WouXun KG-UVD1P 136-174/420-520 MHz Dual Band Handheld Two-way Radio + Wouxun Walkie Talkie Remote

• Handheld Two-way Radio with Dual band Dual frequency Dual display Dual standby
• Dual Band, Dual Frequency, Dual Display and Dual Standby
• VHF&UHF, UHF&UHF or VHF&VHF working modes

Can't beat it for the price. Well built. Covers large bandwidth.Tons of features. Great audio. I get great reports from others and I like the sound of others who have this unit. Came with lapel mic and hand mic. One downside is that the manual is NOT written for a beginner to amateur radio. The manual simply explains what the menus are and what the options are for each menu. There is not discussion about what the menu item is used for or why one needs it. Search the web for alternate Wouxun programming instructions.

Beginners will almost certainly need to get on a local repeater to meet and talk with others (unless you alreayd have a friend locally you can talk to). Remember this... Frequency mode is your sandbox. Channel mode is your storage. For beginners:

Search the Internet for a repeater in your area. Get the receive frequency, and teh PL tone frequency and offset direction. Common references to repeaters are like this: 146.300 + PL 107.2. Offset for the 144 mhz range (2 meter band) is typically 600khz and very often in the up direction (+). Offset for 440mhz range (70 cm band) is typically 5mhz and often down (-).

Put the radio in Frequency Mode.

Tune to the receive frequency (e.g. 146.300). You may be able to hear people on the repeater.

Use the menus to set the offset to 0.600 for 144mhz range or 5.000 for the 440 range.

Use the menus to set the frequency direction to + or depending on the repeater reference.

Use the menus to set the PL tone (e.g. 107.2)

Press the push-to-talk button and annouce yourself. You should hear the repeater reply to you and hold a carrier open after you release the push-to-talk button.

At this point make sure things are working. Now use the menus to save the settings you have as a channel.

Repeat this "get things working in frequency mode then save what you have as a channel" method for any frequencies or repeaters you may want to use.

In channel mode you can tune in all the channels you have saved. Your channel numbers are for your reference. Unlike CB radio and marine radio, amateur radio does not have universally assigned channels. If you save 162.400 mhz as channel 1 then for you channel 1 is the weather. Someone else may have a different frequency as their channel 1.