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Monthly Archives: November 2014

  • Happy Thanksgiving 2014!

    turkey2013.PNGBuy Two Way Radios would like to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Our offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 27 and Friday November 28, 2014. If you need assistance please send us an e-mail, visit our Two Way Radio Forums or give us a call after 8 AM EST Monday, December 1, 2014. Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and please stay safe while traveling.

  • Icom F1000/F2000 Battery Issue

    Thumbnail image for BP279.jpgIcom has identified an issue with their BP279 battery, which is included as a standard accessory with the new F1000 and F2000 series radios. According to an Icom dealer bulletin, "the BP-279 battery is susceptible to vibration, which can cause the battery to fail and not power the radio."

    Icom is taking this issue very seriously and is halting shipments of the F1000/F2000 radios until updated batteries can be produced. In addition, Icom is willing to replace all batteries currently in the field free of charge for customers. Replacement batteries are expected to be available in mid-December.

    We are following Icom's lead on this and will not be shipping the F1000/F2000 radios until the new batteries are available. In addition, we will be proactively sending replacement batteries to customers who purchased the F1000/F2000. If you purchased these radios from us, there is no need to do anything. As soon as we have the replacement batteries in hand, we will ship them to your original shipping address. If you need your replacement batteries shipped to an address different from your original order, please contact us.

    It is important to note that this is a quality issue and not a safety issue. If you have these radios and they are working fine, there is no reason to stop using them.

  • Free mobile antenna with purchase of a Leixen VV-898

    Note: This promotion expired December 31, 2014 and is no longer available.

    VV-898 and 1185.pngThe Leixen VV-898 UHF/VHF Dual Band Mobile Two-Way Radio is not just ultra-compact, it's very economical. It also makes a great holiday gift. Now this amazing transceiver is an even better value! This holiday season, when you purchase a Leixen VV-898, you get a FREE Tram 1185 mobile antenna, a $20 value!

    The Tram 1185 is an amateur dual band 144-148/440-450MHz magnet mount mobile antenna with 2.5 dBd gain on UHF and Unity gain VHF. It comes complete with a 3 1/4" magnet mount and a 12ft premium 95% tinned copper shield RG58 A/U cable with a UHF male (PL-259) connector. The 1185 works with many amateur mobile two way radios, including the Leixen VV-898. It is even used with popular handheld ham radios such as the Baofeng UV-5R. The Tram 1185 is one of our most popular mobile radio antennas, and now it can be yours FREE with the purchase of a Leixen VV-898 from Buy Two Way Radios!

    This is a special promotion just for the holidays. No promo code is necessary. Your free antenna will be added to your order automatically at the time of purchase. Plus, there's no purchase limit. Purchase more than one Lexien VV-898, you will receive a Tram 1185 with each radio, but only while supplies last.

    Note: This offer is valid until December 31, 2014 or while supplies last, whichever comes first. No rainchecks. Get one now before they are gone!

  • Holiday Ham Special - Free Speaker Microphone with purchase of Wouxun KG-UV8D

    Note: This promotion expired December 31, 2014 and is no longer available.

    KG-UV8D-and-SM400-Final-2.png

    The Wouxun KG-UV8D dual band UHF/VHF transceiver was one of the most eagerly awaited new handhelds to enter the amateur radio market in 2014. Buy Two Way Radios was the first dealer to break the news and introduce it to hams in the US, and since it's initial launch, it has become one of the most popular amateur radios in our online store.

    Throughout the year, we've worked hard to add value to an already high value, feature-rich radio, such as including the ever popular green buttons, a free upgrade to the high capacity 2600mAh battery pack and, more recently, a factory set frequency range increase to 520 MHz on UHF. Now, we're going to make the UV8D an even better value.

    This holiday season, when you purchase a Wouxun KG-UV8D, you get a FREE XLT SM400 Heavy Duty Speaker Microphone, valued at $40!

    The XLT SM400 is a compact, heavy duty speaker / shoulder microphone with a high stress belt clip that swivels 360 degrees. It features a standard 3.5mm port to connect a listen only earpiece and a coiled cord with heavy duty strain relief. It's used by businesses, consumers and amateurs alike and is available for many popular makes and models of two way radios, including the KG-UV8D. This is no cheap toy. It's a real speaker mic, valued at $40 US.

    Tip: The KG-UV8D makes a great holiday gift for that special ham in your life, as well as yourself. When you add a bonus speaker mic to the package, especially at no extra cost to you, it makes that gift even better! Just sayin'.

    This is a special add-on just for the holidays. No promo code is necessary. Your free speaker microphone will automatically be added to your order at the time of purchase. There's no purchase limit, either. For each Wouxun KG-UV8D purchased, you will receive an XLT SM400 speaker mic, while supplies last.

    Note: This offer is valid until December 31, 2014 or while supplies last, whichever comes first. In other words, When we're out of radios or speaker mics for the holidays, we're out. No rainchecks on this deal. So, get yours now while you can.

  • TWRS-82 - The Icom IP100H Advanced Radio System

    We talk about a new IP radio system from Icom. We also review the Baofeng UV-5R Programming Cable.

    Intro :00
    Billboard 1:13

    Discussion Topic 1:31
    We talk about the new Icom IP100H Advanced Radio System. We'll tell you what it is, how it works, what advantages it has over other conventional radio systems, and where it is designed to be used.

    Commercial Break 30:39
    buytwowayradios.com 1:00

    Product Review 31:35
    We review the Baofeng UV-5R Programming Cable. For help with installation of the UV-5R programming cable, read How to install the Baofeng USB programming cable and software.

    Questions and Answers 43:44
    Questions from readers of our Two Way Radio Blog and members of the Two Way Radio Forum.

    Wrap up and Close 49:19
    Send in your comments and questions for Danny, Anthony and Rick to show[at]buytwowayradios.com. Feedback on this and other topics will be read by the hosts and included in future episodes of the show. Visit us at www.twowayradioshow.com!

    © 2014 Cricket Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.


  • Introducing Olympia FRS/GMRS Radios

    We now have a new brand in the world of FRS and GMRS radios - Olympia! Olympia has launched their line of FRS/GMRS radios with three mid to high-end models: the R100, R300, and R500. As a new brand in this industry, it appears that Olympia hopes to compete by delivering a high performance product at a low price - also known as value. All three models are priced lower than comparable products from other manufacturers, look great, and include a three year warranty.

    Olympia = Motorola Talkabout
    The big secret is that Olympia radios are made by Giant International - the same company that has designed, manufactured, distributed, and marketed Motorola Talkabout radios for over a decade. Motorola has actually had very little to do with the Talkabout line of radios - they license their brand to Giant. Motorola has recently decided to make some changes with this arrangement and Giant now has some uncertainty regarding their future. This line of Olympia radios provides Giant with their very own brand of radios which they have complete control over.

    The great news for people in the market to purchase radios is that the R100, R300, and R500 are similar in performance and features to the Motorola MR350R, MT350R, and MS350R radios, respectively. From what we can tell, the radio performance and many features of these Olympia radios match those of the Talkabout models. Olympia even uses the same batteries and accessories as the Talkabout series.

    So what does this mean? If you're looking to purchase a Motorola Talkabout MR350R, MT350R, or MS350R you should look closely at the Olympia radios and give them some consideration. You may find yourself with a very similar radio but with a 3 year warranty instead of a 1 year!

    Radio Details
    Olympia R100
    R100 - This is a full featured radio that is IP54 water resistant, has NOAA weather alerts, USB plug-in charging, 50 channels, and 3 year warranty. Similar in performance to the Motorola MR350R, but lacking VOX, vibrate mode, and flashlight.

    Olympia R300
    R300 - The R300 is a slightly larger radio from the R100 and adds the VOX, vibrate alert, and flashlight. It is very similar in features to the Motorola MT350R.

    Olympia R500
    R500 - The R500 is around the same size as the R300, but it is a truly waterproof radio. It can be completely submerged in water, and it will even float if dropped in water. Unlike the R100 and R300, it does not support USB charging. Instead it includes a dual-pocket drop-in charger. This radio is very similar to the Motorola MS350R.

    Marketing Overload
    As we've pointed out before, a lot of marketing hype has evolved in this industry over the years as FRS/GMRS radio manufacturers try to make their products stand out from competitors. The most prominent example of this is excessive range claims, but we also see it with waterproof claims and extra channels. With all of the great things about these new Olympia radios, one negative is that they chose to go "all-in" with the marketing hype. They have topped Cobra, Midland, and Motorola's already excessive range claims (their models claim 37, 40, and 42 miles, respectively). All three of the models claim to be waterproof even though only one (the R500) is actually submersible. Also they have joined Midland by offering "extra channels" - all three models have 50 channels, even though there are only 22 FRS and GMRS frequencies.

    In general, I love these new Olympia radios and I think they are going to be very successful. They offer a lot of features at a great price, and I think that they've given potential Motorola Talkabout purchasers something to consider.

  • Change Is In The Air For Motorola Talkabout Radios


    For over a decade now Motorola Talkabout radios have been designed, manufactured, marketed and distributed by a company called Giant International. Giant International is a Motorola Solutions brand licensee, which essentially means that they are allowed to sell Motorola branded products in exchange for a percentage of the sales. Motorola has maintained some control over how the products look and are marketed, but Giant has been in charge of the Motorola Talkabout line of radios in most every way. This is about to change.

    Motorola Solutions has decided to take over research and development of the FRS/GMRS radio line. This means that in the future, new models of Motorola branded FRS and GMRS radios will have been designed internally at Motorola. So what does this mean for the Talkabout line? Unfortunately we don't have any solid answers. Motorola certainly has a lot of experience designing radios, so we're hoping that this will be a positive step for the product line. Giant is the largest FRS/GMRS radio manufacturer in the world, however, and they know this industry better than anyone. In anticipation of this change, Giant recently launched their own line of FRS/GMRS two way radios under their Olympia brand.

    Change is in the air for the Motorola Talkabout. It is certainly not a given that this change will be a good one.

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