When the Wouxun KG-UV8D VHF/UHF handheld radio was launched earlier this year featuring a large color screen, dual VFOs with crossband repeat, I knew I wanted to try one out. I recently ordered the radio from Powerwerx.com for $150, who becaue I'm local, had it delivered to me within a day.
The radio comes with the basic necessities that all Wouxun radios come with: radio, battery, antenna, belt clip, drop-in charger, wrist strap and manual. Here's a pic of the radio assembled next to the charger:
Although this radio isn't much smaller than the other Wouxun radios, the shape and size makes it feel really good in the hand. I think the ergonomics are excellent.
As you can see in the following picture, the radio is fairly small, similar in size to the Icom ID-51:
The KG-UV8D is slightly thicker than other radios on the market, but the rounded edges on the battery and main body still result in a comfortable fit in your hand. Here's a shot that shows how the thickness of the radio looks in my hand:
In addition to the large color screen, the radio boasts some really nice features. The dual VFOs can receive any supported band on either VFO simultaneously. This means that you can do VHF/VHF, VHF/UHF, or UHF/UHF...a feature few handheld radios support. The menuing system and key functions are similar to previous Wouxun radios, so the learning curve is light for experienced users. While the manual is sufficient, it is still written in rough English, so new users of Chinese radios still need to go through the learning curve to understand the operation. While there are significant improvements at "Westernizing" the manual and radio menus, there is still room to grow.
The frequency range of the radio that I received from Powerwerx was just the 2 meter and 440 bands. However, after using the frequency unlock software, I'm now able to TX/RX the following range: 136-173.9975 Mhz & 400-511.9875 Mhz. The software needed to alter the radio's TX/RX range can be found here.
The radio comes with the basic necessities that all Wouxun radios come with: radio, battery, antenna, belt clip, drop-in charger, wrist strap and manual. Here's a pic of the radio assembled next to the charger:
Although this radio isn't much smaller than the other Wouxun radios, the shape and size makes it feel really good in the hand. I think the ergonomics are excellent.
As you can see in the following picture, the radio is fairly small, similar in size to the Icom ID-51:
The KG-UV8D is slightly thicker than other radios on the market, but the rounded edges on the battery and main body still result in a comfortable fit in your hand. Here's a shot that shows how the thickness of the radio looks in my hand:
In addition to the large color screen, the radio boasts some really nice features. The dual VFOs can receive any supported band on either VFO simultaneously. This means that you can do VHF/VHF, VHF/UHF, or UHF/UHF...a feature few handheld radios support. The menuing system and key functions are similar to previous Wouxun radios, so the learning curve is light for experienced users. While the manual is sufficient, it is still written in rough English, so new users of Chinese radios still need to go through the learning curve to understand the operation. While there are significant improvements at "Westernizing" the manual and radio menus, there is still room to grow.
The frequency range of the radio that I received from Powerwerx was just the 2 meter and 440 bands. However, after using the frequency unlock software, I'm now able to TX/RX the following range: 136-173.9975 Mhz & 400-511.9875 Mhz. The software needed to alter the radio's TX/RX range can be found here.
Last edited:
