My new KG1000 max power is 37 watts

[Rican]

I was so excited to try my new KG1000 from Wouxon. I installed it on my vehicle and tried to test my output power. I connected straight to the battery and on channels 16-22 I can only output 35 watts or so. SWR on the antenna is 1.7, on channel GMRS 1, SWR is 1:1 and it only outputs 3.5 watts. Setting for both power outputs are on high. 

What am I doing wrong? Do I have a bad radio?

 

[marcspaz]

While OffRoaderX is giving you good advice, I personally found that most 50w radios will only output about 48w-50w on the bench with a dummy load and proper power supply. Comparatively, 35 to 37 watts once installed in a car is fairly normal for non-technical owners doing the installation at home.  There are a lot of variables that impact the final output in a vehicle.

 

Also, you would have to jump to 70+ watts before you see a very small, but usable improvement over 35 watts.

[OffRoaderX]

Make sure your engine is on/running and try measuring with a dummy-load instead of the antenna, and if possible, try a different meter unless you know your meter is calibrated/accurate.  If its still putting out only 35W, call BuyTwoWayRadios and tell them you want want that outputs closer to 50W ..

All that said, you will likely never notice any difference in fars between 35W and 45W-50W (most radios dont output exactly 50W).

[KAF6045]

1 hour ago, Rican said:

I was so excited to try my new KG1000 from Wouxon. I installed it on my vehicle and tried to test my output power. I connected straight to the battery and on channels 16-22 I can only output 35 watts or so. SWR on the antenna is 1.7, on channel GMRS 1, SWR is 1:1 and it only outputs 3.5 watts. Setting for both power outputs are on high. 

What am I doing wrong? Do I have a bad radio?

 

Note that GMRS interstitials (current #1-#7) ARE restricted to 5W max. That said, you are seeing the same proportional reduction 50:35 | 5:3.5 -- so 70% of rated power. If the radio has automatic power reduction for high SWR I could see /some/ reduction on the 50W setting, but not on the 5W level (the power transistors should have no problem handling 5W out and a complete reflection of 5W back as that only puts 10W on the finals).

Do you have some other radio you can test the meter against? (I just cross-checked my MFJ-847 (VHF/UHF) meter against a Diamond SX-200 (HF-200MHz) using the 2m output of my TS-2000 -- both showed about the same output power (85W when set for 100W). I don't believe two independent meters of different ages would have the same calibration error (maybe a 2% calibration difference -- my old eyes have trouble with needles on a scale... 85vs87W?).

Having not heard back from Radioddity, I'm going through the Amazon exchange system -- a "20W" (18W in the manual specs) DB20-G is only showing 10W on repeater channels, and maybe 12W on simplex high power channels. That's a 40% discrepancy against 18W (50% if one insists on advertised 20W) (vs your 30%). The 15W MXT115 that this is to replace reported ~14W on the same meter into a dummy load.

[gortex2]

Is not CH 1 a low power channel. Should only be 5w max. If your seeing 3.4 with a 10% deviation in a meter I would say its fairly accurate. 

[Rican]

2 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

Make sure your engine is on/running and try measuring with a dummy-load instead of the antenna, and if possible, try a different meter unless you know your meter is calibrated/accurate.  If its still putting out only 35W, call BuyTwoWayRadios and tell them you want want that outputs closer to 50W ..

All that said, you will likely never notice any difference in fars between 35W and 45W-50W (most radios dont output exactly 50W).

Thanks OffRoaderX. I did send a ticket to BuyTwoWayRadios, waiting on their response. 

[OffRoaderX]

52 minutes ago, Rican said:

Thanks OffRoaderX. I did send a ticket to BuyTwoWayRadios, waiting on their response. 

Let us know what other testing they have you do/what the outcome is.

[Rican]

On 9/7/2022 at 6:17 PM, gortex2 said:

Is not CH 1 a low power channel. Should only be 5w max. If your seeing 3.4 with a 10% deviation in a meter I would say its fairly accurate. 

The low watt setting is ok now, the probelm is the high setting still, just approx 35 watts at 1:7 SWR.

