D**D
my new favorite DMR radio
I’ve been a radio enthusiast for most of my life, ever since my dad got me started in the hobby. Five or so years ago radio technology like this would have been a big chunk of cash. Nowadays the market is swarming with cheap technology at the fingertips of end users. Coming up with great products to surpass the needs of your average user is becoming more difficult day by day. However to me there is one clear exception, which is the Radtel RT-27D. Over the past two months I have been studying and testing various radio manufacturers from the Asian market and this one is a true standout. These passed two months a group of buddies and I went cross-country skiing in Colorado. I thought this would be a great time to test my new Radtel RT-27d radios. Along with me I brought a Tytera MD-380 and a Motorola CP 200d. It was about -15F outside on a snowy mountain, I was carrying the Radtel RT-27d in my radio holster. I had one of my buddies hold a radio at the bottom of the mountain while an ascended to the top on the ski lift. To my surprise he was able to hear me all the way during the ride. I was expecting the frigid cold to have some sort of impact on the transmitter. Next I pulled out my Tytera MD-380 from my glove pocket. I could get the MD-380 to turn on but the LCD was frozen making it unusable. The 27D worked just fine with the dot matrix screen, slow but responsive in the cold. While I was still at the top I did a few more tests before heading back down. Earlier I programmed in an analog frequency. It’s worth mentioning about the programming cable itself. No longer do you have to remember the awkward looking 3.5 mm jack programming cable, because the radio uses a micro usb port. This works great with my android charger, which I always need. The analog output from the radio is rather quiet compared to the Motorola CP 200d but when you switch to digital, the RT-27d easily overpowers it. Next was the durability test. I started to ski halfway down the mountain with my buddy counting down from 20 on the radio. After he would finish counting I would count back from 20. After I finished counting he would tell me the quality of my transmission. Keep in mind of the snowy conditions that can block the audio and mic ports of the radio. He said the transmission was decently readable but he could hear some wind noise in the background. I didn't tell him what radio I was using. Next I took out the CP 200d and did the same process. I never was able to test the MD 380 because it could not handle the cold. The reports of the CP- 200d were very surprising, he thought for a moment I was using analog because of all the static when really it was the wind noise coming from the CP 200d. Usually my Instincts are to trust Motorola radios more than Asia radio manufactures, but this got me thinking. The next few weeks were well spent pushing the range of the radios in harsh conditions. As the days progressed these radios continued to amaze me. When first looking at them they seemed to be dainty little things. Upon closer inspection the build quality is certainly worth noting. The buttons were very responsive. You could tell what you were pressing on the radio even with a thick glove on. Most importantly of all is the battery life. I was able to go a couple days without charging it. All the other radios I brought with me died within 10 hours on the slopes. If you are looking for a new DMR radio, look no further. The Radtel RT-27d has been a small warrior these passed two months in harsher conditions than I can handle. It's a very unique radio and perfectly simplistic compared to the other digital radios on the market. Another important factor to me is how the radio looks professionally. I would love to see more of these radios used by businesses that think that think they can’t afford the luxury of digital communications. I’m also an avid HAM radio operator and this has become my primary radio. The costumer service was great in helping me set up the radio. They were very prompt when I needed to ask a question. I would highly recommend the Radtel RT-27d for anyone looking for a great and inexpensive DMR radio
D**J
Why you should buy THIS radio and NOT a MD-380(G)!!
This is the radio you should spend the extra 25 bucks for. Now, I am prejudiced. Read on - as I bought a Tytera MD-380G VHF model as most DMR repeaters here in Maine are VHF. Was giving service, as it should, for a few months. Then, one day, I turn it on and - bingo!...the "White Screen of Death!!" Now I look at the radio, physical condition - excellent, electrical condition - excellent, operational condition - NONE. To date, there is no fix for this, even after reflashing the radio three times. You can't operate a radio if you can't see anything on the display.. Enough.This radio is more durable, works in cold weather, the MD-380g does not, perfectly acceptable standard LCD screen, the MD-380(G) - good luck. Really like the plain old micro USB charging cable for programming - why didn't others think of this?CONS: only two. First, the right side flip out cover for the accessory and programming sockets should have a more durable snap closure. Second, unless you upgrade to the latest firmware, you're stuck with having to do some keystrokes to change the language from Chinese to English every time you upload to the radio. For me - not an issue. See Miklor's web page for how to do it. Easy to learn in case you're too lazy to upgrade the firmware which defaults to English.You want a DMR handheld, buy this radio. Read about what others say. Check out Miklor's page, www.miklor.com, and review.
R**E
An excellent DMR radio as well as FM transceiver for Ham ...
An excellent DMR radio as well as FM transceiver for Ham radio operators. I took the chance on buying this radio due to all the great reviews. Well I must admit they were right. It is a well built and solid radio. I have many DMR radio but this one just feels right to hold versus all the others. It is not to small nor to big as it is just right. The audio is good and loud on both DMR and FM. The tone quality of the speaker is just right on the money. The battery last all day easily. I love the LCD display as it is easy to see in both day and night time situation. At first, I didn't like that the channel selector only goes 1 to 16 and then if you want to go back to one you have to spin it all the way back. But now I realize how helpful this is when driving without looking at the radio, you can count how many clicks up or down and know where you are. It has 3 programmable buttons on the side versus 2 that most radios I own have. The Hams that I talk to through the repeaters say that I sound great and they sound excellent too. The receiver sensitivity is excellent and right up there with any Kenwood or Yaesu I own. I usually don't like the supplied antenna, but the one that it came with works really well. The belt clip is nice and sturdy and holds well. You won't have to worry about it letting go and your radio falling to the ground as some other radios I have had very weak spring and the radio hit the ground hard and cause case damage. Someone complained about the cover that goes over the ear and mic and usb port as it keeps opening. I have not found that to be a problem now. Initially, I did but found out that I didn't full press the cover inside that goes over the usb port. If you don't fully press it in, the outer cover cannot fully go down on it as it would be in the way. I'm very picky about my radios, but I must admit this one is a keeper. It is just a great radio for simplex and repeater use on either DMR or FM. Catch you on the Air.
Trustpilot
2 months ago
1 month ago
