Ham Radios

For a limited time, get a FREE Leixen Camo Back Pack Bag valued at $30 when you purchase a Leixen VV-898P or VV-898SP UHF/VHF Dual Band Mobile Backpack Two Way Radio!

The Leixen VV-BP-CAMO Back Pack Bag is exclusively designed use with the VV-898P and VV-898SP mobile backpack radios, with a large, interior pocket to hold the radio in place and eyelets on top to allow the antenna and speaker microphone cable to access the radio from outside of the bag. It's a perfect complement to your Leixen backpack radio and helps shield it from the elements when out and about.

Minimum purchase is one VV-898P or VV-898SP radio, however there is no maximum purchase limit and no promo code is necessary. Your free Leixen Back Pack Bag will added to the cart automatically at time of purchase. This offer is valid from November 27 until December 31, 2017 or while supplies last. No rain checks.

This deal is available exclusively from Buy Two Way Radios.

Many of our Cyber Monday deals are still available! Check below for details, we'll be updating this list as the deals expire!

Cyber Monday 2017 is November 27, and this year the deals are bigger and better than ever at Buy Two Way Radios! We're pulling out all the stops this holiday season, with sales, bundles, rebates and value added extras on radios and radio accessories to make shopping and gift giving a lot easier on you and your wallet. Whether you are searching for business, FRS/GMRS, CB or ham related items, we're sure to have a great deal for you.

But why hunt around to find a great deal? We've already done it for you. We've compiled a list of everything on sale at Buy Two Way Radios for Cyber Monday, right here. So relax, grab your favorite beverage, and check out our list of Cyber Monday Specials for 2017 at Buy Two Way Radios!

DMR Deals

• FREE mag mount antenna with the purchase of a TYT MD-9600 dual band digital radio ($20 value)This offer is no longer available!

  The Tram 1185 Amateur Dual-Band Magnet Antenna is a dual band 144-148/440-450MHz amateur radio antenna with 2.5 dBd gain on UHF and Unity gain VHF. It includes 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.

  Tram 1185 Amateur Dual-Band Magnet Antenna is valued at $20. No promo code is necessary. Your free antenna will automatically be added to your order at time of purchase. Offer valid until December 24, 2017 or while supplies last. Not valid with any other promotions or promo codes. No rain checks.

• FREE TYT MD-2017 Speaker Microphone with the purchase of a TYT MD-2017 ($19.99 value)This offer is no longer available!

  The TYT Speaker Microphone for MD-2017 (TYT-SM-MD2017) is a genuine TYT accessory with a belt clip that swivels 360 degrees. It is designed to work with the TYT MD-2017 Dual Band DMR Two Way Radio equipped with a multi-pin Motorola (M3) connector. Your free microphone will automatically be added to your order at time of purchase. Supplies are limited. Offer valid from November 27 until December 3, 2017 or while supplies last. No rain checks.

• FREE Baofeng UV-5R radio with the purchase of a TYT MD-2017 dual band DMR radio ($29.99 value).No longer available!

  For ONE WEEK ONLY, get a FREE Baofeng UV-5R Dual Band UHF/VHF Radio when you buy a TYT MD-2017!

  You read that correctly. For every TYT MD-2017 Dual Band DMR Digital Two Way Radio you purchase during the week of December 4-10, 2017, we'll give you a Baofeng UV-5R radio, FREE! Click here for more info.

• FREE mag mount antenna and power supply with the purchase of a TYT MD-9600 dual band digital radio ($95 value)This offer is no longer available!The Tram 1185 Amateur Dual-Band Magnet Antenna is a dual band 144-148/440-450MHz amateur radio antenna with 2.5 dBd gain on UHF and Unity gain VHF. It includes 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 TYT TH-1380 30A Switching Power Supply has an output voltage of 13.8V DC and is adjustable between 9V and 15V! It offers automatic current limiting within 30A for protection from short-circuits and and includes a built-in backlit single volt/current meter to keep you informed of current power levels.

  Tram 1185 Amateur Dual-Band Magnet Antenna is valued at $20 and the TYT TH-1380 30A Switching Power Supply is valued at $79.99. The Total value of this free bundle is $99.99!

  No promo code is necessary. Your free antenna with mag mount and power supply will automatically be added to your order at time of purchase. Offer valid until December 3, 2017 or while supplies last. Not valid with any other promotions or promo codes. No rain checks.
  

• Buy one TYT MD-380 Battery Pack, Get 1 FREE!This offer is no longer available!

