Review on BTECH UV 25X4 Tri Band Mobile Radio by Scott Rao

I haven't had any problems with this radio that others have but I use it a little differently. 2m/70cm, UV-25X4 is used exclusively for 1.25m with single tape 5/8 wave whip. There aren't many options for 1.25M other than HT and I was happy to find the UV-25X4. It was installed as shown in the attached image. I screwed the bracket to the aluminum plate and put the plate in a pocket behind the passenger seat, routing the power cord to the cigarette lighter. That means I can't see the display while driving, but I don't care. I can switch channels with the microphone and rarely have to adjust the volume. An external speaker has been added with this handy CablesOnline 6" 3.5mm StereoTRRS 4-Pin TS Microphone Adapter, Black (IP-MIC2K). It doesn't matter at all. I used a simple built-in Ethernet cable (M to F). to extend the mic cable. Lightweight. Since my cigarette lighter plug is disabled when my car is not running, concerns about "stray current draw" have never arisen. The programming cable arrived two weeks after the radio, so I program most repeaters by hand I had to. Seriously it wasn't that hard. I'm baffled by people on here saying they couldn't do it. I just followed the instructions. When the cable arrived I used CHIRP to make a few more Adding out-of-state repeaters and the rest of the simplex links. There were no performance issues. A couple of repeaters can't be reached while driving at low spots, but I doubt more leis makes a noticeable difference. The TX sound was found to be good, the RX sound to be good. Since I only use the radio for 1.25m, the relay click problem never occurred. Although I didn't test it with a good wattmeter, no one I spoke to noticed the ten second drop in transmit power. Installing on a cheap wattmeter showed no drop after 25 seconds. I don't like it when reviewers blame *their* radio's quality problems on *all* radios. I had NO problems with Intermod as opposed to using HT for 1.25M. Filtering at 1.25M is very good and I use a single range whip. The Tri-Band Whip is an intermodal magnet. No problem with engine RFI reception despite using the cigarette lighter port. There are many menu settings, but all are "set and forget". In two months of use I never had to change the settings. The radio was also in my car during two months of the Minnesota winter (cold!) and it didn't affect the display or take time to warm up. I don't know how it will handle the heat yet, but it's not very difficult to take out either. CONS: Reverse ejection (menu 55) does not work or does not work as described in the instructions. The radio also makes a short beep like a pinball machine when you turn it on and you can't turn it off. Adding a programming cable, TRRS adapter, and Ethernet extender also added to the cost, but not everyone needs them either. not as easy to install as UV-25X4. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a decent 1.25MP FM rig. The product description lists an average power of 15W at 1.25m. Will be updated in 6 months but no problems in daily use for 3 months. A NOTICE. BTECH now offers the BTECH AMP-220 50W amplifier for 1.25m (220-225MHz), 30-50W output (2-6W input). ), Analog and digital modes, Compatible with all portable radios: BTECH, BaoFeng, Kenwood, Yaesu, ICOM, Motorola for this radio. EDIT: I've had this radio for a year with no problems. I use it every day and have added some 2m/70cm repeaters. Ignore the fear-inducing critics. EDIT: Almost two years with this radio, in all extreme weather conditions. It still works great.