Wouxun KG-UV9PX

[pcradio]

I have one of these on order from BSR. Looking forward to it after a lot of research. Was wanting a radio with true dual receive and scan. Anyone else have one and care to comment on your experience, things to look out for, things to get, etc. Have you enjoyed it? I was considering the KG-UV9D Mate but the dark screens and black shell won me over.

The description of the KG-UV9PX states that it adds several improvements over the previous UV9P, UV9D Mate & UV9D (Plus): 3 New Dark Color Screen Modes, New Priority Channel Quick-Jump Feature, Extended 1.25m “220 HAM Band” RX Range, Scan Advance, Bright Flashlight & Stiff Knobs.

I guess because the radio is so new, there is not a lot of articles online about it and such. My review here.

[WRVV907]

Will the kg uv9px pick up p25 broadcasts

[wrci350]

No.  It's an analog radio.

Actually, it might "pick up" P25, but all you would hear is a buzzing sound.

[Chimborazo]

I just got one a few days ago, and so far it seems really nice. The only thing that annoys me is the that there are CTCSS tones on all the simplex frequencies (and on the RX only GMRS frequencies), which I just made a post about in the technical discussion forum, and that the Wouxun software is not very good in my view. I'm going to try the RT Systems software, which requires a different cable I think. Also, the ham frequencies are programmed starting in channel 201, which I don't really understand for this model. The GMRS RX only freqs start at channel 1. Not a big deal though and I don't really mind it since GMRS is channel based. I probably would have done the reverse and started the GMRS frequencies at channel 201.

The other thing I forgot to ask about in my post is how to wake up the screen without changing a setting on the radio. What I'm doing now is hitting the monitor button twice or flipping the channel selector up and then back down. But this is annoying if you're scanning because it stops the scan.

[Sshannon]

43 minutes ago, Chimborazo said:

I just got one a few days ago, and so far it seems really nice. The only thing that annoys me is the that there are CTCSS tones on all the simplex frequencies (and on the RX only GMRS frequencies), which I just made a post about in the technical discussion forum, and that the Wouxun software is not very good in my view. I'm going to try the RT Systems software, which requires a different cable I think. Also, the ham frequencies are programmed starting in channel 201, which I don't really understand for this model. The GMRS RX only freqs start at channel 1. Not a big deal though and I don't really mind it since GMRS is channel based. I probably would have done the reverse and started the GMRS frequencies at channel 201.

The other thing I forgot to ask about in my post is how to wake up the screen without changing a setting on the radio. What I'm doing now is hitting the monitor button twice or flipping the channel selector up and then back down. But this is annoying if you're scanning because it stops the scan.

The preset tones would be a real annoying thing.

Turn off the display off timer if that’s a setting, but set it for lower brightness and/or pick up a spare battery. I have a radio that turns its display off also and it annoys me also, but I haven’t decided what to do about it.  I turn the volume up/down to get the display.

[Chimborazo]

1 hour ago, Sshannon said:

The preset tones would be a real annoying thing.

Turn off the display off timer if that’s a setting, but set it for lower brightness and/or pick up a spare battery. I have a radio that turns its display off also and it annoys me also, but I haven’t decided what to do about it.  I turn the volume up/down to get the display.

Unfortunately, the volume doesn't wake it up. It's not a big deal though, I just hit the band button twice and then I don't interrupt anything. It'd would be nice though if volume woke it up.

I really don't get the preset tones, but overall, I'm really happy with it so far and I'm really looking forward to getting my GX soon. It was ordered December 1st so hopefully only a month or so to go. Definitely no regrets!

[pcradio]

4 hours ago, Chimborazo said:

I just got one a few days ago, and so far it seems really nice ... how to wake up the screen without changing a setting on the radio?

 

Yes, it is a really nice and well packaged radio. As you noted in your other post, the Band button will wake up the screen. But Menu option #1 AB:s can be setup to Always On.

[Chimborazo]

38 minutes ago, pcradio said:

 

Yes, it is a really nice and well packaged radio. As you noted in your other post, the Band button will wake up the screen. But Menu option #1 AB:s can be setup to Always On.

Thank you. Maybe I'll try that and see how it affects battery life. I wish that when the screen is asleep, pressing a button only woke the screen up without executing that button's function, but that could be annoying in other ways.

[U625]

I just got my UV9PX yesterday, so I haven't spent much time with it. But I'm curious of a couple of things:

 

1) Scan, I get very few stop's and what I do is just noise or Morse Code (mostly on 70cm). My BTECH GMRS picks up a repeater chan 472.700 regularly. I live in a suburban setting with plenty of tree's but I would have thought I'd pickup something. Perhaps I need to go to an open area such as a mall parking lot for a better test? 

2) GMRS: Is there an FCC rule that says you can not transmit both HAM and GMRS on a handheld? If there is a software hack I'd like to enable the GMRS for tr and rc. Any thought's will be appreciated.

[Sshannon]

1 - improved testing conditions which don’t reflect your actual needs are not helpful. Have you tried changing the squelch?
 

2 - see bold portion below:

c) No GMRS transmitter will be certified for use in the GMRS if it is equipped with a frequency capability not listed in § 95.1763, unless such transmitter is also certified for use in another radio service for which the frequency is authorized and for which certification is also required. No GMRS transmitter will be certified for use in the GMRS if it is equipped with the capabilities to operate in services that do not require equipment certification, such as the Amateur Radio Service. All frequency determining circuitry (including crystals) and programming controls in each GMRS transmitter must be internal to the transmitter and must not be accessible from the exterior of the transmitter operating panel or from the exterior of the transmitter enclosure.

[U625]

Hi Steve,

 

Thank you for your suggestions and FCC info.

I tried the squelch setting on 0, 1, 5 and 9. I don't notice much difference, I just receive hiss on about 12 preset scan chan's (on 0 (zero) I get some crackling too). I used one of my GMRS radios and set both to chan 22 and the 9PX does clearly receive the transmission (from just a few feet away). My thought of improving the test location was to determine if I can receive ANY channels while on scan. But to your point, yes, if this is what I get at my home then it will serve no purpose. 

[Sshannon]

1 hour ago, U625 said:

Hi Steve,

 

Thank you for your suggestions and FCC info.

I tried the squelch setting on 0, 1, 5 and 9. I don't notice much difference, I just receive hiss on about 12 preset scan chan's (on 0 (zero) I get some crackling too). I used one of my GMRS radios and set both to chan 22 and the 9PX does clearly receive the transmission (from just a few feet away). My thought of improving the test location was to determine if I can receive ANY channels while on scan. But to your point, yes, if this is what I get at my home then it will serve no purpose. 

Try swapping antennas to see if that helps. Your UV9px is a dual band amateur radio and not optimized for 472.700 (and if you really mean a GMRS frequency that’s 462.700 MHz.)

Antennas can make a huge difference. I bought two Radioddity GMRS 20 watt radios and Midland GMRS antennas. I unlocked one of the radios so I could use it on 70 cm and 2 meter. I tried talking to a ham friend five blocks away on my street on 2 meters using the GMRS antenna. He could hear me, but I couldn’t hear him. I was transmitting using 20 watts. He was using 5 watts. 
On 70 cm I could hear him and vice versa. 
I bought a Comet dual band antenna and now, on the lowest power setting on my radio, which is only a few watts, he hears me perfectly and I hear him perfectly even a few more miles away in city buildings. 
 

[U625]

Good eye Steve, I did mean 462.700 (chan 21)

 

Anyway I don't think anything is wrong with the PX. After testing by using my radios to transmit the PX will stop while scanning with clear reception of my transmission. It will also pick up a strong GMRS repeater 10 miles away. But that's it, I can not get any other of the preprogramed channels except for inaudible hiss. I think your suggestion is what I need to pursue, an antenna swap.

Thank you for the insight:)

 

Tom  

[WRWD707]

Sorry for jumping in late on this one.  I have the KG-UV9G GMRS version, but I believe the menus and functions are very similar.  I find the easiest way to wake the screen while scanning is to simply turn the channel knob.  If you rotate the channel knob clockwise, it will wake the screen and continue scanning in the positive direction.  If you turn the knob in the counter-clockwise direction, it wakes the screen and reverses the scan direction.  You may also want to change the "BLCDSW" menu item (#41 on my unit) to "ON".  This will make the backlight change to a dim setting rather than off after the time setting in "ABR:s" (#1) elapses.  This prevents the screen from going completely black while the unit is powered.

 

With regards to the pre-programmed HAM channels, nearly all of them are common simplex frequencies.  There is very little traffic on these simplex frequencies in my area.  I have added the local repeater frequencies to my channel list, since that is where nearly all of the local HAM traffic happens in my area.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Brian

[WRUW515]

I have a Wouxun UV9P Series.  When I am receiving a transmission, the radio cuts out every few seconds.  The RX LED indicator and audio both cut out.  They only way I have been able to get this to stop is if I have both the A and B receiver set at the same frequency.  Is there a setting I need to change to receive properly without having both A/B on the same frequency?

[pcradio]

You maybe experience intermod. Some frequency combos can cause this. Try another frequency on the B side (or A) and as the incoming transmission is received, see if it still does this.