OpenGD77

Hi,

I just got an advertising eMail from Radioddity telling about a NEW analog handy model: GA-510

They claim 10W Dual Band...

Please, have a look at the image.


Does it bring you some "flavour"?...

Cheaper than a GD77 !!! , of course, the blue, red and green buttons are missing, everything is orange ....
Well, the DMR is also missing a little ...

The case looks like the Baofeng DM-1801.

I suspect the radio is a rebranded Baofeng, becuase Radioddity don’t make their own radios, they sell radios made by TYT, Baofeng and other manufacturers.

The GD-77 is a rebranded TYT MD-760, with updated firmware.

I just ordered one, It should be here Sunday
I have not found the programing software yet

Its just Anlog though....

Not sure its got much going for it apart from being 10W.

You are correct that it is just Analog so nothing special but based on new generation chip (what ever that means) could be interesting and 10 watts can be fun to play with using a little better replacement antenna. It does also have CTCSS / DCS / Tone-burst so some flexibility. Worth checking out I guess. Not a lot of information out on it yet.

VK3KYY wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 12:39 am

Its just Anlog though....

Not sure its got much going for it apart from being 10W.

KU4ZD wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:50 am

10 watts can be fun to play with using a little better replacement antenna.

Why? It's only 3db gain, but is going to deplete your battery > twice as fast. Plus its going to start bumping into FCC exposure limits. While they may only be regulation in FCC land, the physics is the same everywhere.

The HT comes with three levels (10W, 5W, 1W) so the high power level would not have to be use very often as I would see it. There are only a few situations that I could see that it would be need be need but my only interest is really to see what the radio is possible of, not really use it as a regular high power transmitter. While the FCC exposure limits take some calculations it is based on time, frequency and power. Here again, my use is only very limited in the transmit mode and more limited in the higher power. I do see your point on a larger scale however my interest is just to try it primarily because it is something kind of new. You are correct that it will deplete the batter, however it comes with two batteries provided. You make some very good points that should be considered, but again, just something new to play with is all I am thinking and see what that 3db can do on some of the little better gain antennas I have laying around. Just the new toy thing in me I guess.

k8md wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 9:15 am

KU4ZD wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:50 am

10 watts can be fun to play with using a little better replacement antenna.

Why? It's only 3db gain, but is going to deplete your battery > twice as fast. Plus its going to start bumping into FCC exposure limits. While they may only be regulation in FCC land, the physics is the same everywhere.

KU4ZD wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 14, 2019 2:11 pm

The HT comes with three levels (10W, 5W, 1W) so the high power level would not have to be use very often as I would see it. There are only a few situations that I could see that it would be need be need but my only interest is really to see what the radio is possible of, not really use it as a regular high power transmitter. While the FCC exposure limits take some calculations it is based on time, frequency and power. Here again, my use is only very limited in the transmit mode and more limited in the higher power. I do see your point on a larger scale however my interest is just to try it primarily because it is something kind of new. You are correct that it will deplete the batter, however it comes with two batteries provided. You make some very good points that should be considered, but again, just something new to play with is all I am thinking and see what that 3db can do on some of the little better gain antennas I have laying around. Just the new toy thing in me I guess.

I understand curiosity. It's a good attribute.

I don't like that manufacturers are making 10w capable radios. As there are many people that will just run high power all the time without and regard for either common sense or safety. Especially with the advent of modern batteries with sufficient power density to enable this type of operation. So many hams think they need as much power as possible for a variety of "emergency" operations. Just in case.

The 3db gain you get from jumping power from 5w to 10w can probably be made up by simply moving your own position a few CM left or right. Especially on 2m, where picket fencing is common. If you really need a better signal, then a better antenna will do far more then any power setting. I'm not referring to a longer rubber duck. If you want to make a world of difference in you ability to increase your signal received at the repeater then consider an antenna such as the roll up slimjim. The DBJ-2 in particular, is probably the most lightweight method to increase your signal by several orders of magnitude.

As far as we know OpenGD77 is not compatible with this radio. It is not a DMR radio.