TYT MD-UV390 Plus 10W

[SP6KE]

Hi , I have found a 10 Watts upgraded version of TYT MD UV 390 - called PLUS . I was wondering if I will still have option 10 Watts power to choose after upgrading this transceiver to Opengd77 ...

[VK3KYY]

Hi , I have found a 10 Watts upgraded version of TYT MD UV 390 - called PLUS . I was wondering if I will still have option 10 Watts power to choose after upgrading this transceiver to Opengd77 ...

The firmware for hand held radios has power settings of 50mW,250mW,500mW,750mW,1W,2W,3W,4W and 5W

However these power settings are based on the PA drive values in the official calibration data stored a secure part of the memory in the radio.

The oficial calibration data only has 2 data points in the handlhelds, 1W and 5W and the other power levels are created by hard coded coeffecients based on those 2 data points.

So if the High power calibration data value caused the radio to output 10W then in theory the setting would cause this radio to output 10W.

Also, we have a User Power setting which is also available "-W+" is displayed, and this uses the PA drive value in the Radio Options screen, and the PA DAC control can be set to any value, hence this could be used to drive the PA to its maximum value.

Note. Normally the PA drive settings in the official calibation is only about 80 or 90% of the maximum, as this is enough for the radios to output 5W.
On 2m most handhelds can actually output at least 6.5W


I'd recommend that before you install the OpenGD77 firmware on this radio, that you confirm it actually can output 10W, on both VHF and UHF, becuase I'm slighly sceptical about the manufacturers claims about what power any of these radios can output.

e.g. the MD9600 has claimed 50W in some literature, but it can barely produce this on VHF and definietly can't on UHF


It should also be noted that the "Plus" versions are not listed on TYT's own website, only the UV380 and UV390

and the UV390 is listed as having an output of 5W

https://www.tyt888.com/pro_info109.html

[G4EML]

There are several adverts on AliExpress for the '10W' version. Some even have a video showing the output power being tested with a low quality power meter. The strange thing is the power is showing as about 6W. So even their own advertising is contradicting itself.

I think it is safe to say the 'Plus' version is most likely exactly the same hardware as previous versions and is just a marketing trick by the sellers.

Colin G4EML

[SP6KE]

Thanks for quick response, I put the link for that particular radio below. It has 3200mAh battery in this configuration.

[SP6KE]

Właśnie udało mi się znaleźć ten świetny produkt na platformie AliExpress, zobacz! 660,57zł | 10W AES128/256 TYT MD-UV390 PLUS DMR 3200mAh IP67 VHF/UHF cyfrowe Walkie Talkie szyfrowanie ARC4 wersja aktualizacji prywatnych połączeń!!!
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EwKZXfT

MOD EDIT: translation

I just managed to find this great product on AliExpress, check it out! PLN 660.57 | 10W AES128/256 TYT MD-UV390 PLUS DMR 3200mAh IP67 VHF/UHF Digital Walkie Talkie ARC4 Encryption Private Call Upgrade Version!!!
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EwKZXfT

[VK3KYY]

No one has tried the firmware on a 10W UV380, so there is no way to know what power it will output when using the OpenGD77 firmware

[K3TD]

Is the Plus version of the MD-UV390 compatible with OpenGD77? If not, which currently available DMR dual band portable would you recommend? Thank you!
Tad Danley, K3TD

[KB8YKF]

There is a post here that implies there is a running change and all recently manufactured uv390 plus radios have a 10w PA in them:

https://www.twowayradioforum.com/t/tyt- ... ut/10922/2

[VK3KYY]

There is a post here that implies there is a running change and all recently manufactured uv390 plus radios have a 10w PA in them:

https://www.twowayradioforum.com/t/tyt- ... ut/10922/2

This isn't actually someone confirming that they do actually produce 10W, its someone posting what the dealer told them

Most likely they put a higher power PA FET in the radio and also changed the gain of the PA driver stage.

But I take these things with a pinch of salt when they say "PA module", becuase the radio is not modular.

[KB8YKF]

In this thread is a link to a video of someone running OpenGD77 on a TYT MD-UV390 Plus. Someone else comments on buying two of these radios from buytwowayradios.com and installing OpenGD77 without issue:

viewtopic.php?t=3145

If you want a very rugged, submersible radio and live in USA, I'd get the TYT MD-UV390 Plus from buytwowayradios.com

If you don't care about submerging radio completely underwater, I'm a fan of the Retevis RT3S which is same as the TYT MD-UV380. Its a bit more compact than the MD-UV390, and pretty rugged, just can't be submerged underwater. I bought mine direct from Retevis as you can get it bundled with a few accessories like a hand microphone, extra battery, better antenna. I bought two one from Amazon and one from Retevis, the Retevis direct one had a better GPS module which I outlined here:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2415&start=110#p28188

Below is bundle I bought - shipping from China to midwest USA was about 3 weeks. Note the belt clip attaches the the battery, and the second battery doesn't come with a belt clip. They sell extras if you want one. On the UV390 the belt clip attaches to the radio. The extra antenna in the bundle was a Retevis RHD-771 which seems to have good reviews:

https://www.retevis.com/rt3s-radio-cabl ... 1-C9054AX1

Below is a video from buytwowayradios.com comparing MD-UV390 and the MD-UV380/Retevis RT3S size - one other difference is I prefer the port cover on the UV380/RT3S I'm often programming and tweaking things, and while the UV390 port cover is waterproof you need to use a tool or coin to completely remove it. Also if you use the hand microphone, then the port cover is off and you lose the waterproof feature:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG_lHA0gnAo

I bought the Retevis RT3S because the MD-UV380 sold by buytwowayradios.com does NOT include GPS. The GPS is a great addition for OpenGD77 because you can send beacons via APRS FM transmit, and also for the satellite prediction feature. The MD-UV390 Plus from buytwowayradios.com DOES have GPS.

I prefer the Retevis RT3S/TYT MD-UV390 Plus/TYT MD-UV380 family of radios to the other OpenGD77 radios still available because of the large color screen. There is also the MD-9600/RT-90 if you are looking for a base station.