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NOTE: This promotion expired April 19, 2023 and is no longer available.
Amateur Operators around the world rejoice! Today, April 18, 2023 is World Amateur Radio Day!

It was on April 18, 1925 that the The International Amateur Radio Union or IARU was founded in Paris, France. An organization dedicated to the use and development of amateur radio, the IARU has millions of licensed ham operators worldwide. Each year on April 18, amateur radio operators around the globe get on the air to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day or WARD.

According to tradition, each year the IARU chooses a theme for Amateur Radio Day. This year the theme is Human Security for All, HS4A. The theme commemorates the role of amateur radio in addressing this need.

To celebrate of World Amateur Radio Day 2023, Buy Two Way Radios is offering a WARD special: Buy a Wouxun KG-UV8H Dual Band Amateur Radio or Wouxun KG-UV980P Quad Band Base/Mobile Two Way Radio and take an additional 10% off the regular price! This special discount is valid until Midnight tonight (April 18, 2023)! No promo code is needed. Your 10% discount will be automatically applied to your order.

Note: This special is valid during World Amateur Radio Day only and expires at midnight, April 18, 2023.

Wouxun soars into the realm of airband radio with the launch of the new KG-S74A! In this clip from episode 177 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast, Danny and Rick cover all of the new features that make it perfect for riding the aviation airwaves. Plus, plenty of returning features familiar to users of Wouxun's S-Series entries. the KG-S74A Compact Handheld Aviation Radio is available only from Buy Two Way Radios.

Want more videos about 2-way radios? Browse our video blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

We tell you about a new portable handheld airband radio from Wouxun. We’ll also take some of your comments and questions from our blog and our forum.
Intro :00
Billboard 1:03

A New Aviation Radio from Wouxun 1:23
Wouxun has made serious inroads into the world of FRS, GMRS, CB and business communications in just a few short years. So it should come as no surprise that they are entering another arena as well, with the introduction of their first portable handheld VHF radio for aviation, the KG-S74A!

Questions and Answers 30:21
Comments and questions from our blog and members of the Two Way Radio Forum. Check out and join the forum! It's free!

Wrap up and Close 36:41
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. If we read your comment about this episode on a future episode, we may send you a free t-shirt or some swag! Visit us at www.twowayradioshow.com!

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Wouxun has made serious inroads into the world of FRS, GMRS CB and business communications. So it should come as no surprise that they are entering another arena as well. Introducing the first portable handheld VHF aviation radio from Wouxun, the KG-S74A!

The KG-S74A is the newest addition to the Wouxun S-Series of handheld radios, which include the KG-S84B and KG-S86B on-site business radios, the KG-S72C CB radio and of course, the popular KG-S88G GMRS radio. As part of this series, it shares the same physical attributes and characteristics of the other S models, and some of the same core features as well. However, as an air band radio, it also has a number of new features that are somewhat unique to the aviation radio service alone.

Physical Attributes

First let's look at the physical attributes that make this an S-Series radio. Like its business, CB and GMRS cousins, the KG-S74A is contained in a compact, durable housing with a built-in USB-C charging port. It is equipped with an on/off volume knob, channel knob, two programmable side keys, a programmable top key, easy to read backlit LCD display, loud, clear speaker and a bright LED flashlight.

The KG-S74A also inherits certain additional attributes from one specific S series radio, the KG-S88G. Like its GMRS counterpart, the airband model has the full DTMF style keypad and IP67 waterproof rating, which means it is also submersible.

Core Features

As for its core features, the KG-S74A shares the same basic internal specs as the other S radios, including the Superheterodyne receiver, 400 customizable memory channels, channel and frequency modes, channel scan, English voice prompts, monitor function and hands-free VOX capability.

It also has the power and flexibility of the programmable function keys found on the other S models. The PF1 and PF2 side keys can be configured in multiple ways, set to a short or long press of the key. The top key is also configurable in this way, providing a total of three function keys with six programmable functions!

These functions, a few of which are unique to this radio, include backlight activation, adjustable squelch, access to weather mode, the ability to switch between channel and frequency work modes, monitor channel function, flashlight activation, EM-121.5 emergency frequency activation and a recall function, which allows you to return to the previously tuned frequency or channel.

This radio is also programmable, either through PC programming software or, like the KG-S88G, directly from the keypad of the radio itself.

However, when it comes to its operating parameters, the KG-S74A is more in line with the KG-S72C CB radio. This isn't a UHF model, it is a VHF radio and transmits on 118-137 MHz air band frequencies using Amplitude Modulation (AM), the standard for aviation radios of its class.

