Gear, Handheld radios

TYT UV8000E Review

This is the TYT UV8000E review.

The TYT UV8000E is an update to the UV8000D. This update practically fixes an audio issue with the earlier model, which would occur after long periods of operation. The audio, as some users have reported, would start becoming intermittent.

It is a really nice radio. It’s solid and offers a couple of good-to-have features. Let’s move on to the actual review.

In the box

In the box you will find the usual accessories that come with handheld radios from China, plus some nice extras. I ordered my radio from eBay. The seller was also including a speaker-mic which they inserted in the original box. So, when I opened the package, the box had a “lump”.

tyt uv8000e review
Just received. Note the lump at the top left of the box.

As it turned out, it was not a problem with the contents. Everything was wrapped in plastic bags. The image below is without the speaker-mic which I removed from the box.

tyt uv8000e review
That feeling. Note the TYT verification card.

TYT pays at least some attention to detail. I haven’t seen a silica gel pack in other Chinese manufacturer’s boxes. Not even for radios that are more expensive than this one:

tyt uv8000e review
Proper way to ship electronics.

Ok, now that the radio is out of the plastic sleeve, here’s the back with all the information we need:

tyt uv8000e review
Back of the radio. The sticker.

Here’s what we see printed on the two stickers.

Model: UV8000E

Output Power: 10W

Frequency: 136-174 MHz, 400-520 MHz

Barcode and serial number (blurred for posting)

Upgraded version with cross band repeater function

At this point, I should also not forget to mention that it is FCC and CE approved for usage in the USA and Europe.

Next, the Li-Ion battery. It is labeled at 7.2V (!) – 3600mAh. After using this radio for more than a month, I can confirm the battery outlasts every other HT I have. Even when using it on High power. Not sure why 7.2V is printed on the sticker though. Shouldn’t the nominal voltage be 7.4V, since lithium batteries come in 3.7V multiplied by the number of cells? In this case, 3.7V * 2 = 7.4V. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter, as when the battery drops to a (measured) 7.2V, the radio battery indicator shows only 1 bar out of 3.

tyt uv8000e review
The battery. Enough to cover the HT’s 10W output and more.

The charger is most likely the same as its predecessor model, but also the same as the TYT DM-UVF10 dPMR’s and the TC-8000’s. It makes sense, since all these 4 models basically share the same body.

tyt uv8000e review
Bottom of charger. 13.8V input. 8.6V output at… only 400mA.

I don’t understand why probably all Chinese manufacturers produce such slow-charging cradles. A 3600mAh battery, getting 400mA will charge at approximately 9 hours. Nine. Hours. And that’s without calculating any losses. Not feeling safe for how long your product will last? Ok, give the charger a 1800mA output so that the battery is ready in 2+ hours. 9 hours is just insane.

Actual charging time is around 8 hours. That’s when the battery reaches 8.5V and the charger led turns green to indicate that charging has completed.

Ok, let’s lay everything out on the bench.

tyt uv8000e review
Everything out of the box.

Starting from the top and then going left-to-right, we get:

  • Two antennas, a short one and a long one. The short one is the same that is included with the TYT TH-UV3R 2W HT.
  • Belt clip with the screws we need to attach it.
  • Charger
  • Radio
  • Battery pack
  • Power supply (EU version shown here)
  • 12V car power supply
  • USB cable for programming
  • Manual booklet (shown below)
tyt uv8000e review
The manual. Fairly decent.

Using the radio

One thing I consider a minimum requirement for buying a radio, is having an easy way of navigating through its menus or changing values when needed. I am tired of having to press up and down buttons all the time. This radio covers this by having two knobs at the top, next to the antenna SMA-F socket. The shorter one on the right is for turning it on/off an volume adjustment and the taller one is for changing frequencies, menu navigation, selecting values etc. I really hope all manufacturers design their radios like this, as I consider it the most user-friendly way of interacting with a simplistic interface as that of an HT.

tyt uv8000e review
Antenna, adjustment, turn on/off & volume adjustment. It’s SMA-F, so you need a SMA-M antenna.

Keypad / display

The keypad is properly laid-out (“0” at the bottom) and the keys are backlit. They are slightly hard to press and they are clicky, but a bit rubbery to the feel. But the keypad is nowhere near as good as the Baofeng UV-82‘s, which, in my opinion, has the best keypad on a handheld.

tyt uv8000e review
UV8000E keypad (left) vs Baofeng UV-82 keypad (right). Notice the black speck on the TYT’s screen.

To get into the menu, you need to press the “F” key (top-left). When you do, “Menu” appears on the screen and you can cycle through the menu options either with the rotary knob at the top, or with the up and down keys. Alternatively, you can just type the menu number, if you know it. For example, “F” + 2 + 5 displays the battery voltage.

To modify the values of any setting, you press “F”, modify the value (knob or arrow keys) and press “F” again to store it. You can cancel the action by pressing the “U/V” key (top-right). You can also use this key to exit the menu and change between top and bottom VFO display.

