For all the Baofang fans out there, here are a couple of alternatives.

The TH-UV3R is a small dual band 2.5 W HT - similar to, but actually different than the Baofeng UV-3R. Moleculo overt at WorldWideDX has posted his review and he is extremely happy with it. I've got a few posts about it as well here.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Menl79A8MQ/T5FU9tFT9SI/AAAAAAAABmw/TSynl1CLKrE/s1600/TH-UV3R.jpg

The TH-UVF9 is a 4 W dual band HT. My notes about it are here.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MMcnxfCLHlU/T6fGia0V88I/AAAAAAAABpo/JoFvRF9xjqw/s1600/TH-UVF9_kight_radio.jpg

It really seems that TYT is stepping up their game. I'm tempted, because I need another couple of inexpensive Chinese HT sitting around the house, car, office, bathroom, laundry room.

Anyone have any experience with these TYT radios?

Cheers,
B

local elmer has the one on top...in 2m and 220

works well but he sas he's had a time with the programming software and working thru that...

he also bought the 220 mobile and it seems to be gtg as well....

both from radio-mart in ky

I was considering the UV-5R, but wanted to be able to charge via a port on the radio so I could use my PowerFilm charger. Now I think the TH-UVF9 is on the list. Thanks for the info. Looks like   409Shop has them for $75

http://www.radio-mart.net/TYT-TH-UVF9-Tri-Band-Handheld.html

This looks very interesting if they would do the correct 220 range for amateur use.  As in, I'll buy a couple of them interesting, if they're Part 90 approved.

I was really digging the old Moto cell phone display, but it appears the actual production units have a standard LCD.

I wonder how long before one of these companies does an "everything" HT, with low band/6m/4m, VHF, 220, UHF, and 900.  Poor man's MBITR.

Also reading where they have a quad band mobile in development.

Unfortunately it's 10m/6m/VHF/UHF  Would be more useful as 6m/VHF/220/UHF or even VHF/220/UHF/900

Yes, they have the quad band mobile coming. There is a lot of conflicting and confusing information out there. The quad band is the TH-9800, but they also sell some single band mobiles as a model TH-9800.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bK1D-7MFVE0/T85p2LLqpbI/AAAAAAAABvE/Sqwp2s6PsL8/s1600/kight_radio_9800-1.jpg

I'm sure Wouxun is working as hard as they can to get the KG-UV920R mobile out, but hopefully TYT and Vero Telecom will add some pressure to the game.

Cheers,
B

Interesting the one you listed shows triband, but the one listed on 409shop shows dualband.

I don't know if it's actually a triband radio or just confusion in translation.  Chinese spec sheets are often very confusing.  Different websites show the UVF9 as offering a dual band VHF/220 version, dual band 220/UHF, and this one shows triband.  Most all show the white-on-black display yet actual radios appear to be a typical black-on-grey LCD.

The TYT quad band mobile is listed as a "dual band" also on a spec sheet, presumably because it shows two frequencies at the same time.
Example:  http://www.kightradio.com/item.php?item_id=279&category_id=70

I really wish they'd offer a few more "commercial" oriented models - a simple low cost radio with no display, and/or radios that are limited to a simple single alphanumeric channel tag in the display.  Such setup in a low cost dual band HT would make some inroads into the commercial market.

ETA:
There seems to be a lot of "Kenwood" influence in some of the Chinese makers, I think it seems obvious that some of them are the OEMs for some Kenwood products (like when you use Kenwood programming software for the radios).  And Kenwood does have a triband (2m/220/440) HT, so I don't think it's out of the question that there is a similar triband HT from one of the Chinese companies.

From the main TYT page on Radio-Mart, they link to a brochure that also shows the TH-UVF9 as a dual band radio.

Cheers,
Brick
www.brickolore.com

Cosmetically this looks strangely like the front of a yaesu ft-8900.

Well, I spoke too soon - maybe.

I e-mailed Radio-Mart and they replied they "have the correct way to make it work on the 220MHz band also." So they they are saying the TH-UVF9 is a tri-bander.

I've now asked if it will do full power on 220 and if this is a software or hardware mode. I've seen other software mods that expand the frequencies on the Baofeng UV-3R and the Baofeng UV-5R, but the mods only expand the receive or the power out is next to nothing.

Cheers,
Brick
www.brickolore.com