[chirp_users] chirp_users Digest, Vol 111, Issue 13 - This just kills me (all)

Dennis Wage
Thu Mar 22 05:04:54 PDT 2018


What I am confused about is that my original post was not about radios at
all.

It was the fact that I had to pay almost $10 more than my UV-5R for a
remote for my Apollo gate.

How did this happen?  ;-)

Dennis M. Wage

245 Corum Hill Road
Castalian Springs, TN 37031
(615) 310-4242 Cell
(615) 562-5128 Home
http://hammondb3organ.net
http://overdubs.net

On Thu, Mar 22, 2018 at 6:44 AM, Chuck Hast <kp4djt at gmail.com> wrote:

> I just bought one the other day, a UV-5X3
>
> See comments in text below:
>
> On Wed, Mar 21, 2018 at 11:30 PM, Christopher F. Beesley <
> chrisbees2 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I've said it before and I'll say it again. The whole concept of
>> programmable devices that can be programmed to destruction by interfering
>> with the 'wrong' memory is flawed from the start and I don't understand why
>> people buy them. The whole concept of programmable devices that require the
>> use of non-standard cables which in turn require the use of out-of-date
>> drivers on the programming device is ridiculous. Why these radios have
>> gained such a following is beyond me. Why most of them have not been
>> returned for refunds the minute they exhibit the faults that I have read
>> about on here time and time again is also beyond me. Whatever happened to
>> Plug And Play?
>>
>
> I removed radio from box, put it on the charger, and made sure it was
> charged.
> Then I plugged USB device into computer, and radio started Chirp, told it
> what the radio was, downloaded the original radio data, made a copy and
> started from there.
>
>
>> As an example, even the cheapest printer has more complex user-selectable
>> parameters available than most of the programmable radios. Printers come
>> with drivers that work, with user-friendly user-interfaces that only allow
>> the programming of whatever is sensibly programmable, and with hardware
>> interfaces that are connected to the programming device via standard cables
>> available from the average supermarket down the road. When I bought my UV5R
>> it came with a programming cable that didn't work, and an incomprehensible
>> CD full of software that is mostly useless. When I finally got something to
>> work the user-interface to the spread-sheet lookalike was at best clunky -
>> I would describe it as awful. There were no instructions to speak of and no
>> support from the suppliers.
>>
>
> I read the manual that came with the radio, yes it was somewhat banged up
> English but it got enough information to me to be able to get the radio up
> and
> going with a minimum of fidgeting.
>
> I see that most of the issues seem to revolve around the USB drivers for
> windows, but alas, I do not have that issue as I use Linux. Perhaps a
> change
> of OS?
>
>
>> When I add up the hours I have spent and apply a reasonable hourly rate
>> it becomes obvious that these radios are not cheap at all.
>>
>> I recently read somewhere that recent handhelds from at least one of the
>> big three suffers from the same problems. That's it then - the end of
>> amateur radio is nigh. My one regret is that me and my UV5R have
>> contributed to that because I did not return it for a refund.
>>
>> (The UV5R is not a particularly good radio anyway. The colour display
>> uses far too much power and cannot cope with bright sunlight. Mono displays
>> are generally far better in both respects, and who really needs colour?)
>>
>> 73, Chris, an Amateur Radio operator since 1973.
>>
>
> Yes the screens can be hard to read in sunlight, and you probably do not
> want
> to drop one on concrete, but for the price it really can't be beat, and I
> have
> a few young people that I think I can get going to become amateurs because
> of
> these little radios.
>
> Oh yes it took me perhaps a total of 15 minutes (not counting the charge
> time)
> to go from box to loaded radio, so I do not consider that a lot of wasted
> time.
>
> Yes there are a lot of issues, but for what I paid to get on the air with
> it, it is
> chump change.
>
> I even have 220 mHz on the little box, something I have never had a real
> chance
> at playing with.
>
> When I travel for work it is neat to be able to access 3 bands and get on
> the
> air from the hotel room on those 3 bands. All for less than $60. Can't
> beat that.
>
> And then there is the TYT MD-380, DMR all over the place, those two radios
> have made my amateur radio activity a lot more universal, so I will take
> the
> "issues" every day if i can get from a device what I get from those two
> radios.
>
> Best regards and above all:
> ENJOY!
>
> --
> Chirp + Editcp + MD380Tools on Linux
> Celestial!!!
> Chuck -- KP4DJT
>
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