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Here you have the link to the product and a few of the features the radio offers:
- Upgraded LCD Display, – Bluetooth Programing Using The Odmaster App,
- 10W Power – ( FM ) VHF / UHF or GMRS,
- Dual Channel Monitoring,
- NOAA National Weather Service,
- FM Radio,
- Built In LED Torch,
- Battery With USB-C Charging Port ( 2500mAh ).
The Tidradio TD – H8 also comes bluetooth ready, so you can program the radio using the Odmaster app with your cell phone. A great option for portable operations, if you want to program your radio really fast using your phone. No need to stress about programing cables anymore. I find this option really useful if I travel and want to program local repeaters from that area into the radio.
TECHNICAL DETAILS DEBATES
Before I go deeper into technical details, you should know that there is a debate between amateur radio operators. Is this transceiver respecting the FCC requirements on harmonics suppression or not ? Does it really outputs 10W of power both on VHF and also on UHF ? You are about to find out.
If you already watched the video, you already know that I personally haven’t done any measurements yet. The reason is the lack of proper measuring equipment. Yes I could do some measurements using cheap tools, but will they be accurate ? So tools like TinySA and NanoVNA that I do admit they are great, doesn’t necessarily mean they are very accurate in precise measurements. Some may be that is true, but we are not always lucky.
Good and precise measurements are done usually by using good quality equipment like oscilloscopes and other. So even if I do use simple tools like TinySA and NanoVNA and I like them, they are just giving me an idea of how close I am to what I need. But I can’t rely on them 100% when it comes to precision. Here you have three more links on videos from fellow YouTubers on this subject that you may find useful.
- TIDRADIO TD-H8 Ham 10W Dual Band Transceiver Review ( IMSAI GUY )
- Does The Tidradio TD-H8 Actually Do What Is Advertised ? ( K8MRD RADIO STUFF )
So far from the time I spent testing this transceiver I admit that I am happy about it. It may not be the perfect radio, but I am sure that thanks to the feedback sent to Tidradio by you the users, it will continue to improve and get better. For the price, with the features available, I find it as a good upgrade from the simple Baofeng radio.
TIDRADIO TD-H8 FEATURES
First thing I noticed when holding it in my hand for the first time, was the rough construction. I know for sure that it won’t fall apparat in pieces if I accidentally drop it. The wiggly antenna is also a nice upgrade comparing it to the solid ones I am used to. Installing the programing app and connecting the radio to the phone was really easy to do. You know I’m not much into digital stuff and smartphones, but I admit I liked this.
Also programing it with the Chirp software was also easy with just a few extra steps as described in the video above. The battery life seems to be great so far, as I am literally charging it as I’m writing this article. This is a week after I received the radio and charged it for the first time. I had it on standby for a few hours a day, but also used it to try some satellite QSO’s. I will write another article next week and also demonstrate on how it performs on satellite work. I’m quite excited on using it for that.
If you watch other videos on YouTube you may find people complaining about all sort of things. I am not sure if they got an older model or is the same, because beside the low gain on the microphone ( solved ), everything else seems to be fine so far. Remember that if you do have issues, feel free to contact the support desk as they seem to be fast in answering and very helpful.
The menus are also easy to use and understand, making even the manual programing easy to do. I know that some are used using high-end VHF / UHF handhelds from well known brands. For that reason this transceiver may not impress you much. But for someone like me that just started in the hobby not so long ago, is a great radio to have on hand. The affordable price makes is great for beginners. If you liked the simple Baofeng radios, you will definitely love this one even more.
HAM RADIO OR GMRS ?
When I received the radio it was set as TD-H8. If you watch the video you will understand what is about when it also comes to the software you need to download. The nice feature is that you can actually set the transceiver as you wish. If you want you can unlock it three ways. You can either use it for Ham Radio, or if you want you can use it as GMRS radio. The third option is fully unlocked. Personally I use the Ham Radio option of course.
WORKING SATELLITES
Here you have a test on making satellite contacts using the Tidradio TD-H8. I thought that 10W of power comparing to the 5W from the Baofeng will not make a difference. Turns out it makes a big difference as I was heard right away. I will write a separate article on this.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I will be short as too much reading will take much of your free time. I am happy so far about the radio. I know that it will continue to improve even more and that is always the best thing. For the price it seems to be a quality radio. We cannot compare it with a high-end radio as those don’t come in the same price range and features. The affordable price makes it great for beginners. The 10W power output is also great, especially that it does outputs those 10W of power. The bluetooth programing on the go using your cellphone and the Odmaster app ( Apple Store version ) is also a great feature. All I can say is that I can’t wait to have fun with it. I hope you will like it as much as I do. That’s it from me, I go have fun doing satellite QSOs.
73 DE YO6DXE
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