Where it sets itself apart from the rest of the S series is in two areas. The first is its weather mode. The KG-S74A has 7 NOAA weather channels with weather alerts. And it isn't just one type of alert. The KG-S74A includes 5 types of weather alert notifications, all customizable according to your need. This is a new feature that's unique to Wouxun radios. It was recently introduced in the KG-935G Plus GMRS radio and is now available for the KG-S74A aviation radio as well.

The second area is in its transmit power. The maximum wattage capabilities of the other S Series models ranged from 2-5 watts. The KG-S74A handles wattage a little differently. It is capable of transmitting at up to 6 watts (PEP) on the aviation band.

Accessory Compatibility

One of the advantages of any two way radio is its ability to accessorize with other existing models from the same manufacturer. This cross-compatibility ensures long term support for its maintenance and operation. As an S-Series model, the KG-S74A shares the same battery, charger, programming cable and audio accessories available to the KG-S84B,KG-S86B, KG-S72C and KG-S88G. It uses the same Kenwood 2-pin (K1) style audio connector port common to many other radios today, which opens up access to a wide range of earpieces, headsets and speaker mics. It even uses the same SMA male antenna connector. Adapters are included with the KG-S74A for greater inter-connectivity to other standard air band antennas and audio accessories, just in case.

The Wouxun KG-S74A portable handheld VHF aviation radio is taking off exclusively from Buy Two Way Radios. Price: $199.99.

The Wouxun S-Series of two way radios consists of five models encompassing four different radio services. These include Aviation, Business, CB, and GMRS. Each model is specifically made for the service on which it functions. All models are FCC type accepted to legally operate on the band, frequencies and service for which they are assigned.

While there are some standard features that are built-into the entire S-series by default, there are also some important differences. These differences are primarily due to the requirements and limitations imposed by the FCC on radios that operate on a specific service.

Below is a reference chart with a general overview of the differences and similarities between the current models in the Wouxun S-Series.

*Note: The features highlighted in green are only available on the aviation model.

When is the appropriate time to actually use VOX? How do you activate it on a two way radio? How do you properly configure VOX for optimal use? In this video clip from Episode 176 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast, Danny and Rick tackle the issue one faces when utilizing this tool.

Additional Resources:
How does VOX work on a two way radio?
The Facts about VOX
TWRS-176 - An Introduction to VOX
Radio 101 - How to set VOX mode on a Midland GXT1000
Radio 101 - Using VOX on two way radios

Want more videos about 2-way radios? Browse our video blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

The Wouxun BLO-016 is one of our top selling batteries from this manufacturer, and with good reason. It fits some of their most popular amateur and GMRS radios sold at Buy Two Way Radios. In late 2022 we partnered with Wouxun to design and create a version of this lithium-ion battery pack with a a built-in USB-C charging port. The result was the Wouxun BLO-016-USB-C!

We knew this battery would become quite popular, but we didn't know how high the demand would be at the time. Apparently it was pretty high, because we sold out of our initial inventory within days. It went on backorder quickly, and it took Wouxun time to manufacture a double order to meet the demand.

Now the wait is over. We are happy to announce that the Wouxun 2600mAh USB-C Battery Pack is back in stock and Buy Two Way Radios has them in our warehouse for immediate delivery!

The Wouxun BLO-016-USB-C is a 2600 mAh battery pack for the Wouxun portable handheld radios. This is a geniune OEM battery designed for easy charging and long uptime that works with popular Wouxun ham and GMRS radios, including the following:

• • KG-UV8H
  • KG-UVN1
  • KG-905G
  • KG-935G
  • KG-935G Plus

This battery is sold exclusively at Buy Two Way Radios. We have them here at our warehouse and ready to ship for $29.99 per battery. Give us a call at 1-800-584-1445 or click here to order.

In this video clip from Episode 176 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast, Danny and Rick explain what VOX is, how it works on a two way radio and why it may or may not be the best option for some radio applications.

Additional Resources:
The Facts about VOX
TWRS-176 - An Introduction to VOX
Radio 101 - How to set VOX mode on a Midland GXT1000
Radio 101 - Using VOX on two way radios

Want more videos about 2-way radios? Browse our video blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Some manufacturers of consumer FRS walkie talkies market their products based on the range in miles. We are often asked about the actual wattage of these radios, because these manufacturers don't usually include this information on their products. There is an obvious reason for this. It isn't impressive. In fact, if they did so, many consumers may be somewhat disappointed, because the wattage on these products is usually on the low end, often much lower than the maximum allowable wattage for FRS. In many cases, it doesn't even approach the >maximum allowed on the low power 467 MHz FRS frequencies, and that's when the radio is operating at high power!

