This is an introduction to the KG-935G more IMHO positioning within my radios inventory.

[MacJack]

Your choice of radio brands, types (HT, mobile or base) and what purpose you want to use them for, e.g. GMRS for family under one family license to the different levels of individual Ham licenses.  So those just starting the venture I hope that the following will help you plan where and what you want to do.

This review of the Wouxun KG-935G is more for how should one position this radio since Wouxun has made several GMRS radio which I have KG-805G, KG-905G now KG935G for GMRS and a Wouxun KG-UV8H for Ham.  They all have their place in how you use them.  The 805G has it place for smaller hands, easy to use.  Then going up to the 905G and 935G for a more beefy feel, programing and what I like is scanning group options to name a few.

I have my Ham ticket and so how do I plan to fit GMRS and Ham radio into my life.  Though out all the forum and posts on Part 95 for GMRS radios and Part 90 for Ham and the two can get married per FCC, I choose to carry two radios that share batteries and other accessories plus program on the HT face and software menus are some what alike.

So the KG-935G is a solid commercial radio for GMRS but allows you to monitor 2 and 70 meter ham frequencies, to be clear only receive and can not transmit.  So if you want to monitor a Ham repeater, pick the correct frequencies to hear the repeater when you set it up.

I have only had the KG-935G radio a few days and still working on making it my daily carry in my Jeep.  Yes, I could get a Baofeng or other multi band radios for Ham and GMRS in one radio but if you have used a $40-50 radio, you may not reach a repeater or others may not heard your audio.  Do not get me wrong, many who have these multi band radios and works for you great, you are closer to a strong repeater and it is your radio choice…  Happy for you.  I was given a free BaoFeng UV-82 Classic and could trigger the Ham repeater but no one could hear us in both GMRS and Ham…  Now I know why the gifter gave it to us.  Do not read into this statement BaoFeng or other brands… are fine, you get what you pay for.  It just where I live and the equipment did not match to my radio environmental needs.

So for fueling my Ham 2 and 70 meter I have a Wouxun KG-UV8H which is a Ham radio that can monitor GMRS but not transmit on 462.xxx…467.xxx  KG-UV8H is Part 90 legal for Hams per FCC.

So on both KG-935G and KG-UV8H I can scan away and in my area of Western NC, we have great high mountains and privately owned and friendly repeaters owners as long as you are license, follow the repeaters owners rules and get permission before hand to get the PL codes.  So one day the GMRS is busy or I need to reach family/friends/others approved operators on the GMRS repeaters.  Then on other days the Ham frequencies is active like on Net Control nights or Fox Hunts or just general communication with other Hams.  In our area we have more Ham repeaters then folks to use and talk on them.  Out of the 6 repeaters in all bands, it like crickets.    

O let me add one of the latest thing new to me as a Ham, it is DMR and the DMR repeaters are linked and you can have miles and miles of communication plus talk to others around the world with just a handheld HT radio.  No big antenna or collection like an antenna farm in your backyard which might upset your wife.  As soon as I understand more about DMR I will let you know.  So for those wanting digital GMRS and roam which FCC has not made the rules changes to fit that function, go get your Ham ticket… and do DMR as we have more DMR repeaters in our area.

Ham ticket test is not that hard… I’m 74 yo and my 12 yo grand daughter and I did FRS for years just in the yard and close neighbors.  Then we got a family GMRS license and many GMRS folks who are Hams also, suggested to us to study and take the Ham test.  You no longer need Morse Code as part of the first level of license.  Second get a study buddy, friend, one or more of your children or grand children.  For a preteen to get ones Ham ticket has caused her to grow, be confident and has new friends, fun events.  O yes she had Mic fright at first, I still do and ex LEO.  How we got started is we first reached out to the local Ham club, we meet the folks at a lunch meeting and felt welcomed and asked for a coach to walk us through the process.  It not hard, it took us one and half months of online study three times a week for one plus hours and we pass the test end of May 2021.