  Purchase a Lithium Ion Battery Pack for MD-380 DMR Radio (2000 mAh) and you get one FREE! Every battery purchased earns you one additional battery - with no limit of the number of battery packs you can purchase on this offer! This BOGO (Buy One, Get One) battery offer is fulfilled by Buy Two Way Radios, so the free battery pack is sent with your order. This is a great deal and is available for a limited time only or while supplies last. No rain checks. When we're out, we're out. Offer is good to U.S. residents only and is void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

Go Ham for the Holidays

Come see us at the 65th Annual Rock Hill Hamfest!

The 65th Annual Rock Hill Hamfest will be held Saturday, October 7, 2017 and Buy Two Way Radios will be there! This year the hamfest will located at New Kirk Baptist Church, 175 Museum Road in Rock Hill, SC from 7 AM to 1 PM ET. General admission is $5 per person and tailgating parking spaces are $5 each.

Activities include door prizes, an ARRL Forum and VE Testing for those who want to obtain an amateur radio license or upgrade an existing one. The Raffle Prize will be a TYT MD-2017 Dual Band DMR Digital Two Way Radio, courtesy of Buy Two Way Radios!
Visit our booth for a first look at some new products and demos of popular handheld and mobile amateur radios. As always, you can ragchew with our sales staff and walk away with some special discounts, deals and maybe even a freebie just for stopping by!

The Rock Hill Hamfest is sponsored by the York County (SC) Amateur Radio Society. For more information visit rockhillhamfest.ycars.org.

12/5/2017 Update - Updated to link to firmware v4.03.

8/31/2017 Update - Firmware version 3.29 has been released and the download link was added below. Please download the 3.29 firmware and refer to it anywhere 3.28 is mentioned below. The new version fixes a bug where the display would remain lit after the radio was powered off.

Some of the TYT MD-9600 owners reported an issue loading channels into their radio using the programming software. The software was reporting that the data was being written successfully, but some or all channels were not accessible on the radio.

To address this issue, TYT released an updated firmware version (3.28) and an updated version of the programming software (1.18). You can download these updates, along with the firmware loader, at the links below:

• Programming Software v1.18
• Firmware Loader Application
• MD-9600 Firmware v3.28 MD-9600 Firmware v3.29 MD-9600 Firmware v4.03

If you need help upgrading your software firmware, save the three files above to a location on your PC and read below for detailed instructions.

Upgrading the Programming Software
Upgrading the software is very straightforward. It's the same process as installing most other applications on your PC.

1. Find the file CPS MD9600 Setup v1.18.exe that you downloaded above.
2. Double-click (open) the file.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the updated programming software (v1.18).

Upgrading the Firmware
Upgrading the firmware is not quite as straightforward. You will need to power up the radio near a PC, place it in Firmware Upgrade mode, and then run the Firmware Loader application to install the updated firmware on the radio.

First, let's install the Firmware Loader application:
1. Find the file FirmwareDownloadV3.04_EN.exe that you downloaded above.
2. Double-click (open) the file.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the firmware loader application.
4. Depending on your Windows version and configuration, you may need to run this installer as an Administrator.

Now, let's place the MD-9600 in Firmware Upgrade mode and connect it to the PC.
1. Be sure the radio powers up automatically (without having to press the green power button) when external power is applied to the radio. You can get to this mode by removing external power without first turning off the radio (using the green power button).

2. With the external power source OFF, hold down both the P1 button AND the round, orange button to the left of P1 at the same time. With both buttons held down, turn the external power source ON. When the display starts flashing, you can release the buttons. This indicates you are in Firmware Upgrade mode.

3. Connect your MD-9600 to your PC using the programming cable.

Launch the Firmware Loader application and upgrade the firmware.
1. Open the Firmware Loader application. The installer should have left an icon on your desktop called UpgradeDownload.

2. In the window that opens, click the Open file upgrade button in the User program section. In the file selection screen that opens, find the MD9600-REC-D03.28.bin file that you previously downloaded and then click Open.

3. Confirm the correct file appears in the blank, and then click the Download file of upgrade button to begin the firmware upgrade.

4. A progress bar will appear across the top of the application as the firmware is installed. Do not disconnect the programming cable until this is finished! Once complete you'll see the message "Download upgrade file successful!"

5. Once you see the success message, you can click OK and remove external power from the radio. When you power the radio back up it should function as normal. To confirm the firmware version, you can open the following screen on the radio: Menu -> Utilities -> Radio Info -> Versions.

