#84 - Ailunce HD1 DMR Radio Review
A few months ago I ordered a new Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) to replace the RD-5R that I had so many problems with. I have been using this radio for the past 8 months giving it a thorough test and I will be going over my conclusions in today's review.
This is the Ailunce HD1 Dual Band (2-meter and 70-cm) Water-resistant (IP67) DMR handheld radio with GPS from Retevis.
First Impressions:
Right out of the box I was impressed with the feel and quality of this radio. This radio does not feel like a cheap Chinese-made radio, because it is not. Yes, it is made in China, and that is not necessarily a bad thing as most electronic parts that are in the radios and other electronics that you use every day are actually made in China, no matter what name is on the product, or where it was assembled.
China has received a bad reputation lately in the amateur radio community because of the readily available entry-level handheld radios like those available from Baofeng which start at around $25, and others companies like Puxing, Wouxun, TYT, and Anytone.
There is nothing wrong with these entry-level radios. I personally own six of the Baofeng UV-5R handhelds and have them ready as part of my disaster supplies.
If I were blindfolded I would guess that this radio was made by Motorola, going just by the feel of it in my hand. It is a very nicely made radio that has some weight to it.
Conclusions:
As I said, I have now been using this radio every day for the past 8 months and I do not have a single complaint about it. I absolutely love this radio and think that Retevis knocked it out of the park with the HD-1.
I have been using a Shark RF OpenSpot2 hotspot for DMR access with this radio. Since the radio has 2 separate VFO lines, I have been monitoring both the Hawaii Statewide DMR talkgroup on UHF as well as the local linked DEM repeaters on VHF. This is one of the main reasons that I decided on this radio with it being dual-band where most others are only single band.
But the top two reasons for chosing the HD-1 were its ability to transmit at 10-watts, which is double most other HT radios and theextreme water-resistance of this radio. The day I received the radio after charging the battery up I turned it on and droped it into a bathtub with about 6-inches of water in it and left it overnight. The next morning I found that the radio was still working and hasn't stopped working since.
Now THAT is an all-weather radio perfect for an island surrounded by water.
Until Next Time
Aloha & 73 from Hawaii