It is quoted that Ham radio is the art, science in communication and helping others in times of an need or emergency.  My 12 yo grand daughter caught the radio vision after going to Rocket Museum in Huntsvilles, AL and saw all the radio equipment and all the astronaut where Ham and you can talk to the ISS as it goes overhead.  So one of her many goals in life is joining Space Force as well as be a pet sitter and walker.       

Feel free to PM me if you want more personal detail, otherwise all comments accepted as this is IMHO which that is why no one radio fits all your needs, it personal, so share your story so others can see if that fits them.

So go and enjoy your radio journey.

MacJack

[Lscott]

About radios, you get what you can afford and fits your operating requirements. I don’t care if someone is using a $20 CCR or a $5,000 Motorola. I use primarily Kenwood radios, I do have a small number of Chinese ones, not because they are better, it’s just a personal choice.

[MacJack]

So true Lscott....  You got my message... It is what is best for you and your taste in radios.  Thank you for taking the bait and sharing where and how you position your radio selection.  This will help so many newbie....

MacJack

[WRHS218]

I have the KG-935G ordered (backordered). I had sent an email asking a question about the radio and before I got an answer some YouTube Hobo put out a video about it. I went ahead and ordered it before watching said video but I assume it was too late to get any they had in stock. I don't always carry a HT with me but I normally have one in my vehicle just in case. I carry the 905G because of it's functions and mainly because of the IP rating. The 935G is going to be a good emergency radio. I can program all of the local LEO and Fire frequencies as well as county road and public works and HAM repeaters. During multiple week wild fire events (been through a few in the last four years) and in the winter I can get road conditions and other info I need. A big plus with the 935G for me is it takes the same battery as the 905G. If I am headed into the back country with other people I will use the 905G. For travelling the 935G will be a good choice. I still have a 2m HT in my bag but my extended family aren't interested in HAM, and frankly, I don't enjoy chatting about weather and antennas over the air (been a HAM for 25 years).

[MacJack]

Thanks for your insight and how you position the 935G with the evolution of the KG- series of GMRS radios.  

MacJack 

[DownEastNC]

I just happened to be on BTWR's site about the moment they posted the 935G for sale so I jumped on it. Two days later the unit was on back order. It's my very first GMRS radio and it appealed to me because of the weather alerts (NOAA), FM commercial radio, and some other VHF frequencies such as Marine. I was able to get a radio check via a repeater 29 miles away, so I'm happy. I'm having a few issues with programming that I'll see if can be addressed in the technical section. Overall, as a noob, this radio works well for me. I wouldn't put it in the GF's hands though as simpler is better with her so I'll be shopping for a radio with less buttons.

[MacJack]

Welcome to being a soon 935G owner... You will love it...  It does a lot but not the dishes, floor etc.  As for your GF, my 12 yo grand daughter and I started with the KG-805G which is not buttons, works really strong and you can program it with CHIRP on Mac or PC... (use the KG-816 config).  I like the 805G for small hands and no extra buttons to mistakingly push...  My other grand kids like it as well as I teach them how to use it both Simplex and Repeater...

MacJack

[OffRoaderX]

44 minutes ago, MacJack said:

 you can program it with CHIRP on Mac or PC... (use the KG-816 config).  

Using CHRIP Build 20210830 I'm not able to get it to work with my 935G using the KG-816 (or any) config - Even though I have to use the horrible Wouxun software, its still my favorite radio.

[WyoJoe]

1 hour ago, OffRoaderX said:

Using CHRIP Build 20210830 I'm not able to get it to work with my 935G using the KG-816 (or any) config - Even though I have to use the horrible Wouxun software, its still my favorite radio.

I believe MacJack was referring to programming the 805G with Chirp, not the 935G.

[OffRoaderX]

1 hour ago, WyoJoe said:

I believe MacJack was referring to programming the 805G with Chirp, not the 935G.

Up reflection, and after re-reading the post, I do believe you are correct.

...935G is STILL my favorite!

[WRNW784]

Hey all,

New to GMRS here and just got my license last week. I was one of the lucky ones to see the review on YouTube and quickly grabbed a 935G as my very first radio.

