Tidradio H3 Review: My new toy

[Woody-202]

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I just picked this up a couple of days ago, it's Tidradio H3. This could quite possibly be a Baofeng killer. Here are some highlights:
- Small and light
- Built-in Bluetooth
- Adjustable mic gain with compression
- Long battery life
- USB-C charging
- USB-C Programming
- Supported by Chirp
- Comes in three flavors, ham, GMRS, and unlocked (all three are in the radio and are selectable via keypress at power on)
- Firmware is upgradable but not modifiable
- AM airband RX (not the best but very usable)
- Crossband Repeater
- Three power levels
- and the best part $30...
I am still messing with it, but I am happy with it. It can be programmed via Bluetooth but this is a bit of a misnomer, yes it can but
you must use the OEM software ODMaster on a tablet, phone, or PC.

It's one of my favorite handhelds.

 

[w9cll]

Update on the H3 radios:
I bought two of them in 2024. Both were working fine—no third-party firmware, no charging with the battery attached. Then, within a couple of days of each other, they just died. I turned them on and… nothing. Nada.

Strangely, after about a week, one of them came back to life. Magic? Maybe. Either way, that one has been working fine ever since. The other? Still dead.

On another note:
I also picked up a Tidradio H8 around the same time. It’s been rock solid—never let me down. While it doesn’t have all the features of the H3, it’s far better in actual day-to-day use.