To indicate which VFO is active, an arrow is displayed next to the name/frequency area. This is OK for this small screen. However, to indicate which VFO is actually receiving, a really, REALLY small arrow is shown right below the channel number area at the far right of the screen. This is hard to see at a glance:

tyt uv8000e review
Display receiving at the top VFO. The indication you have is the tiny arrow at the far right of the screen. The black dust speck is probably here to stay.

To lock the radio keypad, you need to press and hold the asterisk key (bottom-left, marked with “Lock”). On the screen you get a “LOCK ?” message. Keep pressing for 3 seconds to lock it. Reverse the procedure to unlock it. When the keypad is locked, the rotary knob at the top also does not register any turns. The side keys however (PTT, MONI, alert), along with the volume knob, still function as expected.

tyt uv8000e review
Left-side keys. From top to bottom: PTT, MONI (monitor) and alert key (orange).

Speaker-mic port

The speaker-mic port is on the right side and it’s the standard 2-pin Kenwood type. It fits the programming cable nicely, although make sure to press all the way in.

tyt uv8000e review
Right-side connection port. Standard 2-pin Kenwood type.
tyt uv8000e review
USB programming cable comes with the radio. It fits nice and snug.

Switching between memory/VFO setting modes key

To switch between memory/VFO setting modes, you need to press the hash key (bottom-right, marked with “T-R”).

This key also doubles as offset-reverse. Meaning, when in channel mode, if you are on a duplex channel, you can press and hold this button to switch between the two frequencies. So, if the radio is receiving on, say, 145.750 and transmitting on 145.150, it will start receiving on 145.150 and transmitting on 145.750 after the change. You will also get an “R” on the screen, indicating that the currently selected channel is on “reverse” mode.

Battery installation/removal

To remove the battery, you need to push the latch at the back of the radio, right above the belt clip. The battery is then released and you can slide it out. To put the battery back, just slide it in until you hear a solid click. This was kind of stiff at first, but it’s broken-in now.

tyt uv8000e review
Battery release latch right above the belt clip.
tyt uv8000e review
Releasing the battery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross-band repeater function

The radio supports cross-band repeater. To use it, you first need to enable it through the software. The CD that comes with the radio includes software that it outdated and does not work. You can download the software that works with the radio here.

At the time of writing of this review, CHIRP does not support this radio.

tyt uv8000e review
Enable “Cross-band setting” to be able to use the feature.

Double-click the “Optional Function” on the left. On the window that will appear, check the “Cross-band setting” option. Perform a write to the radio so that the option is saved and you are good to go.

Now, whenever you want to use the radio as a cross-band repeater, you just need to turn the feature on. There are no other settings you need to perform. After you turn it on, it will just enter the repeater mode, with whatever frequency you have selected in A and B VFOs. You can also use the feature in channel mode.

To turn the cross-band repeater, go to menu item #11 “TURN” and set that to “ON”.

tyt uv8000e review
Menu setting #11 “TURN” to… turn the cross-band repeater function to “ON”.

The feature seems to be working flawlessly, although take care to always use it at the lowest power setting because the radio will get warm.

A thing I didn’t like is that, when you have the radio set to repeater mode, there is no indication on the display that the repeater is active. Even when the repeater receives and transmits, the green led turns on, as if it was just receiving normally. Also, since it supports such a function, the radio is still a dual-watch radio, instead of providing full-duplex functionality.

Size comparison

Here are some photos of the radio compared to some popular Baofeng radios on the market. You can click on the thumbnails to view the larger images.

tyt uv8000e review
TYT UV8000E vs Baofeng UV-5R.
tyt uv8000e review
TYT UV8000E vs Baofeng UV-B5.
tyt uv8000e review
TYT UV8000E vs Baofeng UV-82.
tyt uv8000e review
TYT UV8000E vs Baofeng UV-3R+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, it is not a small radio. But it fits nicely in the hand:

tyt uv8000e review
A bit tall and chunky, but still very nice fit in the hand.

Conclusion

The TYT UV8000E is a solid, reliable and efficient piece of equipment. I’ve been using it for over a month now, anywhere from casual repeater chatting from home, to SOTA activations and it has not let me down yet. I’ve dropped it on rocks, on marble floors and, apart from some minor dents on the plastic enclosure, it works flawlessly. That speck of dust appeared after the last time I dropped it. Not sure what it is, but apart from some annoyance to the eye, it does not affect the operation of the radio. It’s certainly a step (or two) up from your average Baofeng radio.

Here’s a playlist of videos I’ve made on the radio on HamRadioReviews YouTube channel. Feel free to subscribe to the channel to stay up to date on all the recent uploads! More videos on this particular radio coming soon.

If you have any questions on this radio, leave a comment below and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner, 73!

 

Radio GearPage.