With our first batch of TYT MD-2017 radios, we had a few customers call complaining of issues programming the radio. After some back and forth, we identified the issue as being a poor solder within the radio connector on the programming cable. Customers with this issue were not able read their radios from the programming software.

TYT has confirmed the issue, and are immediately working to correct the problem. We are told that all of our future shipments will have the updated cable, so if you order a radio or a cable from this point forward you won't have to worry about this issue.

This issue affected a very small number of customers (less than 3%), so we appreciate TYT's willingness to make the fix a priority.

We (finally) have some good news to share about the MD-9600 from TYT. Anthony Roque, Sales Manager here at Buy Two Way Radios and co-host of The Two Way Radio Show, received a very positive update last night from TYT. Our demo unit of the much anticipated MD-9600 will be shipping out very soon!! This is not a test. I repeat, this is not a test. Assuming the demo units work as expected, TYT plans to start mass production at the end of this month.

For those of you that are not aware, things have been a little bumpy for this model since it was first announced in March, 2016. Initially slated for release last summer, this radio has seen delay, after delay, after delay. Well finally the end is in sight, which should be a relief to all of you with pre-orders.

With this announcement, TYT also confirmed a couple of changes from the initial announcement. The biggest and most exciting change is that the MD-9600 will be a dual band (UHF/VHF) radio instead of a separate version for each band. Unfortunately along with this there was a price increase. (Don't worry, if you've pre-ordered at the original price we will honor it!)

We are once again excited about this radio! Once it is received, Anthony plans to immediately load his code plug in to the radio and begin testing. Rick will also be posting a blog and a quick unboxing video as well.

We want to thank all that have been patient on this model. I know it has been very frustrating. Going on a year and a half since the announcement, we were starting to think we would see a unicorn ride in on a T-rex before this radio arrived.... Stand by!!

UPDATE: As of November 10, 2022, CHIRP now supports the KG-935G! Download the latest daily build of CHIRP here.

CHIRP is a free, open source application created by a team of volunteer amateur radio operators. The software is used to program a wide variety of different makes and models of two way radios with a computer.

When programming certain models of two way radios purchased from Buy Two Way Radios, some of our customers, particularly those who are ham radio operators, prefer CHIRP in lieu of the programming software provided by the radio manufacturer. This preference for CHIRP is largely due to a couple of reasons. CHIRP is often easier to understand and use than the original programming software from the manufacturers of certain radios, particularly those in China. The use of CHIRP also often minimizes or even eliminates the need to install and use a different programming application for each individual product when using a mix of of different radios.

CHIRP supports an impressively wide selection of radios, but not all of them. The list is expanding over time. When a new product is introduced to the market, depending on its popularity and relevance, The CHIRP project team may add support for the new model in a future version or build of the software.

We often receive calls from customers who request tutorials, tech support or other instruction for CHIRP. Although we do include CHIRP as a free add-on with a few select programming cables, we do not support it ourselves, as it isn't ours. It was created by a community of ham radio operators, and relies on the community to support it. We merely provide the application as a courtesy to our customers who may need or want it.

As of November 2020, CHIRP supports the following radios we currently sell or previously carried:

• Baofeng UV-5R
• Baofeng BF-F9 (Choose UV-5R)
• Baofeng BF-F8+ (Choose UV-5R)
• Baofeng UV-82
• Leixen VV-898
• Leixen VV-898S (Choose VV-898)
• Leixen VV-898P (Choose VV-898)
• Leixen VV-898SP (Choose VV-898)
• TYT TH-350
• TYT TH-7800
• TYT TH-9800
• TYT TH-UV88
• Wouxun KG-935G
• Wouxun KG-UV6D
• Wouxun KG-UVD1P
• Wouxun KG-UV7D
• Wouxun KG-UV8D
• Wouxun KG-UV8D Plus
• Wouxun KG-UV8E
• Wouxun KG-UV8H
• Wouxun KG-UV9D Plus
• Wouxun KG-UV9P

The next generation of CHIRP is CHIRP-Next, and includes support for some radios that may not be supported by the legacy CHIRP. Radios supported by CHIRP-Next are bold in the list above.

If your radio is currently listed in CHIRP or CHIRP-Next, you should be good to go. If your radio is not listed, download the latest daily build of CHIRP or the latest daily build of CHIRP-Next.

If the latest build of CHIRP does not list your radio, CHIRP does not currently support it. The CHIRP programming team does accept requests for support of new radios. You can submit a request to the CHIRP project and ask them to add the radio to a future version or build of CHIRP.