10W UV380/UV390 PLUS - WORK IN PROGRESS

[KB8YKF]

Yes buytwoway

Here is a snapshot from archive.org dated December 29th less than a month ago - the buytwowayradios.com listing clearly states that the radios are 5W and mention GPS a few times:

https://web.archive.org/web/20231229224 ... -plus.html

Today's buytwowayradios.com listing makes no mention of GPS and says 10W. I'd try and get my money back considering they sold you a radio with different specs than what you received, especially not containing GPS is pretty egregious.

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/tyt-md-uv390-plus.html

If you watch this video at 31 seconds in (link goes to the right spot) you'll see the author removes the battery and you see its a Plus unit, 5W and says GPS - and video description says its from buytwowayradios.com and includes an affiliate link - seems TYT is just slapping together whatever parts they have, reminders me of Commodore in the 1980's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0PMK-aohx0&t=31s

[KQ4MDM]

Wow Buytwowayradios just issued me a refund and let me keep the radio. They would like me to order a different radio(after the Chinese new year when they get them in). But not obligated to do so.

That seems more than fair.

I also updated my post on their forum bragging on the employee that worked to help me.

Also suggested they work with opengd77 in the future. A team up would be amazing.

[VK3KYY]

Also suggested they work with opengd77 in the future. A team up would be amazing.

Unfortunately the dealers have no contact with any part of TYT who know technical details about the hardware

I've already tried that approach before

[KO6CDG]

PXL_20240127_223206350-.jpg (214.7 KiB) Viewed 757 times

FYI: Here is a clear picture of the back of the 5W version that works with OpenGD77

[VK3KYY]

Interesting that there is no mention of "Plus" on these radios.

I think much of the "Plus" features are marketing, or related to changes to the official firmware to support different encryption.

Obviously the 10W version is different hardware, with a redesigned PCB with much bigger RF PA FETS, and unfortunately also some unknown changes to the other control signals

If TYT sent me a 'sample' radio, I'd be happy to look inside and see if I can support the 10W version, they could send me a radio without a battery, and I'd use the battery from my regular UV380 /RT3S, but I doubt they would do that.

[VK3KYY]

Also suggested they work with opengd77 in the future. A team up would be amazing.

Would you be willing to run some tests on your 10W radio ?

I'm fairly sure it will not get damaged

Firstly, can you confirm that

1. It only works on DMR
2. When you enter FM mode, is the radio totally non-functional, or is it mainly that there is no display. i.e If you are in the VFO on 145.000MHz DMR and you press SK2 + * (STAR) to change to FM mode, even if the display goes blank, does the PTT work , or the radio receive on 145MHz?

[UD6AUB]

I flushed opendg to my TYT-UV390 Plus (10w without GPS). It's working, but for enable backlight, I need to press to PTT after enable.
and sometimes 390 won't enable. So I just rewrite firmware again, also BER on OpenGD bit worse than the original firmware? 1.5% - 2% on opengd and 0.2% on origin. Maybe it's just settings on my hotspot.

[VK3KYY]

I flushed opendg to my TYT-UV390 Plus (10w without GPS). It's working, but for enable backlight, I need to press to PTT after enable.
and sometimes 390 won't enable. So I just rewrite firmware again, also BER on OpenGD bit worse than the original firmware? 1.5% - 2% on opengd and 0.2% on origin. Maybe it's just settings on my hotspot.

OK

I think I will need to make a special version to understand the internal connections in this new UV380

[VK3KYY]

Is the problem only the LCD backlight?

I know without the backlight that the display is unusable


I think now I can guess why these new radios do not work.
Probably TYT used an even cheaper STM32 clone CPU, which does not support the extra functionality in the firmware. Specifically the LCD backlight dimming function uses DMA to write to a CPU GPIO port to produce the effect of dimming on a GPIO pin that does not support PWM

[KB8YKF]

Funny, W4KWS just posted a followup video on his 5W MD-UV390 Plus running OpenGD77 and mentions "hundreds" of hams contacting him for info on it :


youtu.be/W9AtMAvYjOQ