News

There are a lot of USB programming cables on the market, many of which are purportedly made with a chip manufactured by either Prolific or FTDI. Some cables use genuine silicon chips from one of these two companies, but many others, particularly the more inexpensive programming cables, may contain a cloned or counterfeit chip.

Recently, FTDI took measures to combat the counterfeit cable issue with the release of a driver update that soft bricks USB cables with cloned chips. Distributed silently through Microsoft Windows Update, the driver update essentially changed the PID of the chip to render it completely inoperable, thus effectively making the cable useless on any computer system. The update caused an immediate uproar among consumers who suddenly discovered that their hardware no longer functioned.

Counterfeit hardware is a serious problem on a global scale, so it is understandable for a manufacturer to do what it can to protect its products from such unauthorized duplication. However, FTDI didn't simply issue a driver update that would only ignore the clone cable while recognizing a legitimate one; it attempted to destroy the allegedly cloned hardware itself. The results were immediate and unpleasant for all involved: the update created a lot of suddenly useless devices and a lot of serious backlash from the owners of the affected hardware, many of whom were completely unaware that the products they purchased were not genuine.

At Buy Two Way Radios, we understand the importance of "keeping it real" for our customers. We do our best to stock only genuine OEM products from name brand manufacturers and deal directly with them whenever possible to ensure authenticity of product and quality control. However, we are a dealer and do not manufacture the product ourselves, so as hard as we try, there is only so much we can do. If the manufacturer is using a counterfeit component within their branded product otherwise marked as genuine, it may be difficult to ascertain. When a situation occurs such as the notorious FTDI driver update, sometimes the only way to find out is to test its authenticity first hand.

So we did.

We tested it on the FTDI programming cable from XLT.

The XLT Painless Programming Cable is very popular among users of handheld two way radios, and with good reason. It's easy to install and easy to use for a painless programming experience. It also uses an FTDI chip. But is it genuine?

To be sure, we intentionally installed the infamous version of the FTDI driver that performs the soft brick on fake chips and then tested it with the XLT Painless Programming Cable. We tested it with the update in Windows 7 and Windows 8, putting the cable through its paces. Each time, Windows quickly recognized the FTDI chip as genuine and the XLT cable worked flawlessly.

Since its covert release, the FTDI driver update has received quite a lashing from angry consumers and a lot of unwanted attention from the press. In response, FTDI pulled the driver update, replaced it with the previous driver that was not hostile to clones and said it would work on other alternatives to fighting counterfeit hardware that are not as intrusive as the last one.

In the meantime, Buy Two Way Radios will continue to provide our customers with quality products at great prices, deliver great service and do our best to keep it real.

We're going to the Rock Hill Hamfest!

Join Buy Two Way Radios at The 62nd Annual Rock Hill Hamfest to be held Saturday, October 4, 2014 at the Faith Assembly of God, 2800 Faith Blvd. Rock Hill, SC 29730. The church is located off Cherry Road behind the Home Depot. General admission is $5 per person and tailgating spaces are $5 each in addition to the general admission. Gates open to the public at 7:00 a.m. eastern.

Activities include an ARRL Forum and VE Testing for those who want to obtain an amateur radio license or upgrade an existing one. Hourly prizes will be drawn, and the Grand Prize will be given away at noon - a Baofeng UV-82, 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. Ragchew with the hosts of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast and walk away with some special discounts, deals and freebies just for stopping by!

The Rock Hill Hamfest is sponsored by the York County Amateur Radio Society. For more information visit www.rockhillhamfest.com.

The Wouxun KG-UV8D is one of the most exciting new two way radio products of the year. Since its introduction this spring, the KG-UV8D has become an extremely popular handheld and a hot topic of discussion in the ham radio community, with forum topics, blogs and social media groups devoted specifically to this amazingly powerful and affordable radio from Wouxun.

Now there is even more to be excited about. The latest version of the KG-UV8D is available at Buy Two Way Radios, and it includes some nice extras!

First, the KG-UV8D is now available with 2.5k step. Early versions of this radio were only available with a minimum 5k step. Of course, an eventual update to a 2.5k version was expected, and Wouxun recently brought addition of the smaller step to market. But there's more.

How about a bigger battery? The KG-UV8D comes standard with a 1700mAh battery pack in the box. However, for a limited time, Buy Two Way Radios is replacing the stock battery pack with a FREE high capacity battery upgrade! The BLO-009 2600mAh Wouxon Lithium-Ion Battery Pack normally sells for $22.99, but while supplies last, you can get the KG-UV8D with the bigger battery at no extra cost!