Living in San Antonio, there’s only a couple repeaters and they seem to be out of reach for me. Less than 15 miles away. I even drove to within .25 mile of one that I had the permission to access and the DCS tones to and still no dice. 
Possibly user error but programming the DCS tones into the Repeater channel seems pretty straight forward.

I’m gonna go out this weekend and try again so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[BKmetzWRKZ843]

I ordered my KG-935G a few days ago from BTWR. I'm really looking forward to getting this radio.

[mbrun]

Hey all,
New to GMRS here and just got my license last week. I was one of the lucky ones to see the review on YouTube and quickly grabbed a 935G as my very first radio.
Living in San Antonio, there’s only a couple repeaters and they seem to be out of reach for me. Less than 15 miles away. I even drove to within .25 mile of one that I had the permission to access and the DCS tones to and still no dice. 
Possibly user error but programming the DCS tones into the Repeater channel seems pretty straight forward.
I’m gonna go out this weekend and try again so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Good job going out and getting close to the repeater.

A few things come to mind if you do not have success when seemingly close to the repeater.

- Verify you have the physical location correct. You may need to call or message the repeater owner to confirm.
- DCS codes include an inverted and non-inverted version of the code. The 935G supports both, so try both. The non-inverted ends in ‘N’ and the inverted ends in ‘I’. Message the repeater owner if neither works to confirm you have the correct one.
- During initial testing, do not enter any code in your radio for Rx. Ensure you enter only the Tx code you believe is needed to open the repeater until you have had success opening it. Afterwards if you want to enter an Rx code, feel free to do so then.
- Are you hearing traffic on the repeater that you can’t access? If you are hearing traffic, practice using the tone scan capability of the radio to learn how to us it. Tone scan only works while you are receiving a signal. No signal, no scan. Try both CTCSS and DCS scanning. If the incoming signal is strong and the radio stops scanning while someone is transmitting and you can in-fact now hear them, the radio has correctly detected the code the transmitter you are hear is sending out. Note that code and/or store it in your radio if you wish to us it.

Hope this helps.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[MichaelLAX]

4 hours ago, mbrun said:

- Are you hearing traffic on the repeater that you can’t access? If you are hearing traffic, practice using the tone scan capability of the radio to learn how to us it. Tone scan only works while you are receiving a signal. No signal, no scan. Try both CTCSS and DCS scanning. If the incoming signal is strong and the radio stops scanning while someone is transmitting and you can in-fact now hear them, the radio has correctly detected the code the transmitter you are hear is sending out. Note that code and/or store it in your radio if you wish to us it.

While that method will work for the user to be able to receive the output of the repeater, that method will not work if the receiver of the repeater uses a different tone.

[WyoJoe]

 

19 hours ago, mbrun said:

- Are you hearing traffic on the repeater that you can’t access? If you are hearing traffic, practice using the tone scan capability of the radio to learn how to us it. Tone scan only works while you are receiving a signal. No signal, no scan. Try both CTCSS and DCS scanning. If the incoming signal is strong and the radio stops scanning while someone is transmitting and you can in-fact now hear them, the radio has correctly detected the code the transmitter you are hear is sending out. Note that code and/or store it in your radio if you wish to us it.

This will give you a good idea of how to scan for tones/codes.

14 hours ago, MichaelLAX said:

While that method will work for the user to be able to receive the output of the repeater, that method will not work if the receiver of the repeater uses a different tone.

If you can get close to the repeater, and set your radio to receive the repeater input frequency, then you should be able to scan for tones/codes there, to find out what's in use. Of course this is dependent upon being there when someone else is hitting the repeater. Basically, you need to be in range of the transmitting radio for this to work.

[Huskykp]

You may also check that you are in wide band and not narrow band this might help

[BKmetzWRKZ843]

First, let me apologize for the tread hijack. I didn't see the need to start a new thread on this fine radio. Thank you everyone for understanding.

Received my radio a week ago. This is my first Chinese radio and it met all my expectations and then some.

#1: I was able to fully program the radio through the keypad. This is the first radio I have owned that I was able to do that, and rather easily at that.

#2. It has a great battery. I ordered a spare battery, desktop charger, and the battery eliminator for mobile use.

#3. The color display is awesome. It's better than the photos and videos I've seen. I almost had an ASMR moment when pulling the protective film off the display. I love doing that on new items.

#4. Build quality was much better than I expected. On par with my Japanese branded ham HTs. It's a rugged radio that will stand up to just about anything except being submerged. But then this is a premium radio and it carries a premium price. This is definitely NOT a cheap disposable Chinese radio.

#5. Performance? I easily hit my nearest repeater that is 35 miles away. Usual caveats apply, over flat farmland, no obstructions, etc. I know, lots of cheap HT radios can easily do that. Nothing special about that. While performing the radio check, I was told the KG-935G was as clear as my 40W mobile unit. That's the part that impressed me.

#6. As the radio is a joint project between Wouxun and buytwowayradios.com, buytwowayradios.com (they deserve a plug here) wrote the specs and the owner's manual and it shows. The manual is written in proper & correct English, very well edited, and has the beginner operator in mind. Everything is well explained.

As mentioned, this was the easiest radio I ever programmed. I expected programming to be 'challenging' so I ordered the programming cable. I'm still glad I did because it can be used on a lot of other radios, Wouxun and other brands. I did download the software and use it to look at what I did. In reviewing my menu settings I didn't miss anything. One can program the radio faster with the cable, software, and a computer, but it is easily done through the keypad. Using the keypad just takes longer.

Photo 1: The radio and the accessories.

Photo 2: This carry case was listed under Wouxun accessories, but not under KG-935G accessories. Glad I found it, it easily holds two HT radios.

Photo 3: Decent close up photo of the display. As I said earlier, the display actually looks better than in the photo. I also replaced the Wouxun rubber ducky antenna with a Nagoya NA-771G antenna. Maybe I'll drive out about ~40 to 45 miles from the repeater and switch antennas. See if it makes a difference.

[TOM47]

12 hours ago, BKmetzWRKZ843 said:

Photo 2: This carry case was listed under Wouxun accessories, but not under KG-935G accessories. Glad I found it, it easily holds two HT radios.

REALLY NICE PHOTOS AND GREAT REVIEW OF THE KG-935G, MY EXPERIENCE ALSO - THANKS FOR THE TIP ON THE CASE, GOING T0 ADD ONE TO MY NEXT ORDER.  I HAVE ONE KG-935G NOW AND ANOTHER ON BACKORDER MAYBE SHIP THIS WEEK,

  TOM

Edited September 20, 2021 by TOM47
ADDED COMMENT

[IanM]

Thanks for the review—it convinced me, and I'm very antsy for it to ship, hopefully next week. 

I picked up a handful of GMRS-V1s and UV-5Gs and am finding them not really worth the limitations, either in hardware or software. I love the idea of dual-channel/dual display on the V1; for hiking and beyond-cell-service outings, it's nice to have my group channel on one and listening to a repeater on the other (there's a lot where I hike). The other limitations make it a bit of a non-starter, not the least of which is durability.  The 905 being able to scan AND listen is even better.

Already picked up the 905G and love that it's very easily 'handable' to a non-radio geek. My only beef is that, like a lot of overseas electronics that aren't designed primarily for the US market, is the atrocious typeface. That's something the Baofeng's have an edge on. You've got all this resolution, why use a single-pixel serif font? (actually, I do know the answer: they're loaded with a Chinese typeface meant to look good on dot-matrix that usually has a very basic Latin character set as a backup)

[MacJack]

3 hours ago, IanM said:

Thanks for the review—it convinced me, and I'm very antsy for it to ship, hopefully next week. 

I picked up a handful of GMRS-V1s and UV-5Gs and am finding them not really worth the limitations, either in hardware or software. I love the idea of dual-channel/dual display on the V1; for hiking and beyond-cell-service outings, it's nice to have my group channel on one and listening to a repeater on the other (there's a lot where I hike). The other limitations make it a bit of a non-starter, not the least of which is durability.  The 905 being able to scan AND listen is even better.

Already picked up the 905G and love that it's very easily 'handable' to a non-radio geek. My only beef is that, like a lot of overseas electronics that aren't designed primarily for the US market, is the atrocious typeface. That's something the Baofeng's have an edge on. You've got all this resolution, why use a single-pixel serif font? (actually, I do know the answer: they're loaded with a Chinese typeface meant to look good on dot-matrix that usually has a very basic Latin character set as a backup)

Happy for you... My 905 was great, but the 935 is even better for the scan functions I do plus I can monitor Ham channels...  Do you have your Ham Ticket?  If so PM me and we can talk.

MacJack

[IanM]

On 9/24/2021 at 3:17 PM, MacJack said:

Happy for you... My 905 was great, but the 935 is even better for the scan functions I do plus I can monitor Ham channels...  Do you have your Ham Ticket?  If so PM me and we can talk.

MacJack

Very excited for it, we have a ton of repeaters in my area including a very active one covering the entire Seattle metro. That, and I enjoy even just listening whatever other chatter I can pick up. I was listening to a few local Ham repeater nets as well, at least until my Baofeng decided to self-immolate on the charger (it's going back and an 805 is now taking its place)...

Re: the ham ticket, not yet, but I'm on it; planning on sitting the test soon. Less interested in chatting on it than doing various radio related experiments, and figured I needed a good challenge as The Big Dark sets in here in western Washington.

[MacJack]

Your quest sounds like mine...  started with FRS/GMRS/Ham-VHF-UHF and now doing DMR and soon to do DMRRoIP on my RFinder B1 radio/cellular/android unit.  Have fun on your journey....  

16 hours ago, IanM said:

Very excited for it, we have a ton of repeaters in my area including a very active one covering the entire Seattle metro. That, and I enjoy even just listening whatever other chatter I can pick up. I was listening to a few local Ham repeater nets as well, at least until my Baofeng decided to self-immolate on the charger (it's going back and an 805 is now taking its place)...

Re: the ham ticket, not yet, but I'm on it; planning on sitting the test soon. Less interested in chatting on it than doing various radio related experiments, and figured I needed a good challenge as The Big Dark sets in here in western Washington.

[MichaelLAX]

11 minutes ago, MacJack said:

Your quest sounds like mine...  started with FRS/GMRS/Ham-VHF-UHF and now doing DMR and soon to do DMRRoIP on my RFinder B1 radio/cellular/android unit.  Have fun on your journey....  

For a cost of 80% less than the cost of the RFinder B1 (Less than $200 and for which I have no experience with), check out this Network Radio:

Inrico T320 4g Internet Mobile Radio WiFi Bluetooth Radio Unlocked GSM Compatible with Zello Real PTT Android 7.0 Network Radio

I learned about it listening to the Thursday Night Net on the 700 repeater of @OffRoaderXlast night (through Zello).  Actually the Net was cancelled due to the Moderator's vacation (really?!?  What kind of dedication is that! hahahaha ) and those of us frustrated listeners created our own Rogue Net in its place.

He mentioned it routinely takes his T-Mobile SIMM card to allow full cell service use, as well.

[SteveW]

I'm testing my newly-arrived KG-935G now.  So far, I've encountered two issues:

A minor issue is that the FM broadcast radio implementation is poor:  unless I am missing something, the only way you can use it is to do a channel scan, which only picks up a couple of very strong stations.  There is no way to manually tune to a station frequency.  I haven't tried the software yet, and I am hoping it has a way to store whatever FM frequency you wish.

A major issue is the GMRS channel scan.  I don't know if this is a firmware bug or if I have a defective radio:  When running the channel scan, it will briefly indicate a full-bars signal reception on several channels before the scan continues.  When I open the squelch and scan, those signals are from a VHF NOAA weather channel.  I'd appreciate it if y'all can test this.

And oh yes, the terrible Chinese fonts.  They're ubiquitous on a lot of Chinese products.  I just hate 'em.

[OffRoaderX]

22 minutes ago, SteveW said:

When running the channel scan, it will briefly indicate a full-bars signal reception on several channels before the scan continues.  When I open the squelch and scan, those signals are from a VHF NOAA weather channel.  I'd appreciate it if y'all can test this.

That issue has been reported to Wouxun. You can turn off the Weather Alert option in the menus and it will work normally.