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121 Comments

  1. Jim K5KTF

    I have been using the D model for about 6 months now and am still impressed with it overall. Mine didnt come with a USB cable, but unlike other chicom’s, I didnt need it. I have all my memories EASILY programmed by hand. One thing you didnt mention was the charger has a standard barrel connector, so it will take a variety of 12VDC inputs (like from the 12VDC-out Belkin UPS and car adapters). After 6 months, the only problem is my “8” key has quit for some reason, minor nuisance and hopefully not indicative of things to come (i.e. more keys failing). Battery life appears to be excellent, as I charged it about a month ago, used it at 2 events and 3 weekly nets (not really heavy TX usage) and it is still at 7.8v, One thing my wife noticed was if she held it in her left hand and TX’d, her wedding ring was touching a charging contact and caused pain in her hand (RF burn?). All in all, if they “upgraded” the E model, then I would expect it to be even better. Thanks for the review! 73 de K5KTF

    1. hamradioreviews

      Hello Jim. Yes, there is some information I left out. I am planning on creating a page for the radio, so that I upload all information I have on it, updates on the usage, how some things work, etc. This is something I will add. I agree on the battery life, this thing is excellent. I have it on RX only with some TX here and there and I charge the battery every 5-6 days. Whereas with other radios I get 2-3 days tops. Thank you for your feedback, 73 de SV2RMK!

  2. Desert Tripper

    Thanks for the review. I’m new to ham radio and bought this radio primarily because it has a 10W output. However, I have a few things that are not right. Not sure if it’s just my lack of knowledge or if there is a problem with the radio.

    First and arguably most important: the radio won’t respond to the PC program via the USB serial cable. Device Manager says the adapter is working but the radio won’t respond to anything. Is there a “program mode” I am missing that the radio needs to be set to in order to up/download?

    Also, the display contrast gets really faint when I am in certain configuration parameters. For example, the display when Parameter 21 and 22 are selected is barely visible.

    Finally, I cannot set a repeater offset. The manual mentions nothing about an automatically set offset. I think offset is the reason I can’t hit our local repeaters (verified my CTCSS is set properly) but any time I try to edit settings 32 and 33 (shift direction and shift frequency) the device just says, “Error.” I can enter into and change any other parameter I’ve wanted to so far.

    It’s great as a listening radio; the sound quality is great! I just can’t get out…

    1. hamradioreviews

      Glad you liked the review.
      No, there is no program mode on the radio. You just plug the cable to the radio and USB and turn it on. Have you checked you have set the correct COM port in the software? Check out this screenshot. You can check which COM port is the correct one in the Device Manager of your Windows installation.

      If the port is correct, do you have another radio to try with the same cable? The cable is generic, so it will work with a number of radios from China. You can use CHIRP to test it.

      Menu parameters 21 and 22 are “AUTOLK” and “VOICE”, respectively on my unit. Not sure why the display contrast is faint only on these settings. There is probably some sort of defect here.

      For setting repeater offset, I suppose you are already in VFO mode, right? Nonetheless, it still doesn’t make much sense. Seems like you should try resetting the device to factory defaults. To do that, press and hold the “F” key while you are turning the radio on. Screen will ask “RESET?”. Press “F” to accept or “U/V” to cancel. See if this solved any of the issues you are having.

  3. Desert Tripper

    Thanks for the info. I am rather new to the hobby and wasn’t completely familiar with the standard procedure for programming a repeater (go into VFO mode, set everything up and THEN commit to a memory slot, not save a frequency and then attempt to “edit” the existing memory slot as I was doing.) So… my bad on that one. I can now hit a repeater 20 mi away, even on low power with the short antenna, no problem!

    I was playing around with CHIRP a bit but they don’t appear to have support for the UV8000E yet. I did find some info on how specific drivers sometimes have to be tracked down for various implementations (read: bootlegs) of the USB-to-serial chip used in the cables. I will have to play some more with that. I installed a driver that didn’t give the “unable to start” error but still was unable to communicate. I know there are more versions out there.

    Perhaps the “selectively light screen” issue will be resolved in the future with new firmware. If I can get the programming cable to work that would circumvent that problem anyway. I am, overall, satisfied with the radio and it does seem robustly built for a Chinese knock-off!

    Thanks again for the reply… DesTrip

    1. hamradioreviews

      Glad I could help. You can try one last thing. It might sound silly, but make sure the pins of the cable are all the way into the radio. It is a bit stiff and the first time I tried it I also thought something was wrong. Pressed a bit harder and it was OK.

  4. Desert Tripper

    That was the other problem! I read one post on another forum saying to make sure the pins were in all the way. I thought they were, but gave it an extra hard squeeze and found that a solid “click” must be felt before the plug is 100% in place. Then I was able to use the cable. One of my PCs (Win 7 x64) wouldn’t work right with the cable (“device won’t start” error in Device Mgr) so after some research I was directed a download of version 3.3.2.102 of the Prolific serial chip driver (an older version that is known to work better with certain USB cables including, apparently, the one that comes with this radio.) Thought I’d put that out there too for anyone else having issues.

        1. hamradioreviews

          Ok, this sounds like a CTCSS or DCS tone is active and different on both radios. On the TYT, go to menu item #29 “C-CTC”. Press “F”, than press asterisk key (“* LOCK”) repeatedly until “OFF” is displayed. “F” again to save the setting. The radio now will not transmit with a tone. You will now hear audio on the receiving radio when you transmit. Note that you will most likely need to set a CTCSS tone to access a repeater. Check the repeater’s information for which tone to set. Usually, only transmitting tone (“T-CTC” in TYT’s menu) is enough. Let me know if this worked.

  6. Jared Baker

    I’m having the same Comm issues other are seeing.. unable to read from radio, or write to it. Win7Pro 64 bit. Driver for the COM port is good, though I never see the radio in device manager, just the usb cable adapter… I’ve seen indication that maybe another driver is needed? Rollback, updated? Using the driver from the CD that came with the radio and the util from the link above. Any help is much appreciated!!!

  7. hamradioreviews

    You will not see the radio in the device manager, just your cable. If you have setup your COM # correctly in the software, try pushing the cable firmly into the radio. It is a bit tight, so there is a strong chance it is not all the way in.

  8. Jared Baker

    I didn’t think so… com port shows up when I connect the radio and I’m positive the cable is all the way in… sux when things don’t just work like they’re supposed to! Thanks for your help!

  10. Bill Hobbs

    I am having an issue. When the radio is on and monitoring, the first time I try to transmit, I have to push the PTT, release and push a second time before the radio will transmit. If I continue to transmit it will work fine until I let it sit and monitor. Is there some kind of “wake up” setting I can change?

    1. hamradioreviews

      I am not aware of a wake up setting. There are a couple of things that, when active, are cancelled with the first press of the PTT eg. scanning. Maybe something is active?

      1. Bill Hobbs

        It is not on scan. I have gone through the menus in the software and can’t find anything obvious. There are some options that I do not know what they are or how they work or battery saver etc. What other functions are active when in receive mode by default?

  12. hslot4

    I hae a question hope someone can help i have this handy and when i plug in a external microphone and i press it to talk on a chan that is bussy it wont start transmitting .
    Bclo is turned off so is crossband function and setting in the settings and when i move to a chan with no activity it starts transmitting .
    No idea why i turned the repeater function off doesnt make a difference what am i missing here ?
    When i push the ppt button on the handy itself it transmits even on a bussy channel i am lost here lmao .

  14. loizos

    hi. i have the same problem.i have windows 10 on my computer and still get the message : “please check all connection and communication port settings” when i try to read radio from programm. at dive manager cable is ok and at communication port programm shows me com 3.

  15. Phillip Larson

    ‘ When the radio is on and monitoring, the first time I try to transmit, I have to push the PTT, release and push a second time before the radio will transmit.’

    My impression from your problem is that you are experiencing a delay caused by the battery saver function. I know it will cut off the beginning of a Rx, but perhaps there is also a delay in Tx.

    This may not solve your problem, but it may be worth a try. Anyway, I find it annoying to get Rx’s cut off at the beginning so I shut it off. I find the battery life sufficient that I don’t need to rely on the saver.

    It should be menu option 19 Rx-Sav. I’d be interested to know if this works.

  16. John Helt -- KM4WFN

    Channel scanning question. Thank you very much for all of this helpful information. I have successfully programmed in several local repeaters and have communicated with them. I would like to scan through the programmed channels. When in VFO, if I press F+1+F it will begin scanning through the frequencies, beginning at whichever was last set. However, if I try to do the same when in the programmed channel mode, I press F+1+F and it immediatly says “Error”. The manual seems to indicate that this should work, but I must be doing something wrong.

  17. John Helt -- KM4WFN

    Well, I just found an answer for my own question. In the programming software there is an option for Scan ADD or Scan DEL for each channel location. These are currently all on DEL. I will try changing them to ADD

  19. Craig

    Jim,

    According to TYT, the only difference between the TH-UV8000D V4 model (which is the current model) and the TH-UV8000E model is the label on the radio, the cover of the manual, and the box packaging. Everything inside the plastic radio case is the same as the UV8000D V4.

    The improvements claimed by the seller for the one-off 8000E model relate to the older original 8000D V1, V2, and V3 models, so if you want an improved 8000E model you can either modify your 8000E label, or look at the brand new UV8200 model (which has 256 memories and IP67 waterproof status, but loses the cross-band repeat function and has a slightly smaller battery).

    Of course I like having the extra memories (AZ has over 350 repeaters) and the waterproof capabilities, but I never like losing any feature in an upgraded model (which TYT claims the TH-UV8200 is).

    Craig – N7LB

    1. hamradioreviews

      Hello. A lot of factors can determine the range of a radio. Obstacles like buildings, hills and mountains may limit the range significantly. Furthermore, a good antenna will help, whereas a bad antenna will make things worse. I have made contacts from a summit as far as 170km away, with a beam antenna. But… I was more than 1km above sea level.

      1. John

        Using the longer antenna provided with the radio, I have made contacts with repeaters over 50 miles distant. Keep in mind that they are high on hills. But the 10w transmit power on this HT is impressive. The down side is you cannot easily switch back to a lower power on channels you have configured via software.

  21. Rich

    Hi I’m looking for some help!!
    I’m a bit of a novice to these radios and I bought some as they seem easy to program.
    I did so using the software and all seemed well. However for some reason they transmit properly. Whenever I transmit nothing is received on the other radios. And vice versa. But then try again and it works.
    It’s almost like you have to wake the radio up. But that only works when I’m very close proximity. As soon as you go more than a few feet away there’s nothing.
    Any help Muchly appreciated!