[Rican]

On 9/7/2022 at 7:58 PM, OffRoaderX said:

Let us know what other testing they have you do/what the outcome is.

They asked me to test using a dummy load. I ordered one, when it arrived I connected to the meter and radio. 1:1 SWR, still around 35-37 watts when using high power on GMRS 16-22. Using a Surecom SWR/Power meter. I believe I have a defective radio. I purchased this one because of the advertised 50 watts compared to Midland and BTECH radios. Not happy so far. 

[KAF6045]

25 minutes ago, Rican said:

The low watt setting is ok now, the probelm is the high setting still, just approx 35 watts at 1:7 SWR.

I hope you meant 1.7:1... 1:7 is frying your finals...

 

22 minutes ago, Rican said:

They asked me to test using a dummy load. I ordered one, when it arrived I connected to the meter and radio. 1:1 SWR, still around 35-37 watts when using high power on GMRS 16-22. Using a Surecom SWR/Power meter. I believe I have a defective radio. I purchased this one because of the advertised 50 watts compared to Midland and BTECH radios. Not happy so far. 

Which Midland? My MXT115 is very close to the advertised rating -- but is narrowband-only; hence my awaiting the replacement Radioddity unit which I hope will display power >16W (box says 20W but manual says 18W). My newest grumble is that I ordered a GMRS-band Larsen glass-mount antenna "with PL-259" -- I expected the PL-259 to be on the coax, not in a separate zip-lock baggie and needing to be soldered to the coax [and the center connector is sized for RG-8 coax, not the skinny stuff they used on the antenna!

[marcspaz]

2 hours ago, Rican said:

They asked me to test using a dummy load. I ordered one, when it arrived I connected to the meter and radio. 1:1 SWR, still around 35-37 watts when using high power on GMRS 16-22. Using a Surecom SWR/Power meter. I believe I have a defective radio. I purchased this one because of the advertised 50 watts compared to Midland and BTECH radios. Not happy so far. 

 

If you are testing it in the vehicle instead of on a quality regulated 13.8vdc power supply, the test is null. You still haven't accounted for the power source concerns, which is likely the actual problem. 

[Rican]

29 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

 

If you are testing it in the vehicle instead of on a quality regulated 13.8vdc power supply, the test is null. You still haven't accounted for the power source concerns, which is likely the actual problem. 

I am trying to test in real life scenario, not in a perfect test bench. These radios are advertised as 50 watts, then they should give out 50 watts, or very close to it. 

[marcspaz]

6 hours ago, Rican said:

I am trying to test in real life scenario, not in a perfect test bench. These radios are advertised as 50 watts, then they should give out 50 watts, or very close to it. 

 

Sorry to disappoint you, but that is never going to happen.  It needs 13.8vdc for full power. The transmitter would need to be installed within inches of the alternator, and even then, it would only be at full power when the alternator it making at least 13.8 volts or more. You will lose 10w for every 1 volt the alternator drops.

 

You're chasing something that is impossible with certified over the counter radios.  It's 50w under proper operating conditions.  Not 50w regardless of how poor the operating conditions.

[SteveShannon]

10 hours ago, Rican said:

I am trying to test in real life scenario, not in a perfect test bench. These radios are advertised as 50 watts, then they should give out 50 watts, or very close to it. 

No, they’re advertised as “50 watts maximum transmit power”, meaning they are limited to 50 watts.  They’re not guaranteed to transmit 50 watts. Here the page: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-1000g.html

Further to the point made by everyone who has responded to you, the “Power Requirements” section states “13.8VDC +/-15%”.

A car’s voltage regulator is set to put out 13.8 volts while the engine is running (+/- some tolerance) in order to constantly charge the battery.  A battery in a car that is not running will only have 12.7 volts or so.

More to the point, the FCC limits mobile GMRS transmitters to 50 watts output.  That limitation must be obeyed under any circumstances, including when your car is running.  Thus, mobile radios are adjusted to transmit up to their maximum transmit power when the car is running and allowed to sag somewhat when running on straight battery power.

That’s the real life scenario.