There's one more thing. Demo versions of the KG-UV8D featured green A/B and EXIT buttons on the keypad. When Wouxun officially released the radio to market, the buttons were black. Those who were expecting the KG-UV8D to ship with green buttons were disappointed to find they were black.

Well, due to popular demand, Buy Two Way Radios worked with Wouxun to bring back the green buttons, and now we have them! This is a limited run, and we only received one hundred of them, but now you can get a KG-UV8D with green buttons while supplies last. Whether we are able to get more in the future with green buttons depends on the demand. Time will tell. In the meantime, if you want a Wouxun KG-UV8D dual band two way radio with green buttons, now is your chance, before our current stock runs out.

Where to order the new version of the Wouxun KG-UV8D.

Note: If you have more than one KG-UV8D, we now also carry the Wouxun BLO-009 KG-UV8D multi-charger, capable of charging up to six radios and/or battery packs simultaneously!

Buy Two Way Radios would like to wish everyone a great and safe Memorial Day! Our offices will be closed for the day on Monday, May 26, 2014. If you need assistance please send us an e-mail, visit our forums or give us a call after 8 AM EDT Tuesday, May 27, 2014 at 1-800-584-1445. Have a great Memorial Day and please stay safe while traveling.

The Midland GXT2000 Series has returned!

Yes, believe it or not, Midland recently announced that its latest top-of-the-line GXT2000 and GXT2050 GMRS two way radios that were abruptly pulled from the market in 2013 have returned and are better than ever. No doubt this will be good news to Midland two way radio users and fans everywhere.

The Midland GXT2000 and GXT2050 were widely considered to be the next generation of Midland's ever popular GXT1000VP4 and GXT1050VP4, and their initial arrival was highly anticipated. Delays pushed the launch of the series back a year, and when they finally arrived, these radios were instant hits and it was difficult to keep them in stock.

However, the GXT2000 began to experience quality issues and production delays. These issues became so apparent that on October 15, 2013, after only ten months in production, Midland decided to discontinue the entire series and the company ceased manufacturing the GXT2000VP4, GXT2050VP4 and GXT2091VP4. However, Midland continued honor the warranty.

Now, after working out the bugs, Midland is re-launching the GXT2000 and GXT2050. We just received the new and improved GXT2000VP4 and it is now available in our warehouse at Buy Two Way Radios. We are expecting the GXT2050 soon. The Midland GXT2000 is back and better than ever!

Resources:
Midland GXT2000VP4 Two Way Radio Review
The Two Way Radio Show Podcast TWRS-52 - Midland GXT1000 and GXT2000 Comparison
Midland GXT2000VP4 Unboxing Video

Last week we announced a new amateur radio from Wouxun that could potentially take the top spot in the arena of low cost handheld transceivers long held by the Baofeng UV-5R. Earlier this week we opened a demo unit, compared it to the Wouxun KG-UVD1P and the Baofeng UV-5R in episode 73 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast, and got a first look at some of its features. The new radio was made available for pre-order and was expected to ship by the end of this week.

Well, we have great news. The new Wouxun KG-UV899 is here and ready to ship now!

This radio is currently in stock in our warehouse and can be shipped immediately right to your door from Buy Two Way Radios. If you've already pre-ordered, your KG-UV899 is on its way.

The Kenwood rebate is now in its final hours! Act now to save real money on select Kenwood business two way radios before this offer expires!

Get a $30 rebate per radio when you purchase a minimum of 6 Kenwood TK-2400V4P or TK-3400U4P two way radios, up to a maximum of 60 radios purchased from now until April 30, 2014. Take advantage of this rebate to save up to $1800!

Kenwood is also offering a $25 rebate per radio (minimum 6, maximum 60) on the TK-3230 for a total savings of up to $1500 when you purchase from Buy Two Way Radios!

visit the Kenwood ProTalk Rebate Center and use program offer number: PRO-24110 to redeem your rebate from Kenwood. This is a manufacturer rebate, so Kenwood will mail the rebate directly to you after they receive your rebate form. The Kenwood Rebate offer expires April 30, 2014, so if you want to save some real cash, act fast before this offer expires.

NOTE: Rebates must be postmarked on or before May 6, 2014. The Kenwood rebate is NOT valid on radios delivered before February 3, 2014 or after April 30, 2014, regardless of invoice date.

For full details, read the Kenwood promotional flyer.

We now have a Wouxun KG-UV899 demo unit in house and are getting a first glimpse of this new dual band amateur radio. As we mentioned in our original announcement, the KG-UV899 will not be a "top of the line" model. Instead, we expected it to be a very attractive value - offering a nice package of features at a budget price.

After tearing into our sample, the first thing that stood out was the size and weight. It is noticibly more narrow than the KG-UVD1P, KG-UV6D, and KG-UV8D. It also feels lighter, but sturdy.

Turning the radio on doesn't reveal any surprises. If you've used a Wouxun handheld model before, you'll feel right at home. There's an evenly backlit dual frequency display. Scrolling through the menu reveals options very similar to the KG-UVD1P, but with the addition of ANI and selective/group calling options. This radio also supports 199 channels, which is the same as the KG-UV6D but more than the KG-UVD1P (128).

So, what's missing? What do you give up by going with this value model? The biggest drawback seems to be the lack of Part 90 type acceptance - this means this radio is not approved to transmit on business frequencies. Wouxun has said that the radio is already built to Part 90 specifications, and if this becomes a popular model they would take it through the type acceptance process. Also, the lowest step supported is 5 KHz and other models support as low as a 2.5 KHz step.

Who should buy this radio? If you are considering a Wouxun KG-UVD1P, the KG-UV899 provides some additional functionality at a lower price. If you are considering a Baofeng UV-5R, you may find the KG-UV899 to be a worthy upgrade if it still fits your budget.

The Wouxun KG-UV899 is now available for pre-order. We expect to have the radios in stock and ready to ship on Friday, May 2nd. If you have any questions, please contact us or leave your question in the comments below!

Wouxun has announced a new KG-UV899 dual band (2m/70cm) two way radio and we will be getting samples and product for sale to the public very soon. This new model will be a relatively low priced radio, and from our first look at some of its key features it seems to have some nice stuff both inside and out for the price. Here are a few that caught our attention:

• Dual frequency, Dual Display and Dual Standby
• 105 Groups DCS / 50 Groups CTCSS
• Inspection, Monitor, Stun, Kill and Emergency Alarm
• Call Ring
• Channel Knob
• IP55 water resistant

Could the new KG-UV899 be Wouxun's answer to the ever popular Baofeng UV-5R? We'll see!! Check out the spec sheet below (click on it for a larger image). We expect to have samples very soon at Buy Two Way Radios and will post more when we have them. If you have any questions about the KG-UV899, please enter them in the comments below and we will answer them as quickly as possible.

Cobra announced earlier this year they would soon add new radios to their existing product line and they are soon to become available at Buy Two Way Radios! Here is a brief overiew of these new models.

HH450 DUAL Marine Radio
One of the most anticipated of these new products is the new HH450 DUAL Marine Radio, a compact combo unit desigined for use on both land and water. The HH450 operates on both VHF marine and GMRS frequencies with access to weather channels with weather alerts and Specific Area Message Encoding S.A.M.E. technology. It features Cobra's Rewind-Say-Again®, selectable low, medium and high power options and a noise-canceling microphone for clear communication. This All-Terrain-Radio™ is rugged, waterproof and even floats. It is specifically designed as multi-purpose, a VHF Marine radio, an emergency weather radio and GMRS two way radio, all rolled into one! Camo fans are in luck, Cobra will also make a version of the HH450 available in RealTree™ Camo. MSRP $129.95.

CWR200
The CWR 200 is an All-Hazards-Alert all-purpose portable weather radio designed to be as rugged as it is functional. Cobra claims it is their most advanced weather radio to date. It features alerts for over 60 emergency events and is equipped with S.A.M.E technology so alerts can be targeted to your local area. It has three Level Alert LED Indicators, a Tornado Mode button to limit alerts to tornados and other extreme emergencies, a built-in LED flashlight, an alarm clock with snooze, and a USB port to charge a smartphone. It also includes a lighted dot matrix LCD display and has rubberized grips on each side to help it stay in your hands.

The CRW200 operates on three AA NiMH rechargeable or alkaline batteries and comes with micro-USB A/C charger, desktop charger and a wrist strap. MSRP $39.95.

CXT 1035 Now Available!
The Cobra CXT1035 is a GMRS/FRS radio designed for general use year-round. In addition to FRS/GMRS channels, it features NOAA All Hazard Weather and Emergency Radio alerts and touts up to a 37-mile range. Like the HH450, the CXT1035 has the Cobra Rewind-Say-Again® feature, which allows up to 20 seconds of a missed transmission to be played back. The CXT 1035 is also rugged and floats. It includes VibrAlert, an LED flashlight, rubberized grips and is available in RealTree™ Max 4 CAMO. The Cobra CXT 1035 will be available this spring. MSRP will range from $99.95-$109.95.