  22. Al Cash

    Good morning,

    I recently returned this model due to an intermittent Receive problem. The RX light would come on, but there was no accompanying audio (a second radio in another room verified there was indeed audio). I’ve just programmed the replacement radio, and it does the same thing. Squelch at zero and the longer antenna was no help – and shouldn’t be – I’m within 3 miles of the repeater. Is this a ghost of the 8000D, or am I missing something in the programming? Thanks.

  23. Craig

    Al,

    According to the TYT factory reps, the only difference between the TH-UV8000D V4 model (which is the current model) and the TH-UV8000E model – is the label on the radio, the cover of the manual, and the retail box packaging. Everything inside the plastic radio case is the same as the UV8000D V4.

    The improvements claimed by the one Chinese based seller for the 8000E model relate to the older, original 8000D V1, V2, and V3 models. In other words, if you get a TH-UV8000D V4 model – or – the TH-UV8000E model, you’re buying the exact same radio with a different label and packaging. If you live in the U.S., think Chevy vs. GMC – they are both basically the same truck with a different badge on the hood.

    This is very similar to what Baofeng has done for years. The UV-5R, UV-5RA, UV-5RC, etc. are all the same radio with different cosmetic packaging.

    As to your receive issue, I think it’s your programming that’s the issue. It’s quite possible that you have the PL tone (aka CTCSS) turned on for both transmit and receive (it’s a common mistake).

    While someone else is transmitting, hold down the squelch button. If you now hear the conversation, you have identified the problem. Remove the tone from the receive side of your programming (which isn’t needed 99% of the time anyway), and you should be fine.

  26. Craig

    No problem, hopefully that fixes your issue, Al.

    Just got in another TYT factory shipment today and we finally have the 30amp power supplies and the new IP67 waterproof TH-UV8200 handheld models in stock (to go with the always popular TH-8600 waterproof mobiles and the TH-UV8000D V4 cross-band units).

    Also got in the new TH-8600 RT Systems software earlier this week, which is (as usual) outstanding – and makes my programming for the ARRL NV Convention this weekend in Las Vegas a lot easier.

    Now if I can just get the finished software for the new TH-UV8200 handheld before Saturday I’ll be all set. If you are in the Las Vegas area this weekend, be sure to stop by our booth (F6) and say hello!

    73,

    Craig – N7LB

  28. LB

    do you have menu 10 ani turned on? it appears i have found a bug. with the setting enabled. i lose all receive, if i hit monitor i can hear the receive, hitting the ptt will allow the radio to receive for roughly 5-7 seconds before it disables again…

      1. LB

        actually after playing with this for 10 hours it seems i didn’t know what i was doing with DTMF. after you enable ani, the radio now requires a DTMF decode code to open sql. This can be set via the software in the DTMF Decode section. thus to make it work you need to program a PTT ID, with a BOT setting on your other radio then after it transmits the PTT ID, it will then open sql and work as designed.

        Hamradiosreviews. couple cool features on the cross band repeat

        you indicated there is no indication of repeat mode. this is not true. if you watch the led’s closely during repeat mode, it will go green, then yellow (red and green leds are both on in repeat mode) thus yellow indicates repeat mode.

        Another EXTREMELY cool feature. is you can remotely control the repeater function!!! By programing in the DTMF stun codes for the radio. you can remotely stun the tx which in repeat mode, stops the unit from repeating!!!, you can them simply renable it again with the same codes!.

        I think that is an awesome undocumented feature!

        still would like to know what “Super Save” and “Vol Inhibit Tx” are.

  30. Railroader

    Nice to read all the reviews before I purchase this radio. I see some comments regarding the programming feature, apart from the port issue’s I do wonder if you need to have your volume turned all the way up like the Baofeng UV-5RE. This was a issue I was having until I found out by mistake that the volume was a major problem. Since then no problems at all.

  31. LB

    no need to up the volume at all. one click and it will program

    for the guys having the issue with the 2 pushes to activate the transmit. the issue is caused by the cross band repeater feature being enabled menu 11 turn. turn it off and the ptt works fine for repeater channels. oddly its only when there is a split program in the channel, simplex works fine even when cross band is enabled

  32. hslot4

    Anny one else having the problem of the external mic not wanting to transmit when channel busy ?.
    And no its not the bussy lockout thats disabled i cant find out what it is .
    Asked before maby someone new knows .

  33. Al Cash

    Gentlemen (and Ladies),

    Trivial issue, for sure, but if it’s supposed to work… My two TYT 8000E radios do not illuminate the display whilst receiving. I’ve set Menu #7 to “Auto” but it has no affect. I’ve tried “On”, but then it stays on. What am I missing? Thanks!

    1. LB

      only green light on top of radio lights on receive, there is no option i can find either on radio or in software for display light up on receive . auto simply kills the display after 3 seconds of inactivity

    2. hamradioreviews

      You are not missing anything. Unfortunately, that’s how it works. If the display backlight is off when it receives, it does not turn on. You can only set the time it stays on through the software.

  35. vado07

    Hi, I have one and I work very well, I’m happy with it, but I have a little doubt that I do not know how to solve it.
    When I push PTT open the repeater, but I do not hear the tail of the same repeater, in other radios if the RX led is turned on, but in this I have not solved, I know that the tail of this repeater is minimal, but it responds.
    Thank you very much

  37. Vladimir

    Hi I’m looking for some help 🙂
    I’m new to ham radio and I have a problem with conecting my tyt th uv8000e with another frs gmrs walkie talkie ( Floureon 22 chanel frs gmrs pmr walkie talkie)
    On channel 1 I can listen and I have good RX with voice but I can´t send any voice
    Floureon has no standard frs/gmrs freq. for exam. channel 2 is 463,187 MHz
    Another problem on chaneel 2,3,4… only rx with some noise
    How can I connect my tyt with another frs gmrs radio and how can I setup ctcs

  38. Vladimir

    I am from Bulgaria we are neighbourhoods 🙂
    I think you know the system here
    I need this because I am hunter and I need to comunicate with friends
    σε ευχαριστώ πολύ 🙂

  39. Alex Hardman

    Hi I bought this transceiver in the hope that i would be able to transmit and receive to and from VHF maritime hand held radios. Would this be possible please?

  40. Alex Hardman

    Ok thanks. I hold a vhf license and run an activity centre. Was hoping to use the transceiver as a base station for communicating to hand held vhfs on small safety boats in close proximity

  41. Martin Bee

    “The CD that comes with the radio includes software that it outdated and does not work” It is time to quit making excuses for the crap the Chinese supply with these rigs: it is unexcuseable and would not be so lightly passed over if done by any reputable manufacturer. Likewise the display issues, weak PTT switches, clunky battery charging, etc, etc.

  42. Doug

    As soon as you can find a 10 watt dual-band Japanese radio that comes with 2 antennas, a 3600 mAh extended battery, a compandered audio circuit, and cross-band repeat for less than $100 USD new in the box, please let me know. Of course you are welcome to purchase a quality software/cable kit from any RT Systems dealer for this radio, but my guess is that the idea of spending $49 to end your programming issues won’t fly with you. If you insist on higher quality manuals, software, etc., be prepared to open your wallet much wider. BTW, many of the Yaesu and Powerwerx software kit are made by RT Systems as well and simply re-branded. None of them are free either.

  43. Stephen M.

    I am having an issue with my radio communicating with the PC and have found ZERO support of any kind.
    I have the correct driver, the cable is working, and the radio CAN talk to the PC (it goes into “PC-COM” mode and reads/writes in the “TEST ONLINE” submenu of the software) but WILL NOT read/write from the radio other than that. I have tried two different cables, adjusting the volume all the way up, uninstalling/reinstalling EVERYTHING.. Same results.
    I had a WOUXUN KG-UVD1P that read/write to the PC using this same cable perfectly up until very recently, but no longer have it around to test. Any help would be appreciated. I am about to just return this thing.
    KF5EQV

    1. hamradioreviews

      Are you getting any error messages? Also, make sure the cable is plugged in all the way. On my TYT UV8000E, I thought it was all the way in, but it wasn’t.

  44. Stephen Morris

    No error messages. Yeah it’s plugged in all the way, I remember reading about that issue here on this site.
    Honestly I think maybe I just got a defective radio. I’m gonna try to get it exchanged.

  45. Craig

    Got to chuckle when folks buy a radio from a website in China yet still expect “support” (instead of buying it from a U.S. dealer).

    For those that swear their cable is completely inserted into the radio (be it a Baofeng, TYT, Wouxun or anything else that uses the standard Kenwood 2-pin plug), try this simple exercise:

    Cut a small strip of paper approximately 1/4″ wide (narrow enough to fit inside the 2-pin cable plug) and approximately 4″ to 6″ long. Lay the paper down flat between the programming jack with half of the paper sticking out on one side and half on the other. Insert your programming cable until you feel it’s completely inserted and pull on the paper.

    If it moves under your cable, your cable is NOT completely inserted. If the paper tears in half, you can now be sure it’s “completely” inserted. If your cable still doesn’t talk to your radio, it’s probably one of the cheaper, fake Prolific cables, so you’ll need to search the miklor.com website for instructions on how to roll-back the current driver Windows installed to an older Prolific driver.

    After fooling with that for an hour or so, you should be able to “see” your fake cable and program your radio (assuming that you have the comm port correctly set), or simply purchase an RT Systems programming kit and be done with all of the hassle.

  46. Larry

    I’m receiving reports of low audio on my UV8000E. I can’t find anything other than VOX Level Setting (Menu 3) in the manual. Will increasing this increase my audio transmit level without using VOX? If not, how do I increase the transmit audio level?

    1. hamradioreviews

      VOX Level Setting is basically only for when you have VOX enabled. The higher the setting, more easily the radio will start transmitting. If you are using a speaker/mic, maybe try another one. If not, get a good one. There is no setting in the radio to adjust the mic gain. Another option, which is a hack, is to drill the mic hole with, say a 2mm drill, to widen the opening of the radio. But you might damage it if you are not careful, it’s up to you.

