Review on 📻 Enhanced QYT KT-8900D Mobile Transceiver: 25W, VHF 144-148MHz, UHF 420-450MHz, Dual Band Quad Standby Mini Car Radio by James Cabot

Although the radio is designed as "Mobile Two Way Radio, Dual-Band QUAD Standby VHF/UHF 136-174/400-480MHz, Mini Car Ham Radio" is described. it is an illusion. I'm not sure what "QUAD Standby" means or if I want that. The illustration shows 4 VFOs, but unless there's a trick I haven't discovered, you can't load individual bands or even band segments. in additional VFOs. I am using the RT Systems software and cable to download repeaters and radio system settings. After programming all the frequencies I needed, it took me just a few seconds to load the list into the KT-8900D. I couldn't use Chirp and the included data cable to download data. I spent about $50 more for the RT Systems software for the radio, which was only $79.95. I think it's worth it as the step by step process of downloading frequencies manually is time consuming and labor intensive. The radio will now display four bands on the front panel. ; A, B, C, and D. You can only scan one area at a time. The frequencies tuned into the radio are the same for all bands. Whatever you load into band A will be repeated on all bands. The extra 3 bands only make sense if you store different data in each VFO. For example, download your favorite repeater on band B, another repeater or a simplex frequency on band C, and finally the weather on band D. The same frequencies will be loaded on all 4 bands. Really not very helpful. A display strip 2m wide and 70cm wide is all you really get anyway. ATTENTION! If you want to control the public security bands, broadcasting outside of the amateur bands is not prohibited. I like to keep an eye on local fire and police frequencies and the KT8900D allows me to broadcast illegally on those frequencies too. I had to order two radios. The first device I ordered neither sent nor received. The size of this radio is perfect for my Ford Escape. I don't know of any 25w radio that I could hold my hand in, so I decided to take a chance and order another radio. So far this second radio has worked perfectly. I use a 5/8 Wave Hustler with a magnetic mount, which seems good enough for mobile work. I'd like a smaller antenna that doesn't hit the ledges on my ride through the Banks, but a shorter antenna means sacrificing performance. I live in a rural area and cannot sacrifice performance. I mentioned "Manual Stinks" in my title. Considering that this radio is made in China, they felt it was unnecessary to spend money on a true English translation. The result is "Kinglish", parts of which cannot be deciphered. The manual doesn't describe some of the features controlled by the menu settings, and even the front panel display and microphone controls aren't well described. I've been a Ham for a long time and I'm not afraid to experiment to see what the controls do. especially after realizing that there is a factory reset menu option. I think that after programming the necessary functions, there was enough space for menu items and the developer decided to add additional functions. It's nice to be able to customize the colors of the on-screen display. It really doesn't matter how you set your color preference, it's impossible to see the screen in bright light or sunlight. You can select the displayed frequencies or channel names. It would make sense to program a single line on the display to show the frequency and channel number on band A and the channel name on band B. Especially since the band settings don't make much of a difference for operation or setup anyway. Functions like "SCR" let you toggle scrambling on and off (I don't know if that means scrambling your signal or scrambling the channels of the scan order), as many explanations as STEP and SQL. Another strange menu setting is PMR. This seems to be a feature that the programmer will find useful as it has 15 optional settings. I have to play with her to understand what she's doing. Do not attempt to change menu settings unless you have the manual with you. manually and make note of the default settings before changing them. Always leave yourself a way in case the change doesn't meet your expectations. Even the illustrations showing the function of each button, knob or jack are wrong (pp. 5-7). Many new radio amateurs might buy this radio and be discouraged by poor descriptions. The labels are usually wrong. However, at $79.95 it's worth the price, especially if you're an experienced radio amateur and have an idea of what to expect from the controls. I'm not sure, but I think the only way to start scanning is by pressing the */SCAN key. It seems there is no other way. User groups such as QYT KT8900 / Juentai JT-6188 Mini Mobile Dual Band Radio Facebook Group (US Group) can be helpful to get answers to questions. Yahoo user group https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/KT8900/info. There is a user group and a Facebook page that might be helpful, but there isn't much information on those pages. I'm not sure if I can use the data entry to turn the radio into a dedicated packet radio. It helps to know something about VHF/UHF radios and remember that you can transmit and receive on any frequency from 136-174MHz. and from 400-480MHz. Many stations of interest lie outside the legal amateur radio bands, but no program will stop you from broadcasting illegally in those areas reserved for other services. All in all a very good compact radio that is worth the price. Poor manuals aside, the Chinese export some very serviceable radios, but be aware that you sacrifice a little for the low price. Take a close look at the specs and make sure this radio meets your needs. If you just want a basic radio that doesn't take up a lot of space, scans your local repeaters and you don't need a lot of administrative support, I heartily recommend this radio. If you need more, check out the Kenwood, Yaesu, and Icom radios, which cost many times more but have established user groups and generally well-written manuals.