ripped off, if you ask me. You see, CCRs go up in price, but the performance remains the same mediocre one... 

 

And what difference does it make if its used or new? Can you please elaborate why, say, one of my used XPR7550e radios is less than a new XPR7550e?

 

With that said, I also know what these TYT radios are capable of, I've tested them, I've evaluated them for weeks as my belt worn radio, also compared them to dozens of other radios with ISO-tee tests, under many different real world conditions, and all I can say is that you're wrong about these being a step up... but seems it doesn't matter, so enjoy the radio... I'll enjoy my used XPR7550e with simplex range measured in miles rather than tenths of a mile.

 

G.

[gman1971]

And since you asked, here is a good answer about finding EVX radios. Now, this is a step up. 

 

2 Vertex EVX-539 UHF 403-470Mhz 512 Ch 5W DMR/Analog Mototrbo compatible

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Vertex-EVX-539-UHF-403-470Mhz-512-Ch-5W-DMR-Analog-Mototrbo-compatible/353291862989?hash=item5241d603cd:g:pbQAAOSwthtflhS7

 

G.

[axorlov]

Not 95A, though. And what about CPS?

 

However, please somebody, buy these already. I do not need more radios I do not need more radios these are dmr! must resist I do not need more radios...

[gman1971]

CPS for Vertex Standard EVX radios is free. 

 

Its two radios you're talking about here, not just one. The CPS for those is pretty straightforward for FM, DMR requires a bit of tinkering to get the hang of it... but for GMRS those are excellent radios. And those have the enhanced display too... so you'll need CE151 to program those, not CE142.

 

G.