  47. Larry

    Thanks for the info. I’m not using a speaker/mic, but I do have one. I’ll give that a try. If it’s no better, I’ll just have to speak louder. Kind of disappointing that such a nice little HT doesn’t have a mic gain.
    Thanks again for your help.

  48. Metin

    Hello Friend, I have just received my UV8000E today and have done a short search about it. Just noticed; this is dual band and with a special program, it can be upgraded to 3 band. How come; do you know anything this issue?
    Thanks in advance
    saludos
    TA3MTO
    73

  49. Petr

    Hi. New 8000 arrived to my friend today and we are so dissapointed. I can not set ctcss/dcs tones > menu 29,30,31 simply appear still OFF only. csn not change by arrows up/dwn as writen in manual. Also F-key + MON key does not turning ON the FM radio. Even more this FM radio is activating randomly itself. Also Turn function for cross repeater is not available > only OFF and can not change. Some other items says error when trying to activate and sw looks unstable. 🙁
    Petr, OK1RP

    1. hamradioreviews

      Hello, the software that comes with most of these radios does seem unstable. It is a fact. As for the other issues you are having: for the cross-band repeater, you need to activate it from the software first. I am describing how to do it in the review above. To set the CTCSS tones, when you are, say, on menu 30 “R-CDC” for receive tone, press Menu > asterisk (* LOCK) and then you can set it. With asterisk (* LOCK) button, you cycle through CTCSS, DCS or OFF. 73!

  50. Petr

    Good morning,

    Many thanks for prompt reply and kind help. Yes, asterisk (*LOCK) button for switching item settings in between DCS/CTCSS/OFF works for me. It looks like the manual says wrong to use up/dwn arrows to change it.

    Maybe this info will be useful also for other people…
    Even although the menu 29/30/31 worked well using correct buttons I made factory reset of radio. It asked me if I would like to make RESET? after pressing the F-key it asked if it should do the VFO? or Aging? or Full? I used Full reset and after few seconds it has been done. UHF on both VFOs, deleted mems, violet color display, voice prompt on…
    What is important is that after that full reset all seems to be better.

    SW now looks stable, all items works as it should (it looks like right now) and even more the cross-repeater function menu item can be turn ON even without the PC activation at first…

    So maybe it will help so someone inexperienced with that radio is myself…

    Many thanks to Greece for kind help and support 😉 my friend will be happy that radio will work for him (I hope)

    73 – Petr, OK1RP

  53. Petr

    Hi all,

    after programming our experimental 8000 radio I realized few questions about it…

    1. What the “Epiloque” means
    2. What is the Super Save?
    3. Which difference is in between Dual watch and Dual wait?
    4. In our radio it is possible to enable the FreqRang 3 for 245.000-246.000MHz. What about the BPF or LPF in the PA? Is it safe to transmit there? Also is it fully sensitive over there or it is outside the BPF in the front-end and sensitivity will be degraded in that range and in that case it is useless?
    5. How I can programming the different bank? When I filled the first 25 memories in the programming sw then it appeared in both banks same. So I have all twice in the radio (upper/lower line in dual mode)

    Thanks for hints.
    73 – Petr, OK1RP

  54. Craig

    I’ll let some of the others tackle your multiple questions, but I can assure you that the TH-UV8000 series of radios (the D, the E, and the SE) have only one memory bank with 128 memories total. You do not have multiple banks, not do you have 256 memories, only 128 total memories.

  55. Petr

    Hi Craig,
    thanks for reply. Well maybe I did not expressed it well…
    I mean how to program the set of VHF relays to be displayed in the upper line memories and UHF relays to lower line on the display. When I filled the UHF relays to first 25 positions in PC sw then it appeared in both lines same…
    Many thanks,
    Petr

  56. Craig

    Petr,
    You can’t automatically have the radio do what you want with only 1 memory bank. You can manually switch between VFO A and VFO B and set the display any way you want, so you can manually set VFO A to a VHF channel of your choice and manually set VFO B to a UHF channel of your choice.

  57. Petr

    Ahh ok Craig. The VFO mode works for me ok. What I though to understand is the Memory mode where I have also two lines on the display… but as you said it will not works like the VFO modes probably.
    I though that I can separate the VHF and UHF channels in the list to be displayed separately in the upper and lower lines in MEME mode.
    73 – Petr, OK1RP

  58. Joe

    I have this radio and can answer some of your question by memory since I don’t have the radio here.

    1. I’ve seen that but can’t remember where. So no help here.

    2. Super Save should be a battery saver. If I remember right, there are some draw backs to using it. I seem to remember there is a xmit delay in some cases if you use it because it has to wake up the radio before xmitting.

    3. As another person says, you only have one memory bank. Dual Watch allows you to have an A and B mode; two lines. If off, you will only have one line. Your channels are not duplicated; both lines use the same memory. It matters not what band you are using; 2M, 440, GMRS, FRS, whatever.

    When you have two lines, the only active line is the one selected. You will see an arrow to the right of the active line. You can use the A/B toggle to switch back and forth. Works in VFO or Memory modes.

    That’s where we come to Dual Wait. If you have Dual Watch activated, you can monitor two frequencies at the same time. This lets you monitor both lines at the same time. So you can have a channel on line A and another on line B. Both will be monitored. You can also set the radio to xmit on the last active channel. Personally, I never use that.