It's even more ironic when you consider that, until the Part 95 Reform of 2017, Most of these were FRS and GMRS hybrid radios that were often assumed to operate at the maximum wattage allowed on GMRS handhelds. The maximum allowable power on GMRS channels at the time was 5 watts. The power output for the GMRS, and hence the overall range, was actually very weak on nearly all of these models, which is why many licensed GMRS users preferred business radios over the consumer models.

The Great Reform changed all that. In 2017 the FCC separated the FRS/GMRS hybrids, allowing the channels previously reserved for GMRS to be shared with FRS as well, and while the seven 467 MHz FRS channels remained at one-half watt (0.5W) max, it raised the maximum allowable wattage on the now fifteen 462 MHz FRS channels to 2 watts.

This was welcome news to almost all users, since it encouraged manufacturers to make dedicated GMRS radios with higher wattage, and gave FRS users more power and greater range. In essence, what the reform did was re-classify hybrid "bubble pack" radios that were under 2 watts as license-free FRS radios. With the exception of a couple of Midland handheld radios that were above 2 watts, nearly all of the hybrid radios were well under that 2 watt limit, and therefore became FRS radios.

So, the manufacturers could now sell all of these hybrid radios, which previously required a license to operate on the GMRS channels, as FRS only radios that were "license-free". One would think that this would provide more opportunity and innovation with the introduction of 2 watt FRS radios, since that became the new limit. But that's not what happened, at least, not right away. With the exception of Wouxun, which jumped right on this one with the full 2 watt KG-805F FRS radio, a majority of the manufacturers chose to stick with their current lineup and simply re-label them all as FRS.

One of these manufacturers was Motorola. Although they did apply wattage changes to a few models, for the most part it was business as usual. Their Talkabout line is a prime example of how low the power can go on the high power setting. And Motorola is not the only one. Other bubble pack manufacturers did the same.

Many consumers mistakenly assume that because it is an FRS radio advertised at 35 miles range or more, it operates at the full 2 watts. But that's not quite accurate. And this is why we receive queries and complaints that their Motorola, Cobra or Uniden radios can't make it a couple of miles, or sometimes even a couple of city blocks. It's because these radios are not a full 2 watts, and some are only capable of operating at a fraction of what the FCC allows. A few are not much more powerful than the little walkie talkies sold as toys.

Yet, you'll often find them in use in some mom and pop retail stores, restaurants, schools and churches.

Just how powerful aren't they? The chart below lists some popular Motorola Talkabout radios, their advertised range and their actual wattage, according to the official documentation on file at the FCC.

It is important to note that a few of the radios listed in the following chart have "inverted" wattages, meaning that 467 MHz channels may actually have higher wattage than the 462 MHz channels! Strange, indeed.

Motorola Talkabout Wattage Comparison
Model	FCC ID	Range*	Adjustable Power	Low Wattage	Max Wattage
T100	AZ489FT4930	16 Miles		0.19W	0.2W**
T107	AZ489FT4930	16 Miles		0.19W	0.2W**
T200	AZ489FT4928	20 Miles		0.411W	0.47W**
T260	AZ489FT4929	25 Miles		0.4W	0.8W
T265	AZ489FT4929	25 Miles		0.4W	0.8W
T280	AZ489FT4929	25 Miles		0.4W	0.8W
T400	AZ489FT4924	35 Miles		0.48W	1.71W
T402	AZ489FT4924	35 Miles		0.48W	1.71W
T460	AZ489FT4924	35 Miles		0.48W	1.71W
T465	AZ489FT4924	35 Miles		0.48W	1.71W
T480	AZ489FT4925	35 Miles		0.37W	1.39W
T600	AZ489FT4927	35 Miles	✔	0.4W	1.3W
T605	AZ489FT4927	35 Miles	✔	0.4W	1.3W
T800	AZ489FT4947	35 Miles	✔	0.4W	0.75W

*Motorola advertises FRS/GMRS radio range in miles, however your actual range may vary as it depends on a number of variables. For more information watch our short video Radio 101 - The Truth About FRS/GMRS Two Way Radio Range.
**The "low power" 467 MHz channels have the higher wattage.

The the KG-935G Plus has a number of new and exciting features that are unique to this GMRS transceiver. The KG-935G Plus is the first to market with these features. No other radio has them.

In a previous video, we introduced the PF Key Quick Guide. It's quite a handy, time-saving feature to be sure, but there is another feature that's an even bigger deal. It's the Channel Wizard, and it's a real game changer. Why? Because it takes the process of field programming the radio directly from the keypad to a whole new level.

In this video tutorial, Tommy from Buy Two Way Radios explains what the Channel Wizard does and shows you how to use it.

Want more videos about 2-way radios? Browse our video blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel!