Should We Buy Chinese Ham Radios?
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Should we buy radios from China? Should be buy ANYTHING from China? Here are my thoughts....
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#Hamradio #kc5hwb #baofeng - Jak na to + styl
I have audited Chinese manufacturing facilities for an American company who I used to work for here in the US. I can tell you firsthand that China runs the full spectrum of quality where manufacturing is concerned. I saw facilities that were positively Stoneage. I also saw facilities that boasted the finest manufacturing equipment, technology, inspection capability and methodology as anywhere in the world. BUT, for American companies to gain access to those high-end facilities means that the landed cost of the product, in the USA, is almost as expensive as if the manufacturing was done right here at home. That is likely why your racing wheels did not reflect the stereotypically lower price that we all associate with China - what I often refer to as the *Harbor Freight* mentality.
Furthermore, there are items - especially electronic items - for which we simply no longer have the facilities to produce here in the US. The truth is that it is virtually impossible today to buy any electronic item that does not have at least some Chinese content, whether it is assembled here or not.
As always, thanks much for sharing.
Steve
Great info
I love harbor freight. When I want to try something new on the cheap, they have it such as mig welder that actually works. They helped many hobbyists get started until deciding what the next step would be.
People on fixed income can't afford to spend more. Not made of money. Retired here on disabled income.
Everyone is on a fixed income. You can either afford your hobbies, or you can't.
The problem is the impatience of wanting things now when there is a (slightly) more expensive option that is not made in hostile nations such as China and not being willing to take the time to save the required funds.
@@HamRadio2That is the point, they can't. 😂
@@HamRadio2 It is not a hobby for me. My mom is 85 years old and I am going the way of GMRS. I bought a license and I can afford a Tidradio GMRS model for me and her. We both are close enough to a repeater. Please don't be offended, but not everyone looks at this as a hobby. I am actually a little offended that you make that remark. I do not talk on these things like the hobby guy does. My mother had her cell tower go down and was scared that she could not get a hold of me. This way she can. Please dear sir do not assume that we are all hobbyists . Some people like me are in the radio thing for actual backup coms. If I could spend 500 bucks for two radios I would. That said, none are made in America so telling people we will bring jobs back is kinda miss leading IMHO. That all said, I love your honesty and do watch your reviews. I respectfully ask to not just lump all of us that buy so called cheap china radios together. Those cheap China radios have a niche. For people like me that need an alternate form of coms in todays wild world and can't afford anything else on only Social Security. Please keep up the great service that you provide. I have learned a lot and hope to continue learning. Good day Sir.
@@jonathanwelter Read my reply to 2.0. The problem is that not everyone can afford better radios. I am almost offended at that kind of attitude. We that are on only Social Security deserve to have backup coms also. Unless because I am poor I do not deserve to be able to stay in touch with family during a cell tower outage. I respectfully suggest that we are all human here. And us that live on 1,500 a month deserve to be able to stay in touch during emergencies. Take care my friend.
...also, I have the xeigu g90, the "'trusdx" and a Kenwood ts2000x "shack in a box"...all fun, all great!
I really enjoy your channel. I like the fact that you talk about these issues. I can offer my perspective. I can't of course speak for others. I am into Ham radio as a hobby for myself, but I also have a prepper mind set so often times when I think about radios in terms of prep I think of how do I outfit the family. Therefore the price isn't one radio but 5 radios. In addition the prep radios are usually in a faraday cage or not used often because they are emergency communications. I hope I don't need them but it is good to have them, it's the same reason I have a fire place because sometimes its cold and the power goes out. The Baoefeng radios are also impressive when you consider I can hit a repeater from 20 plus miles away. I hold a GMRS license so I outfit my family with the Radioddity GMRS radios because the family can't use the Baoefengs because they are designed for Ham radio, but I'm bringing this up because I see the two handhelds as similar other than they are designed for different frequencies. I can get 5 or six raddiodity GMRS handhelds and the whole family has a radio. We live in a small town that is 5 square miles so these radios provide more than city wide emergency communication. Then I know that in an emergency we all have a communication tool. I'm sure more expensive radios may have advantages but if we are talking prep a family man has to negotiate price point versus quality. I hope that makes sense. I was able to put up a GMRS repeater at 70 feet in a tree and give everyone in my family a hand held radioddity combined with a Retevis repeater and all of this for around $500. $500 is a lot of money but it's not thousands and that is cheaper than one of the expensive mobile radios often times, not all, but some, or let's say two mobile radios. Now I have a Ts680s Kenwood circa 90s for HF but I bought that used for $300 off of ebay from Japan, and I have a TYT 9800d for my truck. That means for less than 1500 my family has a emergency communication system, I have HF and mobile 2m, 70 cm capability. Now my situation is very different than let's say someone who is only outfitting themselves or even a couple. I make decent income but I'm not high income, somewhere in the middle but this set up was a stretch for me and took me a year to pay for. I hope this makes sense. It really is economics and your motivation for radio. Is it a hobby, is it a prep or is it both? What is it you are trying to achieve with your radios. If I buy one expensive radio and it quits working I have no communication. If I buy 5 inexpensive radios and 2 quite working I still have 3 working radios. One is none and 3 is one. I have some radio operators that won't talk to me because I use handhelds and I think that isn't good for the hobby either, a bit of snobbery I think. It makes people think they can only enjoy radio if they are wealthy. I don't think that is the spirit of Ham or GMRS radio or at least it shouldn't be. I do however care about spurious emissions so I make an effort to use radios that are type accepted for the frequency that I'm using, for example Baoefeng makes a GMRS type accepted handheld now, and of course stick to ham frequencies on the Baoefangs as well. Keep the videos coming! Take care and 73 KK7RUV.
Another thing is that every time the companies have a new handi, you have to get new batteries for them
I remembered the Icom 2at, and the Radio Shack 202 and 404 used interchangeable battery packs, et. al.
True
13:04 - "We, as a ham radio community, need to stop being so cheap."
I'll flip this on it's head: show me the American-made, affordable (for people that aren't CZcams influencers), HF radio that has a modern feature set. Heck, show me the American-made, affordable, HT with a modern feature set.
I'll wait right here.
The fact is, America is a *post* -industrial country. We don't make stuff here anymore. We haven't made stuff here for decades.
I donno when y'all grew up, but all that manufacturing that *used* to occur here...be it steel, or cars, or...Amateur radio kit? All that manufacturing went overseas almost half a century ago.
Collins? Swan? Drake? Heathkit? Anytime any of these companies wants to re-launch and make modern radios that compete favourably with Japanese and Chinese manufacturers, I'd welcome it.
The Japanese Amateur manufacturers have been slowly pricing themselves out of the market for two decades. You want to know why your 'feng video got eleventy-billion views and the Kenwood D-75 video got a handful? --because very friggin' few hams can afford an $800 HT - especially when it's essentially the same as the $700 D-74 and added *one* feature and a colour display versus the $500 D-72a...which, by the way, was overpriced when *it* was released, as well. There's literally *nothing* about the D-75 that justifies an $800 pricetag: it's price gouging, yet many CZcams influencers will get up and say, "This is *awesome* !! * when, in fact, it's pretty much the same as an Anytone at twice the cost.
I'm sure that if an American company came up that could compete with the Japanese on price, features, and accessories, that they'd probably sell a bunch of radios. But nothing like that exists: Elecraft markets almost exclusively to CW operators - which is the *minority* of US hams at this point. Ten-tec hasn't been a player for at least a decade, and their radios -- when they were making like the Omni -- were *really* expensive.
Flex ? -- Who the *hell* can afford that? -- and, how'm I gonna put *that* in a backpack and hike 2 miles into the woods? I mean, from what I hear they're awesome rigs for a shack, but an increasing number of us simply don't operate like that anymore. Do they offer a portable rig that doesn't require a small nuclear power plant to run it? No, no they don't.
So, what's left? If you are in the market for a modern HF rig, most of the offerings by the Japanese are $800 - $1500 or more. Elecraft doesn't offer *any* modern features, and they're *not* affordable rigs.
So, what's left?
And, for all those that say, "Buy once, cry once" -- first, that's assuming one can actually *afford* a $1300 rig...many people simply can't. But, it's not just about that one rig, is it? --because it's not like new features don't come out that practically obsoletes a very expensive rig in a handful of years. So, if you want modern features in a radio, it's "Buy once, cry once....then buy again, and cry again...rinse and repeat."
So, once again....show me that affordable, modern, American-made ham radio.
I'll wait right here.
Personally? I don't need a whole lot of bells and whistles on my Amateur kit -- just like I don't need produce in my beer. But, I also don't think those features should price most hams out of the market for a modern rig, either.
Oh yeah...and I'll just point this out: if the major manufacturers are going to charge outrageous amounts of money for a modern rig, maybe give value for money and adhere to modern standards? -- that X-65 thing or whatever that Icom was teasing at Dayton had a flippin' DVI video output on it. DVI -- really? Who uses DVI anymore, outside of *maybe* the broadcast industry, for *legacy* equipment? USB-C -- how long did it take for *that* standard to actually be fielded in ham radio kit? Would it be too much to ask that if we're going to be charged twice what the rig *should* cost, that we don't immediately have to go out and try to source an adapter to convert a DVI signal to HDMI, so something other than a 2005 monitor will display whatever video the radio outputs?
"Don't be so cheap," -- indeed.
You worded this a lot more eloquently than I did...but I commented a similar sentiment just a moment ago.
The point I was making is that we shouldn't be cheap but then also complain about pricing. Buy cheap, go ahead. But don't cry about it. Buy expensive, go ahead. You'll see the difference in receiver sensitivity, front-end rejection and band pass filtering.
You're just repeating what I said about HTs and other radios not being made in the USA, so I guess you agree with me there.
Also there's this place called a Used Market. Look on the QRZ swap pages or eBay. Find a used Elecraft or FlexRadio for less money. Be impressed when you see the difference in receiver quality.
Also for the "CZcamsr Influencer" comment - I see what you're saying but never have any of these companies given me a free radio.
Good video!!Enjoyed
Glad you enjoyed
A basic rule of economics, cheap/inexpensive (your choice of adjective) Chinese products will eventually force competition out of the market. Without competition, the Chinese will be able to raise prices (supply/demand). Then we will have expensive Chinese goods. Jason's example - Method racing wheels. This is why I don't buy Chinese if at all possible, as I won't shop at Walmart, who has forced competitors out of the market across many small towns in the US.
They sell radios that Midland didn't make. Midland is finally making a GMRS handheld that works with repeaters. They should have put that radio out years ago.
Sam Walton would be rolling over in his grave if he knew how the company was now!
It's impossible to own nothing made in china. However, when there are alternatives, I choose those.
Yep
Well even the Yaesu FT 5 is made in China and the the casing cracks all on its own. I own a Hytera PD 785 which has been dropped several times no cracks to be found.
Remember when most of the cheap radios were made in Hong Kong?
I would gladly buy made in Japan, Korea, Taiwan or Indonesia if I had those choices.
That is exactly where all the radios are made today. Check it out. Even Motorola is made over there.
About those vintage components we no longer make: When Rockwell Collins got rid of their thruhole lines in favor of SMT back in the late 1980s the company scrapped great heaping skids of thruhole parts. I couldn’t let the stuff get discarded so I asked management if I could grab a few parts. Reply was take it all if you want it! But I’d better not see it turn up at First Saturdays Swap Meet!
Well, it did not. I still have all these parts. Motorola 2N3866’s with the batwing logo? Check. Japanese made TLO74’s? Yep. Spools of copper magnet wire with high temperature insulation? Pounds of it. If the SHTF and people need spares for classic radio gear I’ll be set for life🤣
Of course nowadays when a couple of MRF300s can make 600W cruising, those old MRF parts and MWA hybrids are kinda museum pieces. Time moves on.
Pretty much any decent Motorola radio that's affordable now was manufactured 15-20 years ago in Plantation FL, USA. Some of the parts might be manufactured elsewhere but they were predominantly manufactured here in the USA.
After replying to 3 semi hostile comments that obviously look down on us with little income, I'm just going to stay on the sidelines for any more comments. Unless you can eat, pay for your meger double wide trailer, keep a 25 year old rusted out vehicle repaired, on 1,500 a month, you have no right to insult me with some of these comments. I will do what I have to for emergency coms in this crazy world. Take care all and God Bless.
There are more of us in this situation than there are not. Stay strong. You are a survivor. I'm with you, brother.
I am sorry if anyone insulted you. I love ham radio and belong to a club but rarely go because I got intimidated by the high prices of equipment they owned. But I decided not to give up.
I watch them all...love that TID h3 and my Yeasu vx-6!!
My first radio was a Baofeng UV-82. It's what got me started in the hobby and why I now have three Kenwoods and an Alinco. All of these were previously owned as I, too, find much of the new equipment has too many zeros in the prices for my budget. I also now have two Quansheng HT's (one bought just for it's larger battery). I bought the Q radio because I was intrigued by its capabilities/mod-abilities, and for the $25-ish price? Why not?
When I talk on either CCR, Nobody can tell I'm not on a K/Y/I handheld. The front end washes out rather easily, but other than that, it's a great little radio. The CCR's serve a purpose, without which many people might not consider or be able to enter the hobby.
I think it’s the software that comes with some radios that you end up putting on your computer that people are concerned about.
Also, some radio want you to go to their site to download the software I.e. the APX8000 clone by Hamgeek which by the way has a major speaker mic issue changing channels, bands and frequency on its own after using the mic for a few minutes.
I never heard that about Ready Player One, but I can totally see it referencing Woz, co-creator of Apple.
I forget where I read that, but it was more than one place. Heck, maybe I am wrong, but it is definitely something I read somewhere, even if that source is wrong.
Do I have Chinese Radios ? Yes I do. The Bottom Line with Chinese Electronics is we do not know exactly what is in the Software, Firmware or IC circuits and this could come back to Bite us..
Agreed
Yeah, the USA would never think to put backdoors into US made products and software to spy on their own people.
Exactly, does someone know the answer to find out?? Just FYI, a building contractor in Palm Beach County Florida used Chinese drywall to build houses. People moved into those houses and got sick and had to vacate them. My point has been made, 73s.
But will they explode? Probably not. Will they so something against us, or be used against us, if we went to war with China? Who knows, but I am sure someone has dug into these radios enough to know!
if the Chinese snoop on my communications they might accidently come to know Jesus...
Thanks,
Welcome
These being software defined, can they be hacked like computers? Especially from elsewhere?
Jason , when getting started in this hobby . When you start by home stations transceivers , shold we look at units that are usable on the next license you planning on getting next . Only for saving money on the eadios and not illegally transmitting on those frequencies. If im weong help me out
Sure, that's a good plan
It's a chicken and egg problem. We sold all our manufacturing equipment off when NAFTA started up. Nobody is willing to spend millions to setup a factory and then make less money to build it here than to build it somewhere else. Also you gotta keep up with technology so you cant just let your tooling get old and outdated. It's a challenge.
I was just telling my friend about how I don’t like my TYT UV390 very much, because it’s not good at face programming, and I would rather have bought a Yaesu. The same goes for analog. A Yaesu FT65R is just so darn easy to face program, that it pays for its self in time alone spent to do the same stuff on a Baofeng.
Buy once, cry once is real, and I’m done wast my time with cheap radios. I’d say if you can’t afford a Yaesu and think a Baofeng is just as good, you’re doing yourself a major disservice. Waiting another paycheck or two for a better radio is the better move, every time.
Open up your "Made in U.S.A." radio and see how many parts are made in another country, including China. In fact, open up any electronic item in your house and see if you don't find the same damn thing. I don't care who it is made by, if I can afford it, I will buy it.
Should read, "Assembled in the USA."
@@DominicMazocheven say "Final assembly in USA"...
No radios are made in the U.S.A. All are made overseas. Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, China, Philippines, Mexico, etc. etc. Midland, ICom, Kenwood, Motorola, all of them are made over seas. Not one is made in America. As far as hostile nations are concerned, we have beefs with almost all of them on some level. That said, Agreed that china is one of the most hostile. But it is what it is. Budget dictates.
I remember when the current big 3 makers started in the US and heard that they can't compete with Collins, Drake, Swan etc. Well, you see where that ended up. I have several HT's made in China and had a HF radio that worked great. HF Radio's of the top three are now so high in price that I will probably never buy a new one anytime soon, except maybe another China made HF. Nice to have money but there are a LOT of hams on limited income. Now on HT's, years ago I had a HT from one of the big 3, and after sending back 3 times for repairs, on the 4th time I ask for my money back and bought a different brand and it wasn't one of the big 3. Just my 2 cents.
What got me about the Ic 705 was you could not use any antenna impedance matcher using the AH-4 standard. As expensive as thar radio is, that is an insult.
My 746Pro died. Used my 703, then upgraded to the 7300. All LDG, Hiel, and Icom itsms plugged and played..
I'll agree with that
I bought my first Baofeng close to 15 years ago and it's still working with it's original battery... Enough said
My original RadShack HTX-202 that I bought in 1994 still works also
@@HamRadio2 RadShack wins
funny reading this just now, I dropped my Baofeng UV-5R yesterday and it hit directly on the bottom. The little plastic tab that holds the battery lock broke off and now I have to buy a new battery. I'll probably spend $10 more and get a larger, USB-C rechargeable one. Incremental upgrades.
@@markfowler6200The USB large one is worth it.
If American companies want to compete with foreign companies, they will have to build better products, and cost cheaper. That means cheaper materials, assembly and labor! And that just isn't going to happen in our economy, and with the American wages and work ethics!
I appreciate your video. I would love to buy more US made products (for all of my hobbies, including overlanding, woodworking, and electronics). I make the effort, but tend to ultimately decide what to buy based on quality, performance, and the features I want. I don't buy cheap - and would be happy to buy more US - if they are available.
Agreed
Hey I bought a Tudor royal day date watch this year
If you follow the commodities markets for the raw materials used to manufacture electronic appliances I should imagine it would be exceedingly difficult to avoid any primary materials from China, or have not moved through their markets.
I make no value judgement as to the question if that is good, bad or indifferent but I suspect it is the cold reality.
For me it is less about price and more about flexibility. The $500 plus handhelds and most of the base stations made in US have very limited use in comparison to the wide availability of amateur/HAM radio frequencies. You would have to own more then a few of these very expensive radios to be able to talk or listen up and down the bands and they seem to rarely be unlockable to expand at least your listening options. I think that is the main reason the Quensheng radio has exploded recently. People look at it and say wow regardless of the price that radio can be unlocked and modified to let me at least listen to all HAM and amateur radio bands and talk on quite a few. Now I know that as you move away from the "sweet spot" of the radio its performance falls off, when transmitting in particular, and that it is against the FCC rules to transmit with a radio like this outside of it's intended band(spurious emissions), but I think most people are just saying no to buying a lot of radios, let alone expensive radios, so they can have access to the the fullest possible radio spectrum. Unlike HAMS they don't care about the fall off of performance or sound quality, sometimes I think they just want bragging rights about their radio's access. Just my two cents. I would much rather buy a high quality American radio that has a lot of flexibility but sadly I do not know of any. I want to be as least able to listen to almost anything and I want to be able to talk well to as many as possible that I am licensed for, thinking of HAM and GMRS together when I finish my HAM license.
Yes -- if they are fcc type accepted-- icom does not seam to mind. Because they have not lowered their prices to compete.
I have a TYT 9800 in a man pack setup. Works pretty good for a $175 radio. If it gets a new Ham on the air, then it’s a good idea.
Yes I agree that they are a good entry-point tool.
I do try to buy as much made in the US as I can, but if you’re gonna live, it’s impossible not to get at least a few things from China. I do prefer radios from the big four. I think they’re higher quality and I’m still using my Kenwood D 74 it’s great, and also worry about admissions from some of the cheapest radios
Yep
In all honesty, I think the Chinese radios kind of gave a wake up call to all the other companies. They let them know that we can build a radio that people want with the features they have been asking for. Such as type C connector charging. Personally I own a uv5r that is my knock around radio, and a UV17 pro max which has impressed me. I bought it solely for 220 use but the thing actually does the 10 watts they say it will, and works great with the quality replacement antenna I got for it. But mainly, I think these are good radios for someone who is just starting out until they can save up for a better quality radio. However on your advice from another video I bought the Anytone 5888 UV III tribander, and this radio has totally impressed me. Easy to use and program, and with the detachable face option this was a total win. I'm actually thinking about getting another as a base unit. So there is a place for the Chinese radios but always buying quality never hurts. And for the record, my favorite ht still to this day is my Kenwood TH-F6.
I think you should discuss this issue on the Maritime Mobile Service Net and see what they think.
Lol
TID, Baofeng, and even Talkpod are all offering the entrance. But, if you wanna learn more, you can not stay at the entrance for a long time
True
We live in a Wal Mart society, we buy for price alone. As long as it can be made at a cheaper price in China or neighboring countries , we already know it will be a cheap quality, companies will do it. I do not not always buy price I buy for quality. Yes I pay more upfront but my 2011 Mercedes SUV has been paid for for a while and runs just as good as it did when I got it. Bet you can't say that about a 13 yr old Kia with 180K on the odometer.
Just bought a FTM-200D; Yaesu made in china. Audio keeps cutting out.
How old is it? Supposedly they moved all manufacturing back to Japan a couple of years ago.
Made 2023
Very well said. I think I agree with all of it, minus your Apple take
I figured I would get some flack about that one...
My Kenwood TH77-A HT finally quit working. It no longer transmits. It still does everything else, and all software options work still. It just won't transmit anymore after 33 years... It cost me $350 when new in 1991. And I really miss my TH77-A. I am presently trying to decide on my next quality HT. As you said, you can buy stuff that will be tossed out or stuff you may end up being handed down to your family when you're no longer around. And I would not be surprised of everything you transmit on a Chinese radio is sent back to the CCP...
Try replacing the transmitter transistors.
Sent back... How? And assuming it's sent back - I'm sure they're enjoying Joe talk about how he mowed his lawn or Jim with his myriad of health problems.
I do not own nor will ever own a Baofeng, QYT, Quansheng, TIDRADIO or Talkpod radio. It is not that they are made in China, it is that they are poorly made and / or no quality assurance. TYTs are ok, I have three TYT radios (two DMR and a FM Tri-band). I have been very pleased with the quality and performance of Anytone and Wouxun Radios (I have one of each; AT-D878UV & KG-UV8H). However, my go-to radios are made by Yaesu. My very first radio was the Yaesu FT-65, and I still use it daily. I also have one Icom (ID-52) and one Alinco radios (DJ-VX50). If money was not an issue, I would buy from Elecraft and / or FlexRadio both are outstanding companies. I do own a BuddiPole antenna and I am very happy with its performance.
Thanks for the Video,
KC3TBC, 73s
Well done
Thanks
I like the UKV5 Chinese radio because you can put your own firmware in to it , no danger because you are the one who knows exactly whats in there
Eh kinda, it’s still made by someone else and the hardware is a bit sketchy in a few ways, but yeah I like mine too even though I’ve got a yaesu ht along with it. My yaesu can’t do SSTV and WSPR / APRS spotting 😁.
I got started in the hobby with a Baofeng HT, like many others. Eventually upgraded to Yaesu, Icom and recently Kenwood. The more I got into the hobby, I wanted radios with more capabilities. That's where Baofeng HT's fall short. The more capabilities a radio has, the higher the price.
You did it exactly correctly. I have said many times that your path is the one to take. Congrats.
Sorta like my friend in the Corvette club. The guys spend all this money on Corvettes so they can talk Corvettes with their other buddies who own Corvettes. If you buy a radio with all those bells and whistles, you can really only use that stuff with others who have compatible bells and whistles. Your ability to send GPS location and text messages is to hobby with other guys that can receive GPS and text messages. No need to tell somebody else that their cheap handheld that meets their needs (voice comms) is junk, or that they need to upgrade. You buy for the capabilities you wish to pay for an you can use.
@@markfowler6200 That's why I upgraded to better radios. Having some more capabilities doesn't hurt in the long run.
@markfowler6200 - bells and whistles are one thing but the more expensive radios have cleaner transmitters and better receivers also
Can't get service info---have 3 china radios----work as long as the warranty was good one lasted 2 week the other lasted 2-3 months! No one hear to service it. My icom-706mk2 25 years old--Drake TR-7a is older and others .
Yep, exactly
I think anyone just getting into Ham should buy Chinese. That's going to be the cheapest that actually works. How well it works is irrelevant. My first welder was a cheap Chinese one. It's purpose was to get me into welding without breaking the bank. And at a price point that if I got into it and decided I didn't like it, I wouldn't worry about giving it a way to someone else who was looking to get into welding. Currently I have a Miller and Lincoln. The Chinese one died after a year, but I was hooked by then.
This is a tuff but good question with no easy answer.
I have a working ICOM IC-7300 and an IC-718 (Japan). I also have had 2 meter radios made by Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, and Alinco. They didn't operate or last any longer than my 2 meter, 220, and 440 radios made in China. As far as features and price, China smoked the name brands. My wife and I are both Hams and we have carried the same 2 BaoFeng handi-talkies for 10 years and they still work as well today as the day we bought them. The BaoFengs cost 75% less than the name brands. The TYT's cost half as much and the QYT tri-bands cost less than $100. OK, of the 6 QYT''s I had one to drop down to 1 watt after about a year of use in the car. I even bought a dualband BaoFeng DMR handi-talkie for about $70 and it sits in the charger 24/7 and is connected to a speaker mike and a base station antenna. I have no issues with it. Just try to buy any dual-band DMR radio and see what ridiculous price you have to pay. I have about 20 BaoFeng UV5R's that are 5 watts and 8 watts. Not one of them has quit on me. Considering the prices that I paid, one could say that they are disposable radios. Well, that's also true of my ICOM, YAESU, KENWOOD, and ALINCO radios because I only have one working ICOM 2 meter radio left. The others went in the trash.
Not sure I agree with that
I agree with you, when I can buy something made in the USA, or other countries for that matter, I do. I find many Chinese made products are either stolen ideas from the US, Japan, or European countries, or if the hardware is well made then the firmware or customer support is bad. That said, the Chinese can and do make hi quality products that just cannot be purchased from the USA or other countries. Then in these cases I buy Chinese. If the USA wants to get back into manufacturing then they are going to need to learn how to compete on a global scale and adopt a different business ethic. I just don't see that happening anytime soon on a large scale.
I bought on 'feng', so my sister could listen to the net when dangerous storms are coming thru. It will never be used to transmit. The power is at it's lowest setting, and will not hit the repeater even if she accidentally keyed it. I buy Japanese. I want the extra quality, and am willing to save up to purchase such. I do not trust China on too many levels to do regular business with them. Clearly, they can not be completely eliminated, especially if your budget is low. Still, I can (and do) restrict what I purchase from there. Edit: Until restrictions are removed from manufacturing, both government and unions, it will be very difficult if not impossible to build in the States. Both are reasons why we don't have a steel industry anymore.
I'm a prepper and a fucking baller. Every time I go to buy a 7300 I think to myself "dam that's like 66 baofeng uv5rs..." then I proceed to buy more uv5rs
So now that you own 66 baofengs, you could have bought that 7300! 😢
😂
I don't know a serious prepper who would buy a Baofeng.
Let me clarify I'm a fucking baller because I can focus in on business and I can do that because I have ADHD. I'm always loosing things. I love baofengs all the time.
interesting vid -
Used gear is often better than new cheap gear - and many of us are old guys on limited retired people budgets. But there is no excuse for the younger hams, and we NEED more younger hams or the whole thing dies.
I'll watch those Baofeng videos because I have them. I'm not going to watch a Kenwood, icom, or yeshu video because I don't own them and with their price.. I probably will not own one of them.
To your point. I do not watch travel videos about somewhere I'm not going to go.
If yeshu, icom, et al came down in price vs their competition they'd be worth considering. Just because its assembled in "japan" doesn't mean the components are made in japan.
Baofeng disrupted the market and the old entrenched manufactures need to see the writing on the wall.
By the way, I still have AND USE my original Baofeng uv-5R from 2013.
"overpriced" is a subjective and relative term.
I still have an use my RadShack HTX-202 that I bought in 1994
Yes, Iphones are ₱100k+ prices here for new models for older model some are ₱69k the oldest is ₱3k only
I do not expect an I,Y,K, or A handies to be $25.00. But a George Jetson simple radio for under $100.00. Y I think has that sort of rig.
For some items, it is a question of actual use! I am not a Ham operator but I volunteer with trolley museums that do. They buy groups of radios for volunteers to use. Typically, they are name brand units and we have multiple batteries. One museum is all over the map with procedure while the other is strict and broadcasts its call sign regularly.
For me, one museum is on UHF and one is on VHF. A decent radio that works for both means I can be self sufficient. So I want to know about various units! Value is more important than low price!
US factories not being flexible is just BS! It is poor management that cannot respond! And electronics require automation which requires planning and investment.
So what do we expect consumers to do?
i've been saving up for an icom for the last two years, every time I come close my car needs a repair, the house needs a repair or we're hit with a medical bill. At this rate I might be able to afford a used icom 7300 in ten or fifteen years. Yeah I know, wah wah cry me a river work harder blah blah blah. Ham Radio is a dying hobby, and gatekeeping isn't going to help that.
I agree, it would be nice to see more Made in the USA in all things we buy. Hopefully sooner than later.
I was in a conversation with someone and I said I own a G90. And wow I got an ear full on Chinese junk. I could have said, well what about your cell phone, tv or laptop and such…But I didn’t as I know it would happen at some point talking radio.
Either way the G90 is all I need for now, unit it craps out on me.
Quality CAN be made in China, as evidenced by your wheels and other high-end stuff that's made in China without the knowledge of most American consumers. The issue is that most American shoppers demand low prices, especially in 2024, which are facilitated by the low production costs in China and our acceptance of disposable junk from WalMart, Amazon, and other places with tight relationships with Chinese companies. More to the topic of the video, I'm not much of an HT person. Still, when my FT-11R was either lost or disposed of years ago due to lack of serviceability, I eventually bought a UV-5 to see if my ham interests would pick up. I found the 'feng to be an exercise in frustration. Later, I bought an ID-51 that provided the quality, programmability, and performance that I had come to expect when I had Yaesu dual-banders. Much better! Now, as you know, I'm up to my neck in radios!
Hytera radios, made in China, are very good quality.
jason, I will not buy a chinese radio primarily because they do not support the amateur radio community. Icom, Yeasu, Kenwood and Flex all support the hobby. I have radios from all 4 and will continue to purchase from these 4 manufacturers. Their equipment works well and are clean. NM5BB
The mention about cheap throw-away radios reminds me of cheap fast fashion. Bad for the environment, bad fashion, feels bad when wearing it. While there's lots of debate about manufacturing in China, I think you hit one subject that hams are cheap... maybe. Hams have no problem spending thousands on a HF rig but shudder when having to spend more than $50 for a handheld. About 20 years ago I was talking with a Larsen antenna guy at IWCE convention in Las Vegas, he does not like to deal with hams because they are cheap. I did say I am a ham and I equipped my car with Larsen antennas. Those antennas are still doing well, I can't recall if they were that much more than other antennas. With a quality product you will forget how much you paid for it when you've been using it for years. "Fast" radios are like fast fashion, constantly running the hamster wheel getting new stuff instead of using the stuff.
Everyone needs to take a course on economics. The presidents of companies have moved construction of products elsewhere because of the cost in the USA. What causes that? The Federal Reserve Bank. They have 2 directives. One, keep USA inflation low. Two, keep USA employment high. They do neither. Check it out for yourself.
People will buy the cheapest that meets their need. Does it recieve and when you push the botton does it transmit? 👍
Yes, there are quality issues with some Chinese radios but I'm very glad China is making this cheap radios for new hams starting in the hobby. That said, I use Yaesu and Icom mostly, but I have Chinese radios too.
I am glad they make entry-point radios also
The problem with buying Chinese built radios is that where else are going to buy one? Even Icom , Yaesu most of their parts are made in China or more high quality Taiwan if China gets way soon to be part of China.
A defense contractor used parts made in North Korea…in some of their products for the GI’s. I don’t see this ending soon.
73! Have a great day!
I’d rather not buy anything made in China at all. Unfortunately though, so many things you have no choice. Nearly everything is made in China. And as for Australia being big into manufacturing…… we make very little here these days. All we do now is dig holes in the ground, export coal, iron ore and gas. And unfortunately our government is addicted to the revenue from it, and can’t kick the habit.
IF I could buy a radio that was not Chinese made but at a price point where I wouldn't care if I drop it off a tower or loose it, I would buy. Unfortunately that is not the case. For $35 I can buy a TD-H3 which works great and even passes spurious emissions test after latest firmware update.
I just bought a pair of TD-H3s for my me and my wife for $52 on Amazon. That was a big expenditure on our very limited finances. Fantastic and very flexible little transceiver. Ham (2m, 1.25m, 70cm), GMRS, FRS, NOAA, FM broadcast, a good flashlight, and an analog scanner all in a compact $26 HT. I reject the philosophy that just because were poor, we should be excluded and don't deserve to be part of the hobby or have alternative means of communications.
I will never have the money for ic 705 for one and two I am not a icom fan I have a 7300 I told a hand full of people I know I would trade straight up for a Dx 10 or a ft 710
My FTDX10 is my primary radio for portable ops. But I still have my 7300 also
@HamRadio2 i have a 891 for my portable ops but 7300 is a nice radio but at the time i got my 7300 i didn't have the extra 400$ or so for the Dx10 so i got the 7300
Your right about China products are everywhere and less expensive, however radios and ham equipment is for most of us a hobby and not a money making venture. I for instance have had a ham call since 1974 and just now really enjoying the hobby and the CZcams Ham professionals as your self. Now I am retired and blessed to have a good nest egg and have bought the less expensive HT China made radios to play and give away to new hams. Just watched your Tidradio H3 , bought one and enjoy the hell out of it and will give that away as I find a new Ham. I respect your views and agree that we need more USA products. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, love the fact you hunt, RV, Big Truck and Live life. One comment I hope you have a little God in your world. Al KI5Cy
My ham gear is a mix of Japanese, Chinese and American made. I guess I have all the bases covered.
Hrm. All those Meshtastic chips and USB drivers are made in China too. 😮
Pretty much impossible to avoid Chinese products at this point.
Yes
Weather or not a product is made in China, putting that aside. I think it’s important to have cheep products on the market that way we won’t be gouged to death with all high prices on products. Dose it really cost $400 to manufacture an HT? Most likely not. What’s the mark up over cost? 200% to 300%? Cheep products help keep that down in the market. My thoughts for what it’s worth.
Well companies don't sell things at cost, so the cost is kind of irrelevant. I don't care what the markup is, they have as much right as anyone else to make a profit. Having said that, these radios don't have a 200-300% markup, according to my info.
Also the quality of the cheaper stuff is cheaper. If you see the extra features, cleaner signal, and better receive sensitivity on the higher end models, you'll understand where that money goes.
I don't disagree with you about an inexpensive alternative to get people started in radio. But I also like to call a spade a spade. Let's just all agree on what these cheap radios are and let's agree they're not as good as the higher priced models
I avoid PRC products when a reasonable other choice is available.
I don't buy Baofeng because there are far better radios on the used market, at reasonable prices.
Yes
Thats like asking should we buy iphones, day to day items from walmart, home depot etc.
Exactly. That was my overall point in the video. Thanks for watching
Content creators worried about views make videos for money not for subject matter and love of hobby. Why the cheap radios get more views is because preppers Have a mindset where they need to buy at least something until they can upgrade at a later time.
The prepper mindset is newer than this channel is. They probably view the videos today, but I have been doing this for 9 years.
"Worried" about views isn't accurate. But the higher viewed videos means that the subject matter is more popular. If I wanted only views and didn't care about the hobby, then I would make another channel about a subject people have heard of and understand, not about Ham Radio.
Don't count me in on your statement that we all want to see Baofart radios. And I just hit the subscribe button so you have to listen to me...ha ha ha. I'm trying to find one of those stickers that show a boy peeing on things but put a Baofart radio on the sticker that he's pee'ing on.
Send me one of those, if you find it
I have Icom and Kenwood for my HF radios and Wouxon KG-920 and Yaesu FTM-400 in vehicles Yaesu Ft 60 Boefeng UV5R and G (for GMRS)and Tidradio TD-H3 for Ht's they all serve their purpose and they all have issues of of their own issues. The Icom 7300 is my favorite for HF Wouxon for mobile because true dual channel watch but I like The FTM-400 for the APRS, I hate the FT-60 because it only 32.watts out and kills batteries quick, Boefengs are like spinning a roulette wheel to see what you get but I love the TD-h3 for power clean signal and functions. I see a lot of comments basically saying if you basically if you don't make a modest living don't be a ham and to that I say how else are we going to grow the hobby. Just because you can afford a high dollar SDR doesn't mean that everyone can and they should be excluded from the hobby. More expensive is not always better. Both of my Yaesu radios are subpar in my experience while Icom is definitely worth the price. When it comes to HT's I can be clumsy and forgetful and more once I have hopped in the truck and left one on the hood or knocked it off my belt when climbing a tower, which do you want crashing to the ground, a$35 radio or a $150 radio?
I get it that some just can't afford the higher priced radios. I do own one Betech/Baofeng UV-5X3 HT. I don't really use. My thing with the Baofeng's and other cheaper Chinese radios is their receivers are mediocre compared to Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood and even Alinco. I do have concerns as one person stated with the possibility of hardware and firmware munipulation given the Chinese governments on going attempts to hack into our electronic infrastructure. I own Five Alinco's. For years Alinco were considered the bottom of the radio hierarchy as many of these Chinese radios are considered now. I am very please with Alinco radios. If it comes down to economics and if a Baofeng is all you can afford go for it. It's better than no radio at all!!
I don't care where it's made. I pay for innovation and features I want. I have an HD1 for it being rugged and waterproof DMR.
I have an anytone 878 uv2 plus for aprs and dmr.
I have an vgc n7500 because it's aprs and uses a phone or tablet to operate it.
Meanwhile the big 4 seem to churn out the same stuff over n over. 🤷 Yes I own a handful of yaesu products. Yes I like em, but they don't seem innovative.
I don’t want anything made in China. If I have an option that allows for that, then I go with the non- CCP option. I do have a UV-5R that I bought used and I am disappointed that I purchased it and didn’t save for my Yaesu instead.
Jason the only thing I will say is even Icom and Yeasu are making things in China. I know their stock mics are being made in china. But I agree we really need to bring manufacturing back to the USA. I will say I own some Chinese Radios, But I also own Yeasu, Icom and Kenwood radios. Your statement about if you own products made in China in your house then you should not be complaining about Chinese Radios. But i also think that some people cant afford the high end radios and if it gets them in the hobby then so be it.
Balfang viewers probably are not ham's and that is why there are so many views if you asked if they were a ham first then you could determine how cheap hams were.
Possibly
I would like to make a distinction. When you ask "Should We Buy Chinese Ham Radios?", I understand you to be asking, should we be buying Ham Radios designed and engineered in China, as a distinction to where they are being made/manufactured. While I also wish that more things were being manufactured (made) in America as you do, I care more that something I want to own is designed and engineered in America (or Japan or some parts of Europe, etc.) rather than it being designed and engineered in China or some other countries.
Yes, I can understand that viewpoint
Sure. I buy such radios. If you want to buy Yeasu or Alinco, then go ahead. If you want to buy from another source, then go ahead. Maybe the US can make something less expensive. I've heard of that.
Yep
YES!!!
Unfortunately with electronics overall we don't have any choice of where it is made it's all made in China.
people say just because its made in Japan the parts come from china shipped to Japan
Sometimes
Many of the components in the Big Three are made in China, Maylasia etc. They maybe assembled in Japan.
I don't believe that's correct
I have a Hallicrafters Short wave receiver that's over 70 years old, Show me a Chinese radio that will last that long and still work perfectly. And I have many examples. We need more USA manufacturing ...Not to mention why support a country thats wants to take over the US....
Well said
Amen brother we gotta start making are own stuff stop depending on other countries look at Covid we had to buy most of are face mask from china we didn’t have enough made here to supply everyone.thank u 73
I rather buy American or Japanese, my wife buys Chinese! Most of it brakes. I’m used to the old stuff like radios, cars and so forth. BTW I’m 70 years old so I’m into quality, most aren’t.
I would preferer American made for everything, but you can't beat the price of the Fang.
True
5:40
Currently, the United States government already implemented a new federal BILL into law. It's called the CHIPS-ACT Bill. H.R. 4346 and other bills, but I can't remember the BILL numbers.
And currently there are 37 factories being built to manufacture TSMC in the United States. The current factories that are 50% done are the ones in Taxes, Arizona, Colorado,
New Mexico and Wyoming. More states to come. These factories will be the same type of factories like they have currently in Taiwan.
Speaking of Taiwan, currently there are 40 Taiwan factory experts currently teaching the USA how to build, manage and maintain TSMC type chip factories.
By 2030 the first 2 factories will be fully operational, by 2035 six more will be actively operational and by 2050 all factories will be fully operational as per what the federal government said.
The reason the United States is doing this is completely obvious, but for those that have been living under a rock, China has been threatening Taiwan with an invasion,
and China said that if Taiwan puts up a fight preventing China from taking over Taiwan, China then threatened Taiwan will nuclear war.
The REASON why China wants Taiwan, is because they want the factories, so China can control the world, in particularly to try to control the United States.
Many chips built for F22 Raptors, F35, and other military US equipment are built in Taiwan. That will soon cease to exist anymore, and the chips will now be completely built in the USA.
To make sure it never gets to the hands of China government.
Companies involved in owning and building these enormous chips factories are the largest companies in the world, such as IBM, Micron, Samsung, Intel, AMD, Global Foundies.
And Taiwan themselves are also building a factory in Arizona as Taiwan are strong allies with the United States and was granted the Arizona division factory.
Other states that will have TSMC chip factories that will be completed by 2030 are New York, Ohio, Idaho, Utah, Oregon and California.
Basically what I am saying is the United States will soon be a high ranking manufacturing country.
Instead of just a consumer country. And because of this, North Korea and China have been threatening the United States.
Just so you know what is happening in the world.
Google might delete this post for being too long, or just to be devious.
They have been deleting a lot of my comment posts, and I don't know why. 🤷♀
Of course, we should buy them
I'm a 62 year old General on disability. I can afford a Baofeng. I have no HF rig or prospects of ever having one due to the cost.
Lots of quality HF rigs available used with lots of life left in them. Reach out to your local club, sometimes people will give you a working older rig that works fine.
you called a comment on quora an article
Yes
I have a theory. I think fengs may alert with the siren and flash the LED to give up your position.
Just because something is made in China does not mean it is low quality, look at the Anytone 878, a tried and proven Chinese radio over many years now. TIDRADIO are new on the block from China but are becoming very promising with after sales support so they are to be watched. Sure there is some crap out of China but there is some good quality equipment also. Caveat Emptor!
Agreed on the Anytone products. Hytera is also very good.
I'll reserve judgement about TID Radio for now. I need to test for spectral purity to see if it's actually good
some say that made in Japan means the parts are from china and shipped to Japan because Japan can't keep up , with components etc
I think sometimes that's true, but not always