    4. You can change the range of the radio, but I wouldn’t unless you have a good reason to. This radio is meant to be used optimally in 2 meter and 440 modes whith antennas supplied.

    5. Refer to answer 3.

  59. Petr

    Hi all,

    I am now a bit confused during playing to UV-8000D… I though it is allowing to listen on two frequencies at the same time… So I though it has real dual channel reception functionality in order to listen on VHF and UHF frequencies at the same time…
    Unfortunately I realized that it is on both frequencies in stand-by but there is the only single audio available only. No both frequencies audios available. (dual wait and dual watch functions I have ON)

    Few weeks ago we tested the Abbree AR-889G (clone of Zastone 889G) and it has real dual band, dual frequencies operation functionality available so I was able to listen to two repeaters at the same time.

    Is it possible on UV-8000D also and I just have something wrongly set or it is simply not available?

    Petr

  60. Petr

    Thanks for reply. Well it is disappointment as my friend planned to use it for comfortable satellite operation where uplink and downlink at the same time is big advantage.

    Well 8000D looks nice in all matters but lack of dual channel listening is weakness.

    In all cases the front-end immunity, selectivity and BDR, IMD…all seems not bad.

    Also we measured in lab on calibrated directional power meter the real power and it has 9.9W on VHF and 8.5W on UHF band with fully charged battery at 8.6V.
    The combined uncertainty +/- 0.5W, SWR of load 1:1.02 and all cable losses and connectors encountered, return losses > -44dB.
    Not bad at all…

    Petr

  61. Craig

    As others have already pointed out, Dual Watch is really just quick scanning between two different frequencies, so you really can’t hear two simultaneous conversations precisely at the same time with any Baofeng or TYT handheld radios. If you do want this, take a look at the Wouxun KG-UV9D Plus model radio will does support that feature.

  62. Petr

    Craig, many thanks for info. The better IMD, BDR and immunity is more important than real dual VFO reception in that case so it looks like I will stay with 8000…:)

    Happy New year to you and to all over here in the list.

    73 – Petr, OK1RP

  67. William Bowles

    Also fairly new to HAM. This radio is pretty impressive. But, was listening in on a repeater and could see strong signal, someone obviously broadcasting, but could not hear them. Had to press the MONI button to hear them. Anybody know why?

    1. hamradioreviews

      The MONI button opens app the squalch completely. Their signal was most likely weak for the squalch setting of the radio. Pressing the MONI basically turns squelching off so you can hear the weaker signals.

    1. hamradioreviews

      Sometimes the signal can be enough to stop the scan, but not to be heard. Make sure you have the SQL setting to 1 (menu item #5) and only increase if you are getting a lot of interference. Also, the signal bars are not that reliable.

  70. Craig - N7LB

    Your problem has nothing to do with squelch levels or signal strength. You have the radio programmed incorrectly. The pl tone (or CTCSS if you prefer) should only be set to transmit, NOT to both transmit and receive, since 99% of all amateur radio repeaters do not pass through the pl tone on the repeater transmit, they merely listen for it.

    As an example, if your repeater is 146.94 and requires a 100hz tone, program your radio to transmit 146.34 with a 100hz transmit only tone, and listen on 146.94 with NO tone set for receive.

  73. Marcelo

    Hi, thank you for this interesting review! I know it is several years old, but I just got this nice radio and am looking for every piece of information available. The main reason I bought it was because its cross-band repeater functionality. I know it is just an HT and it is not intended for heavy duty RPT work, but it is an interesting feature in a very reasonably priced radio. I own a couple of Yaesu HTs, but none of them has this feature (an older model, the FT-51R did, but it is long discontinued and not easy to find on ebay).
    Anyway, was wondering if you ended creating a page for this radio after all.
    Thanks again and keep up the good work. Happy Holidays, and stay safe! 73 de W6EUH.

  76. Richard

    Hi All

    It mentions “scramble” feature in the user manual, but I can’t find any way to set it up. The radio is excellent value for money and does it’s job nicely. Voice scramble would have put the icing on the cake!

  78. Richard

    I’m licensed for PMR and we use a repeater that requires DCS tones. Weirdly, even with the correct tones programmed the TYT won’t open our repeater. I can hear the rest of the guys, but I cannot speak to them despite all the settings being correct. ITs as if the DCS tomnes aren’t working. Yet, other radios read the tom=nes coming from the TYT. All my other transceivers will, including very cheap Baofengs that only cost a few pounds. We needed to move to the TYT’s for better range due to their higher output but can’t get them to operate. Any ideas?

  79. Rickie

    Unfortunately, It doesn’t have scramble. This sort of error in descriptions is typical of the Chinese. For my money the best hand held with scramble (lots of settings) is the Puxing PX888K. Superb radio.

  80. Jassim

    Hello ,I bought this device from Amazon store on the basis that it was 136-174 and when it arrived it was only 144-148. Is it possible for you to provide me with the password so that I can correspond on the 156.8 marine frequency and the device’s reception is weak? How do I work to make its reception stronger? Thank you. I am from Kuwait.

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