Tytera TYT MD-380 Faults
We needed to flip our view point and look for Faults.
Cons (some may be fixed in a future firmware at least theoretically):
Cons (some may be fixed in a future firmware at least theoretically):
1. MD-380 has a serious problem with slot timmings (see comments below)
2. Stupid keyboard layout. There were no problems to make the standard 16-key keyboard. I really hate this.
3. Color display is useless w/o backlight. Backlight level cannot be adjusted in current firmware so display is too bright in the dark and tends to drain the battery if turned on continuously while on direct sunlight it would be nice to have more brightness.
4. Beep level cannot be set so it is too loud for a quiet environment. Just turn it off.
5. Some firmware and programming software improvements are welcome.
The problem with the MD–380 slot slipping is that the end-user won't notice the problem. The radio is able to get into the network, receive just fine, and everything seems normal. But it is causing interference to other users.
Hams should think of it like this: If you have a 2 meter radio that transmits fine, receives fine, sounds good, etc., but your spurious emissions are jamming the aircraft band and public safety bands, does that mean your radio is fine?
6 comments:
You are right, MD-380 has a serious problem with slot timmings. Some transmitted bursts are longer than they should, overlapping with the next slot. I've seen it on a realtime SA, only some bursts, not all, are longer, but it seriously disturbs the opposite slot.
I don't see them fixing anything, probably the contract with their external sw cons
http://forums.radioreference.com/budget-entry-level-transceivers/313239-tyt-tytera-md380-dmr-ht-20.html#post2480449
Since the CS release of the MD-380 at $130, our system in S. Florida has been swamped with these radios like cockroaches coming out of the woodwork. Most sound fine, but one had such loud tx audio, the repeater owner told him to talk into the back of the radio. Sounds ok then. Another user while talking on TS2 was causing interference with the guys on TS1. I heard that myself, so it's not hearsay. Now with 2 Tytera dealers having a sub $130 price war, I see more of these junk radios coming to our system. The system owner is upset because the charter members with Motorola, & Hytera radios are complaining. These MD-380's are the Baofeng, & Wouxun of the DMR world. Anyone on a budget considering one of these radios should consider a CS700, 750 or Quantun QP-2100. [All Covalue radios] At least they don't bleed over into the other time slot. GARY N4KVE
http://forums.radioreference.com/amateur-radio-equipment/323399-article-qst-ccrs-compliance.html#post2480721
Something I read today.
News
Use Of Possibly Illegal Ham Radios
Over the past several years several brands of inexpensive Chinese 2 meter/70cm radios have made their way into the US market place. These radios are notorious for bad transmit audio. Recent testing done by the American Radio Relay League ( ARRL) shows that these radios may be illegal as well.
According to an article in the November 2015 edition of QST magazine, “ARRL Laboratory Handheld Transceiver Testing” many of these inexpensive radios are not compliant with FCC Rules and Regulations regarding Spectral Purity and Harmonic Emission.
The ARRL tested 65 Baofeng radios, of these only 25% complied with FCC Rules and Regulations, a whopping 75% were either non-compliant or borderline.
Wouxun did a little better. Of 22 radios tested, 86% complied with FCC rules with 14% non-compliant.
100% of radios tested manufactured by Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom, and Connect Systems were compliant. Evidently no Alinco radios were tested.
I bring this to your attention because radios with Spectral Purity issues can cause interference to those within the Ham Bands, or in close proximity, such as licensed Commercial stations. Radios with Harmonic problems can cause interference to Commercial Radio licensees, TV stations and cell phone.
It is important to remember that YOU, the operator of the radio, are ultimately responsible for the proper operation of your radio, If you receive a Notice of Violation from the FCC, it is you that are responsible for the proper operation of the radio. I would not expect to receive any help from the manufacturer.
Without a Spectrum Analyzer it is impossible to know if your radio is working properly. Personally, I would prefer a radio manufactured by a company with a known good reputation you can trust.
Bottom Line. You get what you pay for.
Read the full QST testing article from the November 2015 edition here (QST article used with ARRL and QST permission, copyright ARRL 2015)
Whats funny/annoying about this is the people who think these radios are the best thing since sliced bread will argue and call this fake/manufactured data. I mean, how could a $100 DMR radio have problems?!
I have a TYT MD380G. I installed the DMR Software and the USB Cable drivers.
My problem is, that when I attempt to read radio I get a " wrong model " screen. The Radio Screen Reads. " PC Program USB Mode"
Any Help sure would be appreciated!! Thank You!
This answer may be long out of date, but we ran into this issue in a DMR Ham club class. We updated the firmware to the latest version and